Four WWE wrestlers who deserve better creatively | Opinion
The WWE main roster has welcomed an influx of talent from NXT and other promotions over the past year which has created stacked rosters across brands with potential championship prospects and breakout stars.
But with only so much TV time, not every wrestler can be featured prominently and that leads to an inherent issue of some talents being overlooked. A few stars like Bron Breakker, Tiffany Stratton, Roxanne Perez and others managed to successfully transition to the top of the wrestling pyramid while a few have struggled to find their footing.
Here’s four WWE stars who deserve more creatively than what they are currently receiving:
Johnny Gargano
Johnny Wrestling was over with the fans on NXT. He made his first main roster appearance with Tommaso Ciampa in 2019 and nearly three years later, he was officially added to the SmackDown brand.
The wave of Johnny Wrestling was strong in NXT but the enthusiasm failed to catch on on the main roster. Both Gargano and Ciampa made multiple attempts to garner the mainstream fans’ attention, but it didn’t really work and worsened with Ciampa’s WWE exit earlier this year.
Since then, Gargano has been spotted lying motionless backstage on various boxes pondering his life decisions. He was a participant in the Andre The Giant memorial battle royal this year, but has not been a part of a significant storyline or feud since.
Given his background on NXT, Gargano has all the tools to become WWE’s next beloved star on the main roster. A meaningful rivalry, a chase for the U.S. Championship or the return of his Johnny Wrestling moniker could remind WWE fans why he was once one of the company’s brightest prospects.
Ilja Dragunov
Dragunov’s main roster run initially seemed alright, especially with his promising debut on the Raw after WWE WrestleMania 40 which only grew in fan support when he won the United States Championship last year.
Since losing the title, he decided to wait for the opportune moment to be ready to collide with then-champion Carmelo Hayes which was out of character given his desire for immediate action. Over the year, his TV appearances have been reduced.
It is not unfamiliar for WWE to catapult NXT talents from the get-go. A classic example being the aforementioned Bron Breakker as the second generation wrestler won the Intercontinental Championship, was paired with Paul Heyman, and could possibly be fully in the World title picture soon.
Dragunov’s resilience in NXT UK and feud with Gunther helped get him over to an audience who were largely unfamiliar with him. However, that has been diminished on his main roster run. If done right, he could emerge as a compelling contender in a storyline for the top names of the roster.
Grayson Waller
While Waller has been featured on more televised segments and appearances in comparison to the aforementioned, WWE hasn’t maximized his strengths.
His union with Austin Theory showed promise but was short-lived with his sudden injury and return to join The Vision. Waller then joined the New Day but that eventually fizzled out and now, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston are gone.
He squared off against Penta, Oba Femi and El Grande Americano in comedic bouts and easily forgettable squash matches as that’s how he’s seen. Rather than treating him as a utility player, WWE could benefit from leaning into his strengths and position him as a naturally charismatic talker.
Ivy Nile
Nile has all the ingredients for a breakout star: the amateur wrestling background, the physique, impressive in-ring strength, and a distinctive presentation that pulls it all together.
Despite being a regular on WWE TV through her affiliations with Alpha Academy and American Made, she’s been confined to a supporting role while the Creed Brothers and Chad Gable have moved on to bigger and better feuds.
There is still plenty of time for WWE to make Nile a central figure and create the next top star from the women’s division. It would transform her from merely being a background threat to a credible threat in the ring.
Rosanne Raphael is a wrestling writer with over three and a half years of experience covering all things related to the industry. From a kindergarten teacher to PR Associate to turning her lifelong passion for the industry into a career, Rosanne is currently writing for F4W Online where she focuses on wrestling news, analysis, and storytelling.
Rosanne previously contributed to Sportskeeda as an Assistant Content Manager.
When not consumed by wrestling, Rosanne is a musician and an aspiring artist.