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WWE currently has a wealth of talent in the locker room. The mid-card is stacked with top talent - performers who spent years on the independents, honing their craft. Every WWE Superstar wants to receive top billing - have their faces plastered across towns, be on late night shows, and be the go-to guy or girl in the company.
However, with the amount of talent at the company’s disposal, it is difficult to climb the proverbial ladder. With the WWE machine handpicking who their major stars are going to be, it gets even more difficult for the Superstars to scratch and claw their way to the top.
Numerous current stars have proven time and again that they deserve to get a major push, but for one reason or the other, have had to settle for the next best thing.
Let's take a look at ten wrestlers who deserve to be main eventers in the WWE.
#10 Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn is undoubtedly one of the most underrated and overlooked Superstars in the WWE today. The former El Generico has toiled for years to get into the promotion, and when given the opportunity, has put on stellar matches in the company.
His matches with the likes of Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura captured the imagination of the fans and proved just how good Sami Zayn really is inside the ring.
Since moving to the main roster, however, Sami has been placed in feuds to either make someone else look good, or in pointless rivalries that got him nowhere. On SmackDown Live, he is currently involved in a program with Kevin Owens, and while he has been booked in championship matches, his talents can - and should be utilized better.
Zayn has also proved that he is just as effective as a heel, and deserves to be a main event calibre player in the company.
#9 Luke Harper
With the looks of Bruiser Brody and the agility of a cruiserweight, Luke Harper is one of the more impressive Superstars in the WWE. Harper was reportedly in line for a push in 2016 before he got injured, and is currently teaming up with Erick Rowan.
Luke Harper plays the deranged character to perfection, and has been tipped to become a main eventer in the company. He was arguably the standout performer among the members of the Wyatt Family, and has the looks, and the skills to go a long way in the promotion.
#8 Bobby Roode
The Glorious Superstar was one of the most popular NXT Champions in the brand’s history, as the crowd serenaded him with the lyrics to his entrance music every time he made his way out to the ring. Bobby Roode has already proved that he belongs on the main roster during his brief time on SmackDown Live, where he is the current WWE United States Champion.
Roode isn't new to the big stage. During his time with Impact Wrestling, Roode won the World Championship, and was one of the marquee names in the organization. His decision to jump ships to WWE has already paid dividends, and Roode is considered to be the future face of the promotion.
Considering the mundanity in the main event scene on SmackDown Live, Roode has already earned the right to challenge for the WWE Championship after WrestleMania, with WWE having exhausted all the other options.
#7 Drew McIntyre
It usually does not bode well for a Superstar, handpicked by the chairman himself, to not live up to the expectations in the WWE. Drew McIntyre was supposed to be the next big star, christened as “The Chosen One” by Vince McMahon a few years ago.
The Scottish Superstar, however, failed to make any sort of impact, before eventually getting into trouble with the management, all but ending his dreams of making it big in the company.
Getting a second chance is very rare in the wrestling business. After being relegated to jobber’s status in WWE and his subsequent release from the promotion, McIntyre did phenomenally well on the independents, earning a shot at redemption in WWE.
He won the NXT Championship, before being sidelined with an injury. McIntyre is expected to return to WWE in a couple of months’ time, and deserves to get called up to the main roster.
While McIntyre was supposed to be the face of the company, he now has the chance to hit the reboot button on the main roster, and reach for the stars once again. He has proved that anything is possible through hard work and perseverance, and deserves to be a main eventer in the WWE.
#6 Finn Balor
Lady Luck hasn’t been on Finn Balor’s side. After his remarkable run in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Balor came to WWE carrying a lot of expectations, and during his time on NXT, certainly lived up to the hype. Balor had an impressive run on WWE’s developmental brand, and was drafted to the main roster, where he proved that he could hang with the top tier talent in the company.
2016 was supposed to be the year of The Demon. At SummerSlam, Balor became the first ever Universal Champion. However, he suffered an injury during the match, and had to relinquish the title. With the return of Goldberg, and WWE’s relentless efforts to push Roman Reigns as this generation’s top star, Balor had to take a back seat, and bide his time to get another shot at the championship.
The Irish Superstar certainly doesn’t lack the charisma or the in-ring skills desired from a main event caliber Superstar. WWE also recently paired Balor with Anderson and Gallows, and if booked right, Finn could replicate his run in Japan, and cement his spot as a main eventer in the promotion.
#5 Rusev
We’ve heard about living through Groundhog Day, but at the moment, we’re all living through Rusev Day! Every day is Rusev Day, and the WWE fans are more than happy to show their love and support for this newly ideated holiday. Rusev is one of the most popular Superstars on the SmackDown Live roster, and has the opportunity to emulate what Daniel Bryan accomplished nearly five years ago.
Rusev certainly made a big impact during his first year on the main roster, going undefeated for a year before eventually losing to John Cena. Rusev was booked as an unstoppable monster, but after a while, the creative team lost the plot, and he was lost in the shuffle. Being a part of the League of Nations didn’t help his cause, and he soon found himself on SmackDown Live after the WWE Draft.
Rusev made the most of his opportunities, and along with Aiden English, has certainly captured the imagination of the fans. What could’ve been the death knell for his WWE career has now become an opportunity for Rusev to become a main eventer on SmackDown Live, and one can only hope that WWE doesn’t drop the ball with Rusev, like they did with Daniel Bryan.
#4 Kevin Owens
Remember the time when Kevin Owens head-butted Vince McMahon? Many believed that it reaffirmed WWE’s intentions of making him a main eventer, and that they would put the WWE title on him.
Owens is a former Universal Champion, but was overshadowed by the likes of Goldberg and Roman Reigns on RAW. He has the charisma, mic skills and the in-ring skills to carry the company on his shoulders, and more than anything else, he expects nothing less than hundred percent from himself.
Shane McMahon’s involvement in the feud between Owens and Styles completely killed the former's momentum, and while he was involved in WWE Championship matches, no one expected Owens to win the title. While KOMania hasn’t swept the WWE Universe the way he would’ve hoped, we can see Owens becoming a legitimate main eventer in the company in 2018.
#3 Cesaro
The Swiss Superman is an anomaly. Cesaro is an incredible athlete, and is one of the better workers in the company. While the fans were sceptical about him teaming up with Sheamus, the duo have done remarkably well together, and the current RAW Tag Team Champions have been impressive thus far.
Cesaro is a former United States Champion, and was expected to get a major push after winning Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in 2014. However, Vince McMahon came out and poured cold water over those reports, citing Cesaro’s accent as the main reason why he hasn’t received a major push in the company.
The fans were - and still are high on Cesaro, and the Superstar has proved time and again that he can be excellent on the microphone, as well as in the ring. Cesaro deserves to get his 15 minutes of fame, and hold a world title in the promotion.
#2 The Miz
Back in 2010, when The Miz won the WWE Championship, the fans weren’t exactly thrilled about a relatively green performer winning the richest prize in the business. The Miz went on to defeat John Cena at WrestleMania, successfully defending his title in the process.
The company saw something in The A-Lister back then that the fans didn’t, and years later, The Miz is now proving why he deserves to be a major star in the company.
It took Miz a few years to redefine and reinvigorate his character, and while he was complacent for a few years after his run at the top, he is now one of the most consistent performers in the organization.
The Intercontinental Champion is set to defend his title against Balor and Rollins at WrestleMania, and one would imagine that The Miz will be inserted into the main event scene sometime this year.
#1 Braun Strowman
Former Wyatt Family Member - Braun Strowman
If there was one Superstar that impressed the masses in 2017, it has to be Braun Strowman. Initially a part of the Wyatt Family, Strowman was booked as an unstoppable monster, and he has risen up the ranks in just a year’s time.
Strowman’s rivalry with Roman Reigns proved that the behemoth can hold his own against the top talent, and his feud with Elias has been nothing short of incredible, with both men taking turns and breaking musical instruments over each other!
Strowman's chemistry with Alexa Bliss has also added a different dimension to his character, and Strowman is easily one of the most over Superstars on the RAW roster. While Strowman challenged Lesnar for the Universal title last year, the relative ease with which Lesnar beat Strowman didn’t do much to help the evolution of his character.
Strowman has been kept away from the title picture heading into WrestleMania, but considering the fact that the fans have warmed up to Braun, we may very well see him face Reigns for the Universal Championship later this year, and cement his status as a main eventer in the company.
