5 RAW Superstars Who Deserve A Main Event Push

WWE recently held its 2019 draft, which was meant to reset the rosters after the infamous “Wild Card Rule” completely mucked things up earlier this year. With SmackDown’s big move to Fox and Monday Night Raw remaining on the USA Network, it was necessary to separate the rosters in order to make things seem fresh.

While SmackDown drafted the likes of Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt to beef up its main event scene, there really aren’t too many established main eventers on the red brand. Seth Rollins remains Raw’s top star as the reigning Universal Champion, but with the blue brand gaining the exclusive rights to his latest nemesis, the aforementioned Wyatt, Rollins will need new challengers after the upcoming Crown Jewel event.

That’s not to say that Wyatt couldn’t still win the Universal Title, but it seems very unlikely given the fact that Lesnar is just a few weeks into his latest WWE Title reign and there’s no way both world titles will end up on the same show. But no matter how things shake out on Oct. 31, Rollins will remain a major player in Raw’s main event scene. The question is, who else is there for him to contend with?

Here are five Raw superstars who deserve a main event push.

 

5. EC3

It could be argued that EC3 doesn’t possess the momentum necessary to move into Raw’s main event scene given that he has been overlooked and underutilized ever since he returned to WWE in 2018. But the biggest mistake the company has made with the former TNA World Heavyweight Champion has been their failure to give the man promo time. Hand EC3 a microphone and he will get himself over, it’s as simple as that.

Jinder Mahal, of all people, is a former WWE Champion, so there’s absolutely no reason why EC3 shouldn’t be main eventing WWE shows. He has the look, mic skills and in-ring ability needed to be the top guy in any of the major companies, yet he continues to flounder because he hasn’t been given a real opportunity.

Now is the time for WWE to realize the error of its ways. Many thought EC3’s run in TNA would be the catalyst to a major push in his second stint with WWE, but that simply hasn’t happened. Now is the perfect time for the company to give him a chance to sink or swim.

 

4. Andrade

With Zelina Vega at his side, all Andrade has to worry about is getting it done in the ring, and get it done in the ring he does. This is an old-school type of duo given the fact that few superstars have managers these days, but both excel at doing what is asked of them.

A former NXT Champion, Andrade has shown his ability to be a main eventer in the past. In fact, his match against Johnny Gargano at TakeOver: Philadelphia was the first NXT match to earn five stars from Wrestling Observer Newsletter journalist Dave Meltzer. Andrade is also dating Charlotte Flair, which certainly doesn’t hurt his cause.

Like EC3, whose “One Percenter” gimmick is tailor-made for a main event heel, the twosome of Andrade and Vega is more than capable of battling a No. 1 face and putting on additional five-star matches. Especially if that No. 1 face is someone such as Seth Rollins, although he may be primed for a heel turn based on recent crowd reactions.

 

3. Aleister Black

Speaking of crowd reactions, Zelina Vega’s real-life husband garners one each and every time. The owner of arguably the best entrance in WWE, Aleister Black looks like a superstar, walks like a superstar and talks like a superstar. He’s also a talented in-ring performer whose martial arts background gives him a unique style inside the squared circle.

WWE obviously sees something in Black because his character has been protected, much like his former tag team partner, Ricochet. Nevertheless, Black’s push has been sort of stop-and-go since the two went their separate ways. His whole “pick a fight with me” gimmick didn’t really get over because it took so long to give him an opponent, but if he’s wrestling on a weekly basis as he has been recently, his popularity will continue to grow.

Black has all the tools to be a main eventer, and he is capable of filling either the top face or top heel role depending on what the company needs. While he may continue to squash jobbers for the time being, he is more than ready for a main event feud as we speak.

 

2. Drew McIntyre

A former Impact World Champion, Drew McIntyre was once dubbed “The Chosen One” by Vince McMahon. During his time away from WWE, he got himself in the best shape of his career and proved that he was a viable main eventer both in the ring and on the mic.

Upon his return to WWE, McIntyre was given the nickname “The Scottish Psychopath,” and for a while he was very protected. However, he always seems to be playing the part of someone’s muscle, be it Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin or Shane McMahon. Not only that, but losing multiple matches to Roman Reigns didn’t help his aura.

While the announcers always make sure to point out what a threat McIntyre is, it doesn’t do any good when he’s losing via rollups at the hands of guys like of Ricochet and Cedric Alexander. Not that those guys aren’t talented performers as well, but if you’re trying to build up McIntyre as such an unbeatable beast, you have to commit to it. The time to fully commit should commence after Crown Jewel.

 

1. Samoa Joe

AJ Styles and Kevin Owens are viable main eventers, but it looks like they are headed for another feud over the United States Title. And while Samoa Joe is currently out with a broken thumb, as soon as he is cleared, he should immediately be placed into Raw’s main event scene ahead of either of those two, who have each had multiple runs at the top of the card.

Perhaps the most underrated mic worker in the company, Joe always makes you believe he is literally going to destroy his opponent. Also a gifted in-ring performer, he is constantly able to back it up, as long as WWE allows him to. To this point, they haven’t given him the ball and let him run with it, despite the fact that he has made less-than-stellar feuds watchable just because of his abovementioned ability on the mic.

Joe has earned a main event spot, and while he excels as a monster heel, he hasn’t yet had a dominant face run on the main roster. He showed he’s capable of playing more of a tweener/face role during the recent storyline between Roman Reigns and Erick Rowan, but WWE wasn’t willing to stick with it. This time, whether it’s as a face or a heel, they need to stick with his main event push and give him a Universal Title run.