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2020 has been a weird year for WWE, as it has been for the entire planet. After a smooth start, the coronavirus pandemic halted the company's momentum heading into WrestleMania. And while WWE has done its best to entertain the fans with empty arena shows, the year has not gone to plan.
The by-product of this has led to some unexpected happenings on the creative side of WWE, with various Superstars stepping up in these trying times. While some of them were on the upward trail before things changed, the current circumstances have seen some unexpected names get pushed on RAW and SmackDown.
Whether it was the result of a last-minute scramble for a WrestleMania replacement or at the request of a popular name, these Superstars were not expected to get pushed as they have, just a few months ago.
Here are five WWE Superstars who unexpectedly got a push this year.
#5 Austin Theory
As WrestleMania approached, WWE booked Andrade and Angel Garza to challenge the Street Profits for the RAW Tag Team Championships. That same week, Austin Theory lost to Tyler Breeze on NXT. However, following an injury to the former United States Champion, Theory would replace him in the 'Mania match.
He ended up staying as a part of Zelina Vega's stable on RAW following his unexpected WrestleMania debut, even after Andrade returned. The 22-year-old remains on the main roster despite being kicked out of the group, after joining forces with Seth Rollins and Murphy.
Austin Theory could have gone straight back to NXT after replacing Andrade at WrestleMania, but he is now playing a prominent role on the Red brand. This is as big a push somebody with Theory's age and experience would get in WWE, especially with it being completely out of the blue.
Garza also received a sudden push in WWE but Theory is much rawer as a talent, making his rise to prominence much more surprising.
#4 Drew Gulak
It seems like Drew Gulak has signed a new deal with WWE and is returning this week. This is a good thing there, as the past few months were great for him. Ever since the moment he began feuding with Daniel Bryan, the former Cruiserweight Champion has enjoyed a prominent role on SmackDown.
For years, Gulak was one of the standout performers on 205 Live. He was excellent in the ring while being one of the most entertaining stars on the show thanks to his PowerPoint presentations. Gulak then moved to WWE's main roster last year after a stint with the Cruiserweight Championship.
However, he was mainly used as fodder for the babyfaces and did not muster any momentum on WWE's Blue brand. That was until Daniel Bryan came into the picture and requested to work with him. Gulak and Bryan tore the house down at Elimination Chamber before the two formed a partnership out of mutual respect.
Nobody expected Drew Gulak to move up the card on the main roster, but WWE gave the fans a pleasant surprise. Hopefully, a deal has been worked out and Gulak remains in WWE, as more big things could be on the horizon for his tandem with Bryan.
#3 Braun Strowman
Out of every Superstar on this list, Braun Strowman is the least surprising name to get a push this year. Still, it seemed like his ceiling would be the Intercontinental Championship after failing as one of the top main-event faces in WWE.
After losing the IC Title to Sami Zayn, it seemed like the Monster Among Men was destined for another underwhelming appearance at WrestleMania. However, with Roman Reigns pulling out of his Universal Championship match against Goldberg, Strowman stepped up to replace him.
He ended up beating Goldberg and winning the Universal Title, finally holding the belt after multiple unsuccessful attempts. It came out of nowhere, as his last WWE act was to be pinned by a cowardly heel manager. But since then, Strowman has stood tall on the top of SmackDown on FOX.
And about two years after he should have won a world title in WWE, he finally got it due to pure chance. It seemed like Braun Strowman's time on top was over at the start of the year. But it seems like the dire circumstances in the world have ended up saving his main-event credibility.
#2 Apollo Crews
At the start of 2020, Apollo Crews was near the bottom of the SmackDown roster. He had been aimlessly wandering around the lower end of WWE's mid-card since being called up from NXT in 2016. It seemed like Crews would remain in that lowly position until his inevitable departure from the company.
And then, Paul Heyman happened.
The night after WrestleMania 36 saw Crews move to RAW and face Aleister Black in a very long match. This began an upward trajectory for him, which saw the former Uhaa Nation qualify for Money in the Bank and go after the United States Championship.
And while a kayfabe injury kept him out of the Corporate Ladder Match, Crews has returned and defeated Andrade to become the United States Champion. It may have taken a while, but his incredible in-ring skills have finally earned him success in WWE.
Apollo's rise to the US Title caught many fans by surprise but now that he is in this position, he will ideally improve further. This is further proof that just a couple of strong months could turn a WWE Superstar's career around.
#1 Otis
The seeds for the Otis and Mandy Rose love story were planted at the end of 2019 on Friday Night SmackDown. As 2020 rolled on, the narrative turned more and more compelling as WWE fans came on board to support the Heavy Machinery member in his quest to get the girl of his dreams.
Things eventually reached a fever pitch at WrestleMania, where Otis defeated Dolph Ziggler before sharing a kiss with Rose. It seemed like the perfect conclusion of this well-told story and that WWE would book Otis and Tucker's return to the tag team division.
However, that has not happened.
Instead, Otis is still going solo while Tucker has not been on TV for weeks. He and Mandy Rose are still going at it with Dolph Ziggler and Sonya Deville, while there could be bigger things in store for the world's favorite teddy bear in WWE. He was a part of the Corporate Money in the Bank Ladder Match, presumably to amp up the entertainment level of the cinematic match.
However, Otis ended up winning the entire thing despite not being able to climb the ladder. Now, he is Mr. Money in the Bank. Something nobody would have even believed before it happened, or even thought of before he qualified for the match.
Otis' rise from lovesick comedy tag team wrestler to Money in the Bank winner has to be the most unexpected push WWE has given so far in 2020.
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