WrestleMania’s Worst World Championship Challengers

King Kong Bundy – WrestleMania 2 (1986)

King Kong Bundy was one of WWE’s most recognizable heels. The Walking Condominium was a massive man, with an even more massive mean streak. He would destroy everyone standing across from him. He’d demand that the referee give him a five-count, instead of the usual three. It was a demoralizing move, and one that made him one of the faces of WWE’s early era.

As great as King Kong Bundy was, he was not the man who should have walked into WrestleMania 2 as Hulk Hogan’s challenger. Bundy was great as a mid-card heel, but he never achieved any main event notoriety. His biggest wins came at the expense of outside interference. He proved unable to win the big match on multiple occasions. He was a great challenger for Hulk Hogan at Saturday Night’s Main Event, but at WrestleMania? Not a chance. There was a single audience member who believed that Hogan’s World Championship was in jeopardy. Even the addition of a steel cage did nothing to heighten the excitement of King Kong Bundy.

Hulk Hogan  – WrestleMania 9 (1993)

Heading into WrestleMania 9, the world was on the edge of its seat with anticipation. Fan favourite WWE Champion Bret Hart was walking into the main event against insurmountable odds as he defended against Japan’s Sumo Champion, Yokozuna. It proved to be a highlight match on an underwhelming card, and the fans were left exhausted after what they thought was the finish to WrestleMania 9. That was until Hulk Hogan used some stroke to make the end of the event about him.

As Yokozuna celebrated his victory over Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan interjected, getting the newly minted WWE Champion to put his championship on the line in an impromptu match. It was short, made no sense, and ended with Hulk Hogan stealing a victory. This moment was a slap in the face to all the hard work that both Bret Hart and Yokozuna had put in. They built a great program, produced a great match, all to have it dashed away for Hogan to have the spotlight shine on him alone. It was a black mark that ended one of WWE’s weakest WrestleManias.

Lex Luger – WrestleMania 10 (1994)

When Hulk Hogan left WWE, Vince McMahon wanted another bodybuilding blond-haired hero. Thus, the American Hero Lex Luger was born, and his quest to win over the hearts of America began. The Lex Express carried him across the United States, and his body slamming of Yokozuna was a nice moment. However, he had his momentum squashed when he beat Yoko by countout at SummerSlam 1993. It was here that his aura died, and he lost the fans’support. There was no need to give Lex Luger another shot at the title.

WrestleMania 10’s Championship picture was unique but not needed. Luger had lost the crowd by this point, and Bret Hart’s star was on the rise. The world was behind The Hitman, and no one wanted Lex Luger wrestling Yokozuna. It was a distraction from what WWE should have put its full attention towards. Plus, everyone and their sister knew that Luger was just a stepping stone before the main event.

Alberto Del Rio – WrestleMania 27 (2011)

WWE is always on the lookout for its next Latin American star. Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio held that mantle for a while, and when they were no longer around, WWE looked to The Mexican Aristocrat. Alberto Del Rio was introduced to WWE audiences and instantly had the entire weight of the office behind him. He was given high-profile matches and was booked to win the 2011 Royal Rumble, punching his ticket for a World Championship match. On paper, it seemed like a great idea, but then the issue arose that the fans didn’t accept Del Rio as a credible main event guy.

Alberto Del Rio was a great talent, but one that was never accepted by the audience. His World Championship match with Edge was met with little reaction and failed to get the crowd pumped as the opening match of WrestleMania 27. A match that ran 11 minutes and gave us no indication that Alberto Del Rio was ready for a true main event run. It was an experiment that didn’t work for WWE, and one that failed in Edge’s last match.

Jack Swagger – WrestleMania 29 (2013)

In the world of WWE, there is always room for experimentation. Sometimes, the office doesn’t know what kind of star they have until they try. And WrestleMania is not the time to test new things. The run of Jack Swagger to a World Championship match at WrestleMania 29 is a perfect example.

Jack Swagger had a few attempts to reach the next level, but it never worked. He had won Money in the Bank and cashed in successfully, but it was a short reign that WWE reneged on quickly. He was never accepted as a true challenger for the World Championships, and when he won the Elimination Chamber in 2011, the world was left wondering exactly what WWE was doing.

Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio did not scream main event program for WrestleMania. Swagger was a talent that never reached the heights expected of him, and he never connected with the crowd on any level. No one was interested in watching this match, and the finish was met with silence.

When we look at men like Daniel Bryan, The SHIELD, CM Punk, Sheamus, and Randy Orton, who were involved in non-World Championship matches, it’s hard to imagine what WWE was thinking. Swagger was damaged goods and not deserving of a World Title match at WrestleMania.