Wrestling Reversals: Superstars Who Turned Their Worst Setback Into Their Greatest Success

As you may have heard, former WWE Champion Roman Reigns was recently suspended for 30 days for a violation of the company’s Wellness Policy. Reigns has had plenty of career ups and downs, but surely this is his lowest point to date. Reigns has been relieved of the title he won at WrestleMania, and suddenly his future as The Guy, or even a long-term main eventer, is in serious doubt.

Then again, in pro wrestling setbacks are sometimes blessings in disguise, and history is full of stars who not only overcame obstacles, but used them to launch their careers to even greater heights. Here’s a few wrestlers who managed to reverse failure into success…

Ric Flair Breaks His Back in a Plane Crash

On a fateful October day in 1975, the Cessna Ric Flair and four other wrestlers were flying in crashed at the Wilmington, North Carolina airport after running out of gas. While Flair didn’t get the worst of it (the pilot died), his back was broken in three places. It was an injury most wrestlers would never return from. Flair was back in the ring by February 1976.

Why It Led to Good Things

Before his life-changing plane crash, Ric Flair looked like this…

Not only was he basically Paul Blart, Pro Wrestler, but he worked a completely different style. Young Flair was a hard-nosed brawler, but his injuries forced him to take on a more cerebral, entertaining style. Along with the change in the ring, came a change in personality – if Flair couldn’t win the crowd over with brawling and bumps any more, he’d get them with his mic skills. Without a very literal fall from 15,000 feet, Flair would never have risen again as the Nature Boy.

A Young Hulk Hogan is Fired By WWF

When did Hulk Hogan debut in WWF? In 1984, when he beat the Iron Sheik for the title and kicked off Hulkamania, right? Nope! Hogan’s first run with the company came in 1979 and 80, during which he played a flashy heel and feuded with Bob Backlund and André the Giant. That’s right, WrestleMania III was not, in fact, their first meeting. Wrestling is a lie.

Unfortunately for Hogan, his first WWF stint didn’t end amicably. Hogan went off and took the part of Thunderlips in Rocky III without clearing it with Vince McMahon Sr., and the old man was every bit as controlling as his son is. Hulk was promptly sh*tcanned and sent scurrying back to the lower-tier AWA.

Why It Led to Good Things

In 1983 Vince McMahon Jr. wrestled control of WWF away from dear old dad, and needed a face for his new nationally televised product. If Hogan had stuck around in 1980, it probably wouldn’t have been him, since the younger Vince wanted a clean break from pretty much everything his father did. As it turned out, Hulk’s exile in the AWA meant Vince Jr. could bring him back fresh, reimagining him as a red-and-yellow, vitamin-popping beast that would turn the industry upside down.

The Rock Bombs as the Blue Chipper

In 1996 Dwayne Johnson debuted in WWF as Rocky Maivia, a happy-go-lucky good guy who strutted on down to the ring wearing some sort of nightgown made of blue streamers. He was a can’t miss prospect! A blue chipper! Jim Ross reminded us of this every 10 seconds when he was on screen! And the fans hated him. Not the snarky, half-ironic hate Roman Reigns gets – this was the pure, uncut stuff. “Die, Rocky, die!” rang out in arenas across the country.

Why It Led to Good Things

Somehow WWE has never figured this out, but nobody really wants to see a privileged athlete sail to predestined success. The audience roundly rejecting Rocky Maivia led to him turning heel as a member of the Nation of Domination, and there he began to draw on his own personality to create a character totally unlike anything the WWF had seen before. Embracing failure and using it as an opportunity to grow transformed Dwayne Johnson into The Rock. Hopefully a certain Rock cousin is taking notes.

Steve Austin is Dumped by WCW

In the early ’90s, “Stunning” Steve Austin began turn heads for his work in WCW. Austin won the US Championship from Ricky Steamboat, and the WCW tag belts as one half of the Hollywood Blondes with Brian Pillman, but eventually some guy named Eric Bischoff took the reigns and declared the Texan “unmarketable.” Austin was summarily fired (by FedEx no less) and his career looked to be in trouble before it had barely begun.

Why It Led to Good Things

WCW Steve Austin was a good wrestler, but he didn’t have any particular edge. Austin needed to get angry, and he had absolutely no problem doing that after being served his pink slip. Austin had a brief stint in a fledgling ECW, where he cut a series of legendary, kayfabe-busting promos against WCW management, which caught the attention of WWF. Initially Vince McMahon and company weren’t quite sure what to do with Austin, but soon enough he began to channel more of that anger forged in WCW, and Stone Cold was born.

Shawn Michaels Retires Early

Coming into 1998, Shawn Michaels had it all. He was WWE Champion, his longtime rival Bret Hart was off to WCW following the Montreal Screwjob, and he was leader of D-Generation X, the hottest new faction in wrestling. The fun would come to an end at the Royal Rumble, when Michaels took an unfortunate bump in a casket match, badly herniating two discs in his back. After losing the title at WrestleMania XIV, Michaels retired, seemingly for good.

Why It Led to Good Things

While Michaels looked to be on top of the world in 1997 and 98, he was a mess behind the scenes. He was addicted to painkillers and other less-legal substances and making enemies everywhere he went. His temporary retirement allowed him to turn over a new leaf and kick his addictions, and when he returned in 2002, he was better than ever. The HBK of 1998 would have burnt out in a year or two even if he hadn’t injured his back. Instead, because of his forced time off, he got to have another near-decade of classic matches and moments.

Daniel Bryan Loses the World Title in 18 Seconds

In late-2011, Daniel Bryan unexpectedly broke through WWE’s glass ceiling, winning the World Heavyweight Title and launching a memorable run as an egomaniacal bad boyfriend to AJ Lee. Unfortunately, Bryan’s hot streak seemingly wasn’t to last, as he dropped his title to Sheamus at WrestleMania 28 in humiliating fashion, losing to a single Brogue Kick in a mere 18 seconds. WWE’s message was loud and clear – Bryan’s run on top was a fluke and a joke, and now it was over.

Why It Led to Good Things

The WWE audience didn’t agree. Before WrestleMania 28, Daniel Bryan had his share of fans, but he was still somewhat of a cult figure. After the obvious injustice of WrestleMania 28 things changed. On the Raw after WrestleMania, traditionally the biggest WWE television show of the year, fans constantly interrupted “more important” stars to chant for Daniel Bryan, a guy who wasn’t even on the show. And from that point on, fans never really stopped cheering for Bryan. WWE’s “clever” little 18-second put down of a guy they didn’t see as a true star turned him into one for real.

Bayley is Excluded from the Divas Revolution

In mid-2015 Stephanie McMahon declared, with much pomp and circumstance, that the Divas Revolution had begun. Along with the announcement came the main roster debut of top NXT female talents Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and…wait, where was Bayley? Was WWE really leaving the most beloved and (arguably) promising of the Four Horsewomen in NXT? Apparently so, and fans were understandably worried.

Why It Led to Good Things

In the end, being left out of the cool kids’ main roster party ended up being the best thing for Bayley. Frankly, WWE’s new Women’s Division has been a bit of a schmozz, with talented ladies being trampled and overlooked left and right. It’s been almost a year, and Sasha Banks is just now, maybe, being given her chance to shine. Meanwhile, Bayley has continued to hone her ability as one of the main stars of NXT, putting on great matches, and creating a more main roster-ready character. If Bayley had debuted last year, she would have been lost in the shuffle. Now when she gets called up, whenever that might be, it’s going to be a big deal.

WWE Lowballs AJ Styles

In late 2013 AJ Styles left TNA after being the backbone of the company for nearly a decade. Now a free agent, Styles entered negotiations with WWE, who reportedly offered the five-time world champ (okay, it was the TNA World Championship, but still) an insultingly paltry contract. Word is, it was in the neighborhood of $60,000 per year, around a fifth of what he made in much smaller-scale TNA. 15 years of busting his ass at a high level all around the world, and WWE offered him less than he’d make as a Walmart manager. That’s the kind of blow that’d make some people want to hang up their boots.

Why It Led to Good Things

Not AJ Styles though – Styles started working for New Japan Pro Wrestling full-time, became the leader of the Bullet Club and grew from being a very good wrestler, to a truly elite worker. WWE officials, who seem to have a bit of a crush on NJPW these days, quickly began to see Styles in a new light. Only three years after metaphorically slapping the guy in the face, WWE brought Styles in as an instant main eventer for nearly 10 times the pay he was offered in 2013 (his new contract is reportedly worth $500,000). The waiting is the hardest part, but sometimes it’s worth it.

And that, my friends, is how you fail your way to prosperity. Any good examples I missed? Do you think Roman Reigns has a shot at transforming his recent troubles into a career turnaround? Head on down and let’s make this comments section a success.

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