6 WWE Superstars who desperately need a new gimmick

Friday Night SmackDown kickstarted Draft 2019 which will conclude next week, on RAW. Despite several surprising moves, the biggest highlight of the show was Bayley’s new gimmick. Yes, she was already a heel but she was often made to look weak against all the other three Horsewomen. But not tonight…

From her appearance to her attitude, Bayley brought out the much-awaited shift in her in-ring persona. She walked out to her infamous theme song surrounded by colorful Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tubemen. But things were about to change.

Bayley destroyed all the ‘happy’ props and revealed her new look. She went on to lock horns with Charlotte Flair and walked out with her SmackDown Women’s Championship. This was the only thing missing from her main roster run which had somehow failed to complement her skills so far.

Similar to Bayley, there are several other WWE Superstars who could use a new or even a modified version of their gimmick to win the attention they deserve. With the Draft, WWE have the perfect opportunity to repackage few Superstars and make them relevant again.

In this list, we take a look at six such WWE Superstars who desperately need to make a few changes in their gimmick to gain attention soon.

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#6 Chad Gable

'Shorty Gable'. Really?

In the weeks leading up to King of the Ring tournament 2019, Chad Gable proved his mettle in front of the entire WWE Universe. Even though he lost the tournament final, it was amazing to see him destroy the throne and the crown during Baron Corbin’s coronation.

On the following week, the duo once again locked horns in a brilliant match. And then, the feud continued, as each Superstar won on alternate weeks. But what did Gable earn from this feud? “Shorty Gable”.

Shorty Gable is somehow the best gimmick that WWE creative decided to go with following Gable’s impressive run. We understand that WWE want to showcase Corbin as a bully and Gable as someone whose skills are unaffected by his short height. But where is this feud headed? There is absolutely no build-up and it only seems a timid attempt at booking a potentially good rivalry.

Maybe promoting him as 'Shorty Gable' is not the best reward for his work in the last couple of months. He has momentum and WWE must capitalize on it without making him look weak.

#5 Rusev

Back when every day used to be 'Rusev Day'

Almost a fortnight ago, Rusev got his US citizenship and on the following night, he saw his wife Lana make out with Bobby Lashley right in front of him on RAW. This booking had the entire WWE Universe in shock. who felt sorry for the man standing inside the squared circle.

WWE’s attempt at recreating some of the popular storylines from the Attitude Era did not go down well with the fans. There was a huge amount of backlash on social media where people went on to say that the entire segment was uncomfortable to watch.

On the last episode of Monday Night RAW, we saw an angry Rusev take out all his frustration on Baron Corbin and Randy Orton. But is using his wife -- in a storyline which shows her having an extra-marital affair with a fellow WWE Superstar -- the best way to show how destructive Rusev can be?

Rusev was immensely popular with the crowd and he still manages to fetch a similar reaction. He doesn’t need a mockery of his personal life played on live television week after week to keep him relevant in the WWE.

Hopefully, WWE will drop this storyline soon and find a way to recreate Rusev as an indestructible force without involving his personal life.

#4 EC3

Will he get an opportunity?

EC3 had an impressive debut on the main roster. He was attacked by Dean Ambrose during his segment with Alexa Bliss which led to a match between the two. EC3 went on to beat Ambrose and won his first-ever match on the main roster.

Despite that start, EC3 found himself going nowhere near the right feuds. He was a part of Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania and then was one of the undercard stars who chased the 24/7 Championship.

EC3 has now spent enough time on the main roster to deserve a chance to prove himself. But he may not be able to do that with his current gimmick. Having seen him reduced to being an extra during backstage segments makes it hard for the audience to take him as a serious threat.

Hence, WWE need to twist his character if at all they want a future for him on the main roster. He may not get the push but at least if he is used time and again, he will someday find a way to convince the creative team that he can offer more than his current character.

#3 Sami Zayn

Everyone needs a friend like Sami Zayn!

It seems slightly unfair to include Sami Zayn’s inclusion in this list because I love the way he hypes Shinsuke Nakamura every time he accompanies the Intercontinental Champion. Everyone deserves a friend like that. But isn’t Zayn a little too good to be just a hype-man for another champion?

Ever since his return from injury, Sami Zayn has struggled to garner enough momentum for an interesting rivalry. His impressive in-ring skills complement his excellent mic skills. He can get under your nerves and yet, you would find him entertaining.

Even if WWE creative wishes to keep him alongside Nakamura, maybe they should try and give him more in-ring time. His commentary during Nakamura’s match against The Miz was hilarious and showed why he is one of the best talkers in the current WWE scenario.

Hence, WWE must push him entirely into this character where he can easily turn the crowd in the required direction. As one of the most charismatic Superstars on the roster, Zayn deserves to be booked as little more than someone who jams to the theme song of his fellow Superstars.

#2 Drew McIntyre

How long will he have to wait before McIntyre finds his way into the title picture?

Drew McIntyre was announced as one of the top picks and he has been drafted to Monday Night RAW. Once again, WWE have the opportunity to recreate McIntyre’s mad run, destroying anyone who stands in his way.

McIntyre is a skilled wrestler and he convincingly dominates his opponents. He has the potential to become one of the best heels on the current roster but WWE need to pair him up against Superstars higher up in the card. He is of the few WWE Superstars, who can assert his challenge for the title and keep the champions concerned.

The last time McIntyre was included in a feud, he had aligned himself with Shane McMahon. But they lost against Roman Reigns and The Undertaker in a Tag Team match.

Now that speculation about his return from injury are doing rounds, it can be expected that McIntyre is far from being a silent observer for long. The ‘Scottish Psychopath’ needs to return to his brutal self and take on new challenges on the Red Brand.

McIntyre was the fifth pick in the first round of Draft 2019 and he can be expected to soon challenge Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship.

#1 Kofi Kingston

What's next for Kofi Kingston and The New Day?

Kofi Kingston’s title win at WrestleMania earlier this year is one of the most memorable WWE moments of all time. He created history after lifting his first world title after a career that older than a decade.

During his title reign, Kofi feuded with the likes of Randy Orton, Samoa Joe, and Daniel Bryan. He survived some of the biggest challenges of his career only to lose his WWE Championship to Brock Lesnar in a matter of seconds.

But on today’s episode, he and The New Day looked as though nothing had ever happened? Can WWE expect fans to forget the ending to this magical run of Kofi's?

Or worse, after seeing what a great champion he was, are we supposed to see him return to the Tag Team scene and never acknowledge KofiMania ever again?

Don’t get me wrong. The power of positivity is amazing, coming from The New Day. But the recent events are bound to irk the members of WWE’s most successful faction of all time. Both Kofi Kingston and The New Da enjoy a huge fan following who will continue to cheer for them even if they went a little rogue.

After all, losing the title deserves a reaction and throwing pancakes at smiling faces isn’t enough.