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Self Sabatoge

jakedog56

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Since pro-wrestling has a long history of unregulated "athletes" with no official requirements regarding mental health, drug/alcohol use, etc. there are many tales of wrestlers who were their own worst enemies for various reasons.

My question is thus:
What wrestlers in history had the most overall talent but derailed their chances of reaching the pinnacle because their own behavior. Please provide specific reasons/examples, etc.

My top vote goes to Buzz Sawyer.
In his youth he was a real life monster who could legit dominate in the ring if he was so inclined (the only amateur match he ever lost was to Dan Sevrin). His promos were energy filled craziness but reflected his real life mental instability (maybe the connection to reality was what made them good?).
He had a near top card run with the legendary feud with Tommy Rich in Georgia but his drug use and general assholeness made him a territory vagrant for the rest of his career (famous tale of screwing the Undertaker at his wrestling school was a prime example).
By the time he showed up for a brief run in the WWF he was past his prime and he faded out before his untimely death. Stories of him pounding nails with his head might have led to further brain damage beyond the obvious issues he already had.
If he had gotten his crap together and been a reasonable person to deal with I think he could have been a top heel and world championship contender but instead he burned hot and then quickly became an afterthought.
A prime example of wasted potential.
 

RobToxin

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Gorgeous Gino Hernandez.

Looks. Charisma. The perfect pretty boy heel. Spent almost his entire career in Texas, however, and got too involved in the drug scene in Dallas.

Died of an accidental overdose. But, more than one person working in Dallas at the time suspected he was actually murdered.
 

Ewa PGH Fan

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The Von Erich brothers.

We all know the sad details and they're too depressing and sad to repeat here.
 

jakedog56

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Gorgeous Gino Hernandez.

Looks. Charisma. The perfect pretty boy heel. Spent almost his entire career in Texas, however, and got too involved in the drug scene in Dallas.

Died of an accidental overdose. But, more than one person working in Dallas at the time suspected he was actually murdered.

I only saw a little of him and I heard about his death but I never heard of the murder theory. Any details on that?

Also, what do you think his peak might have been under better circumstances?
 

jakedog56

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The Von Erich brothers.

We all know the sad details and they're too depressing and sad to repeat here.

Man what a depressing story that is. Fritz must have been a haunted man in his later life. I know you said you didn't want to go into details but here it goes anyways:

They say David was the one who would have been a possible World Champion. I only got to see a very few matches from him so I don't really know so much about his in-ring work. I do know that I wasn't overly impressed with his mic work, but again it is based on limited information.

Kerry was charismatic but I thought his work was just a bit above average when I got to see him in the WWF. It wasn't until later that I found out that he only had 1 foot! Was he significantly better in the ring before the accident where he lost his foot? I was never impressed with his mic work as he was a pretty boy for the girls type IMO.

I never saw Chris. Just know that they say he was haunted by being undersized and not very athletic. Did you see him much?

Strange that Kevin was a barefoot highflyer when none of the others had anything close to that style. Good that at least he survived.

Basically my knowledge of the Von Erich boys is based on what I read, some Freebird feud matches, and Kerry's WWF work.
 

Ewa PGH Fan

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From what I remember David was the total package and the best of them but well you know....

Kerry was much better before the accident and by his WWF run his demons had a tight grip on him.

Chris and Mike both suffered from being smaller and not as athletic as their brothers.

I saw them a lot in WCCW but by that time David was already gone or died very shortly after I started watching.
 

Judge Fudge

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I only saw a little of him and I heard about his death but I never heard of the murder theory. Any details on that?

Also, what do you think his peak might have been under better circumstances?

He could talk. I've seen him do a promo once. Reminds me of Billy.

My nominee for this is Chris Benoit.

I was a huge fan(still am) of his. Very few that could go like him.

But will never get his Just do, which i think is HOF.
 

The Q

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He could talk. I've seen him do a promo once. Reminds me of Billy.

My nominee for this is Chris Benoit.

I was a huge fan(still am) of his. Very few that could go like him.

But will never get his Just do, which i think is HOF.

It's hard for smaller guys to get their due.

The fact that he didn't get pigeon-holed like Malenko is a feat in and of itself. Both had gimmicks far too close to Bret Hart's IMO (basically just masterful technicians) but man I agree with you that both could put on a match...and that Benoit will never make the HOF after the way he went out.
 

jakedog56

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He could talk. I've seen him do a promo once. Reminds me of Billy.

My nominee for this is Chris Benoit.

I was a huge fan(still am) of his. Very few that could go like him.

But will never get his Just do, which i think is HOF.

While I don't disagree that Benoit was one of the greatest ring technicians and that he will never get his due at that because of the horrific ending, which was certainly self destructive, but I am not sure that he qualifies for this question as he was both WCW and WWE World Champion and also both WCW and WWE World Tag Team Champion in addition to many other big titles. I don't know if you can reach much higher than those credentials!
 

The Q

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While I don't disagree that Benoit was one of the greatest ring technicians and that he will never get his due at that because of the horrific ending, which was certainly self destructive, but I am not sure that he qualifies for this question as he was both WCW and WWE World Champion and also both WCW and WWE World Tag Team Champion in addition to many other big titles. I don't know if you can reach much higher than those credentials!

that too. He already achieved everything except the HOF.
 

jakedog56

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Jim Cornette always talks about Austin Idol being a prime example of wasted potential. I never got to see him but apparently he was a Ric Flair type talent both in-ring and promo/mic work but let coke totally derail his career. Anyone here get to see much of him?
 

jakedog56

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My mistake. It is Buddy Landel that Cornette always uses as an example of coked up wasted potential, not Austin Idol.
Anyone get to see much of Landel?
 

Ewa PGH Fan

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My mistake. It is Buddy Landel that Cornette always uses as an example of coked up wasted potential, not Austin Idol.
Anyone get to see much of Landel?
I did. He was great on the mike, had a good look and could go in the ring. I always wondered why his career never took off, now I know.
 

Ewa PGH Fan

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He could talk. I've seen him do a promo once. Reminds me of Billy.

My nominee for this is Chris Benoit.

I was a huge fan(still am) of his. Very few that could go like him.

But will never get his Just do, which i think is HOF.
Nor should he. His horrific ending would put a huge black cloud over any induction and would draw protests that you are inducting a double murderer. There would be a herd of elephants in the room and no one wants to be trampled!
 

Judge Fudge

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Nor should he. His horrific ending would put a huge black cloud over any induction and would draw protests that you are inducting a double murderer. There would be a herd of elephants in the room and no one wants to be trampled!

Oh i agree. Just plain sucks because AS A WRESTLER he is HOF worthy
 

jakedog56

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I did. He was great on the mike, had a good look and could go in the ring. I always wondered why his career never took off, now I know.

The only thing I saw of him was in the WWF and he was getting tubby in the middle and didn't move probably as well as earlier in his career at that point.
 

Ewa PGH Fan

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The only thing I saw of him was in the WWF and he was getting tubby in the middle and didn't move probably as well as earlier in his career at that point.
Yeah, his WWF run was crap.
 
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