WWE: Top 10 Superstars To Never Be World Champion
By Tim Sherry
credit: wwe.com
8. Matt Hardy
The other active superstar to make this list, Matt Hardy has a storied career in the WWE that has lasted a combined 15 years. And in that span, he has managed to build a resume about as long and distinguished as anybody in the company’s history, albeit, without a world title to write in. He did capture an ECW Championship in 2008, but considering that Tommy Dreamer and Ezekiel Jackson accomplished the same feat, it’s very hard to consider that a world championship. A nine-time tag champion, as well as five secondary titles to his credit, the “Woken” one returned to the WWE at WrestleMania 33 in what may just be the hottest time in his career.
During Matt’s first stint with the WWE, his brother Jeff battled a number of issues that forced him in and out of the company on a number of occasions. But while Jeff fought his demons, Matt played the model of consistency within the company. From 1999-2003, he averaged 155 matches with 78 wins per year (cagematch.net). Then from 2006 until 2009, he averaged 122 matches with 75 wins per year. Talk about a guy you can lean on. Unfortunately it never turned into a world title or even a program involving one. In fact, Matt has never wrestled for a WWE world championship in a televised event. What a shame.
Largely seen as the inferior Hardy brother for a very long time, Matt left the WWE in 2010 looking for greener pastures. He found them in TNA, as he finally became a world champion under that banner. But shortly after winning and then losing that title, Matt would take on his best gimmick to date. As “Broken” Matt Hardy, he took a gimmick that looked at first like a comedic act and within six months turned it into the one of the best personas in all of pro wrestling. With that gimmick currently tied up in court battles, Matt hasn’t been able to unleash it on the WWE fans, although the fans tend to unleash it anyways. If the court matter ever gets cleared up and Matt is able to fully use the character again, he may finally strike world title gold in the WWE. That’s how good he still is and how amazing that gimmick can be.