8. Ricky Steamboat
WWE.comThrough his legendary battles with Ric Flair, Steamboat became one of the biggest babyfaces of the 1980's, and fans still point to his incredible match up with Randy Savage at Wrestlemania VII as a candidate for the greatest match of all time. Certainly, any wrestling student should study that match as one of the greatest examples of combining sheer athleticism with sublime storytelling. So you may be shocked to learn that one of the greatest Intercontinental champions of all time never climbed to the top of the 'Mania card. Timing would be one good reason: he left the company for a stint in Japan and then WCW in the late Eighties, just before his eternal rival Ric Flair has arrived in the company. Perhaps if he had been there at the same time, we'd have seen a revival of their career making feud that could have taken them both to that elusive 'Mania main event. Maybe it was also because he was always the 'other' guy: Steamboat was never the man, he was always the guy who worked with the big guy, and though that works at most shows and PPV's, the Wrestlemania main event is generally reserved for the biggest names. Unfortunately for Steamboat, he wouldn't be recognised as the storied performer that we know him as until a lot later in his career.