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The WWE roster has never been bigger or as talented as it is today. And while it is incredible to see so much talent spread throughout RAW, SmackDown, NXT, NXT UK and 205 Live, with so many talents to push and find storylines for, this leaves others on the sidelines.
Sadly, there are more than a dozen superstars in WWE today who have nothing to do. And the truly sad thing is that several of them are among the most talented in the entire industry today. With so many of them, I have decided to narrow it down to the top 10, which brings me to the top 10 most underutilized Superstars in WWE today.
#10 The Ascension
The Ascension were once the most dominant tag team in NXT, holding the NXT Tag Team Championship for just a few weeks shy of one year. During this time they also maintained a very impressive win/loss record and wrestled everything from squash matches to highly entertaining contests.
Then they made their way to the main roster, and it all changed. Despite a winning streak for their first month, The Ascension seemed to have lost almost all their credibility after comparing themselves to tag team greats The Road Warriors and Demolition, and even implied that they were rip off versions of them.
This unusual script work for them was also not helped by being lambasted by the announce team, particularly heel announcer JBL, who regularly trashed them during their matches every week.
Matters became much worse when JBL, along with APA partner Ron Simmons, The New Age Outlaws and Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and X Pac of the NWO all came together to lay out The Ascension on a 'reunion' episode of RAW.
Although Konnor and Viktor would gain some revenge by defeating the Outlaws at the Royal Rumble event, they soon began to lose matches pretty consecutively. As of this writing, The Ascension have only won one match over the past near three years. I would have given them a higher ranking on this list, but I feel as if their time to rebound is long gone, and only a miracle can save them from their current position.
#9 Bray Wyatt
When Bray Wyatt debuted in both NXT and WWE's main roster, his 'Backwoods Cult Leader' gimmick was by far the most entertaining and interesting gimmick WWE had in quite some time.
He seemed destined for big things, and looking at his career highlights, being a former WWE Champion and WrestleMania programs with John Cena, Randy Orton, and The Undertaker, you would think that things have gone pretty well for the former Husky Harris, but this is far from the case. While Bray Wyatt the cult leader was intriguing and entertaining, his ridiculous booking of supernatural powers and almost cross dressing are not.
Bray Wyatt could have been the next big character and superstar in WWE - he even had on screen praise from The Rock at WrestleMania 32, but it wasn't meant to be. And no, Wyatt himself is not to blame, but rather WWE's booking of his character.
His partnership with 'Woken' Matt Hardy in 2018 only brought him down further. Had they just had him stick to being a 'backwoods cult leader', he would be in a far better place than he is today.
Speaking of, despite not being injured and well capable of competing, Bray Wyatt has been benched since July, as creative have nothing for him. Other than a couple of live event appearances, this former WWE Champion has been sitting at home for the past 6 months and counting, because they have no idea what to do with him.
#8 No Way Jose
Unfortunately, this was a gimmick that was just doomed from the start, even in NXT.
No Way Jose debuted in 2016 in NXT and 2018 on the main roster. Although he had an impressive winning streak in NXT, he was never really used for any storylines. And while he also had a winning streak for his first month or so on RAW, it was still pretty clear from the beginning that he was called up because WWE felt he had done all he could to progress in NXT, despite not having any creative plans for the main roster.
Essentially, No Way Jose is to WWE today what Adam Rose was when he debuted on the main roster, complete with a conga line. Is it too late for No Way Jose to recover? I don't think so, but I think they only thing that can save him today is a gimmick change and possible tag team with someone else who is in a similar situation, like Mojo Rawley.
#7 Bobby Roode
If Bobby Roode was in the same position today that he was in this time a few months ago, he would have probably landed the number one spot on this list. He isn't being completely wasted today, but is still to the point of still cracking the top 10 here.
Bobby Roode is one of the greatest performers in Impact Wrestling history and arguably the best TNA World Champion of all-time. He was also one of the best NXT Champions in the brand's seven year history, and has had one of it's best characters ever to boot to.
This should have all translated to major success on RAW and SmackDown, but it didn't. While Roode did become WWE United States Champion on the blue show, the fact that this born to be a heel superstar debuted as a face, totally deflating what made him so entertaining in NXT.
Roode's move to RAW didn't help things either. Roode has spent several months in an unusual pairing with Chad Gable, and while the two are the current WWE RAW Tag Team Champions as of this writing, it is still not a good fit for the 'Glorious' one.
Allegedly, Roode debuted as a face because WWE didn't want to change his popular 'Glorious' theme music, but also thought it was too over for him to be booed as a heel.
Hopefully WWE's feelings on this change soon because Bobby Roode as a face didn't work in Impact Wrestling, and doesn't work anywhere in WWE.
#6 Tye Dillinger
Tye Dillinger is another superstar whose gimmick may have doomed him from the start. While Dillinger identifying himself as a 'Perfect 10' in every way made for some entertaining heel moments, the big problem with it, which seems like a positive but is actually a negative, is that he got himself over. He was so over in fact, that NXT creative were forced to turn him babyface out of the blue.
Now that doesn't seem like such a bad thing at all, but the big problem is anytime a superstar gets themselves over without WWE's help, creative often struggle to know what to do with them next.
It has worked out spectacularly in the past with Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and most recently Becky Lynch, but it has also fallen flat for many, like Zack Ryder, Damien Sandow, Rusev and Lana, and of course, Tye Dillinger.
The biggest problem for Tye is his '10 Count' has actually gotten more over then the man himself. He had a few wins after he debuted on SmackDown, and even shared the ring in a WWE United Sates Championship match with AJ Styles and Baron Corbin on pay-per-view. Ever since then, though, he hasn't done much at all.
At one point he disappeared from TV for about half of 2018, and resurfaced in the late summer, seemingly forming a tag team with 'friend' R-Truth, but those plans were put on hold with Dillinger getting injured and Truth and Carmella becoming a thing, and now he is back to doing nothing.
Is it too late for Tye Dillinger to recover? No, but it is getting close. As he is too much associated with his gimmick for that to change, a comic tag team may be what is best for him, at least for now.
#5 Tyler Breeze
'Prince Pretty', Tyler Breeze was once looked at as being the most dependable and hard working performer in all on NXT. Breeze was such a big part of NXT years ago that a large portion of the well received hit WWE Network series Breaking Ground was centered around him and he getting called up to the main roster.
After a pretty good run in NXT as Tyler Breeze, the gorgeous one was called up to the WWE main roster in October 2015. There was some buzz that WWE had plans for him to be a top heel, despite an auspicious start by losing his main roster debut match to Dean Ambrose.
Breeze would quickly rebound with a win over Dolph Ziggler at Survivor Series, but would go on a notable losing streak for the rest of the year and into 2016. Breeze would go onto lose more than 20 consecutive TV matches before finally gaining a few wins.
In May 2016, Breeze would form the team 'Breezango', with Fandango and they have been together ever since. While they usually appear in a jobber role, they did gain some popularity in 2017 thanks to their 'Fashion Police' skits, parodying several popular TV series and movies, most notably David Lynch's Twin Peaks.
Fandango suffered a left labrum tear in his shoulder in July of 2018, and has been out of action ever since. Tyler Breeze hasn't done anything of note since his partner's injury, usually only making sporadic appearances on TV in a jobber role. Is it too late for Tyler Breeze to bounce back?
I don't think so. But as a solo star, I think they only place for he to be successful as 'Prince Pretty' is in NXT.
#4 Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
How badly have Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder been booked by WWE lately?
Well, as Curt pointed out on this past Monday's RAW, he has now lost 250 matches in a row. As for Zack Ryder, when he appeared on WWE RAW two weeks ago to aid Hawkins, that would be Long Island Iced Z's second RAW appearance since 2017. What makes that worse, is Ryder was an active member of the RAW roster for all of 2018.
Curt Hawkins has been in this position since he returned to WWE in 2016, while Zack Ryder has been lost in this same loop for more than six years. Despite both men being in these roles for such a long time, I still like to think that not all hope is lost. Both are still very talented and have much left to offer.
They recently reunited on WWE TV as a tag team, and the first time around they were pretty successful, becoming the youngest WWE Tag Team Champions ever. I'm not saying they should be immediately granted a Tag Team title run, but they can easily work their way back up to the top with the TV time and tag team victories they deserve.
#3 Mike & Maria Kanellis
Mike Bennett had a pretty successful run with Ring of Honor. He would also have a very prominent role with Impact Wrestling in 2016 along with wife Maria.
Maria returned to WWE in 2017, along with her debuting husband. They emerged at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, establishing themselves as SmackDown superstars. Their gimmick, literately just them being in love and telling each other it often on TV, was an early warning sign of things going down quickly for them, and that it did.
Although Mike was successful in his debut match, he would go on a very long losing streak from his second match onwards. After almost a year of inactivity on TV, they returned to TV on 205 Live last December, but their appearances have been sporadic ever since. I don't think it is too late for Mike Kanellis to rebound. He is a very talented performer and I think can still be convincing in a prominent role if he garners a bit of a winning streak.
I think what really hurt both of them was skipping NXT and moving directly to the main roster. Their have been reports in recent weeks that both Mike and Maria have requested their release from WWE but were declined. I don't think anyone can blame them.
#2 SAnitY
SAnitY had a pretty good run in NXT, becoming NXT Tag Team Champions and always having a prominent role to play.
Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain were called up to the SmackDown roster on the post-WrestleMania tapings, but wouldn't make their debut until two months later. They had a brief feud with The New Day but haven't done anything else of note. It has now been over two months since they last appeared on SmackDown.
Killian Dain recently asked on Twitter, '' Where is SAnitY '', while Alexander Wolfe replied that he was "Sick of this". And to be honest, I don't think anyone can blame them for this mini-outburst comment from Wolfe and shot at WWE creative from Dain.
The best answer to give to being asked where they are, is obviously that creative has nothing for them, which is truly a shame.
I think the group can easily rebound from their lackluster and almost non-existent booking, and it needs to be soon. Perhaps they should add stable mate to SAnitY, who is another super who is staying at home with creative issues, in Bray Wyatt? It might just pick up both Wyatt and SAnitY.
#1 Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin is one of the greatest missed opportunities in WWE history; the man was born the be a World Champion.
The still super athletic Benjamin returned to WWE in 2017 and formed a tag team with Chad Gable. Following the group's demise in April, Benjamin has only appeared sporadically on SmackDown ever since.
It had seemed like WWE was going to do something worthwhile with him at two different points in 2018. Benjamin picked up big victories over Randy Orton back in May and Daniel Bryan in October, but he was removed from television for several months shortly after both big wins. He returned to TV at the Royal Rumble after over two months away from TV, but has already missed yet another SmackDown show.
Shelton Benjamin is so athletic, so gifted and still capable of wrestling a damn fine match, that it is still very believable for him to return to the spotlight. It is probably too late for Shelton Benjamin to be WWE Champion, but another WWE United States Championship reign shouldn't be out of the question. Anything is better than what they are currently doing with him, or rather, not doing with him.
