The Rapid Rise And Harder Fall Of The Chosen Few

Brian Damage

Had it not been for that fateful car crash Magnum TA would have been a huge star (Image courtesy of accelerator3359.com)

Throughout wrestling’s rich history, there have always been bookers and promoters who tag a certain guy the “Next Big Thing” or “The Chosen One.” They see dollar signs with certain guys based on looks, charisma, ability or whatever. Some rise to the occasion and fulfill the promoters prophecy. While others get the nod and push and somehow, some way blow it.

Jeff Jarrett immediately comes to mind as a guy who people expected big things from. He did hold several prestigious titles including the intercontinental, WCW World and NWA/TNA World titles. Despite the constant pushes by guys like his father Jerry Jarrett and Vince Russo, never really became THE guy. Was he a world champion? Yes. Was he in main events? Yes. Was he ultimately a failure? Absolutely. How can that be? Simple, fans caught on that it wasn’t his talent that got him the accolades, it was the promoters. They shoved Jarrett down our throats whether we wanted it or not, and for the most part, nobody wanted it. Just watch old WCW, WWF or TNA shows to see for yourself. Fans were either indifferent to his appearances or they booed. Normally booing can be a good thing, but they weren’t booing him as a great heel, they booed him because he was constantly being force fed to us.

The next guy on my list is “The Wildfire” Tommy Rich. The big difference between Rich and Jarrett was Rich was at one time, a huge up and coming star in the southern territories. So much so, he defeated Harley Race to win the NWA world title. (When the NWA title was the most recognized and prestigious of all world championships) He wound up losing the title 4 days later back to Race, but the writing was on the wall that Rich would be a major player. Only it never happened. Tommy Rich had one of the most infamous feuds against “Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer, but after that, not much else. He bounced around from territory to territory, tag team to tag team, heel turns and face turns and nothing. Paul Heyman briefly resurrected Rich’s career in ECW as the “Don” of the Full Blooded Italians, but after that…nothing. Tommy Rich never got back to the promise land again and his popularity waned from year to year. A solid career, but not what was once predicted.

If you talk about wrestlers that could’ve been or should’ve been, then you have to mention Magnum T.A. Magnum was indeed the future of Jim Crockett promotions. He had the talent, the look ,the charisma and most importantly fan following needed to be a future world champion. His star fell because of an accident, nothing more. On the cusp of a main event push in 1986, Magnum got into a car accident that nearly took his life. He survived the crash, but was left paralyzed on one side of his body, effectively ending an otherwise promising career.

Before the age of the internet, wrestling magazines were tools to find out about pro wrestling out of your particular territory. During that time, I clearly remember reading two wrestlers who were christened as “The Next Hulk Hogan.” Considering Hogan was one of the biggest stars of that era, a major endorsement indeed. The two wrestlers were Dan Spivey and Sid Vicious. Both certainly had the look, Spivey was a big raw boned wrestler with long blonde hair and Sid was tall with muscles coming out of his neck. Dan Spivey was even nicknamed by Vince McMahon, “The Golden Boy.” Spivey simply didn’t have the personality required by the WWF to be a main event player. His biggest claim to fame was in the NWA/WCW as both a member of the Skyscrapers with the other “Future Hogan,” Sid Vicious and with The Varsity Club.

Dan Spivey had the look but not the charisma to be a huge star (Image courtesy of catch-americain.wifeo.com)

Sid, on the other hand made more of his career, but never achieved Hogan like status. Some of it caused by himself. Sid had the look and the personality to be huge, but a violent confrontation with Arn Anderson at a hotel, derailed his career for a few years. As a matter of fact, I may be so bold as to say, he never fully recovered from that incident. Sid did go on to play up that incident by being renamed “Sycho Sid” and won the WWF world title, but before then, failed as a super babyface named Sid Justice. I guess folks at that time couldn’t buy a Hulk Hogan-esque babyface would ever try to murder another wrestler, even if he was a heel.

While we’re on the subject of “Future Hulk Hogan’s” how can I not mention Lex Luger? Lex had the look of that era and he did win World Titles, just never reached the upper echelon of Superstars. The “Lex Express” was certainly headed down the road to major WWF success, but if urban legend is correct, one drunken night at a bar, Lex bragged to every one who listened that he was going to win the WWF title at Summer Slam. Certainly a big no-no back in those days and was subsequently de-pushed. Lex Luger still had a very good career, just might have been even better.

Some chosen to be future players only get one shot at the brass ring. This next star had at least two chances and blew them both. Ken Anderson aka Mr. Anderson aka Mr. Kennedy had two big chances to bask in the spotlight and lost them both. He won the Money in the Bank briefcase at Wrestlemania 23 and was poised to cash it in May, but was sidelined with an injury. Vince fearing the extent of the injury could prevent him from pushing Kennedy as a main eventer in waiting lost the briefcase to Edge. He still had another shot when Mr. Kennedy was chosen as the illegitimate son of Vince McMahon, but continued injuries and a failing drug test cost him his final chance at stardom within the WWE and the storyline went to Hornswoggle.

Scottish wrestler Drew McIntyre had the privilege of being dubbed a future world champion and chosen one of the WWE by its CEO Vince McMahon. His career has started, stalled, started and stalled a number of times. Some due to visa issues and others due to a much publicized domestic dispute with then wife Taryn Terrell. Regardless of the issue, McIntyre is currently relegated to a comedic team with Jinder Mahal and Heath Slater collectively known as 3MB…not exactly his chosen direction.

The final man I’ll mention is none other than Ahmed Johnson. Vince McMahon envisioned Ahmed as being the first black WWE champion. He was well on his way by dominating the competition and winning the Intercontinental title. His downfall was simply injuries and plenty of them. Not only multiple injuries to himself, but injuries to various opponents. Simply put, he could not be trusted as the man in the company and was subsequently sent packing….