WWE Power Rankings: The 22 Most Overrated Wrestlers of the Last Decade

Professional wrestling is filled with men and women who have left a lasting impact on the business.

Many are remembered for being great at what they did in the ring, while some will never be forgotten because they weren't exactly technicians when they stepped in the squared circle.

Often times, however, there have been wrestlers who receive so much praise for what they've accomplished that they go from being respected and appreciated to overvalued and overrated.

Generally, these wrestlers have indeed contributed a lot to the business. But something about them was given too much weight—the way they were booked or the way fans always cheered them—while other aspects (like how they performed in matches or on the mic) were overlooked.

It's human nature to be drawn to certain wrestlers with certain characteristics, but I often wonder if the fanfare surrounding these guys has blown their reputations out of proportion.

Here are the 22 most overrated WWE Superstars of the last 10 years.

Note

I'm generally sticking with major or well-known stars here, and someone has to be loved/respected by the masses to be considered overrated. For example, David Otunga is considered to be a good wrestler by maybe three people in America, and therefore, he will not be on this list.

22. Triple H

Maybe a controversial pick, but for all the good we've seen from Triple H, there's been an equal amount of bad.

In the last 10 years, Triple H has been named the "Most Overrated" wrestler four times (2002-2004, 2009) by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He's also been a part of the "Worst Feud of the Year" twice and the "Worst Worked Match of the Year" twice during that span.

There's no denying that The Game was at his peak around 2000-2001, but since then, he hasn't quite delivered the goods like you might expect from a 13-time world champion.

I think that largely has to do with the fact that he's been a face since 2006, and his fan favorite character has been rather stale and boring.

Triple H's run with D-Generation X from 2006-2007 paled in comparison to the original DX, and his feuds with Randy Orton and John Cena were among the most drawn-out, disappointing rivalries we've seen in the last several years. 

21. The Undertaker

The Undertaker is one of the most polarizing figures in wrestling history and arguably the greatest big man that the business has ever seen.

But his recent greatness at WrestleMania—four straight stellar matches, including two "Match of the Year" winners (2009, 2010)—and "The Streak" have overshadowed the fact that the Deadman's almost never around anymore.

I get that his body has taken a beating and the rest is needed, but for the past several years, The Undertaker has only appeared sparingly on WWE TV. And he hasn't been all that great when it isn't WrestleMania time.

He's had a couple of very good feuds with Edge, Shawn Michaels and Batista (all WrestleMania feuds), but also had plenty of stinkers with guys like Kane, Mark Henry, CM Punk and The Big Show.

Undoubtedly, The Undertaker can go in the ring given the right opponent, but I'm not sure that his legacy would be what it is without WrestleMania. 

20. John Cena

All of the "John Cena can't wrestle" talk has to end, because he's always put on quality matches and has even transcended into greatness in his feud with CM Punk.

That being said, I can't even fathom the fact that he's already an 11-time world champion when someone like Chris Jericho only won six.

It's not that I hate Cena like many of us do. I actually think Cena's pretty close to the total package—good look, charismatic, great mic skills and underrated wrestling ability.

But since dropping the "Doctor of Thuganomics" gimmick, Cena has become a stale, corny and predictable wrestler who's consistently shoved down our throats and is in the title scene 90 percent of the year.

For the most part—let me stress that—his matches are too formulaic as well, with "Super Cena" suddenly taking charge and demolishing his opponent in about 12 seconds.

It can be said that it's the WWE's fault that Cena is booked look like this, and thus, has become overrated. But hey, he still is.

19. Mr. Kennedy

I never saw "it" in Mr. Kennedy like a lot of other people did.

Sure, he had a unique entrance and was pretty good on the mic. But he also had a reputation as an unsafe worker and his muscles seemed to tear easier than a piece of paper.

Mr. Kennedy suffered injuries to his lat, triceps and shoulder throughout his WWE career, which forced the WWE to rid him of the Money in the Bank briefcase and seemingly put him on the sidelines more often than he was in the ring.

He was also suspended in 2007 for violating the WWE's wellness policy, yet another boneheaded move that cost him his role as Vince McMahon's illegitimate and the big push that would have came with it.

So, to sum up Mr. Kennedy's WWE career, it was one big disappointment.

18. Kharma

It's hard to hate on Kharma, whose WWE career was put on hiatus right after it started because of something that was out of her control (well, kinda).

Yet, before Kharma got pregnant, she was praised and worshiped like she was undoubtedly going to be the savior of the WWE Divas division.

Really? I'm not sure anyone other than the Lord himself can save that division at this point.

Anyway, Kharma put on some very good matches in TNA—especially her bouts with Gail Kim—that led us to believe she could help turn around the Divas division.

But she was never going to revolutionize the business like many thought she would—it's not like she's the greatest women's wrestler who ever lived.

17. Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar's rise to the top of the WWE was a "blink and you'll miss it" sort of thing.

No one in the history of the company went from unknown to top dog in such a short span, and that's precisely the problem I have with Lesnar.

Though there's no denying that "The Next Big Thing" was a great wrestler who put on some stellar matches, he was only on WWE TV from 2002-2004 before moving on to pro football and eventually MMA.

Lesnar achieved a lot during that span—won the Royal Rumble, King of the Ring and three WWE titles—but he was never great on the mic and didn't stick around long enough to put together as good a resume as the legends of this business.

How he's often considered one is beyond me.

16. Zack Ryder

Zack Ryder's gotten over with the WWE fans largely on his own, and he should be commended for that.

But I don't think I can ever recall seeing a guy with so little TV exposure get so much love from wrestling fans on the Internet.

Yeah, I've watched Ryder's YouTube series, and yeah, the dude's rather charismatic and funny. However, the overwhelming support he gets from fans is a little ridiculous.

There are "We Want Ryder" signs in the crowd on Raw and articles all over the Internet praising the guy (I like the guy, too). Yet, he's accomplished little to nothing in the WWE.

Aside from a few very good matches on ECW and Superstars, there are two things on Ryder's WWE resume: a run as one half of the Major Brothers and his role as an Edgehead.

That's it.

15. Shelton Benjamin

Shelton Benjamin is the ultimate example of a guy who was so underrated that he became overrated.

Admittedly, I don't think Benjamin ever got the fair shot he deserved in the WWE, as he was clearly a phenomenal athlete who consistently delivered when the spotlight was on him (like in the Money in the Bank matches at WrestleMania).

But when you win three consecutive Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards as the "Most Underrated Wrestler," how can you become anything but overrated?

That's exactly what happened to Benjamin, who became the victim of the WWE curse: A guy who's great in the ring but not great on the mic won't get as far as someone with the opposite traits.

Even when Benjamin became the Gold Standard, he was lacking a bit in the charisma and promo departments, and I never though he should be a huge star until he improved in those areas. 

14. The Hardys

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Matt and Jeff Hardy revolutionized the tag team division and wrestling in general with their participation in those epic TLC bouts.

In fact, the Hardys are undoubtedly one of the, if not the, greatest tag teams in wrestling history.

But as singles competitors? I've seen better.

Jeff obviously became the more successful of the two, with three world title reigns in the WWE, while Matt had decent runs with the ECW and WWE United States Championships. As singles wrestlers, they certainly could have done worse.

The problem, however, wasn't with their in-ring ability. It was with their mic skills.

It still amazes me to this day how over the Hardys were with the crowd despite having extreme difficulties when cutting promos for most of their careers.

I mean, I was once a pretty big Hardy Boyz fan, but once I got older, it was clear that talking wasn't their strong points. 

13. Randy Orton

I chose that picture of Randy Orton for a reason: He looks very robotic.

It pretty much sums up Orton's character, which, although it works for him, is very stiff. From his wrestling to his promos, everything that Orton does makes me want to say, "Hey, pal. Just loosen up a bit."

I'm not anti-Orton—in fact, I'm an Orton fan—but he's about as monotonous as they come for a main-event talent.

The nine-time world champion—yeah, nine reigns so far is absolutely ridiculous—is a better wrestler than people give him credit for, but there's been no real change to his character since he turned face in early 2010.

Orton's mannerisms and actions are still exactly the same, and it amazes me how wrestling fans don't hate on Orton like they hate on John Cena, when Orton's matches (that aren't against Christian) have become just as formulaic as Mr. Fruity Pebbles' since his face turn.

12. Daniel Bryan

Before you jump through your computer screen and try to punch me in the face, let me start off by saying this: Daniel Bryan is arguably the best pure wrestler on the planet.

OK, now that I've eased the tension a little bit, here's my next point: None of what he did prior to his WWE run means anything at this point.

As much as I hate to agree with Michael Cole, what Bryan's accomplished throughout his career hasn't happened on the biggest stage in wrestling. It hasn't happened in the WWE.

Bryan's a newbie when it comes to the WWE, and he's not going to be booked like a top star in the company until he's proven that he is one.

That doesn't mean just in the ring, where we know Bryan will deliver. It means on the mic as well.

So, as a Bryan fan, let's hope that he can step up his game in all areas (and be given the chance to do so), or he'll just be another guy that didn't live up to expectations in the WWE. 

11. Trish Stratus

Every "Greatest WWE Divas of All Time" list that I see has Trish Stratus at No. 1, and she very well could be the best women's wrestler we've ever seen on WWE programming.

I personally would put Lita in that spot, but hey, who am I?

Anyway, Trish is a seven-time women's champion, but you would swear that she was the female version of Shawn Michaels with the way wrestling fans sing her praises on the Internet.

Truth is, Trish was a very good in-ring competitor and a charismatic one too, but it's not like she was leaps and bounds better than some of the other Divas we've seen in recent years—women like Mickie James, Melina, Gail Kim, Victoria, Natalya and Beth Phoenix.

If you put any of those women I mentioned in a match with Trish, she's not necessarily going to carry it. In fact, she might get carried by a few of those gals I mentioned.

10. Dolph Ziggler

Remember when Dolph Ziggler was Nicky from the Spirit Squad? Ah, those were the days.

In all seriousness, Ziggler is an extremely talented wrestler, who, at just 31 years old, has a lot of years left in the business.

But he's another one of the Internet's favorites who has been touted as the future of the company, despite having relatively little to back up those claims.

Ziggler does have some memorable bouts—against Rey Mysterio on SmackDown in 2009, against Edge at this year's Royal Rumble and a couple against Daniel Bryan in 2010—but we still need to see more from him to celebrate him as the "next breakout star" of the WWE.

He appears to be on his way there, though we won't really know how complete of a wrestler he is until he drops Vickie Guerrero and starts cutting his own promos on a consistent basis.

9. John Morrison

John Morrison is arguably the most athletic superstar in the WWE today, a guy whose unique parkour style separates him from the rest of the roster.

There are things he can do in the ring that many other wrestlers can. Yet, there's something missing from Morrison.

Here's a hint: It's called mic skills.

While teaming with The Miz as a heel, Morrison showed some decent humor and charisma on "The Dirt Sheet" talk show. Still, it was clear that The Miz was the better talker of the two, and now, that's quite obviously the case.

After Morrison turned face, however, it's like he lost any ability to cut a decent promo. I know that many of you are thinking that he can let his in-ring work do his talking for him, but Morrison has to improve in that area to make it to the next level.

I constantly hear complaints about Morrison "needing to be a main-eventer," but look at this and you'll probably change your mind.

8. Kevin Nash

Kevin Nash has only been around the WWE for roughly two out of the last 10 years, but it's been painfully obvious that whatever spark he had in WCW in 1996 had fizzled out by the time he returned to the WWF.

While always an above-average talker and a guy with plenty of charisma, Nash's WWE run from 2002 to 2003 was largely forgettable.

He spent nine months of his WWE stint on the shelf with a biceps injury and then left the company in 2003 to undergo neck surgery. Between these two injuries, the highlights of his WWE run were losing a Hair vs. Hair match against Chris Jericho and a Hell in a Cell match (another loss) against Triple H.

Of course, he recently returned to WWE programming and is involved in a storyline with CM Punk and Triple H.

His welcome-back gift? Being absolutely destroyed by Punk in their promo battle on Monday's Raw.

Maybe he was never that great on the mic after all. 

7. JBL

As a commentator, JBL was as good as anyone not named Jim Ross. As a mic worker, he was among the best in the business.

But as a wrestler? I could certainly do without JBL.

He wasn't horrible—although he did look horrible in his trunks—but by no means should he ever have been the longest-reigning WWE champion in SmackDown history (280 days).

Those types of title reigns are best left for the legends of the wrestling business, and though he was better than most, JBL is probably not a future Hall of Famer.

He was fine for what he was as a member of the APA and the leader of "The Cabinet," but the fact that he called himself a "wrestling god" (despite having something as simple as a clothesline as a finisher) was laughable.

If he was indeed a "wrestling god," then so was the next guy on this list. 

6. Hulk Hogan

Though a great talker and blessed with a ton of charisma, Hulk Hogan has never been regarded as the greatest technician to ever step foot in a wrestling ring.

That was pretty evident when he returned to the WWE in 2002 as Hollywood Hogan. Though the atmosphere for his WrestleMania X-8 match with The Rock was electric and the match itself was pretty good, everyone knew that Hogan's best days were behind him.

Once the NWO disbanded, he had a lackluster run as "Mr. America" before coming back to the WWE for his final run with the company from 2005-07.

Hogan had some notable moments then, such as his feud with Randy Orton and his SummerSlam bout against Shawn Michaels (in which HBK brilliantly sold Hogan's moves in a ridiculous manner). But it was largely a nostalgic run for Hogan as he neared the end of his career (or so we thought).

Hogan is undoubtedly the most well-known name in wrestling history, but I think most of us could have done without the tail end of his WWE career.          

5. Alberto Del Rio

Alberto Del Rio is a pretty good talker (despite the accent problems), he oozes charisma and he's proven to be an above-average in-ring worker in a short time in the WWE.

But, if you thought Sheamus and Brock Lesnar's pushes were too fast, then what can you possibly think about Del Rio?

In just over a year in the company, Del Rio's won the Royal Rumble, the Money in the Bank ladder match and the Undisputed WWE Championship. 

It's rare for a wrestler to rack up those accomplishments in a career, much less a 12-month span. And I don't think it should have happened.

I get that the WWE is in the midst of creating new stars, but—aside from his personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez—there's nothing particularly unique about Del Rio.

I can see why he's compared to JBL, as the similarities are obvious. The only problem is JBL spent a long time in the WWE before making his way to the top, while Del Rio got there too quickly.  

4. Kane

Masked Kane equaled greatness. Unmasked Kane equals pure and utter disappointment.

When Kane removed his mask in June 2003, it took away the mystique of the Kane character and killed a lot of the momentum he had built up throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.

He's had his moments since the unmasking, but if you don't believe that he's been pretty bad over the last decade or so, then look at Kane's "accomplishments" (courtesy of Wikipedia):

Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (2004): Impregnating Lita

Most Overrated (2010)

Worst Feud of the Year (2002)

Worst Feud of the Year (2003)

Worst Feud of the Year (2004) 

Worst Feud of the Year (2007)

Worst Feud of the Year (2008)

Worst Feud of the Year (2010) 

Worst Worked Match of the Year (2001)

Of course, you can blame the creative team for a lot of this. But I'd also put the blame on the Kane character, which has largely been an epic fail since the days of the Attitude Era. 

3. Batista

When Batista joined Evolution in 2003, he was put on the path to superstardom and reached that level when he beat Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 21 in 2005.

But it was this victory and subsequent face turn that sent Batista into a boring, redundant state that lasted the majority of his WWE career.

The face version of Batista just didn't do it for me, as he had some immense struggles on the mic and generally only delivered great matches and feuds when working against top-notch performers like Edge and The Undertaker.

Much like John Cena and Randy Orton these days, there was rarely a time when Batista wasn't involved in the title picture. It got old—fast.

The only thing that was going to rejuvenate Batista's career was a heel turn, which is exactly what happened in 2009 when Batista proved to be a very good, whiny heel in his feud with John Cena.

However, heel Batista was only around for a short period before leaving the WWE in 2010, and I'll generally remember him as a guy who—despite his immense size and stature—was rather mundane.

2. Bobby Lashley

Take one glance at Bobby Lashley, and you'll see that he looks like the prototypical WWE Superstar.

You're exactly right. He did look like a star. But he was far from it.

Lashley debuted with the WWE in 2005 as a face, which was mistake No. 1. You don't book a guy who looks like that to be a fan favorite; you book him to be a heel who beats the holy hell out of everyone.

But Lashley spent his entire WWE career as a good guy, winning the ECW Championship twice and representing Donald Trump in the "Battle of the Billionairies" at WrestleMania 23.

Lashley, a former amateur wrestler, was above average in the ring, but a certifiable flop in just about ever other aspect of wrestling; little to no charisma and mic skills that made him sound more like a cartoon character than a 275-pound beast.

I have no idea if Lashley could have improved in that area because he wasn't with the company too long (he left in 2008), but all indications are that he was just another big man who fit Vince McMahon's mold. 

1. Goldberg

Goldberg took WCW by storm in 1997, as he was booked as an unstoppable monster with an undefeated streak that took him to the top of the company.

After WCW folded, however, Goldberg really missed the boat by not being a part of the WWF's Invasion storyline, and he entered the company at a time when the wrestling industry wasn't exactly on fire.

His WWF debut in 2003 was met with little fanfare, and his disappointing run with the company ended just a year later in 2004.

Goldberg's "shining moment" in his WWF career was his WrestleMania XX match with Brock Lesnar, when he and Lesnar got booed out of the building because everyone in attendance knew that both men were leaving the company after the bout.

As if Goldberg's wrestling skills weren't questioned enough, his lack of commitment to the company and lackluster performance there gave fans even more reasons to call him "overrated."

And you'd be hard-pressed to find some wrestling fans who don't agree that Goldberg didn't deliver in the WWE.