10 Wrestlers WWE Tried To Push To The Top (But Failed)

4. Bobby Lashley

You only need to take one look at Bobby Lashley to see why Vince McMahon was a fan of his: the guy was HUGE. Lashley had one of the best physiques in WWE when he debuted in October 2005 and, if history has taught us anything, it's that Vince McMahon loves a good, muscular physique. Of course Lashley had a bit more than just his body going for him. He was also an accomplished amateur wrestler, who was even training for the 2003 Olympics when he suffered a serious knee injury. Lashley decided to pursue professional wrestling instead and WWE was more than interested. He was a featured act on Smackdown from his debut and throughout 2006 when, at the end of the year, he was transferred to the ECW brand. Lashley was to become the face of ECW and won the ECW World Championship in an Extreme Elimination Chamber match at the disastrous December To Dismember PPV. Many fans in the arena, who had hoped for a Rob Van Dam or CM Punk victory, turned their backs on Lashley. He wouldn't have time to sit around and cry about it, though, as he was the man chosen to compete in one of the biggest matches in WrestleMania history. Lashley was to represent billionaire businessman Donald Trump against Vince McMahon's representative Umaga in a match where Trump and Vince's hair was on the line. Although the match had plenty of window dressing in the form of Vince, Trump, Shane and special referee Steve Austin, it was still a huge test for Lashley, a test that he fortunately past. WrestleMania 23, built around the Battle of the Billionaires, did a phenomenal 1.21 million pay-per-view buys, a then-record number for the company. WWE rewarded Lashley with a main event WWE Championship match against John Cena at the Great American Bash, a match which Lashley lost. It was his final PPV appearance for the company, as he would be released from his contract while he recovered from surgery to repair an injury. WWE wanted Lashley to be the next John Cena but it never happened. A combination of Lashley's lack of charisma (he was really bland), injuries and backstage politics (Lashley has made allegations of racism against members of WWE staff) meant that he never really fulfilled his potential for WWE. He now competes for TNA and in MMA, where he has a 12-2 record.