10 Wrestlers Whose Careers Started In The Worst Way Possible
7. Dolph Ziggler's Spirit Squad Struggle
The Spirit Squad were a disaster. Formed in January 2006, the male cheerleader gang were initially presented as authority stooges, with their coordinated routines irritating the hell out of fans around the world. They'd become part of Vince McMahon's feud with Shawn Michaels, culminating, eventually, in a 5-on-3 handicap with DX and Ric Flair, with the Squad literally locked in a crate labelled "OVW, Louisville, Kentucky," on-air, then sent back to developmental.
A horrendous start to each man's WWE career. Ken Doane alone remained on television afterwards, but soon faded away. Stablemate Nicky remains the only one to achieve lasting success in the company, but not after a second OVW stint, and a complete repackaging as Dolph Ziggler.
Reintroduced in September 2008, the former Nicky endured a rough transition. His gimmick involved nothing more than walking up to established stars and introducing his goofy new name, and he fell afoul of the Wellness Policy less than a month after re-debuting, but Ziggler endured. He has remained with the company through countless ups and downs, and will carry the Intercontinental Championship into SummerSlam on August 19th.