At the end of the day, pro wrestling is like any other business. There are only so many spots on the card, which leads to a number of wrestlers scrambling to be featured on programming on a regular basis. This is especially true for WWE, which has always had a big roster, more so now than ever.
Over the years, several wrestlers have benefitted by engaging in backstage politics to earn championship runs and prominent spots on the card. This has usually come at the expense of other wrestlers, who chose not to play that game and ended up having their careers get derailed.
10 Benefitted: Randy Orton
Randy Orton is one of the greatest performers in the promotion when he is motivated. There are few wrestlers who can claim to be as naturally gifted or fluid in the ring. For all his merits as a performer, Orton has also gotten in trouble backstage on multiple occasions, but things have always worked out in his favor.
When he was on two violations of the Wellness Policy, WWE instituted a new rule that removed a violation for 'good behavior'; something The Viper immediately benefitted from. He has also used his sway backstage to derail wrestlers in the past, most notably Kofi Kingston who spent almost a decade in midcard purgatory because he upset Orton when he was on the verge of a push.
9 Ruined: Mr. Kennedy
Mr. Kennedy was primed for greatness from pretty much the moment he made his debut in Vince McMahon's promotion. Kennedy immediately proved himself to be an elite talker and serviceable in the ring. With him winning the Money in the Bank briefcase and the expectation that he would be revealed as Vince McMahon's illegitimate son, all the pieces were in place for a main event run.
But his in-ring work upset Randy Orton and another big name (more on him later), who used their weight backstage to derail his push. Kennedy lost his briefcase, Hornswoggle was revealed to be McMahon's illegitimate son, and before long, he was gone from the promotion altogether.
8 Benefitted: John Cena
For several years, John Cena was portrayed as WWE's resident Superman, impervious to poisons like jealousy or cowardice, but the man behind the scenes told a different story. Over the years, Cena used his influence backstage on several occasions to benefit those around him.
For example, he was instrumental in getting Daniel Bryan hired back. But he also used his influence to bury rising talents like Alex Riley and Mr. Kennedy; ensuring that his star burned brighter than everyone else's.
7 Buried: Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase was one of WWE's greatest and most entertaining performers ever. The Million Dollar Man spent years putting in great work, consistently delivering on the mic and in the ring. But despite all of that, he never managed to have a run as the top champion in the company.
The man himself stated that he was promised a run with the top prize on several occasions. Around WrestleMania IV, he was primed to be champion, but Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan pushed to give that run to Savage, and that's exactly what happened. DiBiase only got to have a solitary unofficial reign as the WWF World Heavyweight Champion.
6 Benefitted: Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan was instrumental in turning WWE from a wrestling promotion into the biggest sports entertainment company in the world. He was the face of the promotion for over a decade, winning several championships and headlining countless events.
His position in the company resulted in the power getting to his head. Hogan spent numerous years pushing for more lucrative contracts, fighting for creative control of his character, and putting himself over at the expense of other stars on several occasions. It isn't a coincidence that Hogan made many enemies in the business along the way, as he perfected the art of backstage politics in pro wrestling.
5 Ruined: Wade Barrett
When The Nexus made its debut on WWE programming, it immediately made a big impression on audiences. With Wade Barrett as the group's leader, he had everything he needed to grow into a main event performer.
But when the faction entered a feud with John Cena, The Nexus was destroyed and Barrett was embarrassed beyond redemption. In a later interview, Edge and Christian revealed that John Cena was the one who insisted he go over on Team Nexus at SummerSlam 2010. Barrett never really recovered from the loss and failed to live up to his main event potential.
4 Benefitted: Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels was always an immensely gifted performer, but in the early years of his career, he had a reputation for skewing results in his favor. He would refuse to lose matches and drop championships, in addition to actively sabotaging other wrestlers on the roster.
His infamous 'lost my smile' promo was just an elaborate excuse to avoid him dropping the championship to Bret Hart. He was also instrumental in the formation of The Kliq, a faction that dominated programming for several months. Once Michaels got clean and found solace in religion, he stopped engaging in backstage politics, but he did plenty of damage in the early years of his career and benefitted immensely from it.
3 Ruined: Bret Hart
As Hulk Hogan approached the end of his initial run with WWE, Bret Hart stepped in and was poised to take his place. The Excellence of Execution organically rose up the ranks, as fans rallied behind him and he consistently delivered in the ring.
But the technician's issues with Shawn Michaels did a ton of damage to his career. They had a real life fight backstage, which led to Michaels and McMahon conspiring behind his back and doing considerable damage to his career with the Montreal Screwjob. His WCW run was a bit of a disappointment, and his career will always be marred by him being a victim of backstage politics.
2 Benefitted: Triple H
Triple H is a gifted wrestler, but his career would have been considerably different if he hadn't engaged in backstage politics. His relationship with Stephanie McMahon and backstage connections allowed him to bury wrestlers like Booker T. He even managed to win a number of big feuds that he logically shouldn't have as a heel, but he did.
He did whatever was necessary for his career, and he clearly played his cards right, because as things stand, he is first in line to replaced Vince McMahon when he steps away from the promotion.
1 Ruined: CM Punk
CM Punk was having the run of a lifetime during the Summer of Punk. He was the promotion's biggest star; he consistently delivered on the mic and in the ring and he looked like an absolute world-beater.
But then he entered a feud with Triple H, which he lost; ruining whatever momentum he had, with The Game pushing to go over. The inclusion of Kevin Nash just made things so much worse, as Triple H's Kliq teammate took precedence over one of the most promising stars the promotion had seen in a long time.