Ranking 10 Most Successful Wrestling Defections

Dave Meltzer recently described the Radicalz jump to WWE as the final blow to WCW, which was acquired by WWE a year or so later. Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn, and Dean Malenko were four extremely talented midcarders discouraged by WCW management’s reluctance to give them a main event chance. So when management offered to grant anyone’s release that wanted out, those four friends left for McMahonland.

It was a mixed bag for WWE: Benoit and Guerrero would go on to become world champions while Saturn and Malenko were relegated to C-shows and comedy status. Nearly 18 months after joining WWE, Malenko retired from active competition and became a road agent. In hindsight, McMahon probably regrets having Benoit ever associated with WWE, as his tragic and heinous end on this earth nearly destroyed the empire.