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“If you’re not in this business to be world champion, then you need to get out” is a familiar line old-timers and others spout, but it’s hard to be the world champion when you’ve never received a fair shot.
Scott Hall, Roddy Piper, Ted Dibiase. The list of wrestlers who have never been a world champion in WWE is numerous. However, the list of those who never received a one-on-one title match is much smaller.
WWE’s roster is bigger than ever, with five brands and international PPVs, the company needs the manpower. Nestled in that large workforce are a few performers who’ve won gold, been near the top but have never got that clear chance at a world title.
Here are four performers whose only chances at the top prizes have been multiple-man matches.
#1 Kofi Kingston
Kingston is the most prolific titleholder in WWE history; he recently broke the record for most days as a tag team champion. The New Day member has also held both the Intercontinental and United States Championships multiple times, all he’s missing is a world title.
Kingston did receive one shot at the WWE Championship, but it was in an Elimination Chamber match back in 2010.
The New Day member was the group’s representative in this year’s Money in The Bank match. The roar that Kingston received from the crowd showed that the audience wants to see Kofi challenge the big boys.
Whenever a team member challenges for singles gold in wrestling, it means that team is headed for a violent breakup. The New Day has been one of the biggest success stories for WWE in recent years. Rather than do the all-too-familiar stab-in-the-back, Big E and Xavier Woods should support their teammate in finally getting that grand prize.
Kingston has been a mid-card player for most of his ten years in the company, some might argue that a Kingston WWE/Universal Title reign would hurt business, but the truth is, being a world champion means less then it ever has. We are far removed from the days when the champion sold the house. It’s now the WWE name that brings the people in. The company didn’t go bankrupt after Jinder Mahal won the WWE Championship.
If Kingston won either the WWE or Universal Championship, he would be the first ever African-born world champion in WWE history. (Kingston was born in Ghana but immigrated when he was an infant). WWE is always seeking mainstream coverage; a Kingston win would give them just that.
#2 Bobby Roode
‘The Glorious One’ has lost his lustre.
Roode arrived on the Smackdown after SummerSlam in 2017. He won the United States Championship on January 16th, 2018, but lost it two months later. He’s done nothing of note since.
Roode looks a shell of the performer who exuded main event poise in NXT and TNA; he’s failed to connect with the audience on the main roster.
During the Superstar Shakeup this April, Roode was moved to Raw. His prospects have not improved on the red brand where there are a plethora of stars ahead of him.
Recently, Roode has aligned himself with another forgotten talent, Chad Gable. Despite seeming like an odd pairing, the two have gelled together well. Whether this leads to Roode turning on Gable or an actual run for the Raw Tag Team Championships, Roode is still nowhere near the top of the card.
#3 Drew McIntyre
The hard-hitting Scotsman will not be on this list for long.
Braun Strowman will surely lift the vacant Universal Championship at Crown Jewel on November 3rd, and McIntyre looks to be his first challenger. McIntyre has laid out Strowman with his Claymore Kick on two consecutive Raw’s.
McIntyre’s only shot at a world title occurred during his first run in the company. It was for the World Heavyweight Championship in an Elimination Chamber match in 2011.
‘The Chosen One’ was released from WWE in 2014. He travelled across the globe and captured numerous world titles including the including the TNA World Heavyweight title.
Catching the eyes of WWE, McIntyre was invited back in 2017. He restarted in NXT and quickly won their top championship.
Since returning to the main roster, McIntyre has been aligned with Dolph Ziggler with whom he held the Raw Tag Team Championships until this week.
WWE has high hopes for McIntyre. He fits the bill when it comes to a WWE top-liner; tall, well-built, handsome. His only weakness might be promo skills, but he’s improved on his microphone ability significantly during his time away, especially on toning down his heavy Scottish accent.
Apparently, WWE teamed up Ziggler and McIntyre to repeat the Shawn Michaels and Diesel dynamic. At some point soon, McIntyre will turn babyface, and with his talent, he could be a bigger star then Kevin Nash ever was.
#4 Cesaro
While Cesaro’s teammate Sheamus is a multi-time world champion, Cesaro is still waiting for his first one-on-one world title opportunity
Cesaro has challenged for the WWE Championship twice; once was inside an Elimination Chamber match (seeing a pattern here?), and the other was in a Money in The Bank match for the vacant WWE title - both matches were in 2014.
Sheamus and Cesaro were moved to Smackdown during the Superstar Shakeup this year. The two were almost invisible until they recently captured the Smackdown Tag Team Championships on the 1000th edition of the show.
This is not new territory for The Bar; they’re now five-time tag team champions. Adding The Big Show to their stable will not freshen things up either.
Cesaro and Sheamus have been teaming up for over two years. The team was expected to be a stop-gap for both men, but they duo evolved into a genuine tag team with matching outfits and a heavily synchronised entrance.
The Bar is a good fit for Sheamus who turned 40 this year. The less-rigorous tag bouts give ‘The Celtic Warrior’s’ battered body a rest
Cesaro doesn’t have the accolades that Sheamus has to look back fondly on. Numerous times, it seemed that ‘The Swiss Superman’ was going to get his chance at the top, only to fall back down the card.
Perhaps Cesaro is content with his place on the card; maybe he’s tired of grasping for Vince McMahon’s “imaginary brass rings” (as CM Punk put it).
If Cesaro still does have that desire to be a world champion, then he needs to back to singles action, pronto.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
