1. Tensai- Completely agree, that guy seemed promising when he returned in 2012. And over time, they've just slowly killed any credibility he had. From pinning John Cena clean to only appearing as an NXT commentator under a new name in under two years. His push flopped- though not because of him.
2. Drew McIntyre- I assumed when he first got his push with the IC Championship that he would be a future world champion. He's flopped... just sort of stagnated in 2010 and now is little more than a punching back in the (albeit entertaining) 3MB. I reckon they should just give 3MB a few wins here and there, or have them get into a state like Sandow is on his losing streak. I reckon if they turned these guys into the plucky, babyface jobbers they could get pretty over.
3. Curtis Axel- Unfortunately, yes. I had high hopes when he was repackaged- going from the absolute bottom of the roster to a "Paul Heyman guy". What really ruined it for me was him being a fourth-wheel in a drawn-out Punk/Heyman feud that he just couldn't recover from.
4. Fandango- I heard he was going to win the IC Championship at Payback last year until he suffered a concussion. Had that not happened, I reckon he'd still be a credible guy- and he wouldn't be in this discussion. His character is gold, but pretty much anything he's been involved in since Summerslam has been interminable.
5. Del Rio- I don't think so. His resume reads better than his actual career, granted, but he's been pretty over as both a heel and a face. He's fallen far this year, but otherwise I'd say his career is only a notch below Sheamus'.
6. The Miz- 2010 was the year of The Miz. He looked poised to be a major star. And that all just fell to pieces in 2011. Why he was the third wheel in his WrestleMania feud, or why he faced Jerry Lawler for the WWE title at Elimination Chamber I will never know. He's still a pretty well recognized guy, and I reckon they could restore him-- but his push flopped.
7. Christian- Not sure why Christian's on the list. He had a pretty boss run carrying ECW in 2009 and has been a reliable upper-mid carder when he's not injured. He's never had a super push, but his work with the likes of Orton and Del Rio were entertaining.
8. Ryback- He could've actually been the number one babyface in the company had WWE just not completely screwed up. He could've been absolutely massive had he defeated Punk, or at the very least never have entered the Hell in a Cell match and kept his streak a little while longer. The damage could at least have been reversed if he beat Henry at WrestleMania, was in Orton's shoes when The Shield had their first lost and never turned heel.
9. Paige- Too early to say yet. Her push can't have flopped, it's only just started.
10. Emma- Yes, WWE dropped the ball once again by teaming her with Santino Marella with little to no storylines or character development.
11. Wade Barrett- At first, considerably. His current push has been his most successful since all the way back in 2010. Had the handled the Nexus storyline better, he could've been a legitimate main eventer for several years.
12. Swagger- His World Heavyweight Championship left little to be desired. As much as I like Swagger, I think he's a case of someone who belongs as a mid-carder.
13. Batista- Erm, no? He main evented WrestleMania 21 opposite Triple H... was the lead babyface on Smackdown for a number of years and was a main event talent up until his departure in 2010. His babyface push derailed quickly in January, but since then he's been on a streak of arguably two match of the nights. He's probably the most overrated talent on the roster today, but that's evidence of how his push has not flopped.
14. Zack Ryder- Why WWE chose not to stick with him I'll never know. Genuinely talented guy, one of the best babyfaces they had in 2011 and was a safe worker. He looked and acted like the perfect PG era main eventer. He had a good look, a safe style, a goofiness that endeared him to child audiences but a talent that won hardcore fans over. WWE dropped the ball with him big time.
15. Sin Cara- Yeah, when he was first signed it seemed like a pretty big deal. He's paled in comparison to all of the hype. Mistico just couldn't adapt to the new environment and they did virtually nothing interesting with him once they arrived. I reckon that's a case of booking and the wrestler both severely missing the mark on what they were trying to do with the guy.
16. Tamina Snuka- I can't recall her ever getting a major push. She's one of the few WWE divas with talent, and I reckon she should've turned on AJ properly. A missed opportunity, but not a derailed push...
17. Titus O'Neill- He has yet to do anything since splitting from Darren Young, so I reckon it's difficult to say. If WWE were truly get behind him I reckon it could pay dividends. So far though, the ending of PTP has been completely useless and in fact damaging to a dying (how many times have we said that?) tag team division...