5 current WWE Superstars the WWE didn't capitalise on until years later
Often, wrestlers only have one chance to make an impression. In order to achieve success, and be featured by a promotion, wrestlers have to make themselves seen and heard at every opportunity they get with the company, lest they get passed over for other performers.
Once they do make it, fans embrace them and enjoy their performances in the ring. However, a number of talents pass through WWE, and their time in the company results in little to no success.
While several emerge as stars, many do not, and leave themselves and others wondering what could have been.
What is interesting to note about a number of the stars in the company is that while the perception is that they earned their stripes in WWE, many had to first achieve success in other promotions to earn the reputation that they have today.
However, a number of talented stars didn't begin by achieving success competing all over the world, they competed inside the WWE before they became stars. These are men that have earned success and are featured by the promotion today, but little was thought of them the first time they came to WWE.
Here are five current WWE superstars they didn't capitalise on until years later.
#5 Bobby Roode
After his debut with WWE's NXT brand, no one could argue that Roode was everything that he said he was. He was glorious both in the ring and on the microphone.
He first came to TNA wrestling back in 2004 as part of an ensemble group of wrestlers that all seemed the same. Still, many could tell right away that there was something about him that was unlike others in the company and set him apart.
He was brash, confident, and articulate. And as it turned out, he was a future world champion. After years of being in TNA, Roode departed the company to be part of WWE's NXT brand.
Also read: 5 WWE Wrestlers who were jobbers before they became Superstars
But a little-known fact is that prior to his time in TNA, he did a previous stint in WWE. He competed under the name Roode, with one slight difference: it was spelt "Rude," like former WWE superstar 'Ravishing' Rick Rude.
He also had blond highlights, and in pictures from the time is almost unrecognisable in comparison to how he looks today.
At the time he was just used as an enhancement talent, putting over the stars of the time on secondary programs like Velocity, Jakked/Metal and Sunday Night Heat, a far cry from his standing with the company now.