'%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)
The massive COVID-19 outbreak has caused a global crisis and it is safe to say that the world of professional wrestling has also taken a major hit due to it. However, WWE has definitely managed things in a very professional manner as the company has been hosting shows behind closed doors at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
This year's WrestleMania, despite no live audience, was quite the historic spectacle, as it was across two nights for the very first time.
However, it is hard to deny the importance of the fans in an arena, especially when you're part of the WWE Universe. The WWE Universe has been vocal and plays a vital role in a WWE Superstar's journey in the company. While a few notable Superstars have taken full advantage of shows without an audience, it certainly hasn't been the same for everyone on the roster.
A WWE Universe is definitely the most important part of a show, especially for some of the names on this list. That being said, here are 5 Superstars who have struggled without the availability of an audience during the on-going pandemic.
#5 Elias
In terms of character versatility, Elias is one of the finest Superstars in today's world of pro wrestling. For a Superstar of his caliber, working as a heel or a babyface isn't really a major concern, as it is almost guaranteed that Elias will draw attention from the WWE Universe.
The former 24/7 Champion knows how to perfectly "work" a crowd and has mastered it on quite the number of occasions in the past. Elias' work as a heel has also been recognized by a variety of fanbase around the globe, as well.
Elias was last seen on WWE TV when he was attacked by Baron Corbin in a backstage segment, in the aftermath of his win over 'The King' at WrestleMania 36. Following the assault, WWE also reported an injury to the former. Now, this could very well be a storyline injury that WWE decided pull-off in order to write Elias off WWE TV.
And, in all honesty, it sure feels like the right move, because Elias is usually at his best when there he has an audience to sing for!
#4 Sasha Banks
Since her return to WWE in August of 2019, Sasha Banks has been working mostly as a heel and also reunited with long-term ally and rival, Bayley.
Shortly after Banks' return to RAW last year, the two jumped ship to SmackDown, and that marked the beginning of Banks' on-going storyline involving Bayley.
Now, getting into details!
Heading into 2020, Banks was the favorite to win the Women's Royal Rumble Match. However, she missed the event and was also absent from a few episodes of SmackDown in the lead-up to the pay-per-view. Banks put speculations about her being injured to bed on February 28th episode of SmackDown. 'The Boss' finally made her return to the Blue brand and was treated to a massive pop from the WWE Universe, despite being a heel.
The thing about Sasha Banks is, despite her work as a heel, the former NXT Women's Champion has always lived up to her nickname of 'The Boss' and has maintained a certain sassiness in her character work. That is one of the primary reasons why Banks is so popular within the WWE Universe and probably also the reason why WWE has been teasing a potential face turn.
In recent weeks, we've seen WWE tease a split between Banks and Bayley and finally engage the two in a highly-awaited rivalry on the main roster. However, with the absence of a live crowd, a face turn for Sasha Banks is unlikely to work at this stage, as she won't receive any sort of reactions that a babyface is supposed to in the initial stages of a turn.
Bayley has been in possession of the SmackDown Women's Championship over 200 days now and it is likely that WWE would like to conclude her historic title reign with a classic Bayley vs. Banks match.
#3 Forgotten Sons
The Forgotten Sons haven't really been forgotten, but given the direction, they're headed towards on the main roster, it won't be long before the trio of Wesley Blake, Steve Cutler, and Jackson Ryker become an afterthought.
Having made their debut in 2017, The Forgotten Sons initially started as a tag team featuring Blake and Cutler, and the following year, the duo added former TNA veteran Jackson Ryker FKA Gunner to their ranks.
Throughout their tenure on NXT, The Forgotten Sons were considered quite the formidable unit but never really had the opportunity to break-out in a stacked Tag Team Division. And with a faction like The Undisputed Era at the helm, it requires quite the amount of work to call yourself the best stable.
The Forgotten Sons made their main roster debut right after WrestleMania 36 on SmackDown and if you ask me, it probably was the worst period for a fresh batch of Superstars to make their way over to the main roster. The trio didn't get the services of a live audience and didn't have the opportunity to gather the interest of the WWE Universe and that right there could be a vital issue.
Well, you can't blame The Forgotten Sons entirely for it but eventually, they could end up paying a heavy price for it. As of now, the newly promoted faction will be challenging for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles this Sunday at Money in the Bank and if they do walk out with the straps, then the future certainly looks brighter than ever for The Forgotten Sons.
#2 Nia Jax
On the night after WrestleMania 36, Nia Jax finally made her return to in-ring competition for the first time in almost nine months. She comprehensively defeated Deonna Purrazzo in a squash match and also introduced a new finisher for herself.
Being as controversial as she is, Nia Jax is no stranger to using the heel heat that she has generated in the past two years or so. As a matter of fact, in 2018, Jax was involved in another controversial angle when she punched Becky Lynch on the go-home episode of Survivor Series and gave her a black eye. The injury forced Becky to pull-out on a highly-anticipated clash against Ronda Rousey.
Now for those who expected an apology from the former RAW Women's Champion clearly had no idea regarding Jax's on-screen character in WWE, as she went on to embrace the hate and used it to her advantage in order to create quite the buzz around herself.
In another one of her recent matches on RAW, Jax was heavily criticized for dropping Kairi Sane in a rather unsafe manner. For someone who has now been known for adapting under critical circumstances, Jax once again decided to use the heat to her advantage.
However, on this occasion, things were different, as Nia Jax didn't have the WWE Universe react to her and instead, all the heat was from the social media audience. At this point, if there's anyone who would happily accept the WWE Universe's heat, it's definitely Nia Jax.
#1 Goldberg
What's Bill Goldberg without an audience?
At the age of 53, Goldberg is still one of the most popular WWE Superstars today and has lived up to the term "Icon". The former WWE Universal Champion has already established his place as probably the biggest fan-favorite Superstar ever to step foot in WWE, right up there with the likes of The Rock, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, and Hulk Hogan.
An appearance from Goldberg usually tends to be a mark-out moment for several members of the WWE Universe. His epic entrance itself probably gets most of us hyped, even before the WCW icon could take it to the ring and annihilate his opponent.
In the lead-up to WrestleMania 36, Goldberg appeared on a few empty-arena shows as part of SmackDown. It definitely wasn't something we thought we would ever witness, considering this is the same man who usually plays a vital role in selling out arenas around the world.
Goldberg once again walked out as the Universal Champion to an empty arena and this time it was at WWE's biggest pay-per-view, WrestleMania. Once again, there was no reaction for the iconic Goldberg.
Much like Brock Lesnar, taking Goldberg off WWE TV at this stage was undoubtedly a wise move, if you ask me, even though it was at the cost of him dropping the WWE Universal Championship to Braun Strowman. Surely, a surprising turn of events that most of us didn't hope for!
At this point, let us just hope that things soon get back to normal and we can witness the WWE Universe once again in attendance.
