WWE Gimmicks That FAILED The HARDEST Every Year (1985-2025)
11. The Ascension (2015)
At times, it was almost like WWE deliberately mocked their own developmental brand NXT when calling workers up to the main roster. The disconnect between what Triple H and others hoped to achieve with the show compared to Vince McMahon was never clearer than when The Ascension landed on Raw and SmackDown right at the end of 2014.
Konnor and Viktor were supposed to become the team going forwards into early-2015 and beyond, but then something strange happened; WWE started poking fun at comparisons between The Ascension and iconic duos like the Legion Of Doom, Demolition and the like. On commentary, JBL outright told fans that K and V could never reach the heights those squads did.
Geez, break it to 'em gently Bradshaw.
Usually, WWE hypes up fresh acts as bigger, stronger, faster etc than their predecessors, but not here. In fact, fans tuning into the show were warned that The Ascension might disappoint them. 'If you're expecting Hawk and Animal, then we've got some bad news. These dudes are like a bargain bin version of that legendary pairing'. They might as well have said that.
The Ascension beat the New Age Outlaws at Royal Rumble 2015, but then started losing matches like that had been the master plan all along. It sucked. They didn't have any of the menace they'd shown on NXT, and they were being bafflingly mishandled by a writing staff who'd wanted them in the first place.
Konnor and Viktor should've been class on Raw and SmackDown. So much for that.