10 WWE Mega-Pushes Fans Hated BEFORE Roman Reigns & John Cena
9. Mark Henry
The 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games imbibed the United States Of America with even more national pride than ever before, and donated to WWE history one of the greatest and most naturally versatile performers to ever grace the company's canvas.
But seeing as Kurt Angle wouldn't be free for another few years, Vince McMahon had to try and make do with Mark Henry.
His original run shortly after an admirable weightlifting effort while nursing a back injury in the Summer Games failed not because of Henry's commitment to the bit, but because fans simply weren't willing to buy what the company were trying to sell with him.
An even lazier Lex Luger repackage saw yet more Old Glory bullsh*t thrust upon his gear and outside-the-ring attire, thirstily grabbing those "USA" chants as if his first major rival Jerry Lawler wasn't from the same place. A bad debut carried by 'The King' didn't help matters, and a broken leg suffered just a few weeks later was somehow a blessing in disguise.
While far from perfect, the Nation Of Domination member that returned a year later felt a decade apart from his one dimensional origin story.