10 WWE Legends Who Were More Successful Elsewhere

From Matt Hardy and Bam Bam Bigelow to Ricky Steamboat and Rick Martel, these are 10 WWE Legends Who Were More Successful Elsewhere.
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Cultaholic provides video coverage of professional wrestling - including WWE (including WWE Raw, WWE SmackDown, NXT and 205 Live), AEW, IMPACT Wrestling (formerly TNA), NJPW, ROH, and more with daily news updates, reviews, lists, highlights, predictions, reactions, podcasts and much, much more.

[@heelgill]

You missed out on Christian Cage. He was so successful in TNA when he was there, he showcased how amazing he was on the mic and as an in-ring competitor since he was a big deal over there.

[@tmwfte81]

@@FaysalIsGoated Kurt Angle was never successful in the WWE? Miz voice: Really!? REALLY!?

[@ChrisTomson]

@@tmwfte81 Kurt had double the length of time in TNA than WWE, while Christian was in WWE a lot longer than TNA

[@tmwfte81]

@@ChrisTomson That wasn't the point of what the guy who deleted was saying. He said that Christian wasn't included because he had success in the WWE and that the purpose of this video was of people who "NEVER" had success in the WWE. Kurt clearly was successful in the WWE, disproving what the guy I was responding to said. It doesn't matter how long either of them were in the WWE, that's completely irrelevant to the conversation.

[@dranzerjetli5126]

Instead of angle the no 2 should be chrisitian. Angle was just as successful in wwe as he was outside.

[@element8901]

Is that tetsuya naito @ 12:34?

[@vinniethedeuce]

To be fair though, when Kurt Angle left WWE, he was already a mega star and had won all their titles. TNA/Impact just capitalized on how much of a star he already was and he ended up staying there longer.

[@damienmontgomery670]

didnt he win the wwe championship?

[@connorledwith2962]

@@damienmontgomery670 undisputed title when it was the wwe title quite a few times. For me from that era (01/02 till 04), he was the best undisputed champion. By quite a long way too. Angle was killer

[@damienmontgomery670]

@@connorledwith2962 him or brock

[@tzvikrasner6073]

To be fair to WWE: Kurt left because Vince was benching him out of legitimate concern for his health. He'd broken his neck twice and was practically living on painkillers. Kurt actually credits it with saving his life because it forced him to get clean.

[@arashitendou5941]

Devil’s Advocate here but one could point out WWE’s, sometimes PUNISHING, traveling was a factor to that As one of their bigger stars he practically could NOT miss a show, be they house or RAW or Smackdown Many wrestlers point out they have rough patches on their health BECAUSE of this punishing schedule I mean I believe some have stated part of Jeff Hardy’s drug issues were caused because he wasn’t given enough time off to heal and had to use a lot of pain meds

[@mirage5566]

@@arashitendou5941 Yep, they're not saints, and the schedule is brutal. But in the case of Angle, he apparently repeatedly hid his issues, then declined company paid rehab and asked for his release. I'm just glad he eventually cleaned up though

[@718ayyjay]

Yeah that deff would be a good feud. I'm not sticking up for wwe at all . But I understand what ya saying. Either way Hope you Have a Good day !

[@agentorange1156]

They had to release him once he declined rehab. Imagine if in 2005 we (meaning us fans) lost eddie, 2007 we lost chris. I'm 100% sure Kurt would be on that list if he didn't get released

[@arashitendou5941]

@@mirage5566 oh yeah all fair points It can safely be said their blame to go around so no one person is fully at fault

[@talonthehand]

I can’t tell if Bam Bam Bigelow has the best or worst name ever

[@MillionaireMadeMRK]

General Rection is the best name ever

[@blacktytrix]

@@MillionaireMadeMRK i fully agree, hugh g. rection is a phenomenal name in my eyes

[@monarched]

@@MillionaireMadeMRK What about Hugh G. Rection???

[@Look_Dad_Old_Tunes]

"Number 3: The Entire Women's Division 2008-16"

[@xgormo9805]

💀💀💀

[@PrizeJ]

True

[@tenleeso10]

The only one I can think of is Victoria

[@quinnsanders4676]

U right

[@quinnsanders4676]

@@tenleeso10 Mickie James jazz Maria karhma Gail kim

[@tamzidmohsinkhan3333]

Both Christian & Matt Hardy are damn underrated . Their singles runs in TNA are way better than their WWE runs atleast

[@InkedupT-raw]

Bro u ain't lying 💯💯💯 when they both were in TNA I was tuning into every episode!!

[@Arthurmadhal]

undertaker was more successful in ECW with his eXtReMe mortician gimmick i hope he'll win an ECW title again soon

[@Arthurmadhal]

@@InkedupT-raw yeha bro h3e ain't lllyibg

[@Arthurmadhal]

@@InkedupT-raw 🛸🛸🛸🛸🛸🛸

[@ryanpulliam8987]

@@Arthurmadhal are you serious right now? Please tell me you're joking

[@natemccollum3731]

I don’t get leaving The Outsiders off this list, as their whole character in WCW was based on the fact they’re -WWF guys

[@Tidalwave848]

I think the reason they left them off is because wwe now owns wcw

[@arashitendou5941]

@@Tidalwave848 partly also because ultimately they did well at both promotions because in WWE they were the Clique And in WCW Eric let them set up those ridiculous contracts that gave them WAY to much power

[@1993Redemption]

Yea this list is definitely arbitrary on terms of just saying "this guy is more synonymous with wwe, so he's on the list, but that guy is more of a wcw guy."

[@natemccollum3731]

@@1993Redemption Von Erich is the worst example of this too

[@1993Redemption]

@@natemccollum3731 I laughed at that immediately. The Texas Tornado? Lol it's not like Kerry helped sell out big arenas all over Texas and parts of the South and was part of some famous family.

[@zacharymorgan533]

Bubba ray id definitely a TNA Legend

[@davidyoung6649]

Christian Cage should be on the list as well.

[@718ayyjay]

He was a world champion in wwe tho

[@artistictigerman]

Twice

[@albinomaybe2323]

One of the greatest WWE tag teams multiple times IC championships two time world champion but no none of that matters when he was a so called world champion for a championship that hasn’t been relevant for about 30 years minimum

[@blakegrundman4356]

This 👆

[@kalebbarber2527]

@@718ayyjay yeah, but Angle was on this list and was far more successful in WWE (at least in singles competition) so I think Christian should have been here. Christian’s potential was actually used as it should have been in TNA, whereas WWE basically only made him World Heavyweight Champion as a feel-good moment because his main eventing best friend was forced into retirement.

[@joshstrope1092]

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

[@kieranfrench6443]

You too man keep up with the positivity

[@JaimeD.]

Thank you.

[@mr.fantastic1854]

You too brother!

[@talonthehand]

Likewise!

[@joshstrope1092]

I appreciate the love everyone and I'll try my best to keep the positivity going!

[@biggietothex]

Thank you for posting these stuff yo. I just lost my job from my dream company earlier last year and now I’m slowly trying other companies hoping I land a great career elsewhere similar to these superstars. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@ArcaneAzmadi]

Was expecting Cody Rhodes to be on this list, but on reflection his role in AEW has completely overshadowed his entire time in WWE already.

[@thomasharvey1297]

Cody books himself to be unbeatable because his ego. Plus so far he was still more successful in WWE

[@jannesakkinen4631]

Can't really consider Cody to be a "Legend" in WWE.

[@btetirick]

@@thomasharvey1297 unbeatable? I mean he lost to Jericho, MJF, Brodie Lee, Darby Allen. I could go on, but the point is is that for an unbeatable guy, he tends to lose big matches more often than not.

[@slashandbones13]

Well he did barely anything in WWE, with the exception of Legacy.

[@tomfisher6422]

Bigelow's biggest WWE moment was the first Survivor series. Beating King Kong Bundy and One Man Gang after being the only member of his team left before falling to Andre was amazing.

[@andrewberenson5717]

I disagree with your premise on Kerry von Erich. When I think of him, I think of WCCW. No way do I think of Kerry as a WWE legend. He is much less of a WWE legend than Scott Hall or Kevin Nash. Likewise, I do not associate the Road Warriors with WWE. I associate them with Crocket Wrestling/WCW/NWA. Remember, Vince called them Legion of Doom in WWE rather than Road Warriors. That of itself, should disqualify them from your list based on your criteria

[@getpumped87]

Yeah, only name on this list I would say isn't a WWE legend

[@C3K1J8]

Yeah they might as well put Bubba and RVD if they say him

[@andrewberenson5717]

Kerry von Erich should have been replaced on this list with Junkyard Dog. He had much more success in Mid South.

[@jamesgaston2745]

Exactly, I think of you tell a wrestling fan the name Von Erich they immediately think Texas.

[@_OUTOFBOUNDS_]

Not only does Matt Hardy not age, he gets younger by the year.

[@Wrestlingfan95]

You are right about that one. He looks so good in AEW. World title run in the future?

[@SomeGuy-mt4hq]

@@Wrestlingfan95 I'd say he deserves one last run with a major title, don't know how realistic it is though

[@rdtbrik1161]

All he does is comedy now. So the Aew championship would be the right move.

[@SomeGuy-mt4hq]

@@rdtbrik1161 so you feel a need to come in here and be a bit of a dick why exactly?

[@nightowl8363]

Its crazy,Steamboat actually says he thinks his WM3 match is "OK, I guess".....

[@rainemirra1980]

This is one of the reason why competition is what wrestling always needed in the industry!

[@jezbowski]

I was today years old when I realised it was Curt Hennig and not Curt Henning

[@aldonugga1996]

I simple man. I see Matt Hardy, I click like

[@lg6884]

Matt deserved at least one TRUE main title run in WWE even if it were as an under a week transitional one.

[@Venylynn]

Jamie Noble had a hell of an ROH run, but was struggling in the WWE realm.

[@samoanjoseph1457]

I don't know that I'd consider him a WWE legend, but I admit I pop every time I see him run out in a suit.

[@Venylynn]

@@samoanjoseph1457 fair enough. frankly Noble was wayyy better in his 2005 ROH run

[@TheBrokenOwl]

Honorable Mention i wished could have been on this list: Ultimo Dragon

[@Rando1975]

I don't think I'd call him a WWE legend. More a AAA/WAR/Toryumon legend.

[@andreask3675]

You forgot Vader he was awesome, but not in WWE

[@C3K1J8]

He was more WCW/NJPW

[@arashitendou5941]

Most he did in WWE was put Kane over Which still annoys me cause they NEVER used that idea all these years later to build a new monster to replace Mayor Glenn

[@InkedupT-raw]

Bro I agree mr perfect should of gotten a wwe title run even if it would of been short and also he is one of my favorites of all time

[@arashitendou5941]

Blame Hogan mostly, many in this list never got even a MATCH with him because he played political in fear of them It’s been stated by many that Hogan refused matches with Hennig and Rick because both men could quite easily kick his ass if they decided to shoot on him Hulking Up means Jack when the guy applies a legit arm bar on you that you can’t break no matter what

[@patrickwillis1346]

I thought he did. That's just how good he is

[@geno1399]

Christian, Matt Hardy, and Rhino are underrated

[@jb888888888]

Terry Taylor was shaping up to be the second coming of Ric Flair, and then Vince got his hands in there and Red Roosterized him. But anyone who remembers him at all remember him from WWF.

[@RichWhiteUM]

Not true. I remember him more from the territories he wrestled in the NWA and later WCW.

[@jb888888888]

@@RichWhiteUM As do I, putting the lie to my own statement. What I meant was something more along the lines of, statistically the only people who remember him remember him only from his WWF run.

[@SAMEntalhealth]

I still can't comprehend how ECW made it solo the way WWE made it

[@martinrubio6357]

Matt hardy should won the wwe title

[@dranzerjetli5126]

Angle was a world champion and was a huge star in wwe. I dont get how he was more successful outside when he was just as successful in wwe.

[@thematiasmadness7010]

Il always love Bam Bam Rest In Peace you big beautiful man

[@Neetaku86]

Look, take nothing away from the WWE. It is the most prominent wrestling company of all time. In the USA and arguably the world. No one can take that away from them. However. If you've only seen the WWE then of course you're going to have a built in bias towards them. Lest we forget, the WWE began as a forced melting pot of all the old territories Vince ran out of business. A ton of their Legends came from other companies. So the idea that someone can be a bigger star outside of their umbrella shouldn't be that mind-blowing.

[@nickmontoya3001]

I still consider Matt to win a heavyweight title before Jeff...even if it was WWECW

[@ShowdeQuetzal]

Great video

[@emanueltwr]

Great break down

[@PTENelsonGR]

I used to turn impact off half of the time but when broken matt hardy came on I thought this is what WWE need.

[@depressedcubsfan214]

FTR is basically the next LOD

[@RichWhiteUM]

No, they're the current Tully and Arn. They have much more in common with Tully and Arn to be honest. This includes their being more successful as a team in another promotion than the WWE, which both teams were in.

[@Handleneeds3ormorecharacters9]

Ironic that Matt Hardy is the thumbnail when he went from the fun Woken angle in WWE to a broken skull in AEW.

[@dabestmic87]

No Dudley Boys this is a injustice

[@jackmackakaheavyguyhaiku545]

Any plans for the opposite to this list? 10 Stars From Elsewhere That Had Their Greatest Success In wwe.

[@lilpoetat]

thanks!

[@kalpeshrawat418]

"Bam Bam in Japan" damn, that's good!

[@zanethind]

Matt Hardy wasn't bad in WWE but he definitely should've completed the grandslam champion by winning the WWE Championship like his brother Jeff

[@TheCanadianBroski]

13:56 Why does Paul Ellering look like Scott Steiner there? It may be the grey/silver hair & black sunglasses combo.

[@chrisortiz8072]

I don't know if you can count kurt angle. Being number 1 in a second rate company is really a matter of opinion. He was a double champion in wwe and had a great run.. I guess the only thing that hurts his wwe run is how long he was in tna for

[@tajunoor1311]

You should've mentioned Rick Rude's jump from WWF to WCW on the same night.

[@overlord.69]

I LOVE THE TOP 10 SÉRIES

[@russellmeauxrussellmania8806]

Could you do one about WWE Superstars who flopped outside of WWE

[@kimchi2780]

Notice most of these people got depushed because of petty Vince?

[@batmanbatmanson3819]

notice how every top star wouldnt be a top star without vince

[@nixomega8056]

@@batmanbatmanson3819 Flair. Foley. Sting. Goldberg. I could go on but Vince didn't touch these guys and they were huge without him

[@kimchi2780]

@@batmanbatmanson3819 Considering most of todays top stars were top stars elsewhere and that WWE was the only mainstream option for 20 years this argument doesn't mean anything. Look at someone like Keith Lee. Vince is hurting his career.

[@arashitendou5941]

@@batmanbatmanson3819 notice how the guys that never touched the world title were during Hogan’s era….then look at the history and tell me how many times did Hogan have a singles match with any of them …..I can wait

[@454LuisDeLaTorre]

Pure quality

[@misterelom]

I'd even go as far as to say both of the Road Warriors WWF runs were their worst of their careers. In the AWA and especially Crockett NWA they were more over than any other tag team i'd ever seen. No one at the time was getting the crowd pop like them (well, maybe the Rock N Roll Express in 1986).

[@rriggs6547]

When I think of Hardy, I do think of WWE and the TLC matches. Rude is about equal between WCW and WWF. Bigelow is Japan for me. The 'My Spot' Promo and the betrayal the next week cement Hennig in WCW for me. The Road Warriors were better with Ellering and I watched them live in Pittsburgh with the NWA. Kerry and family feuded with the Freebirds. That is what sticks in my mind most for him. Martel was best in the AWA in my opinion. I remember Valentine best in Mid Atlantic. His stuff with Flair was great. Though the match with Savage was great, Steamboat's feud with Flair was the best set of matches ever imo. As to Angle, I watched TNA over WWE so Angle always makes me think of TNA.

[@natemccollum3731]

Dude no Outsiders but you’ll put Von Erich on here????

[@danielmaloney6461]

You should do an all women list like this. You missed so many.

[@jerransperarman9411]

good video

[@AJvsEverything]

I'm confused, because when I think of Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, I think of Diesel and Razor Ramon first...they're the epitome of being more successful after having left WWE...

[@yeslinvelez6572]

John morriso on the list

[@tedgrover3883]

I thought bam bam and Vader was the same person until today

[@sirekumasutra7022]

So many names you could out in: Christian Cage, Vader, JYD, Lex Luger, etc.

[@titanhades4331]

Except with Vader and Luger, the first company that comes to mind with most people is not WWE/F

[@matthewschmidt3912]

Unpopular opinion, fucking loved that Silver Championship from original NXT. I mean, WWECW. Matt Hardy treated it like a crown.

[@jakekoehler1]

Christian Cage seriously didn’t make this list? WHAT?

[@Kiernanglynn20]

Hulk hogan in WCW can probably be added too with the NWO formation and 6 WCW title wins, including the longest reign ever

[@mariorickman321]

Kurt angle vs kenny omega would be good . Kurt angle vs jay white

[@Ken9284]

Or Bret Hart vs. Angle

[@user-cg8kd6eb2e]

I like your channel ❤

[@zanethind]

I always misspelled Curt's name by saying Henning not Hennig lol my bad also lots of these wrestlers weren't bad in the WWE

[@MainEventPoint]

I relished watching Crockett & AWA when The Road Warriors were there and the two jobbers literally were about to crap themselves.

[@Allannon500]

I'm surprised Vader wasn't on the list since he had much more success in WCW and Japan then he did in the WWF during the late 90's

[@Ken9284]

This channel could make a list of guys who were held down by Shawn Michaels.

[@sholiakasookoo7947]

Wwe:we push wrestlers the best and we have good wrestlers Tna/impact: hold my beer

[@starbreaker269]

@@xavierwilliams2228 it isn't 2011 anymore do that joke is old

[@jb888888888]

I think of Kerry von Erich as a WCCW guy and Rick Martel and Curt Hennig as AWA guys first, not WWF. Road Warriors were all over AWA, NWA, etc. The "Legion of Doom" stable was actually very short lived, it's like calling the Billy Gunn/X-Pac combo "Degeneration-X." Yeah they were part of DX but when it dwindled to _just_ those two... And you skipped Rick Rude's WCCW World Champion reign. EDIT In fact, Rude was the very first WCCW World Champ.

[@thomasmb3552]

‘I like this video’

[@emmettdeans9693]

I liked this video

[@TurtleDustin]

When Rude won big gold, it was the NWA Heavyweight title. Brief time it was the World Heavyweight title. Then it was the WCW Intercontinental World Heavyweight title. It was always recognized by WCW. Just because NWA stopped recognizing means nothing.

[@martinrubio6357]

Rick martel is a good heel

[@apjuniorthaking6028]

Video starts at 1:33 your welcome

[@adamtowsley3526]

John Morrison should be on here

[@seandomanski9779]

Can we do the inverse of this? WWE main eventers that sucked elsewhere

[@element8901]

Is that tetsuya naito @ 12:34?

[@SYKOPATHeist]

so no tazz? sheepherders? JYD? Jerry Lawler? Harley Race? Flair? Ron Simmons? smh....who made this list?

[@martinrubio6357]

Kurt angle is a legend

[@tylerwatkins3196]

Idk I would say Kurt Angle was more successful in TNA and technically it’s false that he was with TNA longer because he was with WWE for 17 years all together and he was in TNA for 9 years

[@GavinWoods]

How about Christian and Jeff Jarrett?

[@thethinkingcatakaneonormie3527]

I'd actually say the most successful WWWF/WWF/WWE wrestler was Stan Hansen as his influence on The strong Style along with Antonio Inoki Was a massive influence and Stan in the 1980's made way more money than any of the top WWF talent at the time

[@Jayage5d]

Stan Hansen Wresling in WWE? When did that happen he's more of Japan/WCW type guy.

[@crossin8772]

@@Jayage5d he wrestled there in the 70s. I think his most memorable moment was actually breaking sammartinos neck in a match for the title.

[@chadrowland7430]

Rick Martel and Rick Rude retired due to injury.

[@AwkwardLoser]

Does the concept of “1st Ballot Hall of Famer” exist in wrestling? That’s such an American Sports term I’m really surprised to hear it here

[@batmanbatmanson3819]

yes

[@talonthehand]

Good question! So apart as a generic “this guy will obviously make it in” the answer is no for the wwe hall of fame, as that doesn’t actually have any process for entering beyond “this is what wwe (Vince) thinks would be good”. There are other wrestling halls of fame that have stipulations like traditional sports do, and some view them as more legitimate. TLDR - Depends

[@talonthehand]

@@billythekid22220 Not the dealbreaker you might think - as a counter example, there are first ballot rock and roll hall of famers. And music (generally) doesn’t even pretend to be competitive.

[@talonthehand]

@@billythekid22220 You’d be 100% right if entry into a wrestling hall of fame was based off of wins and losses, but it’s more generally built on how good of a performer a person is. Even though everything is predetermined, some people are just *better* at fake fighting than others. Beyond that, there are things outside the immediate control of the company that still reflect a “winner” or “loser” - things like merch and ticket sales. For better or for worse, these things do matter. I realize you’re not, like, actually engaging in a good faith argument, but I’m hoping someone else might read this and get something out of it. Hahah.

[@talonthehand]

@@billythekid22220 There actually is! Not for wwe’s hall of fame - that’s strictly what Vince felt like doing that morning. If he decides tomorrow that Dominic Mysterio should be in it, then Dominic will be in it. But there are other halls of fame - you may or may not care or recognize them, but the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has a ballot system, complete with qualifications you meet (that is to say, the first time you’re on the ballot) and a limited number of times they’re eligible.

[@jamesstinedurf9841]

having success after wwe is no surprise considering the exposure they got in wwe. however, the guys that were great before wwe to end up just being another guy in wwe, that's sad

[@MasterSartorius]

Christian Cage Ultimo Dragon

[@benj4558]

Ultimate Dragon is definitely not a legend in the WWE.

[@slickrickstyles]

Shouldn't #1 clearly have been Lawler?

[@LazyHomeSchoolDude]

Yeah the guy Literally had HUNDREDS of titles in other promotions especially in Memphis (hard to believe i know.) where he held the world title over FIFTY TIMES.

[@wolfrenzy]

I don't know about including Greg Valentine on this list...he was HUGE in Mid-Atlantic and the NWA long before Vince signed him...this is more a case of not being used to his full potential. Same with Kerry Von Erich and Ricky Steamboat and well crap, most of this list!

[@countdooku2781]

I think Kurt angle was the next Shawn Michaels 🤔

[@Ken9284]

Kurt doing the chip’n dales dance would be hilarious

[@myhandlewastaken]

Kurt Angle is a stretch. That is a case where championships don't equal success.

[@tictattat3485]

Disagree with Kurt Angle, he is more success in WWE. Should replace him with Christian Cage

[@gabrielrubioblas3247]

Jhon Morrison and Christian?

[@martinrubio6357]

Texas tornado should been ic champ longer

[@Cruz0881]

Jerry Lawler? Christian? Jarrett maybe?

[@-th1rty3-]

Steiner bros.

[@martinrubio6357]

Rip curt henning

[@New-York-Guy-90.]

Least Christian Cage held the NWA World Championship, ECW Championship, WWE World Championship the big Gold Belt Matt should have held the WWE Championship not long after losing the ECW Championship……Matt should have won the WWE Universal Championship before he left WWE……Now he should win the AEW World Championship in AEW All Elite Wrestling

[@johnbeatz380]

You missed Christian

[@gouravjape818]

What about Booker T

[@martinrubio6357]

Good heel rick rude

[@_apon]

Where is Christian and Ric Flair?