10 WWE Champions Who Wouldn't Make It In Today's Developmental System
6. Batista
Batista came from the super fortuitous 2000-2003 OVW period where Jim Cornette was specifically on the lookout for WrestleMania main eventers. Corny famously identified Batista, along with John Cena and Randy Orton, as a member of that distinguished fraternity.
Cornette noticed early that Batista could be one of Vince McMahon's muscular supermen, and so he was fast-tracked for the main roster. It surely seems like Batista was a can't-miss prospect who'd flourish in any feeder system.
But the WWE super musclehead is something of a dinosaur. A cursory glance at the current NXT roster reveals that the Vince McMahon Main Event Prototype is apparently no longer being scouted by developmental. Bottom line: Mason Ryan fizzled out in NXT. An older, more injury-prone version isn't likely to get signed, much less promoted to the main roster.