The long-standing mantra of WWE has been that if someone is incredibly popular, they get the title sooner or later. It makes perfect sense, if fans cheer someone hard enough, they'll pay to see them as champ and collect their merchandise. Sure, WWE has been reluctant at times but eventually bowed to fan demand to let the likes of Kofi Kingston, Daniel Bryan, and Becky Lynch as dominant champions. There are also scores of others who at least got WWE/World/Universal title runs.
Yet, surprisingly, some of WWE' s more popular figures never got that chance. For some, it was the bad timing of being in the Hogan era where no one else was more popular. For others, it was just odd how they never got a real shot despite how over they were with fans. A handful of wrestlers are infamous for getting almost no titles at all in the company despite how hot they were.
10 Lex Luger
Of all the "dropped balls" with WWE in the '90s, Lex Luger is one of the biggest. He entered as the arrogant Narcissist, which fit him well. WWE then transformed him into an All-American hero, and while the "Lex Express" didn't take off as hoped, Luger was still very popular.
The man got huge pops, and letting him have a brief title run would have worked with his charisma. Instead, tired of nothing happening, Luger jumped ship for the first episode of WCW Nitro despite still being all over WWE merchandising.
9 Brutus Beefcake
If not for a terrible parasailing accident, Brutus Beefcake would have gotten a good IC Title run in 1990. It's forgotten how Beefcake trailed behind only Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior as the most popular WWE guy in 1989. Fans enjoyed his style of cutting his opponent's hair and being a good worker too.
He had great charisma, and his partnership with Hogan was helping him out also. After the accident, he was never the same, but Beefcake was one of WWE's hottest guys without a singles title.
8 "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
The American Dream's time in WWE was short but very memorable. He actually had shots in the late '70s as his brutal matches with Billy Graham won Rhodes tremendous respect, and the Madison Square Garden crowds going wild for this Texan.
In 1989, Rhodes managed to get those polka dot trunks over as crowds kept cheering him on. From feuds with Randy Savage and Ted DiBiase, Rhodes was just as popular as in WCW. He never got any real title shots, but Dusty proved he was one of the most loved guys in any company.
7 Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
It's harder to talk about Jimmy Snuka today, given the circumstances around the passing of a girlfriend and his death. Yet it has to be noted that Snuka was an amazingly popular figure, even voted "Most Popular" by some fan magazines in the early 1980s.
At first, he was a heel, clashing with Bob Backlund but rose as a face in feuds with Don Muraco and others. Even as Hogan rose up, Snuka was a huge star, and a later early '90s run still had him cheered. That feeling has passed but Snuka never holding any title in WWE is surprising given his popularity.
6 Tito Santana
It's tricky to believe, but Tito Santana will insist he was being considered for a WWE Title run in 1992. That may seem odd, but the fact is, Santana was a famous star in his prime. As IC and Tag Team Champion, he had major fan backing, especially with Latino audiences.
Even in the mid-card, Santana clicked with a passionate style, and it's not out of the realm of possibility WWE could have taken a chance on him. It might have been nice for Tito to hit the Triple Crown in WWE.
5 "The British Bulldog" Davy Boy Smith
After being a fine WWF Tag Team Champion, The British Bulldog rose up as a singles star in WWE. In his time, he was very popular, the highlight being defeating Bret at SummerSlam '92 for the IC Title.
True, the mega-pop was that they were in England, but Smith still retained some fine popularity. His 1995 heel turn was a surprise that revitalized him for some title shots. Yet, Smith could have been good as a face champion, and surprising he never got that top-level run in WWE.
4 Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Practically the only major star to never go heel in his long career, Ricky Steamboat was quite popular in WWE. The high point was his feud with Randy Savage, culminating in their classic Wrestlemania III battle.
Steamboat remained in WWE for some time, taking part in a few challenges, and the Mania IV title tournament but left to become NWA World Champion. That proved how popular he was, and possibly he could have been just as good in WWE on that level.
3 Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Jake Roberts may rank as the greatest star never to hold a single title in either WWE or WCW. The Snake was a genius on the mic, and his DDT maneuver is one of the most groundbreaking in wrestling history.
Jake's charisma was off the charts, and while he didn't need a title to get over more, it's surprising he never got a chance at the gold, even for a secondary belt. Granted, Jake had his backstage issues that may have made WWE wary of pushing him that hard. But considering the monster pops he got in his prime, Jake's lack of titles remains surprising.
2 Razor Ramon
At one point in the mid-1990s, The Bad Guy was one of the most popular workers in WWE. While he started as a wicked heel, Ramon's cool style won fans over to make him a great face. He backed it up, winning five IC Titles and having classic feuds with Shawn Michaels and others.
There were concerns over Hall's personal issues, but his astounding popularity made him one of WWE's top faces. Maybe had he stayed, a short WWE Title reign would have followed to let Razor add more gold to his resume.
1 "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
It took until the 1992 Royal Rumble for Roddy Piper to finally claim gold in WWE by winning the Intercontinental Title. That may seem amazing, yet Piper was one of those guys so over that he didn't need a belt for the heat.
His feud with Hulk Hogan had him as the top heel, but Piper was amazing with fans, and they loved his gift for gab and fantastic style. With all his heat and push, the idea that Hot Rod never got his shot at the WWE Title anywhere remains baffling, yet Piper always did play to his own drum, so it oddly fits.