One of the good things about WWE in the current “brand split” era is that a lot of the previously underutilized talent is now getting more screen time.
However, there are a good number of people on the WWE roster we have not seen much of lately. Here are 10 examples:
– Kane – We saw Kane campaigning on-screen to be a General Manager pre-brand split. But not much has been heard from the former main eventer. Presumably, like Big Show, Kane is primarily going to be used as a fill-in when someone gets hurt.
– Bo Dallas – Before the brand split, Bo Dallas was often seen talking trash with the rest of the Social Outcasts group. That stable disappeared without explanation, and Bo hasn’t been part of notable feud in quite a while. A shame given his talent and the heat he easily generates as a heel.
– The Usos – The Usos have popped up, sure, but not in a memorable storyline since Roman Reigns had his feud with A.J. Styles. They had two notable reigns as WWE tag champions, won the Slammy Award for Tag Team Of The Year twice, and were PWI’s Tag Team of The Year in 2014. And as of late? At least they have a 5 Hour Energy commercial airing every week. (Yes, The Usos count as two wrestlers.)
– Summer Rae – Beyond her wrestling duties, Summer Rae has survived a series of awkward valet storylines alongside Tyler Breeze, Rusev, Damien Sandow and Fandango. Not a lot of in-ring activity from her as of late, which is a shame, given how much more seasoned she is than a lot of the recent NXT call-ups.
– Tamina – Tamina has reportedly been recovered from knee surgery for a few months. Prior to that she was in the 10-diva match at Wrestlemania. While that match did not do much as far as storylines went, she was in the opening match at Fastlane just a few weeks earlier, as she had teamed with Naomi against Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch.
– Jack Swagger – Jack Swagger has found himself used as a patriotic babyface for the past two years or so, battling Rusev and appearing on the July 4th episode as part of “Team USA.” This is not Swagger’s first lull with WWE, however, as he has been on the main roster since joining ECW in September 2008. Given Swagger’s runs as a World Heavyweight Champion, a U.S. Champion, the ECW Champion and a Money In The Bank winner, he certainly has accomplished a lot in his years with WWE.
– Mark Henry – Speaking of former champions that are underachieving, Mark Henry is a former ECW champion, a World Heavyweight Champion, a European Champion, and a three-time Slammy Award winner. He was most recently seen in coverage that showed him as WWE’s ambassador to the 2016 Olympics. Prior to that, he was used as a jobber against Rusev. Remember that fake retirement speech he did a few years ago? More of THAT GUY would be great for WWE.
– Paige – It was announced a few days ago that Paige is serving a 30-day suspension. Word via social media in the weeks leading up to that was that she was healing from some injuries. Prior to that she was chasing the title in a feud against Charlotte, but Paige has not much to do on Raw or Smackdown in 2016, unfortunately.
– Luke Harper – Luke Harper was injured during a dark match back in March, and not much has been heard about him lately. In fact, he was not drafted to Raw or Smackdown. Braun Strowman is no longer a Wyatt, without explanation, but Erick Rowan remains Bray-affiliated. As a big guy that is a former Intercontinental Champion, Harper is certainly missed.
Understandably there is not always going to be enough screen time to accommodate everyone on the roster, and things like injuries and suspensions do happen, but there is plenty of talent that devoted plans would prefer to see in place of a recap, a 30-minute opening segment, or a charity-related video package.
