When looking at the history of any World/Heavyweight Championship, whether it be WWE or WCW, the lists of former title holders obviously show the who's who of top wrestlers over the years. However, these lists only tell half the story, as there are many "All-Time" greats who never had the privilege of holding a major championship during the course of their careers. With that said, here is the list of the top 8 wrestlers to never win "The Big One". This strictly refers to the WWE/F singles Championship, as well as the WCW Championship.
8) Owen Hart: While it was brother Bret who received most of the attention and accolades, Owen was right there with him in terms of wrestling ability. In fact, many argue that Owen was the better overall in-ring performer. Owen incorporated more elements as a high-flyer than Bret ever did, which complimented his superb technical ability. Having won multiple singles titles during his stay in the WWF, we sadly never got to see his ceiling due to his early death.
7) Jake "The Snake" Roberts: One of the greatest interview guys in the history of the business, Roberts delivered tremendous promos, both as a heel and face. In the late 80s and early 90s, he was always one of the most over guys in wrestling, and he never truly needed a Championship to help with getting himself over. When considering his longtime issues with drug and alcohol abuse, WWF and WCW might have felt that it wasn't worth taking a gamble on him by pushing him too far to the top.
6) "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase: When I think about the best heels that have come along, DiBiase is one of the first guys that comes to mind. He was one of the best at getting under people's skin, and played his role to perfection. Having never won a singles championship in the WWF (If you don't count his self-created Million Dollar Championship), he was another one of those guys who never really needed a Championship to get themselves over with the crowd.
5) "Ravishing" Rick Rude: One of the best bodies in wrestling, Rick Rude had a lot of success in WWF, and it continued when he made his way into WCW. In WWF, he would have a solid run with the Intercontinental Title in 1989. When entering WCW, he did win the NWA title, (which then became the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship), however this was the secondary belt to the WCW Heavyweight Championship, which was held by Ron Simmons at the time.
4) Scott Hall (Razor Ramon): While Hall was just about always a solid upper mid-card talent during his runs in WWF and WCW, he never quite broke into the main event scene. The mid-90s features his best work, with some very memorable matches with HBK, and of course his involvement with the NWO angle. Like Roberts, Hall has had a long history of substance abuse, which likely prevented him from hitting his full potential. Regardless, I still feel as though he would have been a better option for the WWF Title in 1995 compared to Nash, as Nash is widely considered the worst drawing WWF/E Champion ever.
3) Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat: You may have known that Steamboat did win the NWA Heavyweight Championship, however, due to the guidelines of this list and his talent, The Dragon deserves mentioning. Considering the caliber of his matches, with the likes of Savage, Flair and others, you would have thought that Steamboat would have been in line to win the top title during his years in WWF and WCW. For casual wrestling fans, Steamboat's name doesn't often resonate as much as some of the others on this list, which is definitely unfortunate. If you're unfamiliar with his work, I highly recommend looking up his matches with Flair at WrestleWar 1989, or Savage at WrestleMania 3.
2) Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig): In terms of pure wrestling ability, Hennig was one of the best technical wrestlers of all-time. Combine his in-ring talent with his "Perfect" persona and you had a guy that had the whole package. Like others in this list, Hennig was heavily involved with the Intercontinental Title, but never quite reached the upper echelon. Late 1990 to 1991 would have been an ideal opportunity as a heel champion, but the WWE opted to go with Sgt. Slaughter instead in the midst of the Gulf War.
1) Rowdy Roddy Piper: For years, Piper played the villain of all villains, and served a major role in launching Hulk Hogan's legend status in the midst of the 1980s. Following this run, he became one of the most beloved faces, and eventually became the Intercontinental Champion. As one of the greatest entertainers and showman in wrestling history, Piper is who I consider to be the greatest wrestler to have never won a major Championship.
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