WWE Superstars Who Never Connected With Fans

Wrestlers being able to reach the heights of WWE is one thing, and that’s something that is seen as a major success for anyone in the wrestling business. However, being able to connect with the millions of WWE fans around the world is a different matter, and is a skill that many aren’t capable of.

This can be due to a variety of reasons, whether it be a lack of real push from WWE’s creative team or the fact that their gimmick simply isn’t interesting enough. No matter the reason, it can be pivotal in stopping a wrestler from reaching the next level within the company, as WWE rarely pushes someone who doesn’t have a connection with the fans.

10 Dan Severn Wasn’t Entertaining

He Was A Legitimate Badass

People transitioning from the world of MMA to professional wrestling always opens up the possibility of providing something different inside the ring. However, sometimes that doesn’t lead to engaging in-ring matches because the technique is so different from what WWE fans think is entertaining.

That was the case with Dan Severn, who was someone that fans found to be a legitimate badass but didn’t end up wowing fans during his matches. His matches were often flat, with audiences not engaging with what was happening at the time.

9 Mark Jindrak Didn’t Offer Much

He Struggled Past Having An Impressive Physique

Mark Jindrak boasted a fantastic physique and one of the best dropkicks in WWE history. However, he isn’t someone who connected with audiences despite that, which is why he didn’t have many memorable moments throughout his tenure with the company.

Jindrak was a good worker, but he wasn’t given tons of time to develop a character or to cut promos that would enable him to get reactions from the fans that would’ve allowed him to kick on.

8 Karrion Kross Has Struggled To Establish Himself

There Tends To Be A Disconnect When His Matches Begin

Karrion Kross is someone who puts a lot of effort into his overall character, dropping smart Easter Eggs for fans while carving a genuine persona that is different from others. On the microphone, Kross has no shortage of confidence and that allows for a lot of interest to be built in him.

However, that all tend to disappear when the bell rings. For whatever reason, Kross struggles to connect with fans during matches and the silence often takes away from any heat that he has been built up ahead of time.

7 Natalya Hasn’t Always Had A Strong Personality

Her Lack Of Connection Has Held Her Back

There is no questioning the in-ring prowess of Natalya, as she is one of the strongest workers in the company from a technical standpoint. That has been the case throughout her entire tenure with WWE, but as the women’s division has been given an increasing number of opportunities, Natalya has seemingly sunk down the card.

It is the personality that has been the difference maker between her and the likes of Charlotte Flair or Bayley. Promo skills are a weakness for Natalya, and that is one of the reasons she’s not been able to make a connection as strong with the fans as other talents.

6 Shane Douglas Didn’t Work In WWE

He Had A Better Career Elsewhere

Shane Douglas had an interesting career in professional wrestling considering that he was a major success in ECW, having become a main event performer for the company. However, when it came to his work in WWE he struggled massively to get over with the audience.

A big reason for that was the gimmick he portrayed during his time in WWE which wasn’t something he suited and didn’t get the best out of him. Portraying a college dean gimmick wasn’t interesting, and the lack of reactions highlighted that.

5 Kaval’s In-Ring Talent Wasn’t Enough

He’s Had An Amazing Career Outside WWE

Kaval is better known to most wrestling fans as Low Ki, which is how he’s made his name over the years. His hard-hitting style has allowed him to thrive on the independent scene, which is why people had high hopes for him joining WWE that he’d kick on and become an even bigger star.

Unfortunately, Kaval’s serious nature didn’t connect with WWE fans and he wasn’t able to get over. WWE even placed Michelle McCool and Layla with him to try and change that, but it had no real impact.

4 Ridge Holland Has Struggled On His Own

Even In The Brawling Brutes He Was Overlooked

Ridge Holland is a smashmouth-style wrestler who hits hard and apologizes later, and that makes his style interesting to watch. However, he isn’t one of the strongest wrestlers in WWE, and that itself has hurt the Englishman’s ability to get over with the crowd.

Even as part of the Brawling Brutes faction he always felt like the weakest member, with Sheamus truly carrying the group. Since being put on his own in WWE NXT there hasn’t been an outpouring of excitement for the former rugby player.

3 Mason Ryan Felt Like A Knock-Off Batista

His Involvement In Nexus Made No Impact

Mason Ryan boasted an amazing physique, and that is something that Vince McMahon always took into consideration. It led to a lot of wrestlers getting pushed without necessarily having the ability or charisma to match it, and Ryan fell into that category, despite his best efforts.

He caught the eye because a lot of people felt like he looked similar to Batista. However, even though he was involved in Nexus, most people didn’t care about watching him which is why he didn’t last in the long term.

2 David Otunga Didn’t Stand Out In WWE

He Was Used In A Variety Of Roles

Another Nexus alumni who had an amazing physique but didn’t get over with fans was David Otunga. He’s someone that looked the part, but seriously lacked in the charisma department, despite WWE’s best efforts to try and shoehorn him into various roles.

He was a wrestler, an authority figure, a commentator, and a part of WWE’s broadcast team, but at no point did WWE fans ever buy into him and that lack of connection made his segments drag.

1 Mordecai Proves Not All Supernatural Gimmicks Work

The Character Simply Wasn’t Interesting

Whenever a supernatural character is created in WWE, the creative team clearly thinks that everyone is going to be interested in them, but that isn’t the case. Mordecai was supposedly a religious-based gimmick that was going to remove sin from the world of WWE.

However, fans weren’t interested in it even though WWE put plenty of effort in when it came to vignettes. The in-ring work wasn’t good enough to make this last in the long term, which is why it ended up fading off television.