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As 'the Grandest Stage of Them All', WrestleMania is generally where the WWE both initiates and ends many of its storylines. Sometimes this comes about from NXT Superstars being called up to the main roster.
While there are dozens of Superstars signed to Raw at any given time, and dozens more signed to SmackDown, sometimes five hours of weekly programming is still not enough to incorporate all of the contracted WWE talent into proper storylines.
Furthermore, when factoring in injuries and personal issues that unexpectedly put WWE Superstars on the sidelines, a lot of the creative decisions made by the company may come about on the fly.
Currently, there are a lot of WWE Superstars who we have not been seeing much in terms of storyline as of late. John Cena, for example, had his high-profile loss at WrestleMania 34 to The Undertaker and has not stated who he is challenging next.
Speaking of The Undertaker, Kane appeared on Monday Night Raw several weeks before WrestleMania 34 to confront Cena, but he was not mentioned in the recent Superstar Shakeup. Cena and Kane aside, below are seven current WWE Superstars who are in need of a new storyline.
#1 Mike Kanellis
When Mike Kanellis -- known in Ring Of Honor and other independent promotions as Mike Bennett -- came onto the WWE main roster, he did so alongside wife Maria Kanellis. Timing was not on Kanellis' side when joining up with WWE as he was portraying the character of a Maria-obsessed lovebird, yet Maria announced her pregnancy shortly after this and quickly disappeared off of television.
Kanellis has not found himself used in a major WWE storyline, although he was seen participating in Wrestlemania 34's Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Kanellis has the reputation of being a great in-ring worker and undoubtedly could fit into a variety of slots, whether it is 205 Live, a make-shift tag team, or standard main roster matches.
Kanellis was notably never part of NXT televised programming, even though he had worked with a lot of current NXT Superstars (and recent WWE call-ups from NXT) during his time with Ring Of Honor. Hopefully, the Massachusetts native gets a chance to show off his talent to WWE audiences in the near-future.
#2 The Colons
Whether you know them as "Primo And Epico," "The Shining Stars," "The Colons" or "Los Matadores," Primo and Epico are among the longest-tenured WWE Superstars on the current roster. The two have been saddled with some lacklustre creative over the years.
The two were part of many handicapped matches against The Great Khali. Arguably, it couldn't be much worse than the Shining Stars gimmick, which essentially calls for being mean-spirited Puerto Rican tourism ambassadors. In turn, not everyone remembers that the two were WWE tag team champions.
Offhand, I can't recall the last time we saw Primo or Epico wrestle on-air. Neither of them was mentioned in this year's Superstar Shake-Up. Neither of them was seen within Wrestlemania 34's Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Enhancement talent has been used as part of unveiling The Authors Of Pain to the main roster, and still, we have not seen Primo or Epico in action recently.
Ultimately, the question is where these guys are, and why they are not being used, given both their lineage and their proven talent. At the very least, some of the younger talent within WWE could learn from Primo and Epico.
#3 Tye Dillinger
Tye Dillinger had such a long run within WWE developmental that he predates NXT. Within his two Royal Rumble appearances, Dillinger has proven to be a popular WWE Superstar, given the massive response that comes in the form of "the 10 chant."
During the WrestleMania 34 Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, he was involved with a memorable "10 spot," even if he was eliminated by its winner Matt Hardy.
Within the past year, Dillinger has found himself challenging for the United States Championship, but in recent months he has not been doing much. There have not been any major feud or title matches for Dillinger, who remains part of the SmackDown roster.
As with the aforementioned Kanellis, Dillinger is undoubtedly someone that could fill a variety of roles. He would work out well within 205 Live -- who knows how legitimate the stated weights of WWE Superstars are -- or a new tag team, just as he would a singles feud that played off of him being "the perfect 10." In fact, with a gimmick like that, the creative pretty much writes itself.
#4 Zack Ryder
When Zack Ryder joined the WWE's main roster more than a decade ago, he was quickly made into a tag team champion alongside Curt Hawkins. Not only has Ryder held the WWE Tag Team Championship, but he also a former WWE Intercontinental Champion and a WWE United States Champion; he also technically never lost the WWE Internet Championship. Ryder has an organic fanbase that he helped foster via his old YouTube series, which Sports Illustrated officially recognized back in 2011.
Ryder was part of Wrestlemania 34's Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, which also included Hawkins and another former tag team partner, Mojo Rawley. Presently, it is unclear as to what Ryder's intended direction is.
His feud with Rawley was never properly resolved. He has not fought for a title recently. But the Long Island native remains popular and is experienced enough to get just about any gimmick or storyline over on a grand scale.
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#5 Alicia Fox
As with the aforementioned Colons, Alicia Fox is one of the longer-tenured WWE Superstars on the current roster; she is the longest-tenured female talent. She was the first -- and only -- African-American Divas Champion in WWE history.
She has been both a babyface and a heel many times, been part of several seasons of Total Divas, had merchandise, has been part of a WWE-produced movie (last year's The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-WrestleMania!) and has even crossed over into feuds on 205 Live. In other words, Fox has done just about everything that a female WWE Superstar can do.
If the rumours are true, Fox sustained a tailbone injury during her preparations for this year's Royal Rumble. This injury also led to her removal from the Mixed Match Challenge. In addition, she was set to perform in this year's inaugural female battle royal at WrestleMania 34 but was removed from the match at the last minute for undisclosed reasons.
While 2018 has not been one of the finer years within Fox's WWE career, it seems like things can only go upwards from here. As a veteran by WWE standards, Fox has a lot that she can teach the less experienced members of the Raw roster, like Absolution and the Riott Squad.
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