'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The wrestling fans react to superstars differently, especially when they want to get their voices heard. Last year was a great example about how the wrestling business is completely different from any other industry. While Batista was chosen by the WWE management to headline WrestleMania, and reportedly win the WWE World Heavyweight championship, the fans forced the management to change their plans, and elevate Daniel Bryan as the company’s biggest babyface.Sadly however, such instances don’t happen often. Most of the times, the organization sticks to the original plan, and it will likely happen this year with Roman Reigns. Some of the current superstars who are “over” with the WWE fans are still being kept off camera, while the original idea of RAW getting the 3 hour slot was to give these superstars the air time they deserve.In this article, we take a look at five current superstars who are being held back.
#5 Zack Ryder
There was a point when Zack Ryder received the loudest pop of the night at Madison Square Garden, and on the same show, got the crowd to chant “We want Ryder”. A month or so later, he won the WWE United States championship, and his career spiked. Unfortunately, that was all she wrote for the superstar from Long Island, as the WWE used his popularity to further John Cena’s feud with Kane, before pulling Zack Ryder back into obscurity.
Ryder used the internet to mobilize his fanbase, and started what WWE later made use of – his own show on Youtube. The Long Island Iced Z gave him the opportunity to show a different side of Ryder, which wasn’t possible on WWE programming. At one point, Ryder was the most followed and loved superstar on the internet, and the entire wrestling world cheered him on, which the WWE couldn’t ignore. Long story short, he won the title while WWE took over his show on Youtube, and that was the end of Ryder’s progress.
Zack is now once again restricted to jobbing to other superstars on Main Event, and it will be a while before he can scratch and claw his way back on RAW.
#4 Dolph Ziggler
Remember the night after WrestleMania when Ziggler finally won the World Heavyweight title, as the crowd erupted, validating Ziggler’s career? I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t, and from then, Ziggler has been kept on the backburner, thanks to him getting into trouble with the management. Ziggler found himself in the doghouse on more than one occasion, due to him speaking out against certain decisions taken by the WWE brass. However, the last quarter of 2014 marked the resurgence of Dolph Ziggler in the WWE, but it looks like that might not have been anything more than a lucky break.
Ziggler was the sole survivor at the Survivor Series last year, and was responsible for The Authority getting fired. As the fans believed that Ziggler was finally getting his due credit, WWE has once again shifted its focus on other superstars. With just a month and a half to go for WrestleMania, Ziggler still doesn’t have a legitimate feud for the big event, although thankfully, he might get to face Daniel Bryan in a match that will undoubtedly steal the show.
But the question remains – will WWE ever give him the ball? The answer might not please the masses.
#3 Dean Ambrose
During Vince McMahon’s podcast with Steve Austin last year, the chairman mentioned Dean Ambrose as one of the very few people to reach for the proverbial brass ring. Although that should mean a lot coming from the boss, Dean’s last two feuds haven’t done justice to his comments however, as first he was used to elevate Rollins, and then Bray Wyatt. With Wyatt touted to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania, the WWE used Dean Ambrose to put Wyatt over.
Ambrose has now expressed his desire to battle Bad News Barrett for the Intercontinental title, which can only be a step down for the lunatic fringe. Battling for a title that he once held isn’t the exact way you elevate a superstar, and with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins having a part to play in the main event at WrestleMania leaves Dean Ambrose as the only former member of The Shield to not be involved in the high stakes affair at the showcase of the immortals.
#2 Damien Sandow
The former savior of the masses has undoubtedly been one of the very few bright spots on RAW in recent weeks. His antics with The Miz has once again given the fans an opportunity to chant his name every week, with “We want Mizdow” ringing in every arena. The former WWE tag team champion is rumored to face The Miz at WrestleMania, but that hardly does justice to the popularity and talent of Damien Sandow.
Cody and Sandow were one of the most entertaining tag teams in recent memory, and Sandow’s failure to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase sounded off the alarms about how seriously WWE were planning to build Sandow. Since then, although WWE reduced him to a comical jobber, he took it in stride and made the most out of it, and is one of the most entertaining superstars on the current roster. Only time will tell if his endurance pays off, but we can only hope that WWE realizes his potential and gives him a big break.
#1 Cesaro
If we talk about underutilized talents, the one name that pops up in almost every conversation is the ‘King of Swing’, Cesaro. As someone who won the inaugural ‘Andre The Giant’ memorial battle royal at WrestleMania, Cesaro should’ve been involved in at least one main event feud as the next edition of WrestleMania approaches, but unfortunately, the reality is far from it. After becoming the newest acquisition of Paul Heyman the night after WrestleMania, it went downhill for the former United States champion.
Vince McMahon said that he did not find Cesaro verbally adequate, and said that “it might be a European thing”. Although Cesaro has since proved Vince McMahon wrong with his hilarious promos, he is still lingering in the mid card, and has teamed up with yet another underutilized talent, Tyson Kidd. Together, they’re easily the most talented team in WWE today, and arguably even in the company’s history! Only time will tell where Cesaro goes from here, but I’m happy that he will at least be on my TV screen – something I can’t say about Zack Ryder.
