7 WWE Superstars who would benefit from a year away from television

In WWE and wrestling in general, Superstars taking extensive hiatuses mostly has to do with injuries sustained in or out of the ring. However, there have been cases before where Superstars have taken a hiatus for creative reasons.

The most recent example of this was Bray Wyatt, who took a hiatus from late August 2018 until post-WrestleMania in April 2019. It was a much-needed break for the former World Champion, as he had been floundering creatively after five years on the main roster.

Braun Strowman revealed that he was unable to get in contact with Wyatt during that time, as he had taken that time to develop an entirely new character, which turned out to be 'The Fiend'.

The Superstars on this list aren't necessarily injured or creatively floundering. However, given WWE's schedule, there are times when certain Superstars can afford to be away from television for an extended time.

These Superstars would benefit majorly from a year off programming:

#7. Dolph Ziggler

Given his run in WWE post-2017, it's easy to forget just how good Dolph Ziggler really is. He's a multi-time World Champion and has the ability to make everyone look good in the ring, even to the point where it has been detrimental to him.

Unfortunately, the storyline with Otis and Mandy Rose was the most important one he had been in a long time, which is a shame considering his position in the second half of 2016. He's had many moments and is all but guaranteed to be a future Hall of Famer, but right now, he's better off taking time away from television. He has plenty of other ventures to fill his time until then and he could return in 2021 with a fresh character and perhaps even a new look.

#6. Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley admitted in an interview that he returned to WWE intending to face Brock Lesnar. Right before the summer of 2018, he feuded with Roman Reigns and beat him clean at Extreme Rules before losing to him eight days later in a #1 contender's match.

Lashley also admitted frustration about that as he felt that he was going to get his dream match against Lesnar that SummerSlam.

He hasn't reached the same level since and in the last four to five months, he has been involved with Lana. His storyline involving Lana and Rusev began at the end of September and went on for months, even being a part of the final WWE segment of the decade.

He faced Aleister Black in a match that didn't have a build and lost, teasing a break-up with Lana. While that's undoubtedly the best direction, WWE needs to start building him as a legitimate challenger to Brock Lesnar.

To do that, a year away might be perfect. It would set him up for a dream clash against The Beast Incarnate at WrestleMania 37.

#5. Rusev

Rusev was a Superstar who surprisingly benefited at first from the storyline with Lana and Bobby Lashley. While his popularity as a babyface had risen drastically at the end of 2019, his momentum soon fell as he never registered a victory over Bobby Lashley in a singles match.

Soon enough, he got injured and the storyline ended with no payoff whatsoever. While it's not known how long he's going to be out of action, he's a Superstar who can likely afford to stay off programming for the next year or so.

Right now, the roster is stacked and Rusev may not have too much to do creatively. While he's regularly involved in storylines, perhaps taking a full year away would be better for him, as he could return by WrestleMania season or after in 2021.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder and once he's back, fans will realize what they missed with Rusev away. Perhaps it could be essential in him taking a step up in the card.

#4. John Cena

John Cena and puppet Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 36

John Cena is one of the greatest of all time and is perhaps the most well-respected part-timer in WWE today. He's certainly earned his reduced WWE schedule, but he's made it no secret that he'll stick around until the day WWE tells him that he isn't needed anymore.

Luckily for us, Cena is still in great physical shape and when he returns, it feels like he never left. In every appearance that he's made since becoming a part-time Superstar, he's shown that he's always one step ahead of everyone and has been one of the most selfless top stars in WWE history, putting over a plethora of Superstars in the last few years.

The truth is that John Cena isn't needed as frequently anymore and his rare appearances make any program he's in even more special. Perhaps he would benefit from spending a year in Hollywood and coming back around WrestleMania 37 season, especially since he was seemingly written off at WrestleMania 36 in the Firefly Fun House match.

#3. Shorty G/Chad Gable

Chad Gable has been in creative limbo for a while now, with his last major storyline being against King Corbin before and after King of the Ring 2019. He fell short and looked to be getting a push, but he hasn't done much since and doesn't look to be in a position to be utilized at the moment.

Gable is an incredibly gifted athlete and cuts a good promo too. All he needs is an opportunity to get over and he can prove why he's been WWE's most underutilized Superstar for years.

It's already been over two years since Jason Jordan last appeared on TV and since then, Gable hasn't gotten as far as he would have hoped. Despite this, there's a lot of time left for him and if he were given a year off, he could return with a big impact.

He has what it takes to be a top Superstar in the future. If given the chance, he can likely do justice to the Kurt Angle comparisons that were made a few years ago.

#2. The Undertaker

Should The Undertaker make a premature return?

This might be the most surprising addition to this list and surprisingly so. We wouldn't disagree with you if you argued that the "new" Undertaker should return sooner rather than later.

The argument has valid points, as he's returned with a gimmick change - something that he's needed for years. The Boneyard match he had against AJ Styles was undoubtedly his best in seven years and while some believed this to be a result of the editing done for the match, there were many more aspects to it that made it the match that it was.

With that said, should The Undertaker return for the next Saudi Arabia show or even SummerSlam? There are plenty of exciting opponents, but the question comes up as to how frequently he should appear.

Having a pre-taped match is different from a live one and he's unlikely to face a Superstar of AJ Styles' caliber from an in-ring perspective. Maybe returning after a year would serve to help him and protect his change in character.

#1. Goldberg

Many would argue that Goldberg has done enough to cement his legacy and that his last three matches weren't necessary. Since his 2018 induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, he's had four matches - against The Undertaker, Dolph Ziggler, 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt, and Braun Strowman.

He's won two out of the last four, with many criticizing the decision to have Goldberg beat 'The Fiend' to win the Universal Championship. Either way, he put Braun Strowman over at WrestleMania 36 and will likely be away from WWE TV for a while. There's a higher chance of him getting a warmer reception if he's in a non-title feud - and he's certainly big enough where he doesn't need one.

However, we realize that he's offered big-money contracts to appear and at the end of the day, he's a bigger draw than almost all of the WWE roster.

If he is to return, a year away from TV would do him good. It would give him a chance to rest as well as return for a more exciting program.