10 Wrestlers WWE Gave Up On Too Soon
1. Ethan Carter III
WWE had absolutely no idea what they had on their hands with Ethan Carter III. As Derrick Bateman, the current TNA worker spent four years in WWE development from 2009 to 2013. He was a competitor on NXT’s fourth season, and with Daniel Bryan as his mentor, he made it to the competition’s final three before being eliminated.
He’d return for NXT’s fifth season and started sporadically appearing on WWE television, but never really made a mark. Bateman, however, continued to feature prominently on NXT television all the way up until his 2013 release.
Adopting the EC3 monicker upon debuting in TNA a few months later, he was introduced as owner Dixie Carter’s spoiled nephew, and has since become a cornerstone for the Nashville-based promotion. A two-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Ethan Carter III can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the ring and on the mic, but it’s his character work that really stands out. While competent as a babyface, EC3 has become one of the best arrogant heels in the business, and a genuine franchise player in every sense.
Given the level of acclaim he’s received since joining TNA, it’s baffling that WWE couldn’t find something better to do with him. As Bateman, EC3 was rarely used as anything other than a comedic goofball, and while he was fine in that role, his work since leaving WWE proves he was destined for bigger and better things.