Every 'Next Big Thing' In Wrestling History: Where Are They Now?

1. Vladimir Kozlov

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WWE.com

Vladimir Kozlov was meant to be the ultimate heel in WWE. 

He looked like a time traveller with his old-timey face, physique and aesthetic. He was meant to embody - with his lack of theme music and stripped-all-the-way back boots and trunks - a credibility thought lost forever. He was basically GUNTHER, were GUNTHER a remarkably tedious pro wrestler who gurned to inadvertently comedic effect. 

WWE was going for no-frills deliberately, but that persona could only possibly work if the performer behind it is equipped with an aura, or if their minimalist work looks frightening. Kozlov was the least dynamic wrestler possibly ever. He couldn’t do anything interesting to save his life. 

In a hardly forward-thinking era, WWE really, really tried - the one time they really, really needn’t have bothered. 

Kozlov beat the Undertaker clean in a drawn-out winning streak before - and this is possibly the only time this has ever happened - Triple H saved the fans from this nightmare by crushing Vladimir on the house show circuit. 

Kozlov after a decade-plus hiatus shored up in Impact this year. As Oleg Prudius, in March, he was last defeated by Josh Alexander in 53 seconds. 

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!