'%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)
Every once in a while, somebody joins WWE’s main roster and quickly establishes themselves as one of the top Superstars on Raw or SmackDown Live – Kevin Owens, for example, or AJ Styles.
However, not everybody is that fortunate, and it can sometimes take a little longer for the WWE Universe (and WWE’s decision-makers) to realise just how great and valuable a performer can really be.
In this article, we take a look at five of the most underrated current Superstars on the main roster.
#5 Chad Gable
If it wasn’t already clear during his American Alpha days, Chad Gable showed in his singles matches against AJ Styles and Rusev on SmackDown Live in 2017 that, given enough time, he really is one of the best in-ring performers in all of WWE.
Since splitting from Jason Jordan, the 2012 Olympian has formed a somewhat underwhelming tag partnership with Shelton Benjamin, and the duo failed to capture the SmackDown Tag Team titles in four televised matches between November 2017 and January 2018.
Gable’s performances during those matches, especially in the four-team tag match at Clash of Champions, were particularly impressive and it will surely only be a matter of time before he is given some meaningful singles storylines on Raw or SmackDown Live.
For now, though, he hasn’t been involved on WWE television over the last month and the best he can hope for at WrestleMania 34 is a spot in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
#4 Apollo
Despite being placed in some of the most underwhelming matches and storylines imaginable during his two years on WWE’s main roster, Apollo never fails to wow the crowd at least a couple of times per match when he’s given an opportunity on Raw.
With a more developed character, which is much-needed, the Titus Worldwide member could have Match of the Night contenders with the likes of Finn Balor, Seth Rollins and AJ Styles and he wouldn’t look at all out of place.
However, until he connects with the audience on a more consistent basis and he finds a way to make fans care more about his matches, he’ll forever have the ‘potential’ and ‘underrated’ tags by his name.
#3 Curtis Axel
As tempting as it is to include The Miz in this list, the eight-time Intercontinental champion has won over more fans in the last year than ever before, so it’s safe to say he no longer fits in the ‘underrated’ category.
Instead, let’s focus on Miztourage member Curtis Axel – a man who was propelled right to the top when he was repackaged in 2013, only to fall down the card and into WWE obscurity after short stints as a Paul Heyman Guy and as a glorified Hulk Hogan impersonator.
While his early work with Heyman left a lot to be desired, Axel significantly improved as a character during his tag team run with Ryback, and then he became one of the most entertaining parts of Raw every week when he complained that he was never eliminated from the 2015 Royal Rumble.
Thankfully, after two years with next-to-no storyline direction, Axel is back on track as part of The Miztourage, but it still feels like someone with his undoubted ability, both in the ring and as a performer, should be more highly regarded than he is.
#2 Becky Lynch
Of all the female Superstars currently on the main roster, there’s an argument to be had that Becky Lynch is the most talented of them all.
The Irish “Lass Kicker” has good matches with whoever she is up against, and when you consider that she is one of the few WWE Superstars who is universally liked by the majority of the fanbase, you would expect her to receive more opportunities than she currently gets.
Since her SmackDown Women’s Championship rivalry with Alexa Bliss finished in early 2017, Becky has been involved in just one televised title match (WrestleMania 33) and she has hardly had any meaningful singles storylines, often playing sidekick to Naomi and Charlotte Flair instead.
Granted, she still gets plenty of television time on SmackDown Live, but it feels like Becky is massively underrated and she deserves to be involved in more important storylines after WrestleMania 34.
#1 Big E
While watching a recent episode of SmackDown Live, it dawned how Big E is genuinely one of the best entertainers WWE has had in the last decade, and if he wasn’t a WWE Superstar he could easily carve out a career for himself elsewhere in the entertainment business.
His character works perfectly fine right now alongside Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston in The New Day, but it feels like the former NXT champion has the talent to go all the way to the top as a singles competitor in WWE and that he could be even more successful on his own (while still remaining part of The New Day).
He’s got the in-ring ability and fan support to be a legitimate contender for the Universal or WWE title someday, while his recent promos on SmackDown showed a more intense side to his character which would be much-needed in major title storylines.
