3 best non-televised WWE storylines of 2023
WWE churns out at least seven hours of programming every week. Across RAW, SmackDown, and NXT, the promotion manages to advance dozens of storylines every week. However, as the company airs the next twist in The Bloodline story or advances Jacy Jayne's split from Gigi Dolin, some storylines do not make it to television.
This means that the Superstars involved resort to harnessing the power of social media to advance these stories. It has proved quite effective as they sometimes generate so much buzz that they are brought to weekly television or earn the involved talent TV time in different segments. 2023 has seen a few of them play out on social media and YouTube, prompting us to list three of the best.
Here are three incredible storylines that did not make it to the three main shows but have rocked the WWE Universe in 2023
#3: Grayson Waller has been a backstage menace in WWE NXT
😳😳😳 #WWENXT twitter.com/GraysonWWE/sta…
Ever since Grayson Waller began feuding with Bron Breakker, he has taken the intensity of his on-screen character up a notch. The two rising stars injected a dose of realism into their short feud, giving the fans something different to digest. Tensions reached a boiling point at Vengeance Day 2023 when Waller seemed to go over the edge after failing to capture the WWE NXT Championship.
He has since interrupted NXT head booker Shawn Michaels multiple times, accusing the latter of playing favorites with the likes of Breakker. His initial raid on HBK's office led to a one-week suspension, but this hasn't stopped the Aussie Ace from continuing to pose a problem for his boss. It remains to be seen how this storyline will end. Developing it on social media has definitely allowed it to exceed the limitations a TV storyline could have faced.
#2: "Making It Maximum" has helped the Maximum Male Models earn their way back onto WWE television
The Maximum Male Models have had quite a turbulent run on the WWE main roster. Having aligned with a gimmick that wasn't everyone's cup of tea, they lost initial leader Max Dupri, who was repackaged as LA Knight. They soon fell even lower down the card and eventually off the television.
The models were down but not out, starting their YouTube mini-series "Making It Maximum," which followed their pursuit of the next Maximum Male Model. The skits soon gained momentum with the WWE Universe, and fans look forward to new episodes every Thursday. They are now back on television, having been traded to Raw. Mace and Mansoor with their manager, Maxxine Dupri, are currently trying to recruit Otis.
Maxxine Dupri and her clients have momentum again, and it's all down to their online exploits.
#1: Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio's holiday skits have accumulated a cult following in the WWE Universe
All @reymysterio wanted was a nice Valentine’s Day dinner with his wife, but once again @RheaRipley_WWE and @DomMysterio35 crashed the party 😬 https://t.co/pd8Abtpot1
Rey Mysterio and his son Dominik have been passively feuding since their split at Clash At The Castle. The Biggest Little Man has thus far refused to fight his progeny, even switching from RAW to SmackDown to avoid butting heads with the latter. Dominik, though, has relentlessly provoked his legendary father, raiding the latter's space on Thanksgiving and Christmas alongside Rhea Ripley. On Valentine's Day, Rey seemed ready as Dom's date with Mami did not go as planned.
The duo even faced off in a NASCAR race, adding to their growing catalog of hilarious online segments. Their non-televised story thread has quietly delivered a slew of memorable moments, even birthing the popular nickname "Ex-Con Dom" for the 25-year-old.
Although it isn't on TV, it is one of the most popular storylines in WWE in 2023.