9 Wrestlers Who Vanished Off The Face Of The Earth

4. Mr. Kennedy

Blitzkrieg WCW
WWE.com

Ultimately, Mr. Kennedy benefitted from the era in which he broke through.

The mid-2000s was a tundra of talent and star power. It actually wasn't - the ROH roster was stacked with phenomenal would-be legends, some of whom were such geniuses that they etched their name into wrestling folklore through sheer force of will - but WWE didn't want to recognise them until they had to.

That left a hodgepodge of developmental talents thrust onto a scene for which they simply were not qualified, and Kennedy was among the best of a deeply generic bunch. He wasn't awful in the ring, and he had a satisfying call-and-response driven by a strong baritone. In any other era, it would be accepted that he was an entertaining midcard fixture. Mega-stardom was projected onto him because standards had slipped.

His TNA run was shallow - he thought he could get a catchphrase over and the rest would follow - and despite some far better in-ring showings, he was a fad there too. Having been lapped by a far better generation of talent, there's simply no need for a Mr. Kennedy in 2022 - and hasn't been for some time.

 
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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!