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According to a recent news development, Vince McMahon is reportedly looking to 'shake things up' in the wake of the historic low-ratings recently registered by WWE RAW. WWE's supposed A-Show had just 1.527 million viewers tuning in this past week. Many fans were shocked to see that ratings in key demos fell even below the numbers AEW Dynamite records every week.
While whispers of a shake-up or a major change are seemingly always in the rumor mill, this time it seems like WWE could genuinely look to rebound from this rating-related disaster. That being said, this development may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for some WWE Superstars who have been frustrated due to their lack of usage on WWE programming.
Many newer Superstars have found themselves warming the benches, with management giving them nothing to do. Even viewers who already want the WWE to move into a new era carried by a new generation, WWE could exceed these expectations.
So without any further delay, let's dive in and take a look at five WWE RAW Superstars who might be specifically tasked to help fix the show's rating problem.
#5 Naomi (Drafted to WWE RAW in October)
Naomi, a former 2-time SmackDown Women's Champion, is easily the most underutilized female Superstar in all of WWE. She has found herself doing nothing of note since her well-received return at WWE Royal Rumble 2020. Even though she was involved in a five-way elimination match for the SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania 36, she quickly faded back into obscurity.
Her supporters became so vocal on social media that a minor "Naomi Deserves Better" movement made its way onto WWE TV. A few WWE Superstars even shared their support for her. Things were briefly looking better for Naomi when she defeated the then-champion, Bayley, in a beat-the-clock challenge.
However, an unexpected surgery in September put her out of action for the foreseeable future.
Still, she was drafted to WWE RAW in October, and fans have been clamoring for her eventual return to action. With the current RAW Women's Champion Asuka running out of credible challengers, it might be the right time to bring up Naomi as a potential threat to her title.
#4 Andrade (Drafted to WWE RAW in 2019)
Former NXT and US Champion Andrade has found himself absent from action since October after he lost a match to Angel Garza on WWE RAW. His absence has been related to his recovery from a corrective procedure. But it's also clear that the creative team having nothing to do for him.
Having the potential to steal the show on any given night, Andrade has been booked quite poorly, even during his WWE United States Championship reign. He rarely defended the title on pay-per-view, and his run as the champion suffered from a lack of direction.
Once a force to be reckoned with in NXT, his main roster debut and ensuing series of great matches with Rey Mysterio made fans think he'd get a prominent position on the card. But his push soon tapered off, and he floundered aimlessly for a while. Another string of great matches with Mysterio came to his rescue, but he was still left floating around the tag team division of WWE RAW.
If booked correctly, Andrade has the potential to become a true main-event talent on WWE RAW. His supreme in-ring skills and his natural charisma are undeniable. With the aforementioned shake-up in place, fans could expect a reversal of fortune for the former NXT Champion.
#3 Peyton Royce (Drafted to WWE RAW in 2019)
It's still impossible to make sense of the decision to break up The IIconics. WWE's decision to separate the charismatic duo without any future plan in place was head-scratching, to say the least. While Billie Kay is engaged in some random resume gimmick on SmackDown, Peyton Royce is not fairing any better on the red brand.
Royce is clearly a talented Superstar. Even though there's a lot she can do to improve her in-ring skills, her character work is top-notch. If given the right material, she can easily switch between a sympathetic face and a despicable heel.
The loud response she received alongside Billie Kay when they won the Women's Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 35 is a testament to her audience connection. While their title run didn't yield many great matches, Royce stood out for her boundless potential as a singles star.
Considering the situation WWE RAW is in, the WWE creative team would be wise to give Peyton a much-deserved push. She could easily thrive if she's given an opportunity in the spotlight.
#2 Mustafa Ali (Drafted to WWE RAW in July 2020)
Yes, Mustafa Ali is currently the leader of a faction on WWE RAW. But when you remember that this group is Retribution, it is safe to say Ali is actually closer to the bottom of the barrel. Though he's one of the most talented wrestlers on the roster, Ali has always fallen short of the main-event picture. A Superstar of his level should ideally be at the top of the card wherever he performs.
He was once set to face Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship before an unfortunate injury changed the plan. So bad luck is also to blame for his situation.
But while WWE had several chances to make Ali the star he always deserved to be, they never followed through with them. By handing him the leadership of a faction that was dead in the water before he assumed responsibility, WWE made it clear they had no plans of thrusting him into the main-event scene.
Now that the company is looking to bring changes to WWE RAW, Ali might be in line for a push that elevates him to to the top of the card.
#1 Keith Lee (Debuted on WWE RAW in August 2020)
A predictable yet deserving pick for the top spot, Keith Lee might see a turn in his fortunes soon. His loss on the latest episode of WWE RAW created a furor among the fans. While recent reports revealed that Lee might be taking training classes at the Performance Center, he could be in for a massive push now.
Lee scored a monumental win over Randy Orton in just under seven minutes at WWE Payback 2020, so fans quickly expected him to become a main-eventer. Even though his matches didn't always end with him coming out on top, he was booked quite strongly in his initial few months on the main roster.
But his push was stalled by poor creative choices and counterproductive booking. A clean loss to The Miz and John Morrison last week indicated that the WWE has seemingly given up on him.
Now that RAW seem to be in heading for some sizable changes, fans might see Lee receive a huge push, possibly culminating in a victory in the 2021 Men's Royal Rumble.
