The ultimate goal for every WWE Superstar is to become the WWE Champion. With only two World title and a huge roster, only a few names reach the top of the mountain. And when they finally do it at last, they want to hold on to the spotlight for as long as possible. Being a former WWE Champion doesn't guarantee that they will always remain in the title picture since the company tends to be selective with whom they trust with the title.

There are certain expectations that come along with holding the top spot from ratings to merchandise sales, as well as popularity in the mainstream media. You also have other decisive factors such as age and health that are taken into consideration. Ideally, every Superstar would like multiple reigns throughout their careers although most of them would be thrilled with just one. There have been many greats throughout history who never got a run with a World Title despite their talent and popularity among fans.

Today, there are many names on the roster who appear to have a limited ceiling in the mind of Vince McMahon, therefore they won't be getting an opportunity to shine at the biggest stage. WWE tends to build up Superstars before they place the title on them, and it is very rare for someone to receive a major push overnight. With today's list, we look at 12 current WWE stars who will never be World Champion again and 5 who will never the title.

20 Never Again: Jinder Mahal

Jinder Mahal had one of the most surprising wins in history when he defeated Randy Orton for the WWE Championship at Backlash in 2017. WWE attempted to create an overnight star by pushing Mahal to the top, believing that he had potential to be a top heel for years to come. He went on to have a lengthy reign of 170 days that ended on SmackDown against AJ Styles, but Mahal couldn't retain his main event status after dropping the title. Since then, Mahal has been stuck between the mid-card and tag team division with very little indication that he will be back on top again.

19 Never Again: Dolph Ziggler

It's been six years since Dolph Ziggler was last crowned WWE World Heavyweight Champion. At the time, he was well on his way to be a main eventer for the next decade, but Ziggler was de-pushed as soon as he lost his title, which highly affected his momentum going forward. A two-time World Heavyweight Champion, Ziggler's first reign lasted only one day while his second ran for 69 days. Based on Ziggler's booking in the past few years, it is unlikely that he will achieve that level of success again as the company appears to have given up on him as a main eventer.

18 Will Never Be: Kofi Kingston

The biggest push of Kofi Kingston's career came early into his career when he received a World title shot, although he fell short of a pinfall. Kingston went on to become a bigger name thanks to the success of The New Day, but it appears that WWE has no intentions in making him a solo performer anytime soon. Kingston has an impressive all-around resume as well as many memorable moments, but it will always lack the prestigious WWE World Title. Given the respect and admiration that fans have for Kingston, they wouldn't oppose to seeing him with the title before hanging up the boots.

17 Never Again: Sheamus

Sheamus has one of the better resumes in WWE today as a four-time World Champion, Royal Rumble winner, Money in the Bank and King of the Ring winner, among other titles. But it's safe to say that he has already peaked as a singles Superstar as his last World Title reign came in 2015. Since then, Sheamus has joined forces with Cesaro to form The Bar as his solo career remains on hold for the time being. Now that Sheamus is 40 years old and past his peak years, it's doubtful that the WWE will put him in the main event picture again.

16 Never Again: Jeff Hardy

When The Hardy Boyz returned to WWE in 2017, reports suggested that Jeff Hardy may eventually get a solo push as he was still among the most over faces on the roster. An injury slowed down his momentum and put him out of action for many months, which cancelled all previous plans that the company had in store for him. Since then, Hardy has been competing in the mid-card division where he is expected to remain for the remainder of his run. He's a three-time World Champion with his reigns taking place between 2008 and 2009 at a time when Hardy was arguably the most popular Superstar in the company.

15 Will Never Be: Bobby Roode

Coming off a lengthy and successful stint from TNA, fans had big hopes for Bobby Roode to translate smoothly into the WWE and he did just exactly that during his NXT run. Once he made it to the main roster, Roode's act became stale and he suddenly went from a potential main eventer to lost in the shuffle. He isn't getting any younger at 41 years old as his window of opportunity may have already closed. Roode was on a hot streak during his reign as NXT Champion, but that unfortunately didn't carry over for too long, meaning that he will most likely never win a WWE World Title.

14 Never Again: Kurt Angle

It has been 13 year since Kurt Angle was last WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Upon his return to the company for a Hall of Fame induction in 2017, it was well-known that Angle may never get into the ring again although he was cleared to compete later on. Having lost a few steps since his prime days, Angle's age, current ability and talent means that he will never reign as World Champion again. Of course that hasn't stopped the company from booking him in matches despite being incredibly slow these days, and unable to go on for long inside the squared circle.

13 Never Again: The Miz

The Miz has been on a tear in recent years to become arguably the best heel in the WWE, making it a shame that he will likely end his career as a one-time WWE Champion. Having won the title back in 2010, The Miz received the biggest push of his career when he wasn't necessarily admired by fans. If the WWE wanted to make him World Champion again, then it would have likely already taken place as The Miz had strong momentum in recent times. But since he is able to stay over without the title, then The Miz may not return to the title picture.

12 Will Never Be: Shelton Benjamin

There was a time when Shelton Benjamin could have been crowned as a World Champion but that was over a decade ago. From 2004 to 2006, Benjamin was among the top mid-carders in the company and always on the verge of moving up the ladder. The company did tease a potential main event run for Benjamin, including a victory over Triple H, but nothing ever came out of that. By the time he returned to the WWE in 2017, it was far too late for Benjamin to pick up where he left off years ago, so he will finish his career without having been a World Champion.

11 Never Again: Triple H

It's been three years since Triple H last held the WWE Champion when he defeated Roman Reigns in a Royal Rumble match for his final run with the belt. While he has remained active as a part-time Superstar, Triple H is now away from the title picture and involved in personal storylines. As his role continues to grow in management, Triple H becomes less active as a wrestler which is no surprise since The Game is set to turn 50 years old in a few months. As a 14 time World Champion, there is no need to put the title on Triple H again.

10 Will Never Be: Samoa Joe

As a two-time NXT Champion, Samoa Joe has already shown that he has what it takes to reign over a brand. Perhaps he might have been given a chance to hold a World Title on the main roster if his momentum hadn't been derailed by multiple injuries. Joe has had several title matches on both brands thus far, coming up short on every occasion. Based on how WWE has booked Joe, he seems to be used as a filler challenger rather than a serious threat; making it a strong possibility that he never claims a World Title with the company.

9 Never Again: Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio is still among the most popular faces in the WWE, making him a great candidate to use through various divisions from tag team to main event. But chances of Mysterio claiming another World Title are very slim to say the least given that his last reign came in 2011 and only lasted a day. With a history of injuries, Mysterio hasn't been reliable in a number of years so it would be too risky for the WWE to hand him another reign at his age. He is better off competing in exciting matches against younger Superstars rather than being in the title picture.

8 Will Never Be: Baron Corbin

Like many others before him, Baron Corbin has been stuck between the mid-card division and main event scene for many years now. WWE attempted to push Corbin to the top during his run on SmackDown, but it was evident that he wasn't connecting with fans at all. His move to Raw did inspire some hope in making him a top name as Corbin showed more personality than ever before, but he still fell flat of establishing himself among the elite names. Given that he couldn't cash in his Money in the Bank to win a World Title in 2017, there is no indication that Corbin will get another opportunity in the future to do so.

7 Never Again: Big Show

It's been a few years since Big Show's booking was consistent as he continues to randomly appear and disappear from television, while also switching back and forth between heel and face. There have been retirement rumors surrounding him for many years now, and he surely is approaching the end of his journey at 46 years old. Big Show has struggled with injuries in the past few years, but that didn't stop the WWE from booking him when healthy. As far as World Titles are concerned, Big Show is far too removed from his prime years to be even considered for another run .

6 Never Again: Kevin Owens

When Kevin Owens was crowned as the new WWE Universal Champion in 2016, fans hoped that he could retain his status beyond his title reign. Based on how Owens's career has played out since losing the title at Fastlane in 2017, it would be a safe bet to assume that he never holds a World Title again in his career. At the time, Owens was involved in one of the hottest angles in the WWE with Chris Jericho, but that took a backseat to the returning Goldberg. Despite moving between SmackDown and Raw in the past two years, Owens has yet to get his groove back.

5 Will Never Be: Big E

There had been talks about giving Big E a singles push for many years. Before The New Day was created, rumors suggested that Vince McMahon was very high on him as a potential main eventer. Since then, Big E has remained a member of the group with his ceiling limited in the WWE. He is most likely to break out as a solo performer out of the group since Big E has the advantage when it comes to popularity, charisma and age. But WWE has shown no indication of wanting to put him in a position to reach such heights, making it a strong possibility that he never becomes World Champion.

4 Never Again: Bray Wyatt

Fans were thrilled when Bray Wyatt won his first WWE Title at the Elimination Chamber in 2017, believing that it was only the beginning for him. As it turned out, that was by far the peak of his career as Wyatt's character went downhill since then to fade away from the spotlight. Wyatt ended up forming a team with Woken Matt Hardy although he struggled to return to relevancy. Barring some major changes in the near future, Wyatt is very unlikely to return to his former status as a main eventer as he continues to fall down the card further with every passing year.

3 Will Never Be: Rusev

If WWE didn't bank on Rusev Day's popularity to turn him into a main eventer, then it is tough to picture a scenario where he becomes World Champion. He is currently reigning as the United States Champion, which appears to be his ceiling with the company. There is no shame in that of course since not every WWE Superstar gets to hold the most prestigious belt in the industry, and Rusev is still doing well for himself. Given their reluctance to make Rusev among the top names in the company, that likely won't change going forward as he has remained in the same spot for years now.

2 Never Again: Randy Orton

As one of the most accomplished Superstars in WWE history, Randy Orton may not add another World Title reign to his accolades. He has been a 9-time WWE Champion and 4-time World Heavyweight Champion with his final reign taking place in 2017. At the time, WWE was still pushing Orton as a main eventer although it became apparent that fans were no longer invested in him, which is why he fell down the card. He would have to get on a hot run to get his groove back within the next two years if he wishes to reach the top of the mountain again, but all signs point to Orton remaining where he currently is at the moment.

1 Will Never Be: Cesaro

If fans had a say in the matter then Cesaro would have already been World Champion. He did receive a solo push early in his career as a mid-carder, but it became apparent that he wasn't going to move up the ladder. Even Vince McMahon made it clear that Cesaro didn't have "it" to become a main eventer as he wasn't connecting with the WWE Universe. While it's disappointing that Cesaro won't be given an opportunity to prove himself at the top, at least he still managed to be apart of one of the better tag teams in recent history.