WWE Missed Opportunities: Mr. Kennedy Should Have Reached Greater Heights

For the past five years, Ken Anderson, formerly known as Ken Kennedy, has competed outside of WWE. That is because WWE chose to give up on what appeared to be one of the top Superstars of the future in May 2009.

Kennedy burst onto the scene in WWE, seemingly out of nowhere, in the summer of 2005. It was clear very early on that he had a ton of potential. However, a string of bad luck and poor choices on his part always seemed to follow.

After establishing himself by picking up several wins on the SmackDown brand, Kennedy was well on his way up the WWE ladder, but an injury during an overseas tour put him on the shelf for six months.

Kennedy returned in the summer of 2006, receiving a new push that culminated with him winning the WWE United States title in a Triple Threat match with Bobby Lashley and Finlay.

This would all help build into his first big feud—with The Undertaker.

Kennedy would have his chance to prove himself and he accomplished plenty, having a great series of matches with Undertaker. This seemed to solidify his position as the top up-and-coming Superstar on the roster.

Kennedy was good all around, but what set him apart from everyone else was his ability to speak. His microphone work, which featured a gimmick in which he would introduce himself—and oftentimes his opponent—was highly entertaining.

At WrestleMania 23, Kennedy's biggest opportunity to date came in the form of the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Not only was Kennedy able to win the match, he prevailed against some of the company's top performers in doing so.

Randy Orton, King Booker, Edge, Finlay, CM Punk and Matt and Jeff Hardy were all part of the match, but Kennedy got the nod.

One of WWE's top titles was within reach, and it looked all but inevitable that Kennedy would soon be standing at the top of the mountain.

But that was about the time things began to come crashing down.

Just weeks after pulling down the briefcase, Kennedy was forced to put it on the line and was defeated by Edge. He then missed several months with a triceps injury.

To this day, Kennedy is the only man to win Money in the Bank and never have a chance to cash it in.

But he returned to the ring in August 2007, getting back on the winning track. WWE still clearly had big plans for Kennedy, as he was supposed to be revealed as Vince McMahon's illegitimate son in a storyline WWE ran that summer.

It was part of a string of bad storylines that year, but Kennedy could have greatly benefited from the situation. Instead, he was suspended for a Wellness Policy violation, and WWE was forced to go a different route.

After serving out his suspension, Kennedy returned focused and determined to reach the spot that many fans felt he eventually would be at. He engaged in feuds with both Jeff Hardy and Shawn Michaels.

It seemed Kennedy was building steam for a push to the main event, but in a match against Shelton Benjamin in August 2008, he again suffered an injury, dislocating his shoulder.

Kennedy didn't know it at the time, but his WWE career was all but over at that point.

The next time Kennedy competed in WWE, it would be May 2009. It would also be the last time he competed for the company. During a 10-man tag team match on the May 11 edition of Monday Night Raw, Kennedy was on the winning side. But it was announced shortly thereafter that he had been released.

WWE had finally decided Kennedy wasn't the can't-miss Superstar they had hoped he was. And while it's anyone's guess as to why they chose to let him go when they did, it's water under the bridge now.

What is disappointing is looking back at what could have been.

There are very few guys who could match Kennedy in the charisma department. He was building a character that fans were entertained by, whether they liked him or they didn't. He had the ability to get cheers and boos at the same time.

If he was still employed by WWE, there is little doubt that he would have won multiple WWE championships. Now, at 38 years old, he would be in the position to help put younger talent over as well.

If Kennedy could have become big enough, a match with The Rock wouldn't have been out of the question. The promos between those two men alone would be worth watching.

Looking at the current roster, a feud between Kennedy and Bray Wyatt could be magical. Both men are great talkers and could have built an excellent program.

Most importantly, WWE lost the chance to have a guy who could have been one of the biggest names in the company. During all of that time when it seemed like all WWE had was John Cena and Randy Orton, Kennedy would have made a perfect third option.

Instead, he'll be remembered as little more than a footnote in WWE history. One who was given the ball but just wasn't able to run with it.