Wrestling promoters love a star with a background in legitimate fighting. Whether that's amateur wrestling, mixed martial arts, or something else, doesn't matter. Generally, these stars can pick up on the basics a little quicker, and their history in their respected sport adds an element of realism that makes their matches that much more interesting to watch. That realism could lead to something as simple as Ronda Rousey locking Triple H in an armbar, or Brock Lesnar beating Randy Orton down on the mat until he bleeds, the end result is the same.
Still, not every wrestler with a legitimate fighting background is guaranteed a place in the upper echelon of wrestling. In fact, in WWE, there are almost as many misses as there are hits in that regard. A superstar can walk into the company with an unmatched pedigree, but for one reason or another, they don't get pushed. Let's look at some of the best and worst examples from both ends of the spectrum.
10 Pushed: Ken Shamrock
In many ways, The World's Most Dangerous Man was the precursor to modern-day Brock Lesnar. With a history in UFC as one of the all-time greats, Ken Shamrock's battles with Royce Gracie put a lot of eyes on both fighters and the fighting promotion as well. Throughout this, however, Shamrock was trying out professional wrestling in Japan to boot.
In 1997, he found his way to WWE where he made his debut as a special guest referee in the classic submission match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart. After this, Shamrock became a big deal, winning Intercontinental Championship, Tag-Team Championship, and 1998 King of The Ring winner. He probably would have been an even bigger star, however, by 1999, Shamrock left WWE to focus on his MMA career.
9 Wasted: Jack Swagger
When looking at Jack Swagger's WWE resume, one would think they didn't waste his push. He won the World Heavyweight Championship, the ECW Championship, and was a tag-team champion to boot. Yet, with all that gold, it never felt like he hit his ceiling. Sure, he was close — specifically before his run-in with the law that saw him land possession of marijuana charges laid on him. Now in AEW, however, Swagger is one of the company's main stars and is treated as the dominant force everyone thought he would be.
Perhaps its thanks to the time in Bellator where he became a beast in the MMA world, or maybe it was his amateur wrestling background that put him on the map in the first place. Regardless, Swagger will always be a missed opportunity in WWE.
8 Pushed: Alberto Del Rio
Alberto Del Rio may be a taboo name in wrestling now, but in the early 2010s, there was chatter that he would be the next Eddy Guerrero in WWE. Technically gifted in the ring, the Mexican star won the first-ever 40-man Royal Rumble match and even held the WWE Championship. Almost always in the main event picture, it was clear WWE loved Del Rio, even if the fans weren't always sold on him.
Still, there's no questioning his talent. As a standout in Triple-A wrestling, Del Rio wowed crowds with his blend of Lucha Libre style mixed with his real-life amateur background. In fact, Del Rio was so legitimate, he almost competed for Mexico in the 2000 Olympics. The only thing that held him back was a lack of funding for the team which caused them to skip out on the events.
7 Wasted: Shelton Benjamin
Before he landed in WWE, Shelton Benjamin was an NCAA champion. His credentials brought him to Vince McMahon's company and in their developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling, it looked like Benjamin would be the new face of the company. He looked to be on his way too, the WWE superstar captured the Tag-Team Championships, Intercontinental Championship, and United States Championship before leaving the company in 2010.
He returned seven years later after wrestling in other promotions, and he eventually found himself as Chad Gable's replacement for Jason Jordan. The two won another tag-team title, but since the team split, he's barely been used. Despite winning a bit of mid-card gold, Benjamin always felt like a missed shot in WWE.
6 Pushed: Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey's time in WWE was short but impactful. After sporadic appearances at events like WrestleMania 31 and the Mae Young Classic, the Rowdy one made her official debut as a WWE superstar at the Royal Rumble. From that moment on, the Women's Division was never the same. Making her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34, Rousey took on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon and looked fantastic. From there, she won the Raw Women's Championship and was the first woman to headline a WrestleMania alongside Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.
Before all that, however, Rousey was one of the most dominant women in UFC. With matches lasting less than 20 seconds, Rousey quickly propped up the promotion's women's division. Following a series of losses, however, Rousey left MMA fighting but her legend was undeniable.
5 Wasted: Chad Gable
Despite his history as an Olympian, Chad Gable hasn't ever been presented as one. Making an impression as one half of the amazing tag-team American Alpha — who captured the NXT Tag Team Championships and SmackDown Tag Team Championships — the future seemed bright for Gable.
However, after the team broke up, WWE seemed to have bigger plans for his former partner Jason Jordan. Since then, Gable was rebranded as "Shorty G" and comes to the ring in basketball shorts. It's not quite what anyone expected for the star with an Olympic pedigree.
4 Pushed: Kurt Angle
For a period of time, one could make an argument that Kurt Angle was the best wrestler in the world. Debuting in WWE in 1998, Kurt Angle was instantly one of the biggest names in the company.
He quickly won the European Championship before eventually winning the WWE Championship in October 2000. He's a Grand Slam winner and a WWE Hall of Famer, one of the greats the company ever had. Before all that, however, Kurt Angle won a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics.
3 Wasted: Dan Severn
Dan Severn "The Beast" Severn was an absolute monster in the 1990s. With a background in amateur wrestling and UFC, Severn was a fighting machine. The first-ever man to win the UFC title belt, he quickly became a household name.
He didn't restrict himself to these fights either. He spent time in NWA, Severn held the promotion's Heavyweight Championship for four years in his first of two reigns. He then found himself in WWE, but his success wouldn't translate. His time in the company was short and had no titles to show for it.
2 Pushed: Brock Lesnar
Of all the wrestlers to step into a WWE ring, Brock Lesnar is probably the most dominant. The man who ended the Undertaker's WrestleMania streak made his debut in 2002 after he spent time in WWE's developmental territory of Ohio Valley Wrestling. Before that, however, he was an accomplished amateur wrestler.
His legitimate resume didn't stop there, however. In 2004, he left WWE to pursue a career in the NFL. When that didn't work out, he became the face of UFC. When his time there ended, he came back to WWE where he's had a death grip on the WWE Championship or Universal Championship for almost half a decade.
1 Wasted: Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez wrestled one match in WWE before being released in 2020. Debuting on the first SmackDown Live on Fox, Valasquez strikes fear in the heart of his old rival Brock Lesnar after the latter beat Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship in short order. The two squared off in a title match at Crown Jewel and the man who defeated Lesnar in UFC was somehow unable to beat him in WWE.
Unfortunately, this was the first and only match the former UFC star had in WWE, which is a shame because he was one of the biggest names in the promotion before transitioning to wrestling.