When a wrestler reaches the heights of being a World Champion in WWE, they’re often considered to be among the best in the world at professional wrestling. It isn’t just down to in-ring talent either, as fans expect them to be the complete package in terms of gimmick, promo ability, and charisma.
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The latter is arguably the most important because that’s ultimately what leads to a memorable connection with the WWE fans. Over the years, there have been some extremely charismatic World Champions, from The Rock and Kurt Angle to Daniel Bryan and John Cena. However, not every World Champion has been able to tick this box, as there have been a few that were devoid of this crucial element.
10
The Great Khali
He Lacked Any Charisma As A Monster Heel
|
Number Of Title Reigns |
Titles Won |
WWE Tenure |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
World Heavyweight Championship |
2006-2014 |
The Great Khali was someone who stood out whenever he came out to the ring due to his size and stature. That was the reason why Vince McMahon pushed him to being a World Champion because his talent wasn’t at the level most people would expect from a wrestler in this position.
WWE gave him a manager in Ranjin Singh, and it was him who did all the heavy lifting in terms of charisma and personality. Singh was the man who delivered all of the promos and that helped Khali as he was lacking in that department.
9
Diesel
Kevin Nash Grew His Charisma In WCW
|
Number Of Title Reigns |
Titles Won |
WWE Tenure |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
WWE Championship |
|
Most fans are aware of Kevin Nash being someone who had a lot of charisma, but that all came out during his time in WCW. Being paired with Scott Hall seemed to drag that out of him, while his first run in WWE didn’t deliver when it came to charisma.
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Diesel was an effective big man who could hold his own inside the ring, but he didn’t push his personality anywhere near enough for a man in his position on the card. He was one of the lowest-drawing World Champions in history, and his lack of charisma was part of that.
8
Sycho Sid
He Had The Look, But Not The Personality
|
Number Of Title Reigns |
Titles Won |
WWE Tenure |
|---|---|---|
|
2 |
WWE Champion (x2) |
Sycho Sid is another example of a wrestler who WWE opted to push due to how he looked. There’s no denying he had an incredible physique, and that meant all of his matches has a big-fight feel because he was genuinely intimidating inside the ring.
However, on the microphone he struggled massively and it led to him being see as a performer who had no charisma. Sid didn’t bring much when it came to emotion or promos, and that’s why he’s often forgotten as a World Champion.
7
Roman Reigns (Big Dog Version)
His Older Gimmick Was Rejected By Fans
|
Number Of Title Reigns |
Titles Won |
WWE Tenure |
|---|---|---|
|
4 |
|
2014-2020 |
Roman Reigns’ World title run as the Tribal Chief is one of the greatest in WWE history, and that’s because he oozed charisma and confidence. The way he carried himself in the ring throughout that run showcased that he was firing on all cylinders and believed in himself, which wasn’t the case previously.
His World title spells when working as the Big Dog were bland and forgettable, despite his obvious high potential. Fans simply rejected the character and he had no confidence or conviction on the microphone which hurt his development.
6
Yokozuna
He Had A Unique Character But Didn’t Get Much Promo Time
|
Number Of Title Reigns |
Titles Won |
WWE Tenure |
|---|---|---|
|
2 |
WWE Championship (x2) |
1992-1998 |
Yokozuna was a brilliant in-ring talent and a super-heavyweight who knew how to make the most of his size inside the ring. He pushed his character when needed, but Yokozuna wasn’t someone who oozed charisma. Instead he just got into the ring and let his domination do the talking.
That worked for him as the gimmick got over and he did deserve to be a World Champion at that time. However, his run isn’t one of the most memorable due to his lack of charisma.
5
Bob Backlund
He Didn’t Adapt With The Times
|
Number Of Title Reigns |
Titles Won |
WWE Tenure |
|---|---|---|
|
2 |
WWE Championship (x2) |
|
There’s no denying the in-ring talent of Bob Backlund, as he was someone who could hold his own against anybody inside the ring. He worked an intense style that people enjoyed watching, but his gimmick was far too clean cut and standard.
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Backlund didn’t evolve or kick on, and that was a huge shame. Had he adapted with the times then it could have created a memorable run and would have enhanced his legacy with audiences.
4
Kane
This Version Wasn’t Scary Enough
|
Number Of Title Reigns |
Titles Won |
WWE Tenure |
|---|---|---|
|
2 |
|
1995-2021 |
There was a time when Kane was extremely charismatic, but he only had a one-day run as WWE Champion at that point when he was masked. This was an intimidating version of Kane who had a genuine presence and was feared by everyone, but when he got a legthy run as champion he was struggling with charisma.
Kane would give lengthy promos filled with complex words at this point, which was supposed to convey him as a intelligent monster. However, it didn’t get over in the way WWE thought it might and the character failed to provide the fear that people wanted.
3
Batista
He Lacked In Confidence Until His Final Run
|
Number Of Title Reigns |
Titles Won |
WWE Tenure |
|---|---|---|
|
6 |
|
Batista had a great look and an intense personality, and he was able to bring all of that to the ring. His matches were always hard-hitting and he understood how to get the best out of his powerhouse style to draw fans into everything that he did.
However, he wasn’t one of the most charismatic people. That’s something Batista would admit himself, as his promos were often lacking in quality when compared to others. It wasn’t until his final WWE Championship run where things finally clicked.
2
Goldberg
He Relied Upon His Intensity
|
Number Of Title Reigns |
Titles Won |
WWE Tenure |
|---|---|---|
|
3 |
|
|
Goldberg knew what he was doing in WWE, hitting the ring with tons of intesity and leaving as quickly as possible. WWE built him up like a machine and that formula worked. He’d turn up, run through his opponent in a brief match, and that was it. There was no real character or personality, instead it was just about him being a powerhouse.
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Fans bought into him in that role due to how WCW had pushed him over the years, but he wasn’t overly charismatic. There have been other wrestlers who worked limited time such as Brock Lesnar, but they had way more personality to offer.
1
Jack Swagger
He Failed To Connect With Fans
|
Number Of Title Reigns |
Titles Won |
WWE Tenure |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
World Heavyweight Championship |
2006-2017 |
Jack Swagger certainly had the tools inside the ring as he put together good performances without ever blowing people away. He was a reliable midcard talent who didn’t need pushing any higher, but that didn’t stop WWE from giving him an opportunity to become the World Heavyweight Champion.
Unfortuantely, Swagger was lacking the charisma needed to be a memorable World Champion as fans didn’t want to see him in that position. It stopped his title run from being something audiences cared about, with his inability to get over being a obvious sticking point for him in the long term at this level.
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