8 WWE Flops Who Went On To Bigger Things

6. CJ Parker

CJ Parker Juice Robinson
WWE.com/njpw1972.com

Few could have predicted that NXT's resident dreadlocked hippie CJ Parker would go on to become IWGP United States Champion just over three years after departing WWE. It's happened though, and Parker (as Juice Robinson) is now somebody the promotion are linked with bringing back.

It's funny how things turn out, eh?

Parker, a solid mic man during his run in NXT, clearly always had the skills to be more. He wasn't going to be that when playing the one-note free spirit gimmick WWE had in mind for him however. No, Juice Robinson is everything that WWE rookie always wanted to be, and more. Today, he doesn't need his former employers, and that must be liberating.

Juice has gone on to much bigger things outside WWE. His New Japan run has been peppered with promising moments, like a confidence-boosting win over Kenny Omega last August in the G1 Climax Tournament. Now he's IWGP US Champ, Robinson has no need to consider WWE's offer if he doesn't want to.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.