'%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)
With a roster as stacked as WWE's, it has become increasingly difficult for a superstar to stand out from the rest of the pack. With only a few spots up for grabs, and a huge talent pool to choose from, the competition to stay at the top is only getting tougher with every passing day. Over the years, there have been a select few who have maintained their top spot for a long period. Names like Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Randy Orton have been able to remain at the top despite poor booking purely based on their star power. The same can't be said about everyone else on the roster, however.
There have been a plethora of superstars whose stock has taken a severe hit in 2019 due to injuries and bad booking decisions. These Superstars were on top of their game for the past few years and were excepted to shine in 2019.
Here are five WWE superstars who have had a rough 2019:
#5 EC3
As the brash, egotistical nephew (in kayfabe) of then IMPACT President, Dixie Carter, Ethan Carter III or EC3 became one of the best heels in the business. The former Derrick Bateman became one of the cornerstones of the promotion, winning the TNA/IMPACT World Heavyweight Championship twice. EC3's charisma and his mic skills made him a crowd favorite during his time in the IMPACT Zone.
Naturally, fans were excited when it was announced that EC3 will be returning to WWE as part of NXT in 2018. Many felt that a character like him is something the black and yellow brand was missing meaning that he would be a big asset for the brand. But, the former IMPACT star wasn't able to make much of an impact on the Black and Gold brand. EC3 was part of the six-man Ladder Match to crown the inaugural NXT North American Champion at NXT Takeover: New Orleans.
EC3 was hastily called up to the main roster in the fall of 2018 but wouldn't make his official in-ring debut until early 2019. His main roster debut match was against Dean Ambrose, which he lost. There were reports following the match that Vince McMahon wasn't particularly thrilled with the reaction that EC3 got during the match. This was the beginning of the end for EC3 on the main roster.
To merely say that EC3 had a rough 2019 would be a huge understatement, the Ohio-native had a disastrous 2019 with the company not even using him on TV frequently. He would be off TV for months and a handful of appearances he made following the Ambrose match were as an enhancement talent. He is currently out with a concussion and there is no time-frame on when he would return to in-ring action.
#4 Elias
Let's just start by saying that nobody excepted Elias to be a world champion in 2019. But, many excepted Elias to at least have a solid run with a mid-card title. The Songbird turned babyface during the fall of 2019 after it became apparent that he had the crowd at the palm of his hand like no other superstar on the roster. Despite not being a great in-ring performer, Elias was one of the most over faces on RAW. But, then WWE decided to turn him heel without any rhyme or reason.
Elias's musical performance at WrestleMania 35 was interrupted by John Cena, who went back to his Thugamonics days and verbally eviscerated the Songbird before hitting him with an FU. Elias was moved to SmackDown during the Superstar Shake-up and feuded with Roman Reigns for a brief period before becoming one of Shane McMahon's many sidekicks.
Elias was a part of the 2019 King of The Ring Tournament where he defeated a heavy favorite, Kevin Owens, in the first round courtesy of a Shane McMahon interference. This was followed by a win over Mustafa Ali in the second round. Elias was injured during the tournament and was replaced by Shane McMahon in his semi-final match against Chad Gable. He was out of in-ring action for almost three months due to an ankle injury. He recently made his return to the Blue brand as a babyface. Considering the type of hype that Elias has had at the start of 2019, it is safe to say that the year ended up being a rough one for the Pittsburgh-native.
#3 Drew McIntyre
Many expected 2019 to be a breakout year for Drew McIntyre but that sadly that hasn't been the case. The Scottish Psychopath's 2019 was riddled with atrocious booking and meaningless feuds that did nothing to further the character of McIntyre. But, perhaps, the biggest deterrent in McIntyre getting to the main-event spot was his placement on the card. The Scottsman was saddled with being a muscle/lackey for various superstars for the majority of 2019.
Following his feud with former tag partner, Dolph Ziggler, McIntyre served as the muscle for Baron Corbin during their feud against The Shield for the early part of 2019. This was followed by McIntyre feuding with Roman Reigns. The duo faced off at WrestleMania 35 in what was a pretty underwhelming match. McIntyre would once again become a muscle, this time for Shane McMahon, as Shane O' Mac feuded with Reigns.
McIntyre was one of the favorites to win the 2019 King of the Ring but was shockingly eliminated in the first round after losing to Ricochet. Following this loss, McIntyre was off TV for a few months due to an injury. He is currently a part of RAW but isn't involved in any feud at the moment. McIntyre's biggest highlight from 2019 was perhaps the No Holds Barred Tag Match he and Shane had against Roman Reigns and The Undertaker at Extreme Rules.
#2 Braun Strowman
The man who was penciled in to be the next breakout star for the company has become a shadow of his former self and yes we are talking about The Monster Among Men, Braun Strowman. Strowman has been one of the hottest stars in the company for the past few years. His superhuman feats of strength made him a crowd favorite. Strowman had everything you would want in a WWE Superstar which is why it was surprising to see the company pull the plug on Stowman's push every time he was put on the main-event spot.
2019 started on a bad note for Strowman as he pulled out from his Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. Many expected The Monster to get a marquee match on The Grandest Stage but he was relegated to the event's pre-show as part of the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royale, which he ended up winning. This was followed by a lengthy feud with Bobby Lashley, which did nothing for either of them but certainly had its moments.
Strowman would then capture the RAW Tag Team Championship alongside Seth Rollins whilst feuding with The Beastslayer for the Universal Title. The duo would pull off double duty at Clash of Champions. Strowman and Rollins lost the tag titles to Dolph Ziggler and Robbert Roode and faced off against one another in the show's main event for Universal Championship. But, Strowman would come up short once again as he was defeated by Rollins, thereby failing to win the red title in his sixth attempt.
Stowman's feud against Tyson Fury despite having immense hype failed to live up to expectations as the duo's match at Crown Jewel ended up being quite underwhelming. Strowman is currently embroiled in a feud with Shinsuke Nakamura and his cohorts, Cesaro and Sami Zayn. We are hoping that this feud will culminate in The Monster capturing his first singles title in WWE,i.e, the Intercontinental Championship.
#1 The Miz
One of the longest-tenured active superstars on the roster today, The Miz had a pretty uneventful 2019. The former Intercontinental Champion started 2019 as he and Shane McMahon captured the SmackDown Tag Team Championship from The Bar at the Royal Rumble. But, their title reign would be short-lived as the duo would drop the title to The Usos at Elimination Chamber. Following their failure to regain the titles from The Usos, Shane would turn on Miz, thus turning the A-List babyface for the first time since 2013.
Miz and Shane O'Mac had a great match at WrestleMania 35 but the feud itself was anything special. The Miz wasn't able to defeat the McMahon scion during the feud which meant that his babyface run was already off to a rocky start. This was followed by The A-Lister not doing anything noteworthy for the next few months. The Miz was used sparingly throughout 2019. The A-Lister briefly feuded with Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship. He was drafted to Smackdown during the 2019 Draft.
Miz would feud with Bray Wyatt with the duo facing off in a non-title match at TLC 2019, which Wyatt won. Like every one of Wyatt's previous opponent, The Miz seemed to have turned a new leaf in his character as was evident on this week's Smackdown where he attacked Kofi Kingston following his loss to the New Day member.
