8 MMA Fighters Who Failed In Pro Wrestling

3. Tank Abbott

Cain Velasquez Brock Lesnar
WWE

Though he may not have been the most polished fighter ever to step inside the Octagon, Tank Abbott made up for his technical deficiencies with an ungodly amount of power and ability to take a punch.

Abbott's rugged bar-brawler aesthetic was perfect for the way the UFC was marketing itself during the mid-'90s, and Tank proved to be one of the earliest stars of the burgeoning sport, even appearing on in the Friends episode, The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion.

The former UFC title challenger would ultimately make his first of several retirements from fighting in 1998 after being knocked out by Pedro Rizzo, but his time in the spotlight was far from over.

Despite Abbott having zero pro wrestling experience, Vince Russo was looking to replicate the crossover success Ken Shamrock had enjoyed in the WWE, and believed that Tank's shootfighting background and unique look would legitimise him him as a potential opponent for Goldberg.

Tank's stint in WCW actually started pretty well as he embarked on a streak of KO victories, but his success would be short-lived as he became lost in the creative shuffle while continuing to pick up his over half a million dollars a year salary.

Contributor
Contributor

Adrian Bishop hasn't written a bio just yet, but if they had... it would appear here.