15 WWE Legends Who Would Unfortunately Never Get a Shot Today

Professional wrestling changes with the times—that's how it's always been and how it always will be.

Wrestlers look different today than they did 20 years ago, they wrestle a much different style and they find themselves doing things that were unheard of in the 1970s.

Some of the change we've gotten with today's WWE product is great. But others? Not so much.

Regardless, pro wrestling back in the 1970s and 1980s didn't emphasize some of the things we see today. And vice versa.

That's precisely why some wrestlers who achieved a ton of success in the past probably wouldn't accomplish nearly as much in today's WWE.

Here are 15 wrestling legends who—for whatever reason—would unfortunately not get a shot in today's WWE.

15. Goldust

Goldust is a legend in his own right and a very underrated wrestler, but I don't think his gimmick would translate all that well to today's TV audience.

He thrived during the Attitude Era when these over-the-top gimmicks worked, and edgy or odd characters—such as The Godfather or Gangrel—were able to get over with the crowd.

Now, though, I think Goldust would have a hard time getting his unique gimmick to garner much of a reaction.

As we've seen in recent years, the WWE is more about guys playing amped-up versions of themselves than it is about these ridiculous gimmicks that thrived in the 1990s.

Outside of someone like Sin Cara, most of the new WWE talent have a standard name and a standard persona.

That's why I'm just not sure Goldust would get the opportunities now that he got back in the day.

14. Sgt. Slaughter

Sgt. Slaughter is fine for what he is, but I fear that two things would hurt him in today's WWE: His look and his gimmick.

Despite being big even by pro wrestling standards (he was billed at 6'3", 305 pounds), he wasn't exactly built like Ezekiel Jackson. In fact, Slaughter even looked out of shape at various times throughout his career.

Not only that, but Slaughter's gimmick can get really old really quickly.

The whole army sergeant character is good for a cheap pop and cheap heat (depending on where he is), but it also doesn't take much for it turn stale.

There is only so much that a military-type character can do, and though it works when it's only part of someone's gimmick (like John Cena), it's really hard to do much of anything with a character that relies almost strictly on his connections to the military.

13. Dean Malenko

Deal Malenko was one hell of a wrestler in his prime, but as we've seen recently, a superstar's look and size are often deemed to be more important than what he can do in the ring.

Though there are exceptions—like with Daniel Bryan at the moment—it's hard to picture the WWE giving consistent, serious pushes to guys who aren't all that big.

Malenko was billed at 5'10", 221 pounds and came across as an intimidating figure, but we all know that it's very rare to see someone who's not even 6-feet tall get much of a shot in the WWE.

It's a shame, but for the most part, it's the truth.

As great as Malenko was as a submission specialist and in-ring technician, who knows if he'd get a chance to prove that in today's WWE.

12. Chris Jericho

Speaking of shorter superstars, I think Chris Jericho would have the same problem in today's WWE as Dean Malenko.

Regardless of the fact that both Jericho and Malenko are/were great wrestlers, Vince McMahon and Triple H put much more of an emphasis on someone's look than their in-ring skills.

Despite being a phenomenal talker and as charismatic as any other wrestler around, Jericho might have a hard time getting a chance in today's WWE because he only hovers around 6-feet tall.

Y2J has the added advantage of being a great all-around performer, but like The Miz today, he might not get a push as a top-tier heel because he doesn't have that "tough guy" look. 

11. Jake "The Snake" Roberts

One of the most unique and entertaining wrestlers of all-time, Jake "The Snake" Roberts should be in the WWE Hall of Fame.

He's not, largely because of issues with his personal demons, but he should be, anyway.

Roberts thrived during a time when a superstar's look wasn't all that important, and when these over-the-top gimmicks worked much better than they did today.

Similarly to Sgt. Slaughter, though, I'm just not sure that fans would be all that into Roberts' gimmick of bringing a snake with him to the ring.

Can you imagine an FCW worker going up to Vince McMahon and telling him he wanted to bring a live snake with him to the ring for every match?

Vince may be a little crazy at times, but I could imagine that that idea would be almost immediately shot down.

10. 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan is another guy who thrived because of the times.

He was the ultimate American, who would wave our nation's flag in the air to get a cheap pop from the crowd. It worked, the crowd absolute ate it up and "Hacksaw" can do the same thing today and still get cheered for it.

But as much we like to complain about John Cena's character "being the same for six years," the same can be said of Duggan.

He has basically always portrayed that patriotic baby face who sucks up to the crowd and gains a huge legion of fans because of it.

It's fine for a one-off appearance, but when you see it week in and week out, it can get really annoying.

As humorous and even inspirational as Duggan was at times, I couldn't picture Vince McMahon coming up with another almost overly patriotic character in today's WWE. 

9. Bruno Sammartino

Bruno Sammartino is often labeled as one of the best wrestlers who ever lived.

Given that his last year in the WWF (1988) was the same year in which I was born, however, I really can't compare him to today's top WWE stars.

But I can look at pictures of the guy and think, "Man, there's no way that dude would get a push in the WWE today."

Sammartino was jacked up, sure. But he was short (5'11") and hairy enough to be in desperate need of a fully body wax.

He is a picture perfect example of how different the wrestlers of the past look when compared to the wrestlers of today, and regardless of his wrestling skills, the fact that he looks like your stereotypical 1960s man would likely prevent him from succeeding in the 2000s.

8. Rikishi

I always found Rikishi to be pretty entertaining, but let's get right to the point: The dude is incredibly out of shape.

Not "Oh, he needs to lose a few pounds" out of shape. I'm talking "Man, that dude has cellulite all over the place and could drop 100 pounds" out of shape.

I guess being overweight works for some people (like Umaga or Mark Henry), but it can also cause you to spend most of your career as a comedic baby face.

I honestly think that's what would happen to Rikishi in today's WWE.

Rikishi would probably be used like Dick Johnson (remember him?), if he was even given a shot to get on the WWE roster in the first place—because, quite simply, the WWE fans of today just don't want to see guys like him in the ring.

7. The Nasty Boys

Nothing about the Nasty Boys sticks out to me, at least in a good way.

They never looked like they were in good shape, they were far from the greatest wrestlers ever and their mullet-hawk haircuts were absolutely ridiculous.

When you look at them, you immediately think "1990s," thanks in large part due to the graffiti letters on their outfits.

It's like Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags knew they were only going to be successful during that time period, so they just decided to keep the graffiti party going.

The only thing is, when they showed up in TNA a couple of years ago looking exactly the same, it didn't exactly go over too well with the TNA fans.

6. Jerry Lawler

I respect the hell out of Jerry Lawler for everything he's done in the wrestling business, but I also don't think that he'd thrive in today's WWE.

Not only is Lawler only listed at 6-feet tall, but he used one of the most played out characters in professional wrestling: The King. 

The entire king gimmick has been done so many times throughout wrestling history—heck, the WWE even has a King of the Ring tournament--and it's not something that should ever be done again.

Even though Lawler made the gimmick his own and was a very good wrestler, he lacked size, he had a gimmick that would not get over today and he has quite possibly one of the dumbest finishers of all-time.

We love ya, Jerry. But you should be glad that you came around when you did.

5. The Sandman

The Sandman might not be a legend in the true sense of the term, but he's undoubtedly a legend to any hardcore ECW fan.

They loved him for his entrance, his pure craziness and the fact that he liked to drink beer.

Too bad The Sandman would amount to nothing in today's WWE.

He'd be a victim of the PG era and the fact that he's "too edgy" to be on a WWE TV show slanging back beers and bleeding all over the place.

Perhaps most importantly, though, The Sandman would not get an opportunity in today's WWE because he looks like he hasn't hit the gym in 20 years and has a move set that makes John Cena look like Shawn Michaels.

Quite simply, The Sandman was nothing more than a glorified beer drinker, and in a PG WWE, he basically has no place in the company.

4. Mick Foley

I'm a big fan of Mick Foley, and I think he is borderline insane for doing some of the things he's done in a WWE ring.

That being said, just look at the dude. There's no one reading this who can say, "Now, that is what a WWE superstar is supposed to look like!"

In fact, you might say the exact opposite about Foley.

I could easily get in my car right now, drive the 15 minutes to Bourbon Street and see 10 Foleys drinking 16 ounce cans of Natural Light while begging for money.

Like I said, I love Foley. But you and I both know that guys who look like that are going to really struggle to get into the WWE today.

3. Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon

Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon's career spanned over four decades and earned him a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010.

But, as Vince McMahon might say, there's no chance in hell he'd have such a great career if he debuted in the WWE tomorrow.

Besides the fact that Vachon was billed at just 5'9" and 231 pounds, you also have to consider that he was nearly as hairy as Big Foot himself.

Sorry if it seems like I'm disrespecting Vachon, but the short, hairy look just doesn't do it for me.

Vachon looks like he belongs in the 1960s, perhaps because that's when his pro wrestling career actually took off.

2. Dusty Rhodes

Trust me, there are plenty of reasons why Dusty Rhodes was known as "Common Man."

You can walk to your local Wal-Mart right now, and you'll see that vast majority of shoppers there look better than Rhodes did during his prime. He looks like any another man who just hit the buffet at Denny's and then stopped for a Snickers on the way home. 

Rhodes is certainly a legend in the pro wrestling business, but I would venture to say that there's only a one percent chance (if that) that he would succeed in today's WWE.

Despite having a ton of charisma, Rhodes' look just was never there. In fact, I sometimes wonder if he really is Cody Rhodes' father because Cody's looking more shredded than ever lately.

1. George "The Animal" Steele

George "The Animal" Steele's gimmick was just that: He was an animal in the ring.

He acted like a crazed wildebeest during his matches, and is known for that infamous green tongue of his that only added to his maniacal persona.

Steele had a ton of success in his heyday and is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame, but just take one look at "The Animal," and you'll see that he's far from today's prototypical star.

He's somewhat out of shape and has more hair on his back and shoulders than is even remotely reasonable.

Steele had a great career because wrestling fans weren't as smart back then as they are now. But, if Steele tried to pull of his gimmick today, we would obviously know it's fake and view it as nothing more than an absolutely ridiculous joke.