Overrated/Underrated Stars of The New Generation

The early 1990s was a time of much trepidation in WWE. The stars of the Golden Era had been committing a mass exodus from the company, and newer, unproven talent took their place.

It was not known what would become of WWE and the ripple effect of that era is still being felt today.

During this era, we had every gimmick imaginable. This was the time of every worker having a job. It was a time when fans had a hard time investing in Hog Farmers and Cowboys.

It was these gimmicks that ruined some wrestlers while making others seem greater than they were. It was the time of the New Generation and all bets were off.

Let’s take a look at the best and worst of these stars from the New Generation.

Overrated: Mabel

Mabel was one of the biggest disappointments of the New Generation. Breaking in with Men on a Mission Mabel had the look that McMahon wanted. The massive individual was an impressive sight but that is where the novelty stopped.

Mabel rarely had the microphone put in front of him. He needed someone to carry that load for him. He was also, massive shock, not the greatest in the ring. He was slow and dangerous to work with. He could have been great in a tag team, but the fact that he was in the main event at Summerslam was an insult to others on the roster.

Underrated: Heel Doink

Yes, babyface Doink was a joke. His programs were terrible and his matches were the worst form of comedy sketches. Which begs the question as to why his initial heel run wasn’t given more legs.

Breaking in as a heel clown was a great idea. Society's fear of clowns, coupled with Matt Osbournes' haunting portrayal made for a truly terrifying character. It also helped that he possessed the technical skills to pull off some great matches.

The heel Doink could have been something in WWE. There was much more to develop with the character and WWE dropped that ball by turning Doink face too early.

Overrated: Jake Roberts

Jake was one of the best parts of the Golden Era. His promo and mat skills meshed perfectly to create a captivating character that we all wanted to see, then he came back for the New Generation.

Jake was too far past his prime during this time. He had slowed down, significantly, and his demons had affected his ability to give us a great promo. He could have been used more efficiently in a backstage role instead of taking up a spot of a New Generation star.

Underrated: Vader

What a disappointment the man from the Rocky Mountains was. In WCW, he was a monster heel that ran through the competition. He became the man to beat and held their World Championship multiple times.

This is how he should have been treated in WWE, but was made to look like a fool. He had the in-ring skills to be a great champion, but due to backstage politics, and Vince McMahon, he was in a short title program and then was moved to the mid-card. It was a disservice to Vader and all the hard work that he put in.

Overrated: Ahmed Johnson

Johnson is a great example of McMahon pushing a star based on his look alone. Ahmed was a physically impressive man, but that is where the luster ended.

He was pushed too soon. He was very green when he entered the company and it showed. His mic skills were non-existent and while he had the athleticism, he didn’t know how to use it. He was unsafe in the ring and stiffed many opponents. It would have better served him to get some more training before getting the push that he did.

Underrated: Bull Nakano

During the mid-90s women’s wrestling wasn’t exactly taken seriously. We were lucky to get one match on the card that showcased the tremendous talent that some of the female wrestlers exhibited. This also meant that Bull Nakano was not given her due credit.

Nakano was a star in Japan and some thought that this would translate to success in North America. Unfortunately, she was never given a chance. Sure, she was given a run with the Women’s Championship, but this was during a time when it wasn’t featured on television. It was awful that her incredible talent wasn’t allowed to flourish in WWE.

Overrated: Adam Bomb

The man from 3-Mile Island was another one of Vince McMahon’s pet projects that never caught on. At 6 ‘6 and close to 300 lbs he was a massive sight to see and checked the boxes that McMahon wanted.

The problem with Bomb was he wasn’t the greatest in the ring. He had his power moves but that was about it. Compared to the smaller, quicker stars of the era he looked out of his element. He was a man suited for an earlier era of professional wrestling.

Underrated: Hakushi

Hakushi was a great heel that never got the spotlight that he deserved in WWE. Once he broke in he quickly went up against Bret Hart. The heel/face dynamic was great there and both men put on some hidden gems that don’t get the credit they deserve.

After his program with Hart Hakushi was given nothing. He was put into mid-card feuds that didn’t allow him to develop as a character. With his in-ring skills and visual presentation, he could have been a great heel for years, but he flashed out before this potential could be realized.

Overrated: Diesel

Big Daddy Cool was an integral part of the New Generation. Should he have been a cornerstone of that era? Absolutely not.

Diesel was a charismatic man. His promos were great but his ability in the ring was lacking. He needed to be working with a great wrestler to put on a great match. This is not something that you want to see from your champion.

Diesel could have still been an important part of the card. With his look and promo ability, he would have been a great foil to many a babyface. Even a short run with the strap would have been permissible, but a year-long reign was a misstep.

Underrated: Skip

Chris Candido was a great wrestler. He was one of the best in any company that he was employed by. When he made his entrance into WWE, as part of the Body Donnas, many thought it was only a matter of time before he got a singles push. When he did he wasn’t given much to work with.

It was not indicative of the talent that he possessed. Even that being said, he took a program with Barry Horowitz and made the world care about it.

His work with Horowitz alone should have pegged him for bigger things but he was shoved into a tag team. It made no sense and was a complete waste of the Body Donna.