The WWE is just like anything else. We don’t remember wrestlers for what they did in the past, we remember wrestlers for what they are doing right now. This is very much a “what have you done for me lately” industry and it is reflected as such once a wrestler disappears from WWE television for a week to even a month.
With that being said, WWE stars need to stay current, they need to stay fresh and they need to stay, in people’s minds. One slip of “creative has nothing for you” can’t be a deadly omen for that wrestler’s career for that period of time. Here is a list of five current WWE superstars that I believe have fallen into that category as of late and need to turn their careers around ASAP:
5. Jack Swagger
[adinserter block=”2″]His World Heavyweight Championship reign was one of the most forgotten reigns of all-time. He has never recovered from the poor booking he was placed in post-WrestleMania 26 and when he shows signs of being a star again the WWE immediately pegs him back down the ladder. He clearly has a great background as an amateur wrestler and at one time appeared to part of the linkage between Kurt Angle & Brock Lesnar when it comes to pure amateur wrestler athletes in the WWE.
One of the worst things for Swagger (and I can’t believe I am saying this) is being paired up with Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler is a star waiting to breakout at the right moment and even could be heavily accepted by the WWE fans. Swagger has been lost in the shadow of one of the best wrestlers in the company right now and maybe a feud with Ziggler could save his stance in the company. One thing is for certain Swagger needs to turn it around quick because there is too much talent to not be represented in the squared circle.
4. Drew McIntyre
Like Swagger, McIntyre has been one of the most confusing talents to understand since WrestleMania 26. Around WrestleMania 26 it appeared McIntyre was going to break out in the “Money in the Bank” ladder match, instead he didn’t and the guy I ranked at #5 did. McIntyre was still in the good graces of the WWE until him and his WWE Diva wife, Tiffany, got in trouble with the law during Summerslam weekend. He has never been able to rebound from that period of time and has been secluded to Superstars & various potential storylines that never came to fruition.
Its funny how many WWE legends (Bret Hart & Roddy Piper) have given this guy props on social media sites like Twitter and the WWE still doesn’t zone in on his ability. Instead he is used as the background guy on some segments on Smackdown instead of being showcased in the ring. I don’t know why the WWE doesn’t feel necessary to let this guy no longer pay for his wife’s penance and let him shine in the WWE. McIntyre needs to breakthrough soon before he is cut from the roster and joins a list of talent that had a world of potential but never tapped into it with the WWE.
3. Alberto Del Rio
Ever since dropping the WWE Championship to CM Punk at the 2011 Survivor Series the former WWE Champion has never rebounded. Sure he has had trouble with injuries but it appears that there has still been caution regarding said injury since it wasn’t until after WrestleMania 28 that one of the top heels in the company was used again. Because of that long haul of a nagging injury it appeared that the star that was barely glimmering before he left with an injury was not even shining when he returned.
Del Rio has the makings (and still does) of being a star that we remember for an entire decade in the WWE, those stars that for a 10 year period leaves a lasting mark on the company where we look back at his career fondly. The shocking thing of it all is that since Del Rio has won the WWE Championship it’s like he just doesn’t matter to fans as much as he did without it. Maybe his character got stale, maybe fans got bored with him, either way he needs to turn around his WWE career quickly before he gets lost in the shuffle like the two wrestlers ahead of him have.
2. R-Truth
It was around this time a year ago that R-Truth put the wrestling world on notice when turned heel and became one of the most intriguing heels in sometime. Amazing how all that was good, exciting and entertaining about R-Truth’s heel turn at that time would eventually be overshadowed by a promo that aired on RAW at the end of June. Truth had what could’ve been a great feud with John Cena heading into the summer but like I said before he was trumped immediately by a “straight edge superstar” who had turn the wrestling world on it’s head.
R-Truth stood in the same ring the night The Rock made his long awaited WWE return to the squared circle and it was all taken away from him the next night when he was suspended for 30 days for failing the wellness policy test. When he returned it was as a face again and continuing his “crazy” gimmick that he currently has in the WWE. He has star appeal, he works well with the audience, he is a great in-ring worker and for whatever reason the WWE just can’t get behind this guy right now as he has fallen in the shuffle. I don’t think he has the same potential for being a WWE Champion like he did a year ago but he certainly can be a top player in this company if the WWE allows him to turn it around quickly.
1. The Miz
I don’t think this is no surprise to wrestling fans who have watched the WWE programming the last six months or so. The Miz in 2011 was a WWE Champion, headlined Wrestlemania 27 and looked to be the next big heel the WWE has been looking for since Edge turned face & Chris Jericho had left the company. The fans enjoyed his work; he was easily promotable by the WWE and had the makings of a top WWE star despite all the critics that weighed in on their opinions of him.
[adinserter block=”1″]Then The Miz started to get in a bit of trouble backstage in the WWE. He had failed to protect our #2 ranking wrestler from a horrible fall and was getting a lot of brunt from one Triple H in the backstage area reportedly. Things were not looking good for the former WWE Champion and still really don’t look good as he has nearly disappeared post-Wrestlemania 28. He has told his fans on Twitter to “be patient” but I don’t know how a current wrestling society could live by such a moniker. If there is any wrestler in the WWE who needs their career to be turned around quickly it is “the awesome one” for sure.
For more on this topic join us for the Thursday May 3rd edition of “The Still Real to Us Show” and download the show at www.wheelhouseradio.com or www.wrestlechat.net.
If you would like to subscribe to “The Wheelhouse” on iTunes simply subscribe for free at iTunes by typing in “Wheelhouse Radio!”
You can follow “The Champ Jeff Peck” on Twitter at www.twitter.com/therealjeffpeck you can also follow Wheelhouse Radio on twitter at www.twitter.com/thewheelhouse and you can e-mail them @ wheelhouseradio@gmail.com
New Brock Lesnar Carnage Tees at WWEShop.com!
Daniel Bryan Yes Authentic T-Shirt
NEW: Official Licensed T-Shirts at WWEShop.com!
Grab discounted WWE DVDs, merchandise, t -shirts, figures, and more from the WWE Shop on Amazon.com
I agree 100% All these athletes have tremendous potential to be top stars but they don't push themselves hard enough. The miz was doing great and then he was taken out of the spotlight for a bit and now he's nothing.
Thanks for stopping by. I'll argue with you and Jeff about The Miz. I never understood his push and never thought he'd make it as a main eventer. I think WrestleMania 27 will be as high on the cards as he ever gets again.