The Grass Isn't Always Greener On The Other Side: Wrestlers Who Did Better In WCW Than WWF/E

The Grass Isn't Always Greener On The Other Side: Wrestlers Who Did Better In WCW Than WWF/E
December 31, 2016
By Ryan Porzl

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of when the NWA became WCW and what better way to celebrate than honor them? Over the years, it's become tradition for the WWE and certain fans to mock and ridicule WCW for not being organized or a company run by a collection of incompetent morons. While WCW had it's moments and mistakes, things weren't always bad as many wrestlers have actually done better there than in The WWF. So, in honor of WCW, we'll take a look at the wrestlers they used better than The WWF as to some, The WWF was not the be-all, end-all for everyone. Before I begin, I will have two rules for this article. One is I will only talk about wrestlers who wrestled for WCW from January 1991 to March 2001 so time in Jim Crockett Promotions/NWA and the WWF owned WCW don't count. I will also be fair to WWE as well and will not include wrestlers who by the time went to the WWF or WWE had already suffered a serious injury or came in way past their prime specifically Brian Pillman and Sting who will not be included.



The Nasty Boys- The Nasty Boys are someone you probably wouldn't think of with this list but they still had a more successful and perhaps memorable run in WCW than WWF. In WCW, The Nasties were a consistently top tag team during the early to mid 1990s as they won the WCW World Tag Team Champioship on three occasions from the time they returned in 1993 to 1995. The team's second reign specifically lasted 210 days which means if you only count title reigns from January 1991 - March 2001 (which is what were doing here), it's the second longest in the history of the belts with only The Outsiders third reign of 231 days being longer. The team also engaged in memorable feuds with Cactus Jack, Maxx Payne, Kevin Sullivan, Harlem Heat, The Public Enemy, and The Outsiders. Their matches with Cactus Jack and his partners Maxx Payne and Kevin Sullvan was well received as they engaged in many great street fights including one at the 1994 Spring Stampede and the 1994 Slamboree. Through their success in WCW, The Nasty Boys were also voted Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Tag Team of the Year for 1994.

In The WWF, The Nasties peaked early by winning the WWF World Tag Team Titles at Wrestlemania VII in March 1991 only four months into their run. The win also saw them defeat The Hart Foundation in their last high profile match before the team split up and Bret Hart began a legendary solo career. However, after losing the championships to The Legion of Doom five months later at the 1991 Summerslam, the teams stock dropped and they went to the midcard for more than a year. Eventually, they did become challengers to Money Inc. from late 1992 - early 1993 but never got the belts back. While The Nasties enjoyed success in the WWF, it wasn't as much as the success they had in WCW all the while not winning as many titles, didn't have a lot of memorable moments, or great matches.

Marc Mero- In WCW, Mero was a solid and successful midcard wrestler who achieved good success especially in the last two years of the company. Mero joined WCW in 1991 only a few months after turning pro and was eventually repackaged with the flamboyant and flashy Johnny B. Badd which was likely inspired by Mero's resemblence to Little Richard. After working his way up the card during his first three years, Mero enjoyed midcard success by winning The WCW World Television Championship on three different occasions and won it from names like Lord Steven Regal, Diamond Dallas Page, and Lex Luger. Mero's success in WCW earned him the Rookie of the Year award from both Pro Wrestling Illustrated and Wrestling Observer Newsletter in 1991 as well as the Most Improved Wrestler from WON in 1995.

In the WWF, Mero was repackaged as "Wildman" Marc Mero (due to WCW owning Johnny B. Badd) and had a good first year where he won the vacant Intercontinental Championship, feuded with Triple H, made it to the semifinals of King of the Ring 1996 where he had a critically acclaimed match against "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and lost the IC Title to Triple H which made him the first to lose a title to Triple H. However, Mero would suffer an ACL tear in February 1997 and his career never recovered. After eight months off, Mero returned as a heel and repackaged as "Marvelous" Marc Mero while being given the gimmick of a boxer (based off his real life as a former New York State Golden Gloves Champion). However, his wife and valet Sable became very popular in his absence and upon his return, he found himself stuck in her shadow which he never got out of. As a result, Mero was stuck feuding with Sable throughout the majority of 1998 and to make matters worse, brought Jacqueline in for the feud which resulted in him becoming a third wheel. Mero did next to nothing outside of the Sable feud until finally taking time off in December 1998 due to injuries. Sadly, Sable would continue to haunt him as he was forced to leave The WWF in June 1999 after she filed a lawsuit against the company. Mero could've had a great WWF run as his first year was very good but the ACL injury and Sable's meteoric rise destroyed his momentum and he never got back on track while his relationship with Sable ended his WWF run.

Shawn Stasiak- Stasiak joined WCW in early 2000 after his first release from The WWF. Despite joining during the company's last year, Stasiak found good success and showed that he was a potential star in the making. Originally, Stasiak came in back in April 2000 as "The Perfect One" Shawn Stasiak (later "PerfectShawn" Stasiak) and feuded with Curt Hennig as his "Perfect One" gimmick was based off Hennig's "Mr. Perfect" gimmick. During his run in WCW, Stasiak won the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times as part of The Perfect Event with Chuck Palumbo, was part of The Natural Born Thrillers, and had feuds with Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page, and Kronik. Right before WCW was bought out, Stasiak was repackaged as "The Mecca of Manhood", had a feud with legend Bam Bam Bigelow, and seemed like he was moving up to big things.

Stasiak's WWF run was wasted despite being the son of former WWF Champion Stan Stasiak. He originally debuted in early 1999 as a sex slave named "Meat" where his tights resembled underpants. He eventually dropped the gimmick and worked as himself but it didn't do anything for his career and he continued to be used as a jobber with his only highlight being Kurt Angle's opponent in his debut at Survivor Series 1999. After resigning with the WWF in 2001, Stasiak was reduced to a bumbling comedy character first as a member of the Alliance and then by himself. By 2002, he captured the WWF/E Hardcore Championship 15 times due to it's 24/7 rule but eventually requested his release and largely left the business.

Sean O'Haire- O'Haire trained at the old WCW Power Plant and debuted in WCW's final year in 2000. Seeing huge potential in him, O'Haire was immediately pushed as part of a tag team with Mark Jindrak and won the WCW World Tag Team Championship two times. O'Haire ended his WCW run as part of The Natural Born Thrillers stable and teamed with Chuck Palumbo to become the final WCW Tag Champions while scoring wins over The Insiders (Kevin Nash & Diamond Dallas Page) and Totally Buffed (Lex Luger & Buff Bagwell) in under a minute before The WWF bought WCW. O'Haire potential and skill were noticed by fans as he won the 2000 WON Rookie of the Year award.

O'Haire's WWF run was a travesty and wasted as he was buried after arriving, lost the tag titles to Undertaker and Kane, and was sent down to developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling. After more than a year in developmental, O'Haire returned in a series of critically acclaimed vignettes depicting him as a devil's advocate who claimed he didn't tell us anything we didn't already know. Sadly, the gimmick was wasted and never came close to scratching the surface of it's potential before being dropped. He then had a brief alliance with the returning "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in early 2003 but nothing came of it outside of a count out win over Hulk Hogan (Mr. America) before Piper got fired in the summer. Afterwards, O'Haire toiled on the b-shows as a generic tattoo punk character before he was released in early 2004 and retired shortly thereafter.

Ron Simmons- In WCW, Simmons made history in many ways. When NWA officially became WCW in January 1991, Simmons was one half of the World Tag Team Champions with Butch Reed as part of Doom which made him one of the first official WCW World Tag Team Champions. After Doom broke up shortly after, Simmons had a very successful singles run where he became a contender for the WCW World Heavyweight Champion as he challenged Lex Luger in a 2/3 Falls match at Halloween Havoc 1991. Simmons had a brief run with the WCW United States Tag Team Championship in early 1992 and defeated Vader to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship which made him the first black WCW Champion and is considered by many as pro wrestling's first black World Heavyweight Champion. Simmons held the belt through most of the remainder of 1992 before losing the title back to Vader. Sadly, Simmons' last two years in WCW was forgettable outside of some title shots. Simmons' historic World Title win also resulted in him voted as PWI's 1992 Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year.

In the WWF, Simmons never made it to the main event outside of challenging for the WWF Championship at King of the Ring 1997. During his first two years, Simmons had an on again/off again feud with Ahmed Johnson and led the Nation of Domination during the critically panned "Gang Warz" against Savio Vega's Los Boricuas and Crush's Disciples of Apocalypse. He then got kicked out of The Nation in early 1998 and spent time as a jobber to the stars before finally being put with Bradshaw in The Acolytes/APA. As part of The Acolytes/APA, Simmons achieved his only bit of success as he won 3 WWF World Tag Team Championships while enjoying a good four year run. After the group broke up the first time, Simmons WWE run declined and he never regained his past success even when The APA reformed in 2003 and was then released after breaking up for good in 2004.

Dean Malenko- Malenko is an interesting case because he was one of the guy who was supposedly held back in WCW but he ended up having a better run in WCW than the WWF. In WCW, Malenko was a star in the company's cruiserweight division as he won the title four times while having matches with the likes of Rey Mysterio and Ultimo Dragon as well as having a classic feud with Chris Jericho. Malenko was also a member of the legendary Four Horsemen and made some history as the final recruit where he also reunited his ECW team with Chris Benoit with the two winning the WCW World Tag Team Championships. Malenko also enjoyed a three month run with the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship in 1997 which put him 3/4 of the way to the grand slam as he only missed the World Title. Malenko was also ranked #1 on Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers list for 1997.

Other than his big debut with Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Perry Saturn as part of The Radicalz, Malenko's WWF run amounted to nothing. He won the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship twice with the second reign lasting nearly a year while being the first Radical to win a title but it didn't mean anything as the Light Heavyweight Championship was giving any attention. Other than that, Malenko did nothing except have a James Bond character where he flirted with Lita but nothing else and then retired only a year after his debut in 2001 to take a road agent job.

Rick Rude- Rude's WCW run saw him as a top star. Rude won WCW's short lived International World Title on three occasions and the United States Championship once which was the second longest reign in it's history. In the mean time, Rude was also the top member of Paul E. Dangerously's Dangerous Alliance and engaged in classic rivalries and matches with Sting, Ricky Steamboat, and Dustin Rhodes. Rude also could've been a future WCW World Champion if not for his career ending back injury in 1994. Rude made history when he returned to WCW in 1997 by appearing on a live Nitro and a taped RAW on November 17th. Rude was also awarded the Best Heel award from WON as well as The Most Hated Wrestler of the Year award from PWI in 1992.

In the WWF, Rude achieved a lot of success including an Intercontinental Championship reign and legendary rivalries with Jake "The Snake" Roberts and The Ultimate Warrior but he never made it above upper midcard and couldn't take the next step. He only had one main event feud when he resumed his feud with The Ultimate Warrior but it was a disappointment and he went back to the midcard to begin a feud with The Big Boss Man before abruptly leaving. Rude would make history when he returned in 1997 as Shawn Michaels' insurance policy and a co-founder of D-Generation X but he left three months later and never wrestled due to injuries.

Ricky Steamboat- Like Rude, Steamboat came off like a star in WCW and was consistantly successful. From 1991-1994, Steamboat won the WCW World Tag Team Championship two times (including winning it in his return match), the WCW World Television Championship two times, the WCW United States Championship, and the NWA World Tag Team Championship. Steamboat also enjoyed big feuds with Rick Rude, The Hollywood Blondes, "Lord" Steven Regal, "Stunning" Steve Austin, and The Dangerous Alliance as part of Sting's Squadron. He also enjoyed a last set of matches with old rival Ric Flair over the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in April 1994. Like Rude, Steamboat was still enjoying success when he suffered a career ending back injury in 1994.

In the WWF, Steamboat enjoyed success during his first two years including winning the WWF Intercontinental Championship while engaging in legendary feuds with Mr. Fuji & Don Muraco, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and Randy Savage. He also had one of the greatest matches of all time against Savage at Wrestlemania III which won both WON and PWI's Match of the Year for 1987. However, his WWF stock plummeted after requesting time off to be with his pregnant wife which scrapped plans on his Intercontinental Title reign being long term and his WWF run never recovered as he was sent to the mid card until leaving after Wrestlemania IV in March 1988. Steamboat also had a brief return in 1991 but was repackaged as "The Dragon" where he did nothing and his past was only occasionally mentioned. His only highlight was wrestling the opening match at Summerslam 1991 and was gone eight months later.

Barry Windham- Windham enjoyed some of his biggest success in WCW during the 90s. From 1991-1994, Windham won the WCW and NWA World Tag Team Championship once with Dustin Rhodes, the WCW World Television Championship once, and finally got a long deserving world title reign when he won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in 1993. He also took part in many big feuds with The Enforcers, Steve Austin, Dustin Rhodes, Ric Flair, and The Dangerous Alliance as part of Sting's Squadron. His second run from 1998-1999 was also successful as he won the WCW World Tag Team Championships two times with Curt Hennig and brother Kendall as well as being a member of the West Texas Rednecks with them and Bobby Duncam, Jr which was one of the few good points of 1999 WCW.

While Windham achieved success in the WWF during his original run from 1984-1985 as part of The US Express where he won the WWF World Tag Team Championships two times, his later runs were forgettable and failed. His second run from 1989-1990 as "The Widowmaker" Barry Windham was extremely forgettable and it wouldn't be surprising if even Windman himself forgot it sometimes. He had no rivalries, no Saturday Night's Main Event appearances, and no Pay-Per-View appearances (though he was set to appear at Survivor Series 1989 and Royal Rumble 1990). His third run was a series of gimmicks and storylines that didn't last long including The Stalker, The New Blackjacks, and as a member of Jim Cornette's NWA stable but none were successful although he briefly held the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship for a day after Cornette awarded it to him (after Jarrett left the stable) and the NWA stripped him of it.

Jeff Jarrett- Jarrett enjoyed two highly successful runs in WCW with his first seeing him win the WCW United States Championship and was a member of the Four Horsemen while his second saw him become one of the company's top stars during the dying years. In his second run, he finally became a world champion which eluded him in the WWF as he won the WCW World Heavyweight Title four times and won the WCW United States Title two more times while also being a member of the nWo. During his time in WCW, Jarrett also had feuds with Booker T, Diamond Dallas Page, the nWo, and Sting.

Jarrett did have two successful runs in the WWF but never made it to the main event and was stuck in the upper midcard as he won six Intercontinental Championship (then a record), the European Championship, Tag Team Championship with Owen Hart, and the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship. However, he also was stuck with lackluster or lousy gimmicks like Double J and being part of Jim Cornette's NWA stable. His only real memorable feuds were with Razor Ramon and Chyna.

Scott Steiner/The Steiner Brothers- In WCW, The Steiners were one of, if not, the most successful team in history as they won the WCW World Tag Team Championships six times and were the first United States Tag Team Champions when NWA became WCW. The Steiners were always on top during their time in WCW and had many memorable feuds with The Dangerous Alliance, Harlem Heat, and The Outsiders. Scott would also enjoy big success as a singles wrestler winning the WCW World Television Championship during his first run and became one of the last created stars in WCW after going single with his "Big Poppa Pump" gimmick where he won another TV Title, two United States Titles, and was the second to last WCW World Heavyweight Champion before the WWF bought out WCW. At the time of purchase, Scott was one of the hottest free agents in wrestling.

The Steiners enjoyed success in the WWF and won two WWF Tag Team Championships along with having good rivalries with Money Inc. and The Quebecers but their stock seemed to drop after losing the titles the second time and the relationship seemed to sour afterward which resulted in The Steiners only lasting a year and a half. Scott's return from 2002-2004 was a huge disaster as he came in a hot free agent only to see his stock nosedive months later after two poorly received matches with Triple H which destroyed his momentum and it never recovered. Scott was sent to the midcard where he was left off Wrestlemania XIX and Summerslam 2003 before eventually being released due to injury and only lasted another year and a half.

Vader- In WCW, Vader was an absolute badass and monster along with serving as the top heel for most of his full time run. He was a three time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, WCW United States Champion, and the 1993 Battlebowl Winner. His feuds and matches with Sting, Ric Flair, and Cactus Jack are legendary while having a big feud with Hulk Hogan. He was also a Starrcade main event in 1993 against Flair. Vader would also be voted the 1993 Wrestler of the Year by PWI.

Vader's WWF run was head scratching and one of the most disappointing giving how much he seemed like a perfect fit. While his first eight months were good as he came off a monster, made it to the semifinals of the 1996 King of the Ring, and main evented Summerslam 1996 against Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship, the rest was a disappointment. Reportedly losing out on winning the WWF Championship due to backstage politics, Vader eventually fell into the midcard for the remainder of 1996 and all of 1997 though he did get occasional title shots but never returned to the main event or ever won a title. He then spent 1998 as a jobber to the stars as he was used to put over the younger big men like Kane, Mark Henry, and Bradshaw.

Lex Luger- Luger was one of WCW's biggest stars during his two runs with the company. He started as the first WCW United States Champion and went on to become the first WCW Grand Slam champion holding the World, United States, Television, and Tag Team Championships. His return to WCW in 1995 was historic as he showed up as a surprise on the first Monday Nitro in what can be considered the first shot fired in what became known as the Monday Night Wars. Luger was also the number two babyface during the nWo's peak behind Sting and went on to briefly regain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. He also had many big and/or legendary rivalries with Hollywood Hogan, the nWo, Sting, Randy Savage, and Goldberg. It was also during his time on the front line in WCW’s war with the nWo that Luger was voted the 1997 PWI Wrestler of the Year.

As for his WWF run, it was quite perplexing as Luger seemed tailor made for the WWF but it didn't work out. Despite being in the WWF for two and a half years, Luger never won a championship and his only highlights being a co winner of the 1994 Royal Rumble with Bret Hart and winning Yokozuna's Bodyslam Challenge (The Stars n' Stripes Challenge). He went through multiple gimmicks in his first year first as the heel Narcissist and then as the babyface Man Made In The USA with the latter being the WWF's hope he would succeed Hulk Hogan as the company's All American Superhero. Unfortunately, a lack of strong feuds and delaying Luger's title win killed his momentum throughout late 1993 and early 1994 to the point where Bret Hart eclipsed him in popularity. The end result saw Luger lose his big moment at Wrestlemania X as it went to Bret and his career never recovered as he bounced round in midcard feuds with Crush and Tatanka/The Million Dollar Corporation. He did seem to bounce back in 1995 as part of The Allied Powers with "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith with the two coming close to winning the WWF World Tag Team Championship but it never happened before breaking up in August 1995 right before Luger bolted back to WCW.