WWE SummerSlam: 3 Superstars whose stock has risen since last year's PPV and 3 whose stock has fallen
While WWE has undergone several changes over the past year, it seems pretty much the same. SummerSlam 2019 was a pretty eventful show, a definite high point amidst a challenging period for the company. The Wildcard Rule was still in force, as WWE was preparing for the beginning of their deal with FOX.
Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff were brought in to redesign RAW and SmackDown respectively, with neither of them remaining in the role right now. Both shows had lots to offer, particularly on the Road to WrestleMania 36. But the COVID-19 pandemic has stifled a lot of WWE's likely creative ambitions for the summer.
And now, it seems like they are back to that struggle from a year ago. However, the talent at the forefront of the carnage is not the exact same. A lot of them are in different positions within the roster.
Some of the more prominent names a year ago are hardly on WWE programming anymore, while some of today's top stars did not even make the SummerSlam card last year. These Superstars are just pieces of WWE's ever-changing state, with no guarantee that they will remain in the same position when SummerSlam 2021 rolls around.
Here are three WWE Superstars whose stock has risen since last year's SummerSlam, and three whose stock has fallen.
#6 Ricochet (Fallen)
Back when Paul Heyman was getting started in his role as the executive director of RAW, Ricochet was one of the Superstars earmarked to be getting a push. He had held the United States Championship and was in a feud with AJ Styles for the title, culminating at SummerSlam. And while he lost, it seemed like there were big things in store for Ricochet.
The former NXT North American Champion still remained prominent post-SummerSlam. Ricochet had a strong showing in the King of the Ring tournament, where he lost in the semi-finals. After that, he was still in the upper mid-card scene, as part of a solid group of stars on RAW being groomed by Paul Heyman.
And Ricochet got his big opportunity at Super ShowDown, where he challenged Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship. While it was no surprise that he lost, the manner in which it happened was disheartening. The former Lucha Underground star was absolutely squashed by Lesnar.
Nearly six months on, Ricochet hasn't truly recovered from that moment. He lost clean to Riddick Moss shortly after and is now merely a semi-regular presence on RAW alongside his tag team partner, Cedric Alexander.