When a wrestling fan is looking to watch a wrestling event, they are looking to experience an emotional roller coaster in the confines of an athletic contest conducted by over-the-top characters. Ultimately, a wrestling fan is well aware of the calibre of performance they are going to get based on the wrestlers involved because they know how to perform as that character. However, the world of film and television does not play by the same world as professional wrestling, which can throw these athletes for a loop.

It is not uncommon for wrestlers to venture away from the squared circle and into Hollywood, and there are prime examples of when this works very well. Former WWE wrestlers like The Rock and John Cena have gone off to have great careers outside of wrestling, but these examples are certainly the exception to the rule. It is very easy to locate wrestlers who are attempting to transition into acting, only for it to become very apparent from their Rotten Tomatoes scores why they started out as wrestlers and not actors.

Ready To Rumble Is Something Fans Love To Hate

The Acting Inexperience Of The WCW Roster Was Very Obvious

To think that WCW was so big at one point in history to receive its own big-budget Hollywood movie is difficult to understand for modern wrestling fans. However, the promotion still achieved strong ratings while the movie was filming, and WCW’s business remained solid in the early part of 2000. Unfortunately, that does not mean the movie was guaranteed to be good, even for wrestling fans.

With appearances from the likes of Bill Goldberg and Diamond Dallas Page, it is quickly clear that their talents are better left inside the ring. Despite playing the same characters they do while wrestling, their comfort level is evidently low. Considering this movie resulted in David Arquette being crowned WCW World Heavyweight Champion, it is better left erased from history altogether.

Anyone Would Have Struggled To Make This Funny

To say that there are parts of The Big Show’s wrestling career that are embarrassing would be an understatement. For every world championship or record that he has broken, there is a part of his career that makes fans bang their heads against a wall. Unfortunately, the same can be said for any attempt Paul Wight has made as an actor.

Despite making fans laugh as Captain Insano in The Waterboy, The Big Show would eventually follow this up with the WWE Studios film Knucklehead where he played an adult orphan who was looking to be adopted. The film was such a colossal disappointment that even the actors involved called it one of the most embarrassing parts of their career, and The Big Show is a big part of that.

The Jesse Ventura Story Tells So Many Lies

Nothing From This Film Should Be Taken Seriously

Made-for-television movies should not be considered the epitome of Hollywood greatness. In fact, part of the reason that films of this calibre go direct to television instead of getting a theatrical release is due to the quality of the film itself. So when a Jesse Ventura semi-autobiographical film came on television in 1999, fans were not holding their breath for an Oscar-worthy film.

The movie itself is laughable because it takes many liberties with wrestling history, including insinuating that Jesse Ventura took part in the Montreal Screwjob. However, the combined performances of Bill Goldberg and Kanyon, who play a version of Lex Luger and Mortis respectfully, stand out among the poorest actors in the film and make it even more cringe-worthy.

Shawn Michaels Can Do Alot Of Things, But Acting Isn’t One Of Them

Michaels’ Acting Was Cartoonish Even For Baywatch

In 1996, Shawn Michaels was among the most untouchable performers in WWE. With his combined athleticism and charisma, The Heartbreak Kid was not only one of the greatest wrestlers on the roster at the time, but he was making a name for becoming one of the greatest of all time.

Ultimately, this led to opportunities outside of WWE to showcase his talents and promote his parent company. While this has been a successful tactic with most wrestling stars, it is not going to be successful for everyone. Shawn Michaels’ performance as Vinnie the mobster in an episode of Baywatch is proof of that, and he looked out of place as an actor. It should be no surprise that this was one of Michaels’s few acting roles during his active career.

Frankie Kazarian Picked A Poor Choice For His First Film Role

When it comes to films made about the world of professional wrestling, there are surprisingly very few, particularly by the year 2000. Despite the popularity of wrestling, inside knowledge of the wrestling business was still kept close, so making a movie about it would be difficult and highly dramatized.

The low-budget Backyard Dogs was among the first films to try and portray the world of independent wrestling, and it struggled to come across as a credible film. It is widely forgotten by those in the industry, except for Frankie Kazarian and Hayabusa who were the only legitimate wrestlers in the film. Given that this was each of their first films, they likely wished it could have been something bigger and when they were each more experienced.

Blade 3 Appeared Before The MCU Started And Is Better Left Forgotten

Triple H Did Not Work Well As A Vampire

Triple H’s dedication to the wrestling business is second to none, which not only allowed him to reach the top tier of wrestlers during his long career but has also helped him climb the corporate ladder. Without his work ethic, it would have been difficult for him to be as successful as he has been over the years.

Unfortunately, that same success did not occur when he attempted to break into the Hollywood scene. Triple H’s first mainstream film role was in Blade: Trinity as the vampire Jarko Grimwood, and while his involvement did not directly end the franchise, it did not help keep it around for any future films.

Hulk Hogan’s Acting Career Was Never Oscar Worthy

Three Ninjas: High Noon At Mega Mountain May Have Been His Worst

There are few fans of either films or wrestling who would point at Hulk Hogan’s acting career and call it critically successful. Whether someone has watched either Mr. Nanny or Santa With Muscles, it is very easy to recognize that Hogan’s strengths remained as a wrestling performer and not an actor during his heyday.

However, Hogan’s worst attempt at acting came from the fourth film in the children’s kung-fu franchise, 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain. At this point, the franchise itself was on its last legs, but Hogan’s over-the-top and zany performance as Dave Dragon did not help revitalize it in any way in the eyes of fans.

Dolph Ziggler Should Stick To Showing Off In The Ring

Countdown Was Just Another Poor WWE Action Film

From the moment WWE Studios was created in 2002, it was quickly apparent that the films it produced would not be in Academy Award contention anytime soon. These films are also vehicles for wrestlers to pursue acting careers, which wind up showcasing why those wrestlers should remain in the squared circle instead.

While Dolph Ziggler consistently performed as one of the most underrated wrestlers on the roster during his WWE tenure, his first foray into acting showed that movies were not his strong suit. Ziggler has showed off his comedy chops as a standup comedian, but he was not successful when trying to be taken seriously in an action-drama film in 2016’s Countdown.

Goldberg Should Have Turned Santa’s Slay Down

A Santa Claus-Themed Horror Movie Isn’t A Good Idea For Anyone

The premise of a movie revolving around a crazed Santa Claus going on a murder spree over Christmas is enough to make any movie-goer roll their eyes. However, once the fact that Bill Goldberg plays the titular Santa Claus comes to light, things become even worse.

Goldberg’s wrestling persona was well known for squash matches and the mystique of hardly ever speaking. It is unfortunate that neither of those principles were applied to Goldberg’s first large starring role in a film, as Santa’s Slay did nothing to showcase any of his strengths.

Giant Gonzalez Couldn’t Get It Done In The Ring Or On The Beach

The Baywatch Team Was No Place For The Giant

On the list of the most questionable performers in WWE history, Giant Gonzalez is always near the very top. Beyond his gargantuan size, Gonzalez did little to entertain fans during his wrestling career, as he struggled to perform even the most basic wrestling maneuvers, regardless of the legends who tried to carry him through a match.

Gonzalez’s size also led him to several film and television credits, but unfortunately, he performed about as well on camera as he did in the ring. When performing as Manuel the Argentine Giant during an episode of Baywatch, it was evident he was only cast for his size and not his acting ability.