With the year coming to a close, it seems like the perfect time to reflect on the biggest shift WWE has undergone in 2016. The brand split was meant to bring the best out of talent, and give greater opportunities to those deserving. However, it’s safe to say it was most likely a cash grab, which – looking at SmackDown’s ratings – has paid off.
Although certain superstars such as The Miz, Becky Lynch and Braun Strowman have been put over, many more have been under-utilised, despite now being on much more condensed rosters.
Raw
Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn is one of the most popular superstars on Raw, always receiving a sizeable pop no matter where he’s performing. The ‘Underdog from the Underground’ gimmick has really gotten over with the fans, but it’s just a shame it hasn’t with WWE creative. Since the split, Zayn went from beating current WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens clean at Battleground (in a Match of the Year candidate) to being jobbed out to Braun Strowman.
The only way to stop Zayn becoming the next Bo Dallas, is to use his underdog gimmick and have him rise up the ranks (much like Ziggler) by winning the mid-card title in a strong feud (perhaps against a heel Roman Reigns) before moving on to the Universal Title. This would revitalise Zayn, elevate the United States Title – because Reigns is doing nothing for it – and freshen up the Raw main event scene.
Bayley
Although she was not part of the initial brand split, Bayley is without a doubt the WWE Universe’s favourite babyface – just look at the pop she got in Glasgow. She was one of the Four Horsewomen, one of the greatest NXT Women’s Champions in history and carried the NXT women’s division on her back for almost a year.
Unfortunately, since being brought up to the main roster, despite a brief stint in the main event scene, she has been stuck wresting Dana Brooke and feuding with Alicia Fox over… toy bears?
Bayley needs to be rebuilt and rebuilt fast. She has to be put in a credible feud, possibly against Nia Jax, to make her a believable competitor for the Raw Women’s Title. This will hopefully give her enough momentum to be able to win the title at WrestleMania 33, which on a business scale would do wonders for WWE.
Neville
Gravity may not be the only thing to forget Neville, as it seems WWE Creative have forgotten him as well.
Although his lack of a push could be down to the fractured ankle he suffered earlier this year, he has proven since his return he can still put on mind-blowing performances. Yet despite his ability and popularity with the crowd, he has been stuck with pre-show matches and a forgotten Bo Dallas feud – which is probably better forgotten.
The best way for WWE to utilise Neville is to put him in the cruiserweight division, much like Sin Cara. This will allow him to continue using his high-flying offence, with another superstar who is able to compete at the same intensity. Not only that, his addition to the division would hopefully elevate it amongst mainstream crowds.
SmackDown Live
Apollo Crews
Smile and wave, boys, smile and wave.
Although Apollo Crews’ problems began before the brand split, the split should have been a chance for him to turn things around. Unfortunately, he was still booked purely on wrestling skill alone and no personality. This caused crowds to grow tired of him, as there seemed to be no passion behind his matches. The lack of a reaction was obviously noticed by creative as he was removed from TV for several weeks.
It’s obvious that the way to revive Apollo’s career is to give him some personality! This can be in the form of passionate promos, or even a heel turn. Anything to get a reaction from the fans would massively help his career.
Recently on SmackDown Live and at Tribute to the Troops, Crews was accompanied by comedian Gabriel Iglesias, who by proxy gave Crews some personality – suggesting that a manager might greatly help Crews get over.
Naomi
Naomi is without a doubt the most athletic female performer the WWE has, regardless of brand. Not only that, but she oozes personality and to top it all off, she has a pretty awesome entrance.
She’s a perfect contender for the SmackDown Women’s Championship, but unfortunately her booking has been pretty poor. This is mostly due to the lack of depth in the SmackDown Live Women’s roster.
It would be easy to fix the problem Naomi is facing. She has all the skill to dominate the woman’s division, and WWE Creative simply need to start booking her that way. By putting her over against a strong competitor, possibly the returning Mickie James, the fans will start to believe in her and soon she can push for the title. Naomi holding the championship will not only raise her stock, but with her athletic prowess, will elevate the prestige of the belt.
Jack Swagger
The former World Champion has faded into obscurity on WWE programming. His brand switch was seen as quite a big deal at the time, and he could have been utilised to bolster the pretty thin SmackDown Live upper mid-card. Unfortunately after a lacklustre feud with Baron Corbin, Swagger hasn’t been seen since No Mercy.
Although a world title run now seems out of the picture for Swagger, his presence on the roster could easily be similar to that of former tag partner Cesaro, a solid upper mid-carder. With his superb mat skills, his participation in the Intercontinental Title scene would elevate the division in terms of technical skill.
Furthermore, when the next batch of NXT talent move up to the main roster, a revitalised Swagger can be used to put over talent, which is one of the greatest things a professional wrestler can do in the business.
Final Thoughts
It’s obvious that not every superstar is going to be ‘pushed to the moon’, and every superstar goes through lulls in their career, it’s just the nature of the profession. However, WWE is a business, and a business should always use their ‘assets’ to the best of their abilities. Unfortunately, WWE seem to be missing the mark with these particular performers but with some slight adjustments to booking, these superstars will quickly rise up the ranks.
Utilising these wrestlers better will not only benefit the superstars greatly, it will also benefit the WWE – turning the talent into bigger draws at shows, and increasing merchandise sales.
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