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While every WWE superstar cannot always be given a run with one of the main titles in WWE, there are certainly opportunities to have a more diverse set of superstars as champions in the company.
Year-plus title reigns are things of the past, save for Brock Lesnar's bad runs as Universal Champion and CM Punk's reign a few years ago where he actually appeared and defended his title.
But if they can give Jinder Mahal a title reign, why can't someone like Samoa Joe or Shinsuke Nakamura be given a run with the belt?
The reigns don't have to span from SummerSlam to WrestleMania and they could easily switch things up between those two big PPVs.
WWE has often built up superstars like Samoa Joe and Rusev as dangerous threats only to consistently have them lose when the chips are all in.
Taking into account the current roster of SmackDown, here are five superstars who could have held the WWE Championship at some point and who are more than deserving to do so.
#5 Shinsuke Nakamura
If they really wanted to keep Nakamura, then he'd have either won the WWE Championship from AJ Styles or maintained the US Championship.
As it stood, he won it from Rusev at the Royal Rumble but lost it on the ensuing episode of SmackDown.
His contract is up at the end of April, just like the Usos. They gave the Usos the SmackDown Tag Team titles again, even after Jimmy Uso got arrested. Again.
Mr. McMahon either thinks there is no way Nakamura leaves WWE or he simply just doesn't care about him. He won last year's Royal Rumble but unsuccessfully challenged Styles for the title at WrestleMania 34.
Nakamura is a talent that would immediately be a main-eventer regardless of the promotion which he joined. If he opts not to re-sign, it wouldn't surprise me.
While he did win a Royal Rumble, a win in that match hasn't become a guaranteed sign of winning a championship like it has in the past.
The sheen has truly worn off of the King of Strong Style, but a longer and more meaningful run with a singles title would have kept him as a believable threat to any face champion.
#4 Samoa Joe
At least Nakamura has won the US Title a few times. While that championship isn't akin to success due to its low spot in the titles' pecking order, it at least shows some sort of faith in a superstar.
Samoa Joe could have easily been built up as a threat with a mid-card title run, but he was immediately thrust into the role of 'main-event jobber'.
He's routinely killed on the mic in feuds, but those words have made him look like an empty threat after always failing.
Sure, he belongs in the main event, but after falling to Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins and AJ Styles, Joe has also lost any air of credibility he had when he joined the main roster.
It's not his fault, but when Mr. McMahon mentioned that some superstars have been stale and that they 'ruined' some, Joe is a prime example of that.
He could have lorded over SmackDown as the dangerous submission monster he was built up to be, but instead, he was continually booked to lose.
Joe was the first one eliminated at both Survivor Series and the Elimination Chamber, so perhaps Triple H valued what Joe brought to the table more than Mr. McMahon does.
#3 Rusev
It was refreshing to see Rusev get over organically with the crowd on his own rather than be pigeonholed into the 'foreign heel' gimmick of so many superstars before him.
His popularity did net him a WWE Championship match with AJ Styles at Money in the Bank last year, but he was unsuccessful in his challenge.
Creative could have struck while the iron was hot over the summer, like how they might be doing currently with Kofi Kingston, but Rusev might be permanently in the doghouse after expressing frustrations about his contributions constantly going unnoticed by those in charge.
Vince McMahon might often create some of his product's own problems when he ignores crowd reactions to superstars or simply pushes back against their desires merely because it's not what he wants.
But the fact remains that a little good faith shown to the fans by giving one of their favorites a run with a title would go a long way in helping ratings and providing fans with a reason to stick around.
Like Joe, Bray Wyatt and nearly Braun Strowman, Rusev is one of the superstars that has been ruined by booking through no fault of their own.
And to think he could have really cashed in on Lana's appeal had Rusev been given a serious look as WWE Champion.
Mr. McMahon has always loved Lana since she's a gorgeous blonde, but perhaps she's in the doghouse with her husband for speaking up with their spots in the company.
#2 The Miz
A lot of fans might still despise the guy who came to prominence as a pro wrestler through the atrocious platform that was and is now MTV, and I was admittedly one of them.
But through his loyalty to both the company, the sport and the craft of a superstar, the Miz gained my respect as a WWE Superstar.
He's routinely one of the more entertaining wrestlers on the mic and has carried the mid-card for most of his career.
Like Kofi Kingston's frustrations of never getting a shot after 11 years on the roster, the Miz did have one run as WWE Champion but was often the third wheel in John Cena's feud with the Rock.
Since he's used as such a big ambassador for the company and the fact that he and his family have their own reality show on the USA Network, I'm surprised WWE hasn't given him at least a run with the WWE Championship in order to help 'promote' the show.
He's more than earned it and his recent run as an endearing face trying to please his father might have been the perfect time to put the title on him.
Instead, it looks like he and Shane are destined for a showdown at WrestleMania 35 in order to battle out each other's father issues.
#1 Kofi Kingston
The meteoric rise that Kofi Kingston has experienced over the last month has been fun to watch. We always knew how talented he was, but it was usually only showcased in tag team matches, skits and spots to stave off eliminations in Royal Rumble matches.
But the talent and athleticism have always been there and it appears he might finally be getting his due after 11 years.
Although he recently was replaced in the title match at Fastlane with Kevin Owens, it is likely a storyline device to help build a potential match at WrestleMania 35 with Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship.
It's a shame that the spot was originally supposed to be for Mustafa Ali, but you can't fault a guy like Kingston for running with the ball when it was given to him.
Some superstars spend their entire careers without ever winning the big one (Roddy Piper) yet seem like they should have.
Kingston may have to wait a few months for his chance at glory, but I wouldn't be too surprised if we see a pancake-themed WWE Championship belt replace the new eco-friendly belt.
