For one reason or another, these five athletes never panned out in Las Vegas.
#5 Ryback, former Las Vegas WWE superstar
WWE has a rule about doing what’s best for business, and Las Vegas native Ryback was not it. The former WWE tag team champion started as the company’s new monster heel but quickly became the punching bag for the good guys.
He did enter the WWE championship conversation twice, resulting in him getting his butt handed to him every time. The first was at Hell in Cell 2012, where a referee hit him below the belt, costing him the title against CM Punk. He fought Punk several times in the ensuing months, culminating in Punk losing in a ladder match on an episode of Monday Night Raw.
He returned to the title picture a short time later against the company’s franchise player, John Cena. This is essentially where Ryback’s downfall began. He fell victim to Super Cena and was promptly knocked out of the title picture as a result. He later found some success as an Intercontinental champion and tag team champion but never got back to the same heights. WWE eventually released him after a contract dispute.
Fast forward to 2024, and Ryback is known as the troll of the wrestling world. He has repeatedly posted a poll asking fans whether he should return or retire, only to deactivate it when fans vote for him to retire.
#4 Darren Waller, former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver
Darren Waller is a perfect example of a player on the right team at the wrong time. He finished his first season in Las Vegas with 107 receptions, 1196 yards, 11.2 yards a carry, and nine touchdowns. Things went downhill from there, however.
Waller finished the 2021 season with 58 receptions for 665 yards and two touchdowns. That’s a pretty significant drop in targets and was likely due to multiple factors. Derek Carr’s career was on the line at the time, which could be why Waller got lost in the shuffle. Another reason is that Josh McDaniels took over and saw little use for him.
Under the McDaniels regime in 2022, Waller suffered multiple injuries and continued to get overlooked. He only caught 28 receptions for 338 yards and two touchdowns. That was his worst season by far, and he was traded the following year.
#3 Liz Cambage, former Las Vegas Aces center
Sometimes, the only person who stops you from reaching success is yourself. That’s precisely what happened to Liz Cambage throughout her WNBA career, including during her time with the Las Vegas Aces. She signed with the team in 2019 and did a great job as center.
The problem supposedly was that Cambage wanted more attention and didn’t like taking a backseat to A’ja Wilson. This problem was exacerbated by her opting out of the 2020 WNBA season due to mental health concerns, which many fans took issue with. They thought she was turning her back on the team.
While that is an unfair assessment given the situation at the time, her rumored ego was discussed heavily after the decision. She returned in 2021, putting up 14 points, eight rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. Despite these numbers, she was still unhappy with her position on the team and left for the Los Angeles Sparks in free agency.
That turned out to be the best decision, however, after Cambage was caught making racially insensitive remarks during Olympic training. She also dropped out of the Olympics as a result of her actions but again claimed it was due to mental health. Cambage even made racially derogatory remarks towards her new teammates, eventually leading to her retiring from the sport.
#2 Marc-Andre Fleury, former Las Vegas Golden Knights goalie
The story of Marc-Andre Fleury is very confusing. He’s an example of someone who can do everything right and still be cast off for someone better. Fleury first joined the Las Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, posting a record of 29-13-4. He improved upon that record in 2018 but started to decline shortly afterward.
Fast forward to 2020, Fleury’s performance declined to the point where the Golden Knights brought in Robin Lehner as a backup. The result was a competition for the starting position that would play out during the NHL’s pandemic bubble season. Both goalies played in the seeding games, dividing fans on who should have the starter role.
While Fleury had a lackluster regular season as he tried to regain his form, he was the standout player in the postseason. The man even won the Vezina Trophy for best goalie in the league after he started 17 straight games for his team. Despite these gutsy efforts, Fleury was traded to move around cap space and left the team with Robin Lehner.
#1 Derek Carr, former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback
There’s no easy way to talk about Derek Carr’s time as quarterback of the Las Vegas Raiders. Some believe he was the answer for Las Vegas and just needed more development. Others focused more on his fear of taking a hit and his turnover issues.
Things started promisingly enough in 2020 after Carr threw for 4103 yards, 27 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. However, despite these numbers, the Raiders still finished 8-8, missing the playoffs by a large margin.
Fast forward to 2021, and Derek Carr’s performance could best be described as a mixed bag. He did throw for over 4800 yards and 23 touchdowns. The other side of that, however, is he threw 14 interceptions while finishing with a worse passer rating. By 2022, it was clear that this would be Carr’s last chance to remain as the starter.
And this last chance went nowhere. Carr finished that season with 3522 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 14 more interceptions. This effort was the end of Carr’s time in Las Vegas, which many took as a good thing.
