10 Wrestlers Who Suffered From The Curse Of Comparison

Wrestlers on the smaller side can triumph in the remnants that were once “the land of the giants”. Yet long-term WWE devotees have subconsciously inherited some of Vince McMahon’s bias towards big muscular men. Batista and Mason Ryan both pass the “McMahon Airport Test”. Regrettably, Ryan lost his star power when he left the departure lounge.

By the time Mason debuted on the main roster, Batista already had a storied career that reserved him a spot in the Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, Ryan was a tentative work in progress. In terms of skill, linking the two was like tearing off a fridge door swamped with kid art and lugging it around the Louvre.

Mason’s debut, as the enforcer of The New Nexus, drew direct comparisons to Batista’s star-making role in Evolution. An attempt to recreate ‘The Animal' resulted in an aimless run with little to no accolades. A simple gimmick change wouldn't be a fix. Mason and Batista were inescapable doppelgängers.

Ryan saw the “resemblance facially” and commented that it was “quite strange”. Batista for his part defended Ryan saying that he didn’t believe that the newcomer was imitating him, and even if this was the case he would be flattered.