10 Wrestlers Who Were Supposed To Get Other Wrestlers Over (But Got Over Themselves)
3. Diesel (Shawn Michaels)
It was HBK himself who scanned WCW programming, spotted a big man called Vinnie Vegas and thought he'd work as a heater in the WWF. In other words, Shawn Michaels knew that he needed something extra that'd help him get over as a singles star; it's easy to forget that the company had been size-obsessed for years.
That started to change slightly by the time Shawn broke out on his own, but he was still a small heel in a "big man territory". Kevin Nash (Vegas), as Diesel, would offset that by stalking ringside and punching the t*ts off anyone who came close. His literal purpose was to heat things up for Michaels and heap hate on his 'Boy Toy' antics.
Approx six months later, Vince McMahon was licking his chops and picturing dollar signs.
Diesel's 1994 Royal Rumble performance was so convincing that McMahon began viewing him as more than bodyguard muscle for other acts. He could stand solo and become something more than HBK's enforcer. By the end of that year, Diesel was WWF Champ and in the top babyface slot.