What year did (insert wrestler here) lose it....?

I thought it would be interesting to see various opinions on when you feel a wrestler(you can name any wrestler you wish) lost it, or went from being great to be average/sub par.

I'll start us off with an obvious one Bret Hart 1998. He was arguably still one of the best wrestlers in the world on 97 following his great heel turn run against the USA but following the Montreal Screwjob & subsequent shoddy booking in WCW he would never return to the greatness he once achieved in his WWF glory years

I will go for Cena in 2012.

Namely this feud he is in. From being a fan of his (well at the very least respecting what he does) to being appalled by this latest feud where he is bullying people.

I think that this could be the feud that is the turning point for Cena.

Mic Foley 2000. Should have retired at No Way Out

Paul 'Big Show' Wight 1998...

Was the most exciting newcomer in the business when he burst onto the scene & won the world title in his debut match over the legendary Hulk Hogan. Fast forward 3 & a half years later & he enters the WWF a ten year contract & a liking for fast food ensures he'll go down as one of biggest wasted talents in recent wrestling history

triple h, 2006? i wasnt really watching during this period, but ive watched so much wrestling on youtube. and i just kinda didnt like his character from this point onwards, and still dont now. fantastic heel, one of the best of his generation, easily!

Was Vader ever the same after jobbing to Michaels in 96?

Triple H is a very interesting one, I don't think there's a real definitive answer... I think my last favourites Triple H run was when he was running evolution. By the time he reformed DX with Shawn I'd pretty much lost interest in him

FreekShow wrote:Was Vader ever the same after jobbing to Michaels in 96?

Difficult one really as WWF had a history of jobbing out previously established WCW talent when they made it to New York. I'd say Vader peaked in 1994

Shawn Michaels....never.

I don't think we'll ever see such a talent retire at the very top of his game. When he retired, he was still the best wrestler in WWE, I imagine if he returned tomorrow, he'd still be the best.

Kane 2003 - Ever since losing the mask, he was only ever interesting for me with the mask (fist time round) his character had been built around his past and the fire and the scars. I couldn't buy into him after that.

Crimey wrote:Shawn Michaels....never.

I don't think we'll ever see such a talent retire at the very top of his game. When he retired, he was still the best wrestler in WWE, I imagine if he returned tomorrow, he'd still be the best.

Agree 100% with this one. The guy never lost a step & is probably the only pro wrestler in history to go out at the top

bretmeharty wrote:Kane 2003 - Ever since losing the mask, he was only ever interesting for me with the mask (fist time round) his character had been built around his past and the fire and the scars. I couldn't buy into him after that.

Good shout Bret... I think this is universally recognized as the demise of the Kane character although the Katie Vick storyline was hardly a high point!

i actually like kanes character in 2003 when he kept the top part of his ring attire and the dark eyes, but he suddenly became human in 2004 and had friends! then since about 2007 hes just been the go to guy to put people over.

Chris Jericho - 2010.

Up until late 2009 and his excellent fued with Shawn Michaels i always thought Jericho was relevant, but since 2010 his value has slipped away for me.

The Wrestlemania fued vs the legends/Mickey Rourke, The Jeri-Show thing and poor fued with Edge at Mania before turning into a jobber and his latest uninspiring return. His stock has plummeted, beating Jericho is no longer a big deal.

Ric Flair - 2008

As a wrestler, Flair had obviously seen much better days. But he had the opportunity, after his well crafted WrestlerMania match with Shawn Michaels, to bow out in the biggest possible way. When you also take into account his emotional leaving ceremony on RAW, and his induction to the HOF that year, it was the prefect send off for one of the biggest names in wrestling.

Unfortunately, his TNA run has largely destroyed what could have been a fairytale ending.

TwisT wrote:Ric Flair - 2008

As a wrestler, Flair had obviously seen much better days. But he had the opportunity, after his well crafted WrestlerMania match with Shawn Michaels, to bow out in the biggest possible way. When you also take into account his emotional leaving ceremony on RAW, and his induction to the HOF that year, it was the prefect send off for one of the biggest names in wrestling.

Unfortunately, his TNA run has largely destroyed what could have been a fairytale ending.

Seriously? I'd have Flair peaking around 1990

Brady12 wrote:

TwisT wrote:Ric Flair - 2008

As a wrestler, Flair had obviously seen much better days. But he had the opportunity, after his well crafted WrestlerMania match with Shawn Michaels, to bow out in the biggest possible way. When you also take into account his emotional leaving ceremony on RAW, and his induction to the HOF that year, it was the prefect send off for one of the biggest names in wrestling.

Unfortunately, his TNA run has largely destroyed what could have been a fairytale ending.

Seriously? I'd have Flair peaking around 1990

As a wrestler yes. But as a draw, his 2008 swansong at Mania was a big thing. With the whole event, the HOF and next nights RAW being built all around him and his retirement, you could argue that Flair was at his peak in the WWE.

TwisT wrote:

Brady12 wrote:

TwisT wrote:Ric Flair - 2008

As a wrestler, Flair had obviously seen much better days. But he had the opportunity, after his well crafted WrestlerMania match with Shawn Michaels, to bow out in the biggest possible way. When you also take into account his emotional leaving ceremony on RAW, and his induction to the HOF that year, it was the prefect send off for one of the biggest names in wrestling.

Unfortunately, his TNA run has largely destroyed what could have been a fairytale ending.

Seriously? I'd have Flair peaking around 1990

As a wrestler yes. But as a draw, his 2008 swansong at Mania was a big thing. With the whole event, the HOF and next nights RAW being built all around him and his retirement, you could argue that Flair was at his peak in the WWE.

Can't agree with that in the slightest. If you think Flair was at his WWE peak in 2008 I suggest you go & watch the 1992 Royal Rumble

I had the same problem with Hogan i'd say he was past it by about '99 and yet had the massive moment with the Rock in '02

Flair was past it as a wrestler by 1993 but to an extent I can see where TwisT is coming from with this one. The whole retirement angle made him relevant again for the first time in a long time and everything about that Wrestlemania weekend was perfect from the HOF to the match with Shawn Michaels to the RAW send-off.


If only Flair had managed to stay away, or at least accept his days in the spotlight were over.


Having said all that, if he had stayed away or just made sporadic appearances in WWE we'd never have got Wheelchair Flair or the WOOOO-off with Jay Lethal and "WOW! THAT'S MY LINE!"

Brady12 wrote:

TwisT wrote:

Brady12 wrote:

TwisT wrote:Ric Flair - 2008

As a wrestler, Flair had obviously seen much better days. But he had the opportunity, after his well crafted WrestlerMania match with Shawn Michaels, to bow out in the biggest possible way. When you also take into account his emotional leaving ceremony on RAW, and his induction to the HOF that year, it was the prefect send off for one of the biggest names in wrestling.

Unfortunately, his TNA run has largely destroyed what could have been a fairytale ending.

Seriously? I'd have Flair peaking around 1990

As a wrestler yes. But as a draw, his 2008 swansong at Mania was a big thing. With the whole event, the HOF and next nights RAW being built all around him and his retirement, you could argue that Flair was at his peak in the WWE.

Can't agree with that in the slightest. If you think Flair was at his WWE peak in 2008 I suggest you go & watch the 1992 Royal Rumble

As I have said.....maybe he was at his peak there as a wrestler. But I think 2008 was Flair's biggest high moment in WWE

Bret Hart - 1998
Triple H - 2001, yes he wrestled on for a long time after, and yes he had some classics afterwards, but before that first quad injury the guy was machine.
Kurt Angle - 2004
John Cena - I personally don't think he is any less of a performer, but his character has serious issues probably 2008.
Sting - 1995 You could see Hogan's arrival in 94 had demoralised him greatly and while he was as a big a draw as he had been in 1997, the ring work was gone.

Undertaker - 2008.

Once he was that old and that broken down that they wheeled him out purely for either the Build up to of Afermath of Wrestlemania he lost the spark.

Personally I was bored of him long before then, possibly around 2005.

I know his name is dirt these days but you could argue that Benoit, like HBK, never missed a step. Sure he wasnt booked brilliantly but ability wise he was always up there. Always.

I agree with Twist, though his best days in ring were past him, Flair was at a peak in the WWE when he went on his winning streak. He was super over. Mega ultra massive over.

Vince McMahon in general... 2004?

Samo wrote:
I know his name is dirt these days but you could argue that Benoit, like HBK, never missed a step. Sure he wasnt booked brilliantly but ability wise he was always up there. Always.

Benoit had already lost a step by the time he won the Title in 2004, and by 2005 and his issue with Orlando Jordan, the motivation had sank too. Even so he was still lightyears ahead of most of the roster. But Benoit's injury in 2001 really cost him the best years of his career.

Randy Savage - 1992.

His decline started after Summerslam for me. He became a colour commentator in 93 and wrestled every now and again but whenever i think of Savage i remember him for everything up to Wrestlemania 8. From 88-92 he was gold, and i hated his run in WCW in the mid 90s.

Jeff Jarrett - 2007. For me once he started going off air, he lost it big time. Even when he was still winning in 2006 in the KOTM, I thought he still had it.

Roddy Piper - 1993. I think even when he floated on the mid-card he was still entertaining to watch and even if he held the Title in 91-92 he would still be a draw. He was done when he signed for WCW in 1996.

Hulk Hogan 1992.... Hollywood Hulk Hogan 1998

Stone Cold Steve Austin 2001
Mick Foley/Cactus Jack 2000 (possibly earlier)
The Rock 2011