10 Wrestlers Who Were Wrongly Judged On ONE Match

Everyone has done it.

Absolutely every pro wrestling fan has sat there, watched one match and judged workers accordingly. It's human nature to make snap judgements on things and then use that as some bullsh*t criteria for the rest of your experience with it. Pro wrestlers, and their skills/size/looks/promos/matches are no different.

WWE do this too, and even Vince McMahon isn't exempt from blame. The single most powerful man in the entire industry has watched just one bout before making up his mind on some world class talents, and he often trusts the opinions of those who either only want to please him or don't really know what they're talking about and just fancy a spot of backstage drama.

This has led to wild claims that some quality wrestlers are "dangerous", "injury prone", "too small", "overhyped" and more. It also works the other way - a few workers have been judged positively instead, with one even being dubbed the "next Hulk Hogan" by those behind the curtain when they smelled money (or the chance to echo the boss).

Often, such bold, sweeping statements are wrong. Very, very wrong...

Nobody who witnessed it will ever forget Tazz's debut at the 2000 Royal Rumble.

The ex-ECW hard man suplexed the undefeated Kurt Angle out of his boots, then quickly locked on a choke for the submission. This was decisive booking at its best, and it made Tazz look like a million bucks instantly. The problem was that, well, those damn suplexes worried some behind the curtain at MSG.

Both Bruce Prichard and Jim Ross have said on their respective podcasts that a few of the other wrestlers expressed concerns that Tazz was reckless and dangerous between the ropes. That wasn't true, or fair - Angle himself has revealed on his own pod that he was 100% up for every suplex, and called his peer a controlled, safe worker.

Still, mud sticks. Suddenly, Vince McMahon wasn't so sure that the grappling machine who'd played before a huge pop in his most famous venue was trustworthy enough to push. Then, suddenly, Tazz's smaller size became a problem too.

How unfair.