10 Wrestlers WWE Gave Up On Too Soon

Better known as Matt Sydal, Evan Bourne was a high-flying indie standout who was a rare highlight during one of WWE’s darkest periods.

Bourne always dazzled with his vast array of flips and tricks in the ring, but was torn from ECW before getting a chance to wear the hold, and found himself lost and rudderless on Raw. His in-ring performances were never in doubt and the fans were always on his side, but his only real success came as a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion.

Sadly, Bourne fell victim to injury and fell victim to the Wellness Policy multiple times during his six-year WWE tenure. There were times when WWE let Bourne take the stabilisers off, and when they let him go out and do his own thing, the fans loved it. Unfortunately, WWE never looked like they had any real faith in him as a singles star, and while Bourne’s own poor decisions undoubtedly played a part, his size (5’9”, 185lbs) likely didn’t help either. Nor did his debilitating injuries, which left him pinned to the sidelines for a long time.

Now working for New Japan Pro Wrestling and a host of indies across the globe, the former Bourne is once again demonstrating just how good a wrestler he is on the global stage. He’s supplemented his eye-catching high-flying style with serious mat wrestling chops to become a very well-rounded wrestler.

Had WWE not given up on him in 2014, Bourne could’ve been a big star, and a major player in the upcoming Cruiserweight division.