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The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching impacts on WWE. One of the most profound impacts has to be the uncertain, fluid and volatile creative atmosphere backstage. Paul Heyman was removed from his role as Creative Head of Monday Night RAW not so long ago and Bruce Prichard took over his role while continuing his creative role on SmackDown. Heyman was let go as he continually clashed with Vince McMahon and was too focused on pushing young, unestablished stars like Drew McIntyre, Shayna Bazler and Aleister Black amid plummeting ratings and uncertain times.
Long-term plans have been severely affected, owing to the uncertain environment in WWE. Vince McMahon has changed plans abruptly and has re-written shows mere hours before they were broadcasted, without giving much thought to future plans. SummerSlam is just a little over a month away and WWE hasn't even begun building towards the mega-event's biggest storylines.
As a consequence of changing plans and an uncertain environment, countless stars have been treading water, lacking perspective and creative direction. With a narrow, short-term approach, WWE is failing to provide engaging story-lines for its brightest athletes.
This slideshow will look at five stars who are treading water.
Note: Tag teams will be considered as a single-unit independent of the individual stars that constitute them.
5. Shorty G
Shorty G is a phenomenal in-ring worker, his technical soundness is second to none. He reminds us of a younger version of the Hall of Famer Kurt Angle. However, he has consistently been overlooked by WWE management despite his undeniable talent.
The former NXT Tag Team Champion hasn't been seen in over a month on WWE's Blue Brand. He most recently defeated Mojo Rawley on the June 19 edition of SmackDown. It's not that he isn't getting any wins, it's just that those victories never lead up to anything significant. For example, Shorty G has been belittled by the likes of Rawley repeatedly, but aside from one-off matches, it hasn't done the underdog any favors.
There is no shortage of potential in Shorty G. He exudes intensity, confidence, skill and passion. Hence, he deserves much more than what he is currently receiving.
4. Humberto Carillo
With astounding athletic ability and a magnetic personality, Humberto Carillo is one of the most likable faces on the WWE roster. Upon debuting late last year, he instantly gained the respect of the WWE Universe. Carillo has stood toe-to-toe with some of WWE's best in AJ Styles, Andrade and Seth Rollins, however he hasn't been able to get many big-time victories. The charismatic Mexican star is a valuable addition to the midcard, but the way he has been booked has been unpleasant to watch.
Carillo was a supporting act in the feud between Seth Rollins and Rey Mysterio. While Mysterio was recovering from an eye injury, Carillo and Aleister Black stood up to Rollins and his disciples. As Black seems to be a much bigger priority for WWE, Carillo was used as a stepping stone for Rollins. Three weeks ago, Rollins drove Carillo into the steel steps with a devastating Curb Stomp to send a message to Mysterio.
WWE isn't using the high-flyer to his maximum potential, and as such, Carillo hasn't been getting many victories lately. His career seems like it is heading nowhere. A US Championship win or a victory over an established WWE veteran like Bobby Lashley could get his career back on track.
3. The Miz and John Morrison
The duo of The Miz and John Morrison is an entertaining act. The two savvy veterans never fail to keep fans engaged in what they're doing. On the mic, they strike gold and can easily steal the show in the ring on any given night. Yet, WWE doesn't seem to realize the magic that they could create with greater opportunities.
Ever since the tandem lost their SmackDown Tag Team Championships in early April, they have been struggling to stay relevant. Their feud with Braun Strowman was a dead-end from the start as Strowman's supremacy was virtually a foregone conclusion. Their talent was on full display in the aforementioned feud, too, as they did their best to build heat through their juvenile antics. Upon the completion of that feud, they have been directionless in the WWE.
Morrison is one of the most phenomenal WWE in-ring performers today, as shown by his match against Matt Riddle a few weeks back, and The Miz is undoubtedly one of the greatest talkers of all time. These two established veterans are bonafide tag team specialists. They deserve so much more than what they are getting.
2. The Viking Raiders
In The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar), WWE has an extremely talented duo that can engage with the audience. These two supreme athletes have given us some of the best tag team matches in recent memory, especially when considering their dominant run on NXT. Although they may not be booked as strongly, they are one of the best tandems of the modern era.
The former RAW Tag Team Champions were recently involved in a long, entertaining feud with the current Champions, The Street Profits. Aside from wrestling matches, they took part in other ludicrous and unique challenges, like bowling or playing golf, in a rivalry that WWE built around the concept of "anything you can do, I can do better." Their chemistry in the ring was unparalleled, but The Street Profits emerged victorious from the rivalry.
Upon their failed championship pursuit, they began a feud with the team of Andrade and Angel Garza, who targeted The Street Profits immediately after their match against The Viking Raiders. The feud with Andrade and Garza hasn't reaped many benefits in the WWE for either duo.
The Viking Raiders have been booked terribly on the main roster and the aura of mystique that once accompanied them is gone. They are a shadow of the monsters they were in NXT.
1.Drew Gulak
Drew Gulak brings back memories of classic technicians like Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, Bret Hart and Dean Malenko. The Human Torture Device has unlimited submission holds in his arsenal. There's no doubt that Gulak has limitless potential, but WWE isn't nearly doing enough to build his character and further the technician's career.
Gulak has adopted the role of Daniel Bryan's coach and has accompanied The American Dragon to the ring for the latter's matches. Gulak's alliance with Bryan has been fun to watch, as both men mix well together on-screen in WWE due to their incredibly similar personalities.
Although Gulak is equally talented, Bryan has gotten better opportunities than his coach has. The Yes Man has been heavily involved in the Intercontinental Title title picture since May. Even though Gulak has had some opportunities to shine, he hasn't been given enough spotlight to showcase his innumerable talents. Bryan has been absent since mid-June and Gulak has not been around as a result.
The last time Gulak competed was three weeks ago on SmackDown when he was convincingly defeated by AJ Styles in a thrilling encounter. The Human Torture Device has much to offer and WWE should give him a fair opportunity to shine. While Gulak dodged a bullet by being re-signed shortly after his release in May, he's been a non-factor this summer.
