10 WWE Developmental Champions Who Came To Nothing
1. Mason Ryan
We had high hopes for Mason Ryan back home in Wales. When he signed with World Wrestling Entertainment in 2009 we thought we would finally get a Welshman on top of the wrestling world, one of our own performing on the biggest stage. Mason, or Barri Griffiths to his mother, was a big boy too, with the sort of physique that supposedly sends Vince McMahon into a sort of orgasmic frenzy.
Everything went pretty well for Mason in developmental, as just six months after making his debut he defeated Johnny Curtis (Fandango) and Alex Riley in a triple threat match to become the FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion. Big Barri defended the title against a whole host of opponents over a six-month stretch, before losing it to Bo Rotundo (Bo Dallas) in February 2011.
It was during this championship run that Mason Ryan made his debut on the main roster, aiding CM Punk in a match against John Cena to join the New Nexus. Despite being thrown in towards the top of the card, getting a big Royal Rumble elimination spot in the process, it never really came together for Mason Ryan on the main roster.
He pottered about for a few years, suffering a couple of injuries in the process, before being released in 2014. Things came quickly initially for Mason Ryan, but his main roster time never seemed to take off. Still, he's doing alright today, and performs at the Cirque de Soleil.