3 Superstars who still may not benefit from Vince McMahon stepping back as CEO
News recently broke about Vince McMahon stepping down in the interim from his duties as CEO and Chairman of WWE. This comes after allegations of him paying a former employee, with whom he is alleged to have had an affair, a $3 Million settlement. Vince's temporary resignation is due to an ongoing investigation regarding this matter.
His daughter Stephanie McMahon will assume the roles of CEO and Charmain for the time being. While Vince McMahon will continue to maintain his creative duties, any talent that hopes for a clean slate will have to wait for that. We will likely see the same talented superstars that Vince doesn't value, being underutilized going forward.
With that being said, the following list will see us take a look at 3 WWE Superstars that still won't benefit from Vince McMahon stepping back as CEO.
#3. Finn Balor is being underutilized by Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon has been mis-using Finn Balor since The Prince returned from a torn labrum in April 2017. Before his injury, he was the first-ever Universal Champion, defeating Seth Rollins at Summerslam 2016. Balor's return saw Vince book him as a mid-card talent.
Balor has had multiple Intercontinental and United States title reigns in that period. However, he is seen as someone who Vince McMahon was never keen on and hence has been underutilized. In 2019 Balor went back to NXT where he saw much success under Triple H, who brought him back to the brand.
After ending his second run as NXT Champion, Finn returned to the main roster where he was subjected to the same treatment prior to his departure. Although currently involved in a major storyline having recently joined The Judgement Day, fans aren't hopeful when considering his previous run.
#2. Mustafa Ali
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Mustafa Ali's WWE career is a fascinating tale, to say the least. He was one of the top stars in the now axed Cruiserweight Division until his move to the main roster. He had some impressive showings in his early days on SmackDown, however, creative clearly didn't see much in him.
Despite all of Ali's efforts, he found himself competing on WWE Main Event and having stellar matches at it. Mustafa was then revealed as the leader of the stable Retribution. After the group separated, Ali's career had no clear direction and in January, he requested his release from WWE.
The reason behind this was due to Vince McMahon pitching a storyline that Mustafa wasn't comfortable doing. Following these developments, Mustafa Ali won't return to the company until April to feud with US Champion, Theory.
The champ retained his title at Hell in a Cell in Ali's hometown, thus ending their rivalry. Vince McMahon has now placed Mustafa Ali back on Main Event following his the defeat to Theory. And it seems like he'll be spending his time there until his contract expires in 2024.
#1. Shinsuke Nakamura
The Japanese star has seen his stock go from an all-time high to an all-time low since joining the main roster. Following his historic Royal Rumble triumph in 2018, it seemed like he was on his way to the top. However, Vince McMahon had other ideas for Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34.
Shinsuke turned heel after losing his WWE Championship match against AJ Styles and from there on, things went downhill. He saw himself slip down the pecking order of relevance and be given lackluster storylines. Nakamura did capture the United States and Intercontinental Championships on a couple of occasions.
However, nothing sums up the trajectory of his main roster career like his most recent Intercontinental Championship run. Nakamura defended his title only twice during his 182 day reign.
The King of Strong Style was recently slated to feud with Roman Reigns and begin teaming up with Riddle. Both plans have seemingly been scrapped.