MAJOR Wrestling Stars Who Jumped Ship (...And FLOPPED!)
7. Taz (ECW > WWF)
When: 2000
Why He Flopped: Bruce Prichard's podcast comments on Taz reveal that the incoming ECW hard nut was DOA during his first night with the company at the 2000 Royal Rumble. Even though fans in MSG were thrilled by Tazz (extra 'z'!) choking out Kurt Angle, WWF officials were not.
Backstage, some expressed concerns about Tazz's suplexes. Those, despite looking phenomenal on camera and opening the pay-per-view brilliantly, would come to cripple the guy's upward mobility overnight. It certainly didn't help that some also believed he was "too small". Y'know, even though the WWF had scouted then signed him.
It's hardly like Tazz was doing anything differently to his blistering run in the original ECW - Vince McMahon seemingly wanted this! Tazz slipped down the pecking order quickly, and was on colour commentary by the following year.
Injuries were catching up with him anyway, but man...his WWF/WWE run is a definite what-might've-been. At least he's been thriving for decades as an announcer. That role in WWE, TNA and AEW has been kind to the one-time 'Human Suplex Machine'.
WWF politicking was not.