Throughout its 12-year history, WCW was home to many wrestlers who employed a variety of styles, as well as having a wide range of personalities. Unlike, WWE, it wasn't as imperative for WCW wrestlers to master the art of promos. If you wrestled in WCW, you could get by on your ring work, alone.
Because WCW was a product with a different presentation, and in some cases, a different audience, not all of its wrestlers were what you would call, larger than life. Here are 10 WCW wrestlers who were great in the ring, but lacked the intangible "it" factor.
10 Ronnie Garvin
Going back into the Crockett days of WCW, Ron Garvin was something of a surprise success story. He was highly capable in the ring, which is why he made this list, but he was not an over-the-top personality. In a bit of shock booking, Garvin would actually dethrone Ric Flair to become World Champion, going on to main event Starrcade with The Nature Boy, but would ultimately drop the title back to him.
By Garvin's own admission his lack of personality was exposed when he went to WWE, because he didn't "sing and dance." Nevertheless, Garvin is still regarded as one of the toughest men in the history of the sport.
9 Tom Zenk
WCW had high hopes for Tom Zenk upon his debut with the company, due to his good looks and flashy ring style. He was first paired with Brian Pillman as a dynamic young tag team, before being briefly pushed as a singles wrestler. While Tom possessed all the tools to succeed in wrestling, he just seemed to be missing that elusive "it" factor, and never fully connected with the fans.
He never really seemed to find his footing in WCW, and was gone by the early 90s. Unfortunately, Tom would pass in 2017, but he did make his mark in the world of pro wrestling.
8 Ultimo Dragon
The man who trained NJPW superstar Kazuchika Okada, Ultimo Dragon was an unparalleled worker in his day. One of the cornerstones of WCW's highly regarded cruiserweight division, Dragon was only really held back by one thing; his ability to cut promos. Now, as mentioned in the heading, cutting promos in WCW was not as mandatory as it was in WWE.
However, had Ultimo Dragon been able to connect with the WCW audience, verbally, it would have taken him to the next level, as he had a sizable following. Pairing him with Sunny Ohno had mixed results, as it gave Dragon a mouthpiece, but as a heel, Ohno was someone who could be counterproductive to a wrestler that fans liked.
7 Brad Armstrong
If you listen to any of wrestling enthusiast Conrad Thompson's podcasts, you'll get an idea of just how respected by his peers, Brad Armstrong was. Men like Arn Anderson, Jim Ross, and Eric Bischoff are quick to point out just how much personality Brad would show in the locker room.
The caveat was that Brad couldn't convey the same wit in front of the camera, and was known more for his incredible in-ring abilities. It's a shame, because if he could have combined a sound charisma along with his excellent work in the ring, Brad Armstrong could have been a main-event player for WCW. Perhaps most importantly, Brad was someone whom no one in the wrestling business ever seemed to have a negative experience with.
6 Billy Kidman
Exciting and highly marketable, Billy Kidman was considered a top prospect in WCW, during its box-office run in the late 90s. His good looks and amazing athleticism were akin to Tom Zenk, only Kidman was far more athletically advanced.
One of the first wrestlers to popularize the Shooting Star Press in the U.S., Kidman seemed destined for stardom. For whatever reason, he just never seemed to click with a certain segment of the audience. By most standards though, Kidman enjoyed a successful career, and has since went on to work behind the scenes for WWE.
5 Bobby Eaton
Considered to be not only one of the best workers of all time by wrestlers and fans alike, Bobby Eaton is also known for being one of the finest human beings to call wrestling his profession. Eaton shined brightest when competing in the tag team ranks and advocated by his long-time manager, Jim Cornette.
In fact, Eaton probably never spoke more than 30 words during the majority of his run in the business. Bobby let his work do the talking, but as a result, could only connect with a portion of the audience as a singles star. Terribly missed, Bobby Eaton was not only a blessing to pro wrestling, but to the world in general, as he was the type of man who would quite literally give you the shirt off his back.
4 Lance Storm
Lance Storm is the type of wrestler who truly epitomizes this list. He would wrestle for all three major companies in the U.S., throughout the 90s and 2000s, ECW, WCW, and WWE. Lance would arguably enjoy the most success during his time with WCW, but was still held back by his perceived lack of personality.
Truth be told, Storm was simply a docile man, who focused more on the art of pro wrestling, as opposed to the entertainment aspect of it. Lack of natural charisma aside, Lance Storm made his mark as a quality pro wrestler in every sense of the word.
3 Perry Saturn
One of the most unique entries on this list, at first glance, Perry Saturn looked like a potential pro wrestling star. A former Army Ranger, Saturn boasted an impeccable physique and a tough guy exterior, making him something of a template for a pro wrestler. During his time with WCW, Saturn always seemed to play second fiddle to Raven, preventing fans from seeing his full range as a performer.
In all honesty, his oddball and quirky personality made him something of a question mark, and likely contributed to him not fully connecting with the audience. Unfortunately, Saturn fell on tough times a few years ago, but thankfully, he has gotten his life back on track.
2 Dean Malenko
The centerpiece of this entire list, Dean Malenko embodies both everything a pro wrestler is, and everything a sports entertainer is not. A man of few words, and a thousand holds, Malenko was icy and emotionless inside the ring.
The thing is, conveying emotion as a pro wrestler is highly pertinent to becoming successful. Most fans consider Malenko to be one of the greatest pure workers of his time, but he probably didn't sell a lot of T-shirts, due to him not being particularly animated. To his credit, we still talk about Malenko in the same glowing terms as we did in his prime, proving that he will be forever remembered for his talents.
1 Barry Windham
Some may argue that Barry Windham actually DID have the "it" factor. He was big, athletic, and he did exude some charisma. With all of his natural ability, Windham should have been a multiple-time World Champion, but as we know, that is not the case. Perhaps the company never saw Barry as a top guy who could attract or at least maintain a mainstream audience, or perhaps it was Barry himself.
Legend has it, that Windham never really wanted the responsibility of being the top dog, and therefore was perfectly willing to settle for a beta spot on the card.