LA Knight and 4 other WWE Superstars who need their hype restored after promising trajectories in 2023
The only downside of a tremendously stacked roster is that not all deserving WWE Superstars get, or can sustain their rightful pushes.
Last year, WWE's creative team strapped the rocket to several promising wrestlers. In addition to the main-event mainstays such as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes & Becky Lynch, several others rose to prominence. LA Knight and Jey Uso are the two most notable examples of that.
However, not all aforementioned rising stars were fortunate enough to keep running with the ball that WWE trusted them with. As a result, they are now on the verge of losing direction, and a few of them have already been shoved back into irrelevancy.
Still, it's not too late for WWE to restore these talented performers' hype. After all, there was a reason why the company decided to fuel up their momentum in the first place. So, here are five stars whose spot on the roster is in need of improvement.
#5 WWE's resident 'Megastar': LA Knight
'YEAH' is probably the first thing a majority of WWE fans would say if they were asked whether or not LA Knight deserves a permanent spot on the top of the card.
After a disastrous run as supermodel scout 'Max Dupri,' Knight finally got a fair shot to thrive under the bright lights. His late 2022-early 2023 run wasn't impressive by any means, and he was mainly used to put over other top stars.
However, fans' unwavering support for The Megastar resulted in the Stamford-based promotion finally perceiving him as a big deal. After that, he got to team up with John Cena and square off against Roman Reigns. By the end of 2023, he was one of the biggest babyfaces in the company.
Surprisingly, 2024 hasn't been a promising year for Knight so far. Not only has he drifted away from the title picture, his TV time has been considerably reduced as well. With King & Queen of the Ring on the horizon, fans are hopeful that the fan-favorite loudmouth gets his late-2023 booking back.
#4 Omos
When it comes to WWE, there will always be room for jaw-dropping attractions. Up until the spring of 2023, all signs were pointing to Omos being the present era's big-fight fixture.
Under the previous regime, The Nigerian Giant was the recipient of an incredible push. With wins over the likes of AJ Styles and Bobby Lashley, he was destined for superstardom. But once Triple H took over, it was only a matter of time before the 29-year-old star started losing his momentum.
Despite not picking up as many wins as he used to, Omos would still be regularly featured. His matches against Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar & Seth Rollins greatly amused fans. But as the summer of 2023 rolled in, the former tag-team champion disappeared from WWE TV. Since then, he hasn't been a part of any key rivalries.
That said, it goes without saying that there's still money to be made with Omos. His noteworthy size and striking presence could still make him a viable threat for top babyfaces. All he needs is consistent booking.
#3 Shayna Baszler
It's still a head-scratcher how WWE hasn't been able to properly portray Shayna Baszler as the unstoppable machine she is.
Even after a stellar NXT arc, her main roster run became a casualty of start-and-stop pushes. Perhaps the biggest fumble was when she lost her push last year. In the summer of 2023, it appeared as if Baszler had finally overcome years of questionable booking by being in a villainous tag team with fellow ex-MMA star, Ronda Rousey.
On the road to SummerSlam, the alliance in question experienced a harsh ending, with The Queen of Spades turning on Rousey. Not only that, but Baszler also showed the exit door to The Expendables 3 star. Thus, fans shouldn't be blamed for believing that Baszler was finally ready to become the biggest heel in the women's division.
Oddly enough, The Submission Magician seemingly lost the bookers' faith within a few weeks of defeating Rousey. Now, she has once again become just another name on the star-studded roster. But that shouldn't be the case, and Baszler should receive an iconic singles run sooner rather than later.
#2 Shinsuke Nakamura
Seven years have passed but the thought of Shinsuke Nakamura not becoming a top WWE Superstar still keeps fans up at night.
When he received his main-roster callup in 2017, Nakamura had everything. He had the catchy entrance, fans' relentless support, and the in-ring skills on par with his unique presentation. He didn't even have to wait long to get his first crack at the WWE Championship.
But between late 2017 and 2023, The King of Strong Style lost his spot as a credible solo star. But it turned out that all hope wasn't lost as The Artist assumed the role of one of the top heels on RAW in the fall of last year. He then had heated rivalries against the likes of Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes to close out the year.
Even though his 2024 hasn't been laden with victories and abundant TV time, the year is still young. With him moving to SmackDown in the recent Draft and there being a shortage of convincing midcard heels, it's totally reasonable to expect him to reclaim the vicious streak he had a few months ago.
#1 Karrion Kross
If there's one thing about WWE Universe, it's that they can change their minds about a wrestler pretty quickly. But one thing most fans have been adamant about is the company's treatment of Karrion Kross.
Since his return in 2022, The Herald of Doomsday has been confined to a weird situation. Despite officials being high on him and giving him chances to become a convincing upper mid-card heel, fans have been vocal about their disinterest in his current character.
The fact that Kross couldn't get the fans to invest in his act even after feuding with fan-favorite veterans like Rey Mysterio and AJ Styles, is unfortunate for the star. In 2023, he became the leader of The Final Testament, a faction that includes him, his wife/on-screen manager Scarlett, WWE Hall of Famer Paul Ellering, and The Authors of Pain. At first, it appeared as if the dominant faction might finally give Kross the break he has been on the lookout for.
But that didn't turn out to be the case. Following their feud with Bobby Lashley's 'The Pride,' the cloud of burial has once again started to loom over Kross and his stablemates. At this point, it's safe to assume that WWE is running out of time to help Kross establish a formidable connection with the passionate fans.