7 WCW Champions Who Never Became WWE Champions (And Why)

7. Ron Simmons

WCW Champion: Once (1992)

Signed: 1996-2004

Reason: The smooth-talking Ron Simmons captured WCW's top prize from Big Van Vader in August 1992 and held the title for 150 days before dropping it back to him that December. At the time, this was huge, because Simmons became the first African-American World Champion in company history.

It was a one-off.

When Simmons later signed for the WWF in 1996, he was handed the character of Faarooq and initially played a gladiatorial gimmick. Soon, that gave way to the Nation Of Domination, and Faarooq then went on to form a successful tag-team with Bradshaw. He'd never be given the chance to reign as WWF Champion like he had in WCW.

Though he had a few shots at the title (like at King Of The Ring 1997 opposite The Undertaker), Simmons was never seriously considered for a run with the thing. It seems that Vince McMahon always viewed him as a mid card guy who could step up occasionally, but not full time.

To the WWF, Ron Simmons was much better-suited to a tag role.