Tippy-top Nearly Men

The Lex Luger question from the mailbag got me thinking about Kevin Owens losing clean to Cena, and if that was a blown chance for him to really break through.


The wrestlers below (I think) never quite reached "tippy-top status". But do you think there was a specific moment where any of them could have got there, if only they’d pulled the trigger on a big win, or politics/injuries hadn’t got in the way?

And, if so, what was their Luger-choking-at-SummerSlam moment?


Big Show

​Losing to Steve Austin on RAW a couple of weeks after he debuted.​

Ryback

​Losing to Punk at Hell in a Cell. He never should have been put into that position in the first place. ​

Sheamus


​He was never getting to that level. Although after winning the title from John Cena in the first place, it felt like he dropped it in such lame fashion that it killed him off anyway.

Booker

​The HHH match at Wrestlemania. ​

Eddie

I’d say he pretty much overachieved past his level and anything past the Brock win was gravy.

Jericho


​​He did fine.

RVD


The HHH match. Possibly even the three-way with Austin and Angle where fans were ready for him to win even in 2001.

Goldberg (WWE run)


​Losing at Summerslam, but really he was only in for the short-term anyway. ​

Del Rio


He was never going to be at that level. ​

Dolph

​Dropping the title back to Del Rio with the concussion angle killed him off for good at that top level. ​