The heavyweight championship is the greatest prize in wrestling. Many have worn the coveted strap, plenty of whom deserved it and some, well… not so much, but there were a few classic grapplers that never got the chance.

Here are the top 10 wrestlers that never got to hold the WWE Heavyweight Championship, but probably should have.

Arn Anderson

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Arn Anderson is first on the list because his WWF stint was rather short. A founding member of the legendary ‘Four Horseman,’ the wrestling stable that also featuring legends like Ric Flair and Tully Blanchard, Arn was a great tactician inside the ring and out. He could take on anyone and usually come out the victor. He is a former world tag team champion and all around bad dude, but alas, no heavyweight title in either the WWF or WCW.

‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan

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Who could ever forget the sight of ‘Hacksaw’ marching to the ring with a 2×4 in one hand and the American flag in the other? Duggan may have looked and acted a little goofy — standing with his tongue out and yelling “HOOOOO!” to the other wrestlers, for example. However once the bell rang he got serious quickly, and even won the first incarnation of the Royal Rumble!

Davey Boy Smith

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‘The British Bulldog’ Davey Boy Smith was without a doubt one of the greatest and most intimidating wrestlers to ever compete inside the ring. Not only was he the size of a brick wall but he could out wrestle anyone at just about anytime. As a former intercontinental champion, and two time tag team champion, he wasn’t lacking for gold belts by any stretch. He passed away on May 18th, 2002 but not before leaving a legacy that few could follow.

Scott Hall

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“Say hello to the bad guy!” Scott ‘Razor Ramon’ Hall not only possessed one of the greatest names in wrestling history but he had the talent and chest hair to go along with it. Hall was a four time Intercontinental champion and one of the toughest guys to ever step in the squared circle. Check out his ladder match against Shawn Michaels if you need further proof. Hall, much like AA, never held the heavyweight belt in either WWF or WCW even though he headlined main events in both.

Honky Tonk Man

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One of our favorite wrestlers never to become heavyweight champion is The Honky Tonk Man. The ‘Greatest Intercontinental Champion of All Time,’ held the title for a record 64 weeks before finally losing to the Ultimate Warrior at SummerSlam in 31 seconds. Despite that loss, he was easily one of the most entertaining and surprisingly talented wrestlers to watch with or without his trusty guitar.

‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper

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‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper, the notoriously hot tempered scot, is one of the true great icons in wrestling. He had awesome feuds with the likes Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka, who he famously hit in the head with a coconut during ‘Pipers Pit’ his talk show segment and ‘The Immortal’  Hulk Hogan. Unfortunately Piper never became WWE champ but it never seemed to slow him down as he’s still just as crazy as ever.

Owen Hart

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Brother of Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, Owen was every bit as talented as his brother and trained in the infamous ‘Dungeon’ wrestling school by their father Stu Hart. Despite not winning the heavyweight championship, Owen became a multiple time tag team champion as well as a European and Intercontinental champion.

‘Mr. Perfect’ Curt Hennig

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None other than ‘Mr. Perfect’ Curt Hennig graces the number three spot on our list. Considered by many as one of the greatest to ever compete, he was a two-time Intercontinental champion and who could forget those videos where he showed just how perfect he was. Truly a man of great talent he showed that even though he may never have won the belt…that didn’t stop him from being ‘perfect.’

Ricky ‘the Dragon’ Steamboat

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Ricky ‘the Dragon’ Steamboat is without a doubt one of the all time greats — he was fast, quick and could even breathed fire. Steamboat was one of the only wrestlers never to embrace ‘the dark side’ and become a full fledged heel at any point in his career. He spent his entire career as a fan favorite, most recently taking on ‘Y2J’ Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania XXV and proving that even 15 years away from the ring had not slowed down one bit. While he did win the WCW title, Steamboat never held heavyweight gold in the WWE.

‘The Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase

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‘The Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase was perhaps the greatest villain in the history of wrestling, sporting a maniacal laugh and one of the best theme songs in recent memory. DiBiase was never WWE champ but it didn’t matter to him because he created his own championship, the Million Dollar Belt!

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