10 Wrestlers WWE Realised Weren't 'The Man'

2. The Ultimate Warrior

By 1990, having mined the money pit that was 'Hulkamania' for over half a decade, Vince decided to try something different and see if he could make another marketable box office smash. At WrestleMania VI, The Ultimate Warrior was handpicked as Hulk Hogan's successor. He was the guy who was supposed to lead wrestling through the '90s.

What McMahon quickly found out was that Warrior wasn't Hulk. Sure, he had legions of followers and had become a popular star, but his in-ring work was even more limited than Hogan's and business was hardly red hot with him on top. By the time 1991 rolled around, McMahon was already reverting to type and booking Hulk as 'Mania's focal point again.

Warrior wasn't 'The Man'.

Generally, according to the likes of Bret Hart and Ted DiBiase over the years, the roster didn't rally behind Warrior's cause like they had with Hulk. He wasn't a champ they were proud of, and few enjoyed working with him. The whole thing was a failed experiment.