Welcome back to the second half of Courtesy Title’s general breakdown. In part 1, the discussion revolved around superstars who never won a world title in WWE.
This time around, we’re changing things up a bit and focusing on something more widespread: wrestlers who never won any championship in WWE whatsoever.
Just like last time, I’ll be tossing out some fantasy booking scenarios, but not diving super deep into the full-blown details of each potential situation. More so, I’d rather focus on the names themselves and which potential titles they could have won, rather than going through all their possible feuds, how they would have been written as champion and how they would have dropped the titles. Think of this more as a wide scope of the overall picture on a grand scale, rather than the minute ins and outs.
Cryme Tyme = Tag Team Title
Let’s start with a rather easy one. Shad Gaspard (RIP) and JTG as Cryme Tyme were a particularly popular tag team back in 2006-2007. They are very much in the same boat as Enzo Amore and Big Cass (who would be on this list had Enzo not won the Cruiserweight Championship) in that they were over and easily should have won the tag team titles, but for some reason, WWE passed on them.
Considering the teams who did win those belts in that time frame, it’s a damn shame. By no means will I besmirch Rated-RKO or The Hardy Boyz, but the rest? Ric Flair and Roddy Piper, John Cena and Shawn Michaels, Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch, Deuce & Domino? Paul London and Brian Kendrick were fun, but they weren’t any more interesting than Cryme Tyme would have been as champions.
This one is simple. Give them the tag belts instead of Cade and Murdoch or Londrick or whoever is holding it at that time.
Jake “The Snake” Roberts = World or IC Title
I made the case in Part 1 that Jake Roberts would have potentially made a great heel world champion if there was a brand split. In this post, though, I’m working without that secondary imaginary world title to work with.
That makes Roberts much harder to figure out how he could have won a world title. For that matter, it’ll be the same for others on this list.
However, I do think he still could have won the Intercontinental Championship. Maybe he could have beaten Steamboat instead of Honky Tonk Man?
Savio Vega = IC, European or Tag Team Title
I think it’s a stretch, but Savio Vega could have won the Intercontinental Championship and it wouldn’t have been absolutely crazy. There were worse superstars to hold that or the United States title over the years before and after his time.
Perhaps a tag team title run alongside Razor Ramon would have worked, though. Or, during his time in Los Boricuas, he could have won the European Championship and had that as his focal point, since that title quickly meant nothing.
Bam Bam Bigelow = World, IC or Tag Team Title
I stand by my sentiment that Bam Bam Bigelow could have been a great world champion. If I had it my way, that’s the belt I’d give him.
Even still, the Intercontinental Championship was WELL within his grasp. He should have won that, for sure. Any time in his 1992-1995 run would have worked. He could have convincingly beaten Bret Hart, Razor Ramon or British Bulldog.
Maybe there could have been a good tag team partner for him to have won that title with, too. Perhaps as part of Money Inc alongside someone like Crush or possibly Tatanka?
Tatanka = IC or Tag Team Title
Speak of the devil. Put the tag titles on him alongside Bam Bam Bigelow as a possibility, or give him the intercontinental strap when he was unbeatable.
I don’t think we’re missing much from Tatanka never winning either of these championships, but considering how he’s still a memorable character and there were others who were just as meh as he was, but got their chances to hold gold (like The Great Khali, Vladimir Kozlov, Heidenreich, etc) it’s hard to say it isn’t as least worth thinking about.
Junkyard Dog = IC or Tag Team Title
At one point, Junkyard Dog was one of the most over babyfaces in the company. There’s no argument WWE could have put the Intercontinental Championship on him or partnered him up with someone for a tag title run and made it a successful month or so, at the very least.
Between those two options, I’m particularly interested in who could be a great tag team partner for him. Jim Duggan? George The Animal Steele?
Dusty Rhodes = IC Title
He’s just a common man, but he was a BIG f’n deal outside of WWE. I don’t think I could make a case for him being a world champion during the Hogan era over Hogan, Savage or others, but I do think the next best thing could have happened with a midcard title reign.
Maybe he beats Rick Rude and we don’t get Champion vs Champion for WrestleMania 6? Is that worth it? Or maybe he beats Mr. Perfect or wins the belt after Ultimate Warrior vacates it?
Vader = World or Tag Team Title
— world or tag with Mankind; ic would be a bit weird; hardcore would fit
Harley Race = IC or Tag Team Title
— IC or world or tag with Heenan Family
Hacksaw Jim Duggan = United States / IC or Tag Team Title
Obviously, the United States Championship hasn’t always been around in WWE. Had that been the case, this is self-explanatory.
Instead, the Intercontinental Championship serves that purpose. However, given Duggan’s track record of not being as big of a focal point as some other people, I think a tag title run would have made more sense.
Anyone who was a goofball character and/or generic babyface that couldn’t be taken too too seriously like a Bret Hart type could work. This means JYD, Dusty Rhodes, Akeem, Brutus Beefcake, even Big Boss Man and so on could have been decent tag team partners for Hacksaw to have at least a short tag title run with.
Lex Luger = World, IC or Tag Team Title
Like Duggan, if WWE had the United States Championship back in the day, he would have carried this for a long while. But how did he not only not win the world title, but didn’t win the intercontinental or tag belts at any point?
WWE could have easily slapped the IC title on him during his 1993 stretch or given he and Bulldog the tag belts when they were teaming up.
Luna Vachon = Women’s Title
Simple. She beats Alundra Blayze and wins the WWF Women’s Championship.
Luna Vachon was easily the most interesting female star the company had for years and she made for a great foil to Blayze’s bland babyface character. Give me Luna over Bertha Faye or Bull Nakano when talking about that time in WWF.
Gangrel = Hardcore or Tag Team Title
This dude never won the Hardcore Championship?! Not even for a few seconds? That’s insane. He definitely should have, given his gimmick.
I’d argue he should have been part of a Freebird Rule scenario with the tag titles and The Brood, too. In my mind, any time someone’s part of a faction like that, it should be somewhat recognized that all the members are tag team champions, unless otherwise stated. That wasn’t the case back then, nor is it always the case now, though, so I understand that.
But c’mon now with that hardcore title situation. That just baffles me.
Brian Pillman = IC, Hardcore or Tag Team Title
If he could have been around for the Hardcore Championship, boy would he have made a great choice for that, right?
Without that in mind, the go-to options are intercontinental and tag team.
Intercontinental would have made sense if he could have beaten Steve Austin or just stepped in and won the title in any other generic sense. Tag team, I’d think, would probably be alongside Jim Neidhart while Owen had the IC, Bulldog had the European and Bret had the world title, in theory.
Jerry “The King” Lawler = World or IC Title
In part 1, I argued that Lawler should have beaten Bret to win the WWF Championship instead of Bob Backlund. Agree with that or not, I think that’s the one and only time he could have won that title.
Other than that, the Intercontinental Championship should have been within his grasp for those first few years, at the very least. I could see Lawler maybe even sneaking a victory for a very short transitional reign with the belt toward the mid-2000s range, too, just to upset the status quo. Imagine him beating a Dolph Ziggler type to win it, just to lose the title a week or so in the future, kind of like Bret beating The Miz for the United States Championship. I don’t think I would have been too upset about that.
Still, it’s the world title scenario I’m more firmly behind.
Honorable Mentions
Jimmy Snuka, Torrie Wilson, King Kong Bundy, Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff, Jesse Ventura, and Doink the Clown were all on my list, but I couldn’t think of any particular title or time frame I felt was worth arguing about. Obviously, Torrie Wilson’s Divas Championship situation is self-explanatory, but did she ever really deserve to win it? Would Paul Orndorff really had made that great of an intercontinental champion more so than what we already got? Who would Jesse Ventura have beaten to be the world champion in his era? Still worth thinking about, but I didn’t feel as strongly about these superstars as the others above on this list.
Do you think these superstars deserved to have won titles during their careers? What other wrestlers should be on this list? Are there any particular championships you would award them? Keep the discussion going by leaving a comment below!
