Like any promoter in wrestling history, Vince McMahon has made mistakes with talent. To be fair, it’s not like he’s alone there. Far too often, promoters and owners have ignored guys massively over because they don’t like them for some reason and that hurts business. The best example is how Verne Gagne refused to give Hulk Hogan the AWA World title so Hogan went to WWE and Gagne was out of business a few years later. It is tricky as quite often someone fans on the Internet like may not be that great for a main event run. Still, it’s hard to argue when you see how so many of Vince’s picks turn out to be bad. A key problem is guys pushed to levels they don’t fully deserve at a young age. Others are just a bad pick totally while other times, it’s the circumstances that make them moves Vince has to regret today.

At the same time, there are guys who were deserving of a title run but didn’t get it. True, it can be a crapshoot; quite often, a guy massively over ends up a terrible champion but at least letting them have that shot is something. For every undeserving champion, there was a guy who Vince clearly wishes he’d let have a run instead and has to regret some of his choices. Here are 12 wrestlers Vince regrets giving a WWE/World Championship run to and 12 he probably wishes he had to show how fates can be rather unkind in terms of wrestling.

24 Regrets Giving One: Rob Van Dam

Now here’s a case where Vince’s instincts on not pushing a crowd favorite ended up being dead on. Rob Van Dam had taken off huge in ECW, his fantastic skills mixed with a great character fans loved to watch. His moves were amazing and it was only a broken leg that prevented him from getting a run as ECW champion before the company went under. In WWE, RVD was a clear favorite as IC champion and more. He was huge in 2002 with fans demanding he have a run on the top but Vince was resistant. Finally, in 2006, Vince decided the best way to revitalize the ECW brand was to have RVD beat Cena for the title at One Night Stand. It was a huge moment with RVD both WWE champion and made the new ECW champ, finally on top.

Just weeks later, RVD was pulled over and arrested for having banned substances on him, which made major headlines that wouldn’t have existed if he wasn’t champion. RVD had to lose both belts fast and never tasted the gold again. So it turns out Vince was right to be hesitant to give him the belt as his arrest sent the ECW brand into a tailspin it never recovered from. Looks like Vince would have been better off avoiding an RVD run after all.

23 Wishes Had Gotten One: Vader

In the early 1990s, Vader was a truly awesome presence. Possessing a fantastic look with the most bad-ass mask imaginable, he was a hit in Japan and then WCW. His power bomb was a gripping sight and his stiff manner did injure guys but added to his aura. He dominated as WCW champion and kept it up for some time. He did suffer due to Hulk Hogan pushing him down and then beaten in a backstage fight by Paul Orndorff (who was wearing flip-flops). However, Vader still had a major presence to himself and that carried into WWE. He looked the monster guy although he had to immediately take time off for surgery and thus “suspended” for beating on Gorilla Monsoon.

It looked like Vader would beat Shawn Michaels for the belt at SummerSlam. But Shawn (by his own admission a huge selfish jerk then) refused to drop the title and Vader came off looking weaker.

It followed him around and he never got back to being the monster guy WWE wanted. Vince surely must regret not putting his foot down and forcing Shawn to drop the belt as Vader reigning as a heel champion could have sparked WWE more in 1996. Even a brief shot of “Vader Time” would have been a nice boost for WWE in a rough year.

22 Regrets: Sgt. Slaughter

Once, Sgt. Slaughter as WWE Champion would have been a great move. The man was a great heel in the early 1980s as a drill instructor so brutal the army kicked him out. His growling presence made him a great mic guy but it got better when he turned face. In the '80s, Slaughter was majorly over in WWE and his star rising up. Giving him the title then would have been great but Slaughter then demanded more money, leading to him being fired. After years bouncing around, he returned in 1990 with Vince taking advantage of the Kuwait invasion to have Slaughter now supporting Iraq. In fairness, Vince didn’t know it would actually lead to war so Slaughter’s run as a heel became harsher.

It ended at the Royal Rumble with Slaughter winning the belt over the Warrior. Given his age and poor ring skills, it was a bad move as many had thought Mania should have been the Hogan-Warrior rematch. Instead, it was obvious Hogan would win and this led to such horrible ticket sales that instead of the L.A. Coliseum as promoted for a year, Mania would be held at the much smaller Sports Arena. There, Hogan unsurprisingly won over Slaughter who just didn’t fit as the main event champion. It was a case of bad timing all around (the Gulf War having ended by then) and in retrospect, Vince probably wishes he’d avoided this mess.

21 Wishes: Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley was everything Vince McMahon loves in a wrestler: Tall, jacked and a terrific look. He broke out nicely in OVW, showing promise and soon moved up to the main roster. Vince was clearly giving Lashley a huge push as he was Donald Trump’s agent against Umaga in the “Battle of the Billionaires” that ended with Vince getting his head shaved.

Lashley then won the US title and the plans were obvious for him to keep rising up and probably a World title run. But then Lashley broke the wellness policy and was suspended which hurt his momentum.

He did make a comeback but Vince made the mistake of deciding to have him win the ECW title. To have a guy who was everything ECW was against as champion soured the revival of the brand big time.

Not helping was Lashley continuing to get hit with bad injuries that hampered his drive. Again, it was clear he was ready for bigger stuff but then an injury came around and put those plans on the back burner. It led to him leaving WWE for a brief MMA career. Lashley then hit TNA which actually did great pushing him as the monster champion the way WWE should have. Lashley is back but it’s unlikely it’s for anything more than a farewell tour. So Vince has to be sorry that TNA actually did better with Lashley than WWE did and not giving him the belt to try out.

20 Regrets: Chris Benoit

It’s pretty obvious why Vince regrets this one. To be fair to him, no one saw Benoit’s fate coming as much as the warning signs are obvious in hindsight. The man had long been seen as one of the best workers on the entire planet, a fantastic performer who could put on a classic match with anyone. His tenure in WCW was good and even WWE had to use him well as multiple champion with the IC and tag belts among others. The heat on him was huge and in 2004, they had him win the Royal Rumble as the first entrant. That led to him winning the title at Mania, a fantastic moment that everyone at the time loved. His reign was short but still great to see him get his due.

Of course, that just makes it harder to remember thanks to how Benoit forever destroyed his legacy. It’s been stated that if he’d been a lesser star, it wouldn’t have been as big a deal. Instead, the World title history must include honoring a man who committed one of the most monstrous acts imaginable and was revered in the industry for quite some time. Thus, you can understand why Vince regrets giving a major dose of fame to the man who brought wrestling its blackest mark ever.

19 Wishes: Ken Kennedy

It’s obvious Vince was grooming Ken Kennedy as the next huge star for the company. And at the time, it looked like it could work. His ring work was good, a nice power guy who could mix in surprising technical stuff too. His true genius was on the mic, his wild announcing of his name getting him over and pushed hard. It was obvious Vince wanted Kennedy as a champion and that looked to be in the card with him winning Money in the Bank. However, Kennedy has to rank as one of the biggest examples ever of a guy with the worst luck imaginable in wrestling. Every time he was ready to be pushed to the top, something happened to ruin it.

That was shown by injuries and a suspension forcing him to lose the MITB case to Edge. He was to be made “Vince’s secret son” with the plotline of him becoming champion but the Benoit mess and another injury ruined that. Vince seemed to want to keep pushing him but eventually realized the guy was just too much of a risk and let him go. In TNA, Kennedy did okay but still hampered by those old issues. Maybe Vince dodged a bullet with an injured champion Kennedy but also wishes he’d given the guy the run at the top planned just once.

18 Regrets: The Great Khali

Vince has a love for big guys, that’s very well known. But never has it led to such a disaster as the Great Khali. True, he was a very imposing sight, huge in height with a craggy build and imposing features. Standing still, he looked like a true monster and ready to crush all in his path. As soon as he started moving, however, it was obvious how horribly uncoordinated he was and bumbling about. His matches were always slow and plodding and often painful to watch. Yet in 2007, Vince decided to have Khali win a battle royal for the vacant World title.

Given the stars of the time, having him on top made no sense other than to fuel Vince’s love of big guys.

The result was a horrible reign with slews of terrible matches against Big Show and others. The fans hated it and made it clear, the idea of this immobile huge guy on top not winning folks over. There was joy when he lost and slumping down the roster majorly. It just shows how Vince’s affinity for huge guys hurts him a lot and blinds him to how bad they can be for the company.

17 Wishes: Lex Luger

Few times has Vince dropped the ball as badly as with Lex Luger. The man always had a terrific charisma and fantastic look. True, he could be rough in the ring but was improving and had a great drive on the mic. His work in WCW helped make him a star and in WWE, he had promise as the heel Narcissist. But when Hogan left, Vince decided it would make a lot of sense to have Luger take on the Hogan role. Thus Luger was remade into an All-American hero complete with the “Lex Express.” He was the huge face, pushed hard and at SummerSlam faced Yokozuna for the title. They had the match with the only logical outcome of Luger winning…by countout.

It remains baffling for Vince to give Luger such a massive push but not pull the trigger when the time came. It seems Vince was worried Luger wasn’t over enough and decided to wait on him. But that just made Luger out to be a loser, unable to get the job done. It hurt him massively and lowered him in WWE to the point that Luger took a pay cut to jump to WCW. That led to his debut on the first “Nitro” to kick off the Monday Night War. So Vince has to regret not letting Lex win the belt not only because of potentially better business but it would have helped him avoid one of the bigger humiliations of his life.

16 Regrets: The Ultimate Warrior

This is a case of a guy who seemed great for the title at the time. Fans today may not know how monster over the Ultimate Warrior was in 1990. His act was spectacular, he had amazing charisma and while his promos were wild, they added to his appeal. His terrific entrance gave him more heat, leading to his IC title run and a huge merchandise mover. It truly looked like he was the future of WWE so letting him beat Hogan for the belt at WrestleMania VI was a smart move for the time. Sadly, Warrior didn’t connect on the main stage anywhere near as Hogan did. His promos became harder to follow and his obvious weaknesses were exposed more. Plus, fans just wanted Hogan on top more than him.

It showed in poor business and Warrior, the champion, soon reduced to the B-house shows with the Legion of Doom. Not helping was his attitude, clashing with Vince a lot and his infamous ego taking over way too much. That led to his ugly firing in 1991 and various ups and downs. Thankfully, they mended fences in time for the Warrior to enter the Hall of Fame before his sudden death. And Vince does regret the bad-mouthing he did on the guy over the years (like the “Self-Destruction” DVD). But he also has to regret that letting Warrior be on top hurt WWE business a lot.

15 Wishes: Mr. Perfect

According to urban legend, it was literally a coin clip in 1988 over whether Curt Hennig or Terry Taylor would get the Mr. Perfect gimmick. Hennig sure won that and frankly, most think he was the only choice for the role. Already a master technician in the ring, Hennig amped it up with his great mic work and touches like how he never failed the “behind the back towel catch” once.

His work was amazing with reigns as IC champion and he was truly over with fans.

A face turn seemed odd but he made it work, still a great mic guy and popular with the crowds. He continued despite back injuries and there was promise of a comeback before his death in 2003. Again, most would say Hennig was better suited for the mid-card and the IC belt fitting him.

Yet Hennig could have made an intriguing WWE Champion as well. He could hold it up nicely as the heel and boasting of his greatness while being able to back it up in the ring. Maybe Vince wishes Hennig could have held it together longer for a run as champion, however brief. After all, it anyone would have been the perfect heel champ, it would be him.

14 Regrets: Jinder Mahal

It may be one of the worst recent moves by WWE. Pushing a guy fast in wrestling is one thing. Turning a lifelong low mid-carder into champion in just weeks is another. Jinder Mahal had been showcased in early NXT but his main roster runs included bad singles stuff and the laughable 3MB. He was even fired in 2014 and thus his return two years later came as a surprise. But that was nothing compared to how WWE had him win a six-pack challenge and then shockingly beat Randy Orton for the title. It was totally out of nowhere and that’s never a good way to get someone over. But WWE kept it up with Jinder seriously treated as the next big mega star.

Given how rough the guy was in the ring and his bad promos, fans were just despising him. And not in the good “we love to hate this guy” way but just wanting to change the channel when he was on. For WWE to keep it up this long was amazing with poor ratings and rants about bad matches. There was joy when he finally lost the belt to AJ Styles who’s done a much better job as champion. Mahal continues to be in the mix but Vince should be regretting letting this guy get on top after all due to his bad work as champion.

13 Wishes: Wade Barrett

The debut of the Nexus remains a fantastic moment for WWE. Out of nowhere, this pack of rookies came out and tore apart the ring, beating down everyone and making their mark. The plan was for Daniel Bryan to be the leader but he had to be let go after choking Justin Roberts with his tie. That allowed Wade Barrett to step up and show himself off nicely. The man was a master on the mic and soon rising up well taking it to various challengers. He had runs as IC champion and bits like winning King of the Ring and his “Bad News” persona to get over more. Sadly, Barrett became one of those guys who was soon saddled with some truly horrific luck. Just when it looked like he was rising up, an injury or suspension would hit.

That really hurt WWE as the guy was a master heel and could have been terrific as a champion. He surely would have been better than other choices and even the League of Nations was giving him more of a push. But once more, injuries and such took their toll and that no doubt played a part in his release. It just seems off that a guy who was a terrific highlight of WWE at the time didn’t get his due as a champion and it's too bad Vince didn’t let him have a shot.

12 Regrets: Rey Mysterio

This is not a shot against Mysterio himself. The man is one of the most talented luchadores ever, a small worker but his sensational ring work has made him a star. WCW ruined that by having him unmask but WWE recognized his value. That paid off with good runs as Cruiserweight champion and more.

In 2006, Rey was being pushed to the main event scene as a tribute to the late Eddie Guerrero.

That had him winning the Royal Rumble and then the World title. The problem is that having a World champion at 5-foot-6 and barely 200 pounds soaking wet was not a good thing. It just exposed Rey more than helped him out as he was put over bigger guys.

That continued with another World title reign and a WWE title run as well. Again, Rey is a terrific star but better suited for the mid card as having someone his size as the main event champion doesn’t work out. His various injuries don’t help either. So while having Rey win the title was a “feel good” story at the time, it wasn’t the sensational business expected. So Vince should regret pushing Rey into a slot he wasn’t quite suited for and thus hurting things more than helping.

11 Wishes: Rick Rude

One of the most genius heels of all time, Rick Rude was an absolute sensation. The man was bursting with charisma and a good worker. But he was better on the mic, an egotist who could back it up in the ring and loved riling up the fans. Rude was big business in WWE with his terrific physique and flaunting it in feuds with Jake Roberts and others. He beat the Warrior for the IC title and seemed ready for more of a push. Their feud in 1990 was good but Rude wasn’t allowed to get the win. That might have been a bad move given how rough Warrior was for business. A reign by Rude, even a short one, could have helped WWE out, made the rematch bigger and Warrior would've gotten more over in regaining the title.

Rude would have a big fallout with WWE in late 1990 and that led to his exit. He proved himself in WCW with some title wins, including the NWA World belt in a complex series of events. His in-ring career sadly ended and he would pass away far too early in 1999. Thus, a World title run in WWE would have been a much better move for Rude and solidified his legacy as a huge heel rather than the more second-tier guy he was in his WWE career.

10 Regrets: Alberto Del Rio

It’s not just how bad he was as a champion that Vince regrets but his obvious personal issues. Alberto Del Rio did have promise as WWE basically had him as a Mexican take on the Million Dollar Man act. His promos were good and not bad in the ring either. However his constant “Destiny” talk rubbed fans the wrong way and made his rise to the top annoying rather than a good payoff. His victory for the belt came cashing in MITB to beat the far more over CM Punk which basically doomed his reign from the start. The feud with Cena was poor and his later run as World Champion didn’t help either. A face turn had promise but it didn't quite take off as planned, with Del Rio eventually turning heel again. Then of course, there was the way Del Rio was fired, after slapping another employee.

That is the key issue, that Del Rio’s temper and such makes his runs on the top worse. That includes more clashes, his temper and of course the charges against Paige. It’s followed him around with his short-lived TNA run and the man seen as a disaster on many levels. Thus letting him have the WWE and World championships multiple times was a bad move by Vince, to let this troubled figure get opportunities so many deserving guys never did.

9 Wishes: William Regal

According to reports, this was supposed to happen and Vince seems to wish it did. William Regal had done a good job in WCW in the 1990s, a very capable worker who was a genius playing the British heel on the mic. He had several runs as TV champion and did well in the role. In WWE, Regal was first the dumb “Man’s Man” character but then being more himself as European champion. His role as on-screen Commissioner was also good and he kept making returns in the ring. A plan in 2008 was for Regal to make a comeback in the ring, winning more matches and then earning a run as World champion. This would be a reward for all his service and he could have been good in the role.

Sadly, Regal broke the wellness policy and was suspended, halting any plans of a big push for Regal.

That seemed to sour Vince on him despite Regal keeping up in the ring. Today, Regal is still respected and is doing a great job as the on-screen general manager for NXT. But Vince may regret that Regal couldn’t get his title run as planned although Vince can't be faulted for that. It just shows how too many guys can be their own worst enemy.

8 Regrets: Sheamus

Overall, the Celtic Warrior has had an okay career in WWE but is a clear case of a guy elevated beyond his means. He has a great look and carries on the role of a brawler quite well. Sheamus has improved in his promos and looks quite promising. However, trying to be a main champion hasn’t worked out for him in many ways. His first run as WWE Champion was quite poor and fans could never get behind it. His World title run was a disaster from the start thanks to beating Daniel Bryan for the belt in just 18 seconds in what most cite as one of the worst WrestleMania moments of the modern era. Then there was how he cashed in Money in the Bank to beat Roman Reigns in an obvious attempt to get Reigns more over in winning the belt back.

Again, Sheamus isn’t a terrible star but just not the type to be a major long-lasting champion. He’s actually shown he works better on a lower level as he and Cesaro formed a terrific tag team with multiple title reigns and seems perfect right where he is. It shows Vince shouldn’t have given Sheamus the runs at the top instead of just letting him be better on the lower ranks.

7 Wishes: Ted DiBiase

Ted DiBiase had shown himself a great star in Bill Watts’ Mid-South/UWF territory. He could be tops as a heel or a face, a fantastic worker and tremendous on the mic. Brought into WWE, “the Million Dollar Man” was given a terrific character and set up by vignettes where he threw his money around. DiBiase was brilliant in the role as a man declaring “everyone has a price” and basically the on-screen version of Vince before the “Mr. McMahon” character came around. He had a huge deal trying to buy the WWE title which led to Andre winning it. The major rumor is that the plan was for DiBiase to win the WWE title at WrestleMania IV but Vince decided Savage was a better choice.

That did pay off with terrific business and Savage was a fantastic champion. Yet it seems off DiBiase never got that run at the top after all. He did create his “Million Dollar Belt” and he and IRS becoming surprisingly great tag team champions. Yet given how over DiBiase was, a run in ’88 or even 1990 could have been a good move for WWE. He would have been a brilliant heel champion and solidified his legacy more so Vince should regret not letting the Million Dollar Man get his major payoff.

6 Regrets: CM Punk

Let’s be clear: Vince pretty much hates CM Punk’s guts and the feeling is mutual. It’s obvious in their interactions. Vince was never a big fan of Punk personally, which isn’t hard to see given the guy can be a huge jerk a lot of the time. He also wasn’t happy how Punk was getting over by being so real with the fans and leading to more popularity than Vince’s favored guys. But Vince was smart enough to know Punk as champion was something fans wanted badly and could help the company. This led to him okaying the “pipe bomb” although he had no idea Punk would take it so far slamming the entire company and Vince personally.

His title reign was a long one yet it was clear he had issues throughout it and took it to Vince in interviews.

This has gotten worse with Punk’s exit and him trashing WWE at any opportunity. Vince has responded with petty moves like firing Punk on his wedding day to just make it more tense. Thus, Vince has to regret letting Punk run with the title as it makes the entire situation worse with his standing and adds fuel to his loathing for Vince.

5 Wishes: Cody Rhodes

Vince has an affinity for second or third generation stars. He can push them on the family legacy although the results can be mixed (see the terrible attempt at Rocky Maivia as a “blue chipper”). Cody Rhodes was sure one likely to be pushed. His father Dusty was one of the icons of the business while brother Dustin was over well in WWE as Goldust. Cody showed amazing promise as a star, a terrific heel and improving as IC champion. However, Vince seemed reluctant to really pull the trigger on him. He was over and had great promise but somehow, something just held Vince back from giving him a run with a bigger title. Instead, Dustin was forced to take on the idiotic Stardust character which was so bad, it drove him right out of WWE.

Since then, Cody has proven his stardom. His run as ROH champion was terrific, a master heel and showcasing himself as a major star. “The American Nightmare” is showcasing how WWE missed the boat on him and how he could have been a big star for them. Thus, Vince should be regretting not letting Cody have a run on top to keep him bound to WWE nicely.