10 Bad Movie Performances That Prove These Wrestlers Should Stick To The Ring

Wrestling is a medium that stands unrivaled by the sheer pageantry, athleticism, determination, and overall moxie that is required to consistently put on great shows. It takes a special kind of talent (the kind that usually loves the spotlight) along with true grit to make a solid living off of it, so there is no shortage of highly talented individuals in the industry. However, cinema is an entirely different avenue of entertainment and some of these skills and abilities do not exactly properly translate to the big screen.

Some can make it in both, but not everyone has the sensibility to do so. From schlocky B-movies to Hollywood blockbusters, wrestlers have seemingly always been a part of the pop culture zeitgeist and movies are no different. Just take a look at the success WWE stars like Batista, John Cena, and The Rock have had on the big screen. However, the results are not always the expected entertainment that comes along with their performances in the ring, and these unfortunate outings can be detrimental to their future in front of a film camera.

10 The Ultimate Warrior – Firepower (1993)

Ultimate Warrior brought intensity and ferocity to the ring and rose to the top of the WWE card during the height of Hulkamania in the early 90s. He was impressive in stature and had an iconic look, but found himself floundering in this cheesy action flick.

He does get a decent amount of time on screen to look strong, but the lack of dialogue doomed him from the start. Perhaps he could have had a better chance if he had lines, but with the script being very corny, it probably would not have helped.

9 Jesse Ventura – Abraxas, Guardian of The Universe (1991)

Jesse Ventura in Abraxas: Guardian of the Universe

A wrestler, commentator, and politician, Ventura has shown a penchant for adapting quickly to any of the career paths that he has chosen throughout his illustrious career. He was notably utilized as a tough commando in the horror-action classic Predator (1987) but it is a shame that his onscreen machismo did not translate to this film.

It is clear that the science fiction aspects aren't fleshed out, and it lacks a cohesive script, but it blemished the career of Ventura for how flat his performance came across.

8 Triple H – Blade: Trinity (2004)

This series of comic book movies always seemed to feature over-the-top performances but Triple H’s character came across as another cheesy aspect of the saga. Admittedly not in it for a great deal and actually bringing an important tension and gravitas to the fight scenes, he did not exactly exuberate quality acting.

Furthermore, his performances in WWE Studios' flops The Chaperone (2011) and Inside Out (2011) were even worse, proving that Blade: Trinity probably should have been his last acting gig.

7 Ted DiBiase Jr. – The Marine 2 (2009)

Ted Dibiase Jr. holding a pistol in The Marine 2

Former Million Dollar Champion, DiBiase Jr.'s career is an unfortunate example of someone who cannot live up to expectations. The Marine franchise has most famously been helmed by John Cena and The Miz, with this brief exception between their portrayals and the results are disappointing.

He was given the opportunity to work with great actors like Michael Rooker and Temuera Morrison, which makes him stand out even worse. His deadpan delivery and emotionless expressions suck the life out of every scene, and it is no wonder why this was his first and last film.

6 Hulk Hogan – No Holds Barred (1989)

Hulk Hogan ready to fight in the movie No Holds Barred

At the height of his popularity and sitting comfortably at the top of the wrestling world, Hogan tried taking his talents to the big screen with multiple failures throughout this time. This film showcases him in a role similar to his Hulkster personality, but he took his on-screen magnetism and warped it into a cheesy, campy, and uncomfortably over-the-top performance.

He snarls and flexes his way into film infamy almost immediately, but yet still goes on to further discredit his own legacy by doing corny movies like Mr. Nanny (1993) and Santa with Muscles (1996).

5 Stone Cold Steve Austin – The Condemned (2007)

An interesting look at his character work, The Condemned was one of the earliest attempts at a successful movie by WWE through their then-newly created studio.

The film is mediocre, and it actually has a lot going for action fans, but Austin does not have the complexity to keep the audience entertained in movies. Perhaps in a more colorful role, he could have had a better shot, but this first impression was enough to even call it quits for himself.

4 The Great Khali – The Longest Yard (2005)

The Great Khali and Adam Sandler in The Longest Yard

Getting a surprising amount of screen time in an already stacked ensemble of legendary actors like Burt Reynolds, Chris Rock, and Adam Sandler, Khali is embarrassing as a bumbling oaf in the movie. Lacking comedic timing and quickly becoming one of the most shallow characters in an already one-note film, it was just hard to watch.

All of this looks even worse when realizing that other wrestlers such as Goldberg, Kevin Nash, and Stone Cold all made more impactful appearances in the film, but then again, Khali's in-ring and mic work was never truly lauded for his complexity.

3 Goldberg – Santa's Slay (2005)

Speaking of Bill Goldberg, he has had multiple outings in the world of cinema to relatively mixed results, with this being a bit of a cult favorite among holiday-horror flicks. Santa’s Slay is not a thought-provoking or even interesting film, but it does provide cheap thrills to horror fans who do not mind his ridiculously over-the-top performance as Santa.

After the edgy premise of the movie becomes stale in the early going of the film, it is clear that Goldberg cannot be a leading man and should stick to giving out Spears and stinking up shows in Saudi Arabia.

2 Rob Van Dam – Wrong Side of Town (2010)

Rob Van Dam and Batista facing off in Wrong Side of Town

The marketing of this awful low-budget, low-effort action flick makes it seem like veteran wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista is the star of the film, but it is, unfortunately, RVD who gets center stage in this unfortunate flop. Whether it is his “relaxed” demeanor as a result of his hobbies, or a pure inability to emote on screen, he just could not bring any real intriguing elements to just about any of his scenes.

He did look relatively competent when shooting fighting scenes, but otherwise, it was a largely unmemorable outing and there are almost no redeeming qualities to his performance in the film.

1 Kurt Angle - End Game (2009)

By far one of, if not the worst leading performances by any wrestler in history, this awful low-budget detective thriller is just a complete waste of time. Angle is stilted in his delivery, and stiff in his body language and movement. It does not help that the writing is clunky and that the film has horrible technical production.

Overall, he does not come across as capable of carrying the bad dialogue and questionable story in an entertaining way. Luckily, Angle has since shown up in much smaller roles that echo his in-ring work a bit more and thus gave him a second wind as a supporting extra.