9 Early 2000s WWE Failures The Company Had Huge Plans For

6. Heidenreich

Heidenreich was a guy that WWE seemed to determine to make a huge star. Why, I do not know. They originally signed him to a developmental deal in 2001 but released him, then re-signed him in 2003. He showed up on Raw in November talking about 'Little Jonny' (no relation to Little Jimmy) before being sent back to OVW to learn how not to be so completely awful in every way. When he returned, it was with a big - Heidenreich, now managed by Paul Heyman and reciting hateful poetry, set his sights on The Undertaker, costing him the WWE Title in a match against JBL at No Mercy. This led to matches between the two at Survivor Series and Royal Rumble, both of which big Jonny lost. The original plan for WrestleMania 21 was for Heidenreich and Snitsky to team up to take on 'Taker and Kane, but the Dead Man vetoed that plan and fought Randy Orton instead. Unsure of what to do with Heidenreich, they inexplicably turned him face and teamed with up with Animal as a modern day incarnation of the LOD. A blatantly transparent way to promote the forthcoming Road Warriors DVD, the team was the pits. It ran its course and Heidenreich disappeared for a little while before being released in January 2006. According to his co-workers at the time, he was genuinely unstable, would show up late to events and one time even threatened to beat up Vince McMahon. Good thing he left then, really. Few people got to have the upper hand against Undertaker like Heidenreich did, especially back then. WWE clearly saw potential World Title material in the man. No one else did, mind.