Wrestlers Who Threw Away Their Careers With Rotten Attitudes

Wrestling fans need to face a cold hard fact – if you’ve made it to TV, you’re pretty good. Or at least someone fairly high up thinks a superstar has a ton of potential. Just like any job or career, however, sometimes, your attitude goes a long way; both negatively and positively.

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Some people, including wrestlers, show incredible promise. But promise with a bad attitude means as much as it does in horseshoes and hand grenades, as WWE Hall of Famer Mean Gene Okerlund might have said. Seldom, if any of these superstars and others, have had successful careers once they were labeled as having nasty attitudes.

Ryback Was Almost A Top Guy

The Big Guy Had A Weird Attitude

• Ryback was part of the 1 Million Dollar Tough Enough.
• The Big Guy was undefeated for nearly a year.
• Veterans are very divided over whether Ryback is safe or not.

After stomping around the ring grunting “Feed Me More,” fans began responding to Ryback in a Goldberg sort of way. But as he was quickly rising to the top of the card, rumors were abound not just about how unsafe he was in the ring (a rumor which has been defended and deflected by various personalities in the business), but also the rotten attitude Ryback had about doing business. He began openly complaining about his spot on the card – a fairly big no-no in the company.

Teddy Hart Was The Youngest WWE Signee

And His Attitude Showed

• Teddy Hart was signed to WWE Developmental and roomed with Kurt Angle.
• He was the subject of a Peacock documentary exploring his unique and perhaps criminal behavior.
• Hart made a mockery of the industry during a match in TNA.

Growing up as the first grandson of Stu Hart, Teddy Hart had every advantage on the road to becoming one of the first third-generation superstars in the company. Instead, he let that get to his head, among many other things.

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Teddy was pretty quickly labeled with the bad attitude label and has more than lived up to that reputation over the years. Most notably, repeatedly and dangerously doing moonsalts off a steel cage and his part in the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend.

Tessa Blanchard Should’ve Been A Diamond

Tully’s Daughter Should’ve Been Paling Around With Ric And Dusty’s Children

• Blanchard was part of the 2017 Mae Young Classic, losing to Kairi Sane.
• She is the first and only female World Heavyweight Champion.
• Tessa was trained by famed journeyman, George South.

Tessa Blanchard had been primed for wrestling greatness since birth. Her father is a Horseman, her stepfather is Magnum TA. Tessa has one of the great wrestling pedigrees out there. But shortly after she became the first ever female Impact World Champion, more than half a dozen wrestlers came forward to speak about how undeserving she was to be champion and how she had bullied several wrestlers as well as had outwardly racist comments towards other members of the locker room.

Daniel Puder Was Done Before He Started

20 Years Later And Still Has The One Claim To Fame

• Puder was trained by Frank Shamrock.
• Puder is undefeated in MMA Competition at 8-0.
• Since retiring, Puder has headed up his own anti-bullying campaign, MLMP (My Life My Power).

At least most people with bad attitudes are already signed. Daniel Puder was way too overconfident for his own good. He arrived at Tough Enough and seldom followed the rules of the contest. While he did actually defeat Kurt Angle in a shoot grappling contest, there were mitigating circumstances. But rather than simply take his lumps, Puder continued with his brand of bravado, which is seldom accepted in a WWE locker room.

Alberto Del Rio Was The Chosen One

Until He Chose Not To Be The One

• Alberto Del Rio is a former MMA fighter as well as a wrestler.
• He is the winner of the only 40-man Royal Rumble in history.
• Del Rio is the nephew of the legendary Mil Mascaras.

While he did prove to not be a decent person, it still must’ve been an incredible feeling in 2011 and 2012 to be Alberto Del Rio.

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It really seemed that he wasn’t only destined to be a top guy, he was being groomed to be THE guy. But constant conduct issues and Wellness Violations led management to think twice before making El Patron the… Patron.

Some Backstage Thought He Was Too Big For His Britches

• Mr. Kennedy became the first person to lose his Money In The Bank briefcase.
• He has appeared on Family Feud both for WWE and TNA.
• As Ken Anderson, he is a two-time TNA World Champion.

Ken Kennedy had an amazing run during the early part of his WWE career. Almost like a Mandalorian racking up his kill count, Mr. Kennedy had defeated so many former WWE world champions early in his run. It just seemed like it was an academic matter of time before he was the world champion and top of the heap. A couple of failed drug tests accidentally injuring those with influence spelled the end of the loudmouth. Years later, departing TNA, Kennedy really showed his bad side. He was reportedly suspended for being under the influence and then wound up at an Indy show hurling epithets towards his former employer.

Juventud’s Demons Weren’t Professional At All

The Juice Was Far Too Loose

• Juvi has been wrestling since he was 18 years old.
• The Juice is the son of legendary luchador, Fuerza Guerrera.
• He is one of the few wrestlers to have worked for ECW, WCW, TNA, WWE, and AEW.

Despite working for literally every major three-lettered American promotion of the last forty years, Juventud Guerrera hasn’t stayed anywhere for terribly long. Except for WCW, but that’s where the attitude issues creep in. Juvi’s meltdowns not just nearly cost him his WCW career, but eventually curtailed his WWE run as well. He was released early into his run for numerous backstage issues.

Carlito’s Lackadaisical Legacy

The Brass Had High Hopes For The Second Generation Star

• Carlito’s father is hardcore legend and founder of WWC, Carlos Colon.
• Carly has guest starred in hit series like GLOW and The Goldbergs.
• Defeated John Cena for the United States Championship in his debut match.

Towards the end of his run on Raw, Ric Flair cut a scathing promo on Carlito about how lazy he is and how he has no passion or guts.

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He wasn’t working, he was shooting. According to Bruce Prichard on Something To Wrestle, Carlito was full of potential and was just so good that he could could afford to be lazy. But in wrestling and in life, you won’t get ahead by being lazy, no matter how great you are.

Rob Van Dam’s Unique Style

RVD Was Able To Tell Management “No”

• Van Dam made a cameo as a fan kissing Ted DiBiase’s toes.
• RVD was trained by The Original Sheik.
• Rob worked in WCW as Robbie V.

RVD was more successful than anyone on this list, yes. However, his attitude curtailed just how big he could’ve become. Mr. PPV could’ve been the face of WWE had he wanted to walk on that path. Aside from his infamous arrest that cost him the WWE and ECW World Championships, RVD consistently told the WWE brass “no” to all sorts of public appearances. While that was well within his rights, anyone who has ever worked a job before knows full well saying no all the time doesn’t further your career very much.