10 Wrestlers You Didn’t Realise Wrestled For WWE In 1998
5. Buddy Landel
Following his 2015 death, several noted industry commentators referenced Buddy Landel's repeated inability to quash personal demons after making a huge splash early in his career for the NWA.
Developing significant drug problems in the mid-80s, Landel was a promising talent and huge draw across southern territories, and was set to dethrone Ric Flair as NWA World Champion as part of Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985 before a huge fallout with management saw him leave the organisation entirely.
An iconic figure in Tennessee, Landel was at least able to remain steadily employed in wrestling. Sporting a 'Nature Boy' persona akin to Flair and Buddy Rogers, Landel drew massive babyface responses in Smoky Mountain Wrestling under the watchful eye of owner and booker Jim Cornette.
A short spell in late-1995 with WWE earned him very occasional call backs from the company when they were in town, with a lone 1998 television taping dark match to his name in May against the future 'Rated-R Superstar' Edge. He'd work his final match for the company less than a year later, losing to Triple H just under a month before 'The Game' would turn on D-Generation-X at WrestleMania XV.