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It took nearly five years for Apollo Crews to experience even the smallest level of success in WWE. He was fast-tracked to the main roster with less than a year under his belt in NXT, and many fans felt that he was called up too soon.
As it turns out, he was. Crews spent nearly five years in creative limbo, with no opportunity to develop his character. He even fluttered between RAW and SmackDown, but his move to the red brand in 2020 proved to be a game-changer.
He finally saw his first bits of success in WWE, as he won the United States Championship last year. While his reign only lasted a few months, it was his first stepping stone.
Some fans thought that Crews' move to SmackDown was a death sentence for his WWE career, but he recently debuted a fresh character. He's officially a heel now, and this gimmick leans on his royal Nigerian roots.
Slamming any stereotypes, Crews said that he comes from wealth rather than "the hood." The former United States Champion is thriving with his new attitude, so it's fair to wonder which other Superstars could benefit from a fresh coat of paint.
Here's a look at five WWE wrestlers who need to follow Crews and emphatically change their character.
#5. Dominik Mysterio needs to follow a different WWE career trajectory than his father
Dominik Mysterio's push is an interesting case study. He is turning 24 years old in a few months, so he's one of the youngest superstars on the WWE roster. But fans shouldn't expect him to follow the path of Randy Orton or Brock Lesnar win a world title in the near future.
Instead, the WWE Universe can look for Mysterio to gradually climb up the card. That way, he can develop a good foundation as a performer. In the ring, Mysterio has been able to stand toe-to-toe with top-level superstars, but his ability to craft a personality will ultimately determine his success in WWE.
Hopefully, WWE doesn't try to put Mysterio on a similar track to his father. After all, Rey Mysterio is one of the most famous luchadores in pro wrestling history. The company might set Dominik up to fail if it tries to book him like Rey.
Dominik doesn't have the same fan base that Rey enjoyed when he came to WWE. He might be better off if WWE drastically changes his character. Like Crews' heel turn, this progression should be executed over a few weeks.
Dominik will probably have a heel run at some point in the future. This major shift in his personality could take him to the next level in WWE.
#4. King Corbin's character is quite stale on WWE SmackDown
A few short years ago, Baron Corbin was on his way to becoming a WWE Champion. At the time, it seemed like WWE wanted to push Braun Strowman as a top star on RAW and Baron Corbin as a main heel on SmackDown.
Given that both superstars were getting pushed heavily, the rumor appeared to be true. Corbin even won the Money in the Bank briefcase in 2017, but he lost his cash-in to WWE Champion Jinder Mahal.
Later that year, Corbin had a brief United States Championship reign, but his trajectory in WWE quickly stagnated. Still, he has retained his regular presence on WWE programming. Fans now know him as a SmackDown star because he has been constantly been featured on the blue brand for the better part of two years.
Corbin needs to undergo a major character change if he wants to reach the main event level in WWE. His character has largely remained the same throughout his run, and he hasn't progressed past the upper midcard level. The King Corbin character has overstayed its welcome, so the former United States Champion desperately needs a new gimmick.
#3. Shinsuke Nakamura - Has he truly "signed off" from WWE?
Shinsuke Nakamura signed with WWE in 2016, and it's still believed that his debut match in NXT against Sami Zayn was his finest bout with the promotion.
It's hard to imagine that he has been with WWE for almost five years, especially since his run with the company was rumored to be his "retirement plan." Some fans have argued that Nakamura hasn't necessarily displayed the level of ability that he did in his New Japan Pro Wrestling tenure.
Either way, it's no secret that Nakamura is in the final phase of his wrestling career. Still, he seems to be a lot more motivated in 2021, as he has been putting on his best in-ring performances in recent memory.
While WWE still doesn't seem keen on pushing the 41-year-old, a fresh character could help Nakamura get one last run at the top. If 2021 can produce a motivated Shinsuke Nakamura, then fans shouldn't be surprised to see him receive a major gimmick change.
To be fair, Nakamura has been booked like a face in recent weeks, but his gimmick has largely remained the same. The former Royal Rumble winner could surely use a complete repackaging to reenter the main event scene.
#2. Liv Morgan - A WWE breakout star waiting to happen?
Liv Morgan is still 26 years old, and she still has a lot of time to shine in WWE. Since the women's division tends to be cyclical, Morgan could get her opportunity down the line.
Oter than The Four Horsewomen, few females on the WWE roster have had extensive runs as main eventers. Morgan has the tools WWE looks for in its top stars, but the company has mishandled her run on the main roster.
Many fans believe that she has the potential to be a much bigger singles star, but she has been irregularly featured on WWE programming. She has rarely been presented as an important part of WWE programming. Morgan might need a major character transformation in order to change that pattern.
Morgan needs to get a solid character that fans can either get behind or hate. That way, she can be presented as the star that she has the potential to be. It once seemed like she'd get the chance under Paul Heyman's leadership on RAW, but this chapter of her career didn't pan out.
Until she receives a significant character change, Morgan might have to endure her current role in random tag team and singles matches.
#1. Ricochet - Could a character change lead to a major push in WWE?
Ricochet hasn't been treated badly by WWE or kept on the sidelines. But it's easy to argue that the company could have done more with him in the last two years. Ricochet was on a good track in his debut year on the WWE main roster, and he even won the United States Championship.
But Ricochet's luck has been fairly lackluster recently. While he did emerge as a WWE title contender to Brock Lesnar, he was used as a sacrificial lamb at Super ShowDown 2020.
Ricochet hasn't done much of note since this crushing defeat. He's only 32, so there's still a lot of time for him to regain his status as a breakout star in WWE. Ricochet is signed with the company until 2024, so it's easy to see him finding a lot of success in the second half of the contract. But as a character, Ricochet needs to essentially start over in order to put his past failures behind him.
The former United States Champion has magnificent in-ring ability, but his character work will ultimately define his WWE career. Whether it's a heel turn or simply adding an edge, Ricochet must change his character to save the remainder of his time with the company.
