For some pro wrestling fans, their 'Mount Rushmore' of great talents include Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, John Cena, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Eddie Guerrero, even CM Punk. For others, there are some wrestlers overlooked for their talent. They can hold their own in the ring and garner support from fans alike, yet they are either surpassed for bigger wrestlers or simply overlooked because promoters take their presence for granted.

This short list of wrestlers are just a handful of many wrestlers overlooked during their time as pros. Though some still wrestle in the independent circuit, this list has seen a WWE ring at least once in their career. Let's begin!

*Note, this list does intend to rank these wrestlers but rather point out a few who are deemed underrated by their fanbases and even peers.*

1. Shelton Benjamin (Highlights: WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE US Champion, ROH Tag Team Champion, etc.)

"AIN'T NO STOPPING ME! NOOOO!" The opening lyric of this wrestler's theme song encapsulated audiences during his 2002-2010 run with WWE. His amateur wrestling background and partnership with WWE megastar Brock Lesnar garnered a lot of fan interest during his stint in the company. His athleticism and skill in the ring is seen first-hand in some great matches with Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, The Undertaker, even Chris Benoit.

As fans called for a major push and a shot at the WWE Championship, Benjamin left the company in late 2009/early 2010. He later competed in ROH and New Japan while still appearing in other indie promotions. In 2016, WWE advertised Benjamin's return until he tore a rotator cuff and his return was put on hold. It's uncertain if he's still coming back to the company, but fans are still supporting this heavily underrated wrestler even as he rehabs his injury.

2. Taz (Highlights: ECW Champion, FTW Champion, WWE World Tag Team Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, ECW TV Champion, ECW World Tag Team Champion, etc.)

The Human Suplex Machine is still being called underrated even after his retirement in late 2001. Originally seen as a crazy wildman from Tasmania, Taz immediately found success when he returned from injury as an MMA-type wrestler with a heavy-hitting style and suplexes galore...did I also mention his devastating submission move, The Katahajime?

Winning a slew of championships in his run, Taz' status as an MMA fighter propelled him to the top of ECW, and even carried over into WWE (although he never reached superstar status and was subject to mid-card matches). His run as Smackdown and ECW (2006-2010) commentator is still remembered, but it's his legacy as a great wrestler that fans cherish.

3. Rob Van Dam (Highlights: WWE Champion, ECW Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, etc.)

"Mr. Monday Night", although winning a ton of championships (including his short WWE Championship run in 2006), is considered another underrated wrestler to this day. Providing a high-flying style to his furious kicks, RVD became a mainstay in ECW before becoming somewhat of a big name in WWE. His rivalry with Jerry Lynn in ECW is regarded as one of the best rivalries in the promotion's history.

His matches in WWE with Jeff Hardy, John Cena, Chris Jericho and even The Undertaker are still talked about, and his run as ECW TV Champion is remembered as being even better than the ECW World Champion at the time. RVD came back to the WWE in 2014, although it was short-lived, and had some great matches with Alberto Del Rio and Seth Rollins. So, one more run for the Human Highlight Reel?

4. Shane Douglas (Highlights: ECW Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, etc.)

Though some call him overrated, Shane Douglas has remained a constant name in discussions about underrated wrestlers. His short run in WWE (clashing with inner-circle The Kliq that resulted in him leaving the company) is not remembered entirely, and for good reason. His run in ECW is better remembered for his 'Franchise' gimmick. Presented as a heavy-hitting bad guy, Douglas became the first ECW Champion when he threw his recently won NWA World Title to the ground and declared ECW as his promotion. He went on to form the stable Triple Threat before eventually leaving for good and heading to WCW and then TNA.

(Douglas is second from the left with the gold trunks)

Douglas' skill in the ring and presence as a great bad guy is what cements his legacy, although he still wrestles in the independent circuit.

5. Cesaro (Highlights: WWE US Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Raw Tag Team Champion, etc.)

Considered the finest wrestler on the planet today, Cesaro's roots in independent circuits eventually led him to NXT, and then WWE. The Swiss Superman and King of Swing has had an impressive list of great matches in WWE so far: a class 2 out of 3 Falls encounter with Sami Zayn, a Best-of-7 series with Sheamus, and a recent tag team 30-minute Iron Man Match against the Hardys with now-tag team partner Sheamus. The current Raw Tag Team Champion is still considered underrated by fans and peers alike.

Honorable Mentions: Ultimo Dragon, Billy Kidman, X-Pac, Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat, Psicosis, Bam Bam Bigelow, Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Terry Funk, among others.

6. Dean Malenko (Highlights: ECW TV Champion, WCW Cruiserweight Champion, WWE Light Heavyweight Champion, etc.)

The Man of 1000 Holds has been called by many fans and peers as the greatest technical wrestler of all time. The son of legendary wrestler Boris Malenko, Dean established himself as a name to watch when he started appearing on ECW TV in the early 1990s. His classics with Eddie Guerrero and 2 Cold Scorpio eventually transferred over to WCW, where he put on incredible matches with Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, and even his good friend Chris Benoit. Although Malenko was seen as a cruiserweight, he became a member of the famous Four Horsemen stable with industry icon Ric Flair, who believed Malenko would make a great world champion.

Malenko hung up his boots in the early 2000s following a stint in WWE under the Radicalz stable (group of WCW defects that jumped over to WWE), yet fans believed he could've done so much better in the business if he was given the chance.

This short list, again, represents a vast group of wrestlers that could've been bigger names in the business. Whether it was the way they were booked or the way officials saw them doesn't matter: these wrestlers deserve a tremendous amount of credit for their contributions to the ring and should be remembered for what they brought to the table...except Cesaro. He's still got a lot to deliver to fans.