10 Wrestlers Whose Careers TANKED After Winning Big

4. Rikishi/Too Cool

Otis Mandy Rose WWE Tanked
WWE.com

Too Cool were never meant to catch fire the way they did. If anything, Vince Russo's original vision for the team called for them to be an uncool version of Matt and Jeff Hardy. Fans found their retro flavour and dancing charming though, and the group had some serious steam once Rikishi joined the party.

Everything cooled significantly in late-2000. Rikishi turned heel (he "did it for The Rock", don't you know?) by getting involved in the ongoing whodunit surrounding Steve Austin, and an injury to Scotty Too Hotty left Grandmaster Sexay rudderless on his own. The fact he went on to team with Steve Blackman says everything.

Then, Sexay was released after a drug possession bust in May 2001, and the WWF didn't really know where to go with Hotty or floundering heel Rikishi. What should've been the apex (Kish moving up the card and Too Cool still getting huge pops from fans) turned out to be a nightmare for the trio.

We'll always have their first and second entrance themes, at least.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.