In an industry where most performers are attempting to get ahead by any means necessary, it seems strange that some wrestlers would turn down a title reign. From a kayfabe point of view, holding a title is the ultimate goal for any Superstar from low-carders to main eventers. From a real life perspective, having a title means that you are generating even more money while also growing in the company. But as we will come to learn, not everyone prioritizes title reigns over everything else.

Many of these names spent years to make it to the top, but they also had their reasons as to why they opted to turn down a belt. That's not an easy task since it may show lack of ambition in front of management, especially if you happen to be a wrestler who isn't quite as established as his peers. But some wrestlers have more fun when their angles aren't based around a title, as they could get more creative.

Many others simply didn't want to deal with the pressure that comes with being a champion, which can be much more stressful than most fans can imagine. And then you have others who may have felt disrespected by the company's offer since the belt may not have been entirely suitable for their place on the roster. As tough as it is to imagine someone turning down an opportunity of a lifetime, it has occurred enough times to compile a list, as we look at 18 WWE wrestlers who actually turned down a title reign.

18 Batista

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The 2014 Royal Rumble played completely different than what Batista and management had anticipated. Following a four year hiatus, Batista made his return at the event and won the Rumble match, which upset the fans who were hoping to see Daniel Bryan get that opportunity. During his contract negotiations with the WWE, Batista had been promised a World title reign, which is why he returned at the Rumble in the first place.

But as fans turned on him and Batista's return proved to be a flop, WWE were forced to change their booking by inserting Daniel Bryan into the title picture. Batista agreed to give up his condition of a title victory, and even went as far as putting Bryan over at WrestleMania. Not many Superstars would have agreed to drop a condition that was agreed upon prior to his return, but Batista showed a respectable side of him with that move.

17 Triple H

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Triple H was in the title picture for so long that many fans had grown sick of seeing him as the reigning World Champion. It was a relief for many when he finally lost against Batista at WrestleMania 21, as he wouldn't hold the title for many years. But that's only because Triple H turned down the opportunity to hold the belt since he had other matters keeping him busy at the time.

His wife Stephanie McMahon had recently given birth, and Triple H needed to be around more often for his family. If you happened to be one of the fans who were critical of Triple H's reign of terror, then you will be pleased to learn that it was nearly even longer. Those two years helped Triple H's reputation in the long run since he had become very stale at the time.

16 Kurt Angle

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The 2006 draft featured some surprising moves, but none that were more shocking than Kurt Angle's switch to the newly created ECW brand. WWE wanted to add star power to the brand, and chose Angle among those who were drafted to ECW. He was unhappy with the move although he didn't complain too much. Angle did however turn down an opportunity to win the ECW Championship.

It's highly likely that he would have ended up winning the belt sooner or later, but Angle was frustrated at the time which is why he took a personal break shortly after that chapter in his career. Angle requested a release from the company, claiming that he wanted to recover from all the injuries to be able to get back to his best level, although he went on to pull a surprise move by joining TNA just a month later.

15 Bret Hart

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In the mid 90s, Bret Hart engaged in one of the most famous rivalries in wrestling history against Shawn Michaels. At the time, there were plenty of ongoing backstage politics as tension reached an all-time high between the two Superstars. And since Michaels refused to drop the belt to Hart, it became very difficult for the company to handle the situation. That's when Vince McMahon pitched a different idea to Hart in which he would gain the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

Hart turned down McMahon's suggestion, believing that it may have been a plot to distract him from the Shawn Michaels drama. He was probably right in that regard. While the Intercontinental Title is certainly prestigious, it just didn't make sense for Hart to be even competing for it at that point of his career, especially since he had been promised a World Title reign.

14 Trish Stratus

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Trish Stratus' departure from the WWE proved to be a major hit, especially since her longtime rival Lita also left around the same time. They were major losses for the women's division, which went through a period of adjustment for several years. Since then, WWE contacted Stratus numerous times to discuss the possibility of a WWE return, promising to have her reign over the division just as she used to.

Stratus has only accepted offers for one night appearances, declining to return to her former lifestyle as a full-time wrestler. She had other priorities by then, including her family which takes plenty of her time. Stratus has maintained a great relationship with the company, and has returned from time to time to make an appearance, but it seems highly doubtful that she would be willing to return beyond a one night performance.

13 Chavo Guerrero

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In 2005, WWE decided to give Chavo Guerrero a new identity as he embraced his new role as Kerwin White. With an unknown Dolph Ziggler by his side, Chavo failed to get the gimmick over with the fans. But it didn't last too long since his uncle Eddie Guerrero passed away, forcing Chavo to return to his old character by embracing the family name.

While this cannot be confirmed, Chavo did claim that WWE made him numerous pitches to help him move up at the time, including a title reign, although he would decline it. Some believe that the opportunity was given to Rey Mysterio afterwards, and while we only speculate about this matter, it is more likely that Chavo was offered a mid-card title. Despite his relationship to the great Eddie Guerrero, he was never half as over as his uncle, nor was he main event material.

12 Shawn Michaels

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Nobody knew what to expect when Shawn Michaels returned in 2002, but for the next couple years, he would establish himself as one of the top WWE Superstars. Michaels didn't only live by his past accomplishments, choosing to make a new legacy. He had been a different person by that time and wanted to avoid all trouble that led to his ongoing personal issues in the 90s. Michaels was also trying to stay away from backstage politics, which is why he declined the WWE's offer to win a World title.

He did initially capture the gold in 2002, but that was a brief run that he would never get again. Michaels had shifted his priorities as title reigns were no longer as important as they used to be. He preferred to be engaged in a non-title feud, which would be the case for most of his second stint with the WWE.

11 Roddy Piper

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When fans discuss the greatest wrestlers to never hold a world title, Roddy Piper is always among the first names mentioned. It's hard to believe that he was never the World Champion since he had been one of the most over Superstars for so many years. Piper's longevity is also impressive with a career spanning decades. But there was a time when that nearly became a reality, as the WWE were open to making him champion.

But Roddy Piper claims that he never truly cared about holding the belt, therefore he declined WWE's offer. Since he didn't view his career as missing anything without the World title, Piper thought it was best for someone else to have that chance. He is probably one of the few who could get over as he was over the years without having ever claimed the biggest prize in sports entertainment.

10 Tommy Dreamer

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It is always surprising to be reminded that many of ECW's most popular stars never won the belt. Most fans instantly think of RVD, who was one of wrestling's biggest star, yet never won the ECW Championship in the original company - but there are many others who haven't such as Tommy Dreamer. And he was offered to win the belt at some point, but for unknown reasons, Dreamer rejected the opportunity.

There were problems between him and Paul Heyman at some point, so it is very possible that may have had something to do with his decision. But thankfully he didn't regret it for long since Dreamed was crowned ECW Champion in 2009 - which was long overdue by then. And although it didn't happen in the original years, it was still a great achievement for Dreamer's lengthy career.

9 X-Pac

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Unlike many entries on this list, X-Pac had an entirely different reason behind his opposition to a title reign. The company wanted X-Pac to hold the WWE Light Heavyweight Championship, but he attempted to derail their plans since it affected his paycheque at the time. X-Pac's best attempts to sabotage his own career fell short, as WWE ended giving him the title once again at SummerSlam 2001.

But he did manage to successfully hold them off for as long as he could, but as usual, Vince McMahon had the final word. X-Pac regained the title by defeating Tajiri, which made him even more unpopular with the fans. He was going through a rough stretch at the time as he failed to connect with audiences, and his credibility took a major hit as a result - becoming known for "X-Pac heat" more than anything else.

8 The Undertaker

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Throughout his lengthy WWE career, The Undertaker has been in the title picture plenty of times with multiple World Title reigns to his name. But there was a time when The Undertaker wanted to be away from the title picture until he had fully transitioned into The Deadman. At the time, Eddie Guerrero was the reigning WWE Champion on SmackDown and with very few worthy challengers on the roster, WWE considered the possibility of having The Undertaker as challenger and eventually champion.

Taker turned down the opportunity since he was just getting back into his Deadman persona, and JBL was eventually the final choice to challenge Guerrero. It is probably for the best that Taker didn't get his hands on the belt in 2004 since he wasn't at his best at the time, but the next couple years would prove to be great for The Deadman, who re-established himself as a top WWE Superstar.

7 RVD

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When RVD joined the WWE, a new star was instantly born in the company. He had already been a huge name in ECW, but his popularity reached new levels in 2001 and 2002. And despite having the support of the fans, while also bringing in a new style to the company, RVD wasn't awarded with a main event push or a World Title. He did challenge for the World Championships on different occasions although he always fell short.

But RVD captured many mid-card and tag team titles along the way, so when WWE offered to give him the Intercontinental Title in 2003 - RVD politely declined the opportunity. He felt that he would be stuck in the same place for the rest of his career, and was ready for a bigger challenge. The majority of fans shared his feelings, and despite hoping to see RVD on top, that wouldn't take place until ECW One Night Stand in 2006.

6 Torrie Wilson

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Torrie Wilson may not have had the in-ring talent of Trish Stratus and Lita, but she managed to stay relevant for several years in the WWE. And while she did put in some effort to improve slightly, Wilson never wanted to become a full-time wrestler. To her credit, she wasn't ashamed of the wrestling industry like Stacy Keibler, and realized that she had to work even harder to be the WWE Women's Champion.

And that is why Wilson rejected a run with the belt, as she felt it wouldn't be suitable for her. When WWE created the Divas Championship in 2008, Wilson was among the first names that came to mind for a potential champion, but she once again rejected their pitch. Wilson was preparing to leave the company at the time, so she had little interest in sticking around especially as a full-time competitor.

5 Big Show

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When WWE brought back ECW as a brand in 2006, they needed big names to maintain fan interest in the product. And that is why many Superstars such as Big Show made the switch, which would prove to be a wise move for him as he dominated the brand for the latter part of 2006 as ECW Champion. But injuries were piling up at the time, so Big Show decided to leave the WWE.

The door was still open for him to return at any time once he was ready, and an early offer came from the company as they didn't want to lose his services. WWE offered him yet another run with the ECW Championship, but Big Show declined since he wasn't quite ready. It would take him until 2008 to come back to the WWE, where he engaged in a feud against Floyd Mayweather.

4 Scott Hall

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Fans were excited to see Scott Hall in TNA since he had been away from the WWE since his firing in 2002. He had been one of the most popular stars of the past 10 years, and some were still curious to see Hall's condition and ability. Hall did agree to join TNA where many of his close friends were already working, and was even offered the chance to become the World Champion, but Hall turned down the opportunity.

He was going through plenty of troubles at the time, and professional wrestling was no longer a priority for him. And Hall knew what it meant to be World Champion, especially in a growing company at the time. It is for the best considering what we have seen from Hall during his multiple TNA reigns, which most fans have tried to erase from their memories by now.

3 Stacy Keibler

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For most of her WWE career, Stacy Keibler played the role of a valet, while also featuring in steamy segments. She was there to show off her great looks at a time when Divas were hired based on their appearance. But unlike many of her peers, Keibler didn't care to make the transition from manager to an in-ring performer. She did have many matches over the years, but never bothered to put in the work to improve.

And when management approached her about holding the WWE Women's Championship, Keibler refused the opportunity. It was suggested numerous times, including a WrestleMania 21 bout against Trish Stratus. But Keibler clearly never wanted to get her hands dirty, as she preferred to stay away from the action as much as possible. She didn't stick around for too long, and has remained as far as possible from the wrestling industry since then.

2 Eddie Guerrero

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Eddie Guerrero rejected two title reigns in a span of a year with the first one taking place while he was still the WWE Champion. He was upset at the time with ongoing problems in his personal life as well as the pressure of being champion, which is why he requested to have the title taken off him. Guerrero would put JBL over for the belt, and never gained it back despite being one of the most popular WWE Superstars at the time.

The next year, he was in another feud for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, as he clashed against Batista. And when the latter was said to be hurt and expected to miss some time, management once again offered a world title reign to Guerrero which he reportedly declined. Sadly, Guerrero would pass soon afterwards and Randy Orton was inserted into the title picture.

1 The Rock

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WrestleMania 21 was the first time The Rock was away from the event in years, which upset some fans who were hoping to have him back just in time. At WrestleMania 20, he had been competing in a tag team match and continued to have cameo appearances for some time before disappearing from WWE television. At the time, WWE needed a challenged for JBL's belt at WrestleMania and had doubts regarding John Cena being ready to take the spot. They had The Rock in mind at the time, but he reportedly declined the opportunity.

That wouldn't be the last time either, as WWE would attempt to bring him back many times since then - and while he did for some time - The Rock has also rejected multiple WWE storyline and title reigns along the way. More recently, rumors suggested that he declined a return to be Ronda Rousey's tag team partner at WrestleMania 34.