Guys who were tipped to be big stars but never did.

B.A._Baracus

Steve Bradley was one. He signed with WWF in 1998 to a developmental deal. He work was considered to be that similar to Rob Van Dam. Kurt Angle says Bradley thought him everything and he's also the reason he got so good so fast. Sadly Steve Bradley being a star was never to be. He was released in 2002 and would later pass on in 2008 aged only 32.

Trent Acid is another name. Which is also another wrestler who died young at age 29. After ECW closed in 2001 CZW tried to fill the gap of the hardcore, adult wrestling demographic. Of course, they never reached the heights of ECW but CZW did have some eyes on it. From this Trent Acid would become more known having wrestled for the promotion since 1999. Trent would later wrestle for ROH between 2002 and 2004. The problem with Trent was that drugs was a known issue. While he would still wrestle until his death in 2010, his drug issues held him back. Trent like Steve Bradley above were both arrested one month prior to their respective deaths in possession of heroin. However in the early 2000s many believed Trent would be a big name in wrestling.

Test - I promise I am not just picking guys who passed on young - but while test was a star he should have, and looked like, he was going to be a main eventer at one point. Had what wwf was after - tall, jacked and a good looking cat (he did date Stacy Keibler and Kelly Kelly after all) the whole Stephanie McMahon Triple H marriage was his biggest angle in WWF. Surely this should have been the moment that a rocket was strapped to his back? But alas it wasn't. As we all know he would still be in wwf/wwe for a good few years after but died at age 33 in 2009. Another death from drugs.

Who do you think was tipped at one point but never did?

B.A._Baracus

Interesting info on Steve Bradley:

Just watched Kurt Angle's YouTube show and he says Bradley went to OVW and they were thinking of putting him on tv as a college type character as Angle says he was "young looking". The character was said to be a dumbass college student.

Angle says Bradley would then be sent to Puerto Rico for a while (Angle assumes for a favor, like sending him down there to wrestle) then they forgot about him for a few years. He would be later brought back to OVW and things just fizzled out.

I always had a theory about Bradley. That because he was being considered as an RVD style wrestler they didn't need him anymore once RVD signed in 2001.

Agent Coulson

Three British wrestlers.

Jody Fleisch should have been a mega star injures among other things stopped that, I remember watching him live 20 years ago he was amazing in ring.

Paul Burchill should have been huge but got stuck with a pirate gimmick and then shagging his sister gimmick.

Nikita deserved better than that as well.

B.A._Baracus

How did I forget about Jody. A man who should have done more. He's still wrestling (he's 41 at the moment)

Cast an eye back to 2005 and he was a big indy name from the UK. Even wrestled in TNA. You could argue that back then he wasn't going to get signed to WWE - was still land of the giants and steroids until Eddie's death, but more so Benoit in 2007. But strangely he never got signed when FCW was a thing or even when NXT started.

Strange one. Not like he has a rep for drugs or anything.