JBL Says WWE Missed The Boat With This Former Star

With the depth of talent that has existed in WWE over the years, some Superstars they sign fly under the radar. In the case of former three-time WCW World Television and one-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, Marc Mero, he never got his big moment to shine like others did during the Attitude Era. 

In an interview on "Something To Wrestle," John "Bradshaw" Layfield remembered Mero's impressive boxing background, including four New York State Titles and Golden Gloves recipient, before joining WWE, and explained why he is still in awe over how far WWE dropped the ball on Mero.

"I mean, here's a guy with a legit resume. It's hard to win the Golden Gloves Tournament," JBL complimented. "He was training with Ray Rinaldi, a great pro boxing trainer. He was going to be a pro boxer, and something ended up happening with a facial injury, a nose injury, or something that derailed his boxing career."

Mero joined WWE in 1996, after a spell with WCW, but his run with WWE lasted just three years.

Dusty Rhodes, known for having a sharp eye for a talent's potential, helped build Marc Mero's promising prominence during his WCW career. Unfortunately, Mero got lost in the shuffle when he voyaged to WWE, as did others who branched out to WWE. In 1998, when the Brawl for All was announced, Mero looked to be a top contender in the boxing/wrestling hybrid tournament on paper, especially with his prior background in combat sports. Again, to no fault of his own, his potential was underutilized after the quarterfinal round to JBL, which the former WWE Champion says should have never been that way.

"And then he gets down to WCW, and I believe it was Dusty [who] figured out what he did well. He did that 'Johnny B. Badd' really well. He was really over," JBL recalled. "Marc was, I believe the first guaranteed contract that they gave away to somebody. They really thought he could be the guy. The problem was without Dusty there. The gimmick didn't work as well. I think the Brawl for All hurt him, too. To me, I think they really missed the boat with him.

Mero now carries the light he should have had in the squared circle over as a motivational speaker for his organization called Champion of Choices, a non-profit organization that works with youth to inspire them to face everyday challenges.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.