Wrestling is a business that demands change, as staying still can lead to people forgetting about them, which nobody wants. As wrestlers develop and become older they can tap into that experience to push things in a bid to improve, and many wrestlers such as Chris Jericho can get much better with age.
However, that isn't the case for everybody, and certain talents do end up getting worse over time. This can be down to numerous factors, whether it be not staying in shape, creating a poor gimmick, bad booking, or issues in their personal lives, there are many examples of WWE wrestlers who changed negatively.
10 Matt Bloom
While Matt Bloom was never a main event player during his initial run with WWE, when working as Albert or A-Train he was considered in high regard by the fans. He worked well in the mid-card and as part of the tag team division, but things changed when he returned to WWE as Lord Tensai.
The gimmick was initially pushed as a main event monster, but it didn't take long for him to fall down the card and become a comedic jobber. While he has gone on to do great work with NXT and the Performance Center since, when it comes to his in-ring career, he changed negatively.
9 Alberto Del Rio
At one point, WWE pushed Alberto Del Rio heavily as the next big thing in wrestling, leading to him winning titles and major matches such as the Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank. However, over time his career gradually got worse as he dropped down the card, with his time in the League Of Nations being a true low.
However, the big reason that Del Rio's career has gone downhill is because of issues in his personal life, particularly during his time dating Paige. There were numerous negative stories about him in real life, and that is something that rightfully has damaged his reputation among fans.
8 Shane McMahon
While Shane McMahon was never a full-time wrestler, he dipped his toe in the water enough to be considered as one by fans. McMahon has always been incredibly popular because of the style that he brings to the ring, putting his body on the line with crazy bumps to entertain the audience.
However, throughout some of his most recent appearances it was clear he was slowing down in the ring, and seeing Shane constantly pushed into top spots was annoying fans. His gimmick change made him a frustrating character to watch on television as he slowly did become worse.
7 Goldberg
Goldberg was never known for his in-ring prowess, but he had huge star power and was able to put together exciting matches. However, throughout his second run with WWE that became very hit-and-miss, with matches against the likes of Braun Strowman and The Fiend being very disappointing.
He wasn't able to live up to the hype that surrounded him in these moments, and his infamous match against The Undertaker which led to the Deadman almost getting seriously hurt showcased that he was taking steps backward.
6 The British Bulldog
The British Bulldog was a fantastic worker inside the ring, and during his initial run with WWE, he proved that with some fantastic matches and moments that people will remember forever. However, after returning following his spell with WCW it became clear that he wasn't the same man as before.
Inside the ring, he was considerably slower, and that stopped WWE from booking him in the manner they had hoped. Bulldog quickly fell down the card as he ended up working in storylines that fans didn't care about.
5 The Undertaker
The Undertaker is a legend of the wrestling business, and that is a status that he hasn't lost at any point, however, he did change for the worse over time. The problem was that Undertaker's career simply ran on for too long, with the Deadman not knowing when to walk away from the business.
He wanted the perfect retirement match, but his body wasn't able to provide that as the years he put into the business caught up with him. While he eventually landed on a fun encounter against AJ Styles, there were some rough matches along the way that did hurt his legacy.
4 Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle is another incredible wrestler that ended up performing for too long, which was a shame to see because few people have more in-ring ability than him. Angle returned to WWE with a lot of fanfare but putting him in a General Manager role ended up hurting him in the long term as his body seized up over time.
That was clear when he began to wrestle as Angle was a shell of his former self. Fans were expecting in-ring classics and the Hall Of Famer simply wasn't able to deliver them for people. He has admitted to the fact he retired because he couldn't go anymore, and that was clear to see.
3 Kane
Kane was a character that got watered down heavily throughout the end of his run, whether that was taking the mask off and becoming a member of The Authority, which was the complete opposite of how he'd always been presented, to the slower in-ring work that he was putting out there.
Kane had slowed down a lot inside the ring, and his character was often being thrown into random storylines that nobody truly cared about. It took away from the monster that he had been earlier in his career which was a shame, but he still put together a Hall Of Fame-worthy career.
2 Big Show
Big Show was put in a similar spot to Kane in the sense that his career took backward steps the longer it continued. He wasn't used as a serious competitor and was often just thrown out for random segments to put others over. It wasn't the same giant who had dominated the wrestling landscape.
Even since joining AEW in what was supposed to be a moment to rejuvenate his career, Big Show has continued to struggle. He has barely been used by Tony Khan's promotion, with his career going out with more of a fizzle than a bang.
1 Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan has often been considered a legend of the wrestling business, and someone who made a major impact in the business. However, as his career has gone on in the industry that has certainly changed, with many wrestling fans now viewing him in a different light.
The reason Hogan's career changed negatively was down to issues in his personal life, with racist comments being made public. It instantly saw fans lose respect for him as a person, and Hogan's lack of effort in trying to fix that situation hasn't helped.