5 WWE Wrestlers Who Deserve A Happy New Year

WWE is a traffic jam of talent, not every superstar can receive the status and exposure that they necessarily deserve, which is a shame when you look at just how stacked the roster has become in the past year alone. Certain superstars have taken a back seat to rising stars, whilst the chosen few have floundered after being given somewhat of a prominent role (I’m looking at you Baron Corbin). So now that the New Year is upon us, here are five superstars that deserve to catch a break on the main roster.

 

1. Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler is the personification of a grizzled young vet. Having wrestled with the company for well over a decade now, Ziggler has been constantly chasing the status of a household name. Following sporadic runs with championships throughout his career, Ziggler has become the ideal performer to help put over a newcomer looking for some momentum. While this routine did at first help a select few NXT prodigies, his credibility has diminished to the point where neither the fans nor Ziggler himself really cares much for his work.

Rumours surrounding his contract and whether or not we’ll be seeing him on Smackdown Live for much longer have been surfacing for the best part of a year, so 2018 could be the make or break time for Dolph Ziggler.

Having recently captured and voluntarily relinquished the United States title, Ziggler’s name has suddenly been thrusted back into discussion. No confirmation seems to have been given as to whether or not that was his final swansong, but if I were a betting man, I’d say that they’ve managed to broker a deal with him for at least another few months.

If and when The Show Off does make a comeback to contest the interim US champion, it should hopefully be a refreshment for Ziggler’s career, bringing him back into the spotlight as one of WWE’s top workers. I firmly believe that when given the chance and motivation, Dolph can still steal the show, 2018 should certainly hold something worthy of his effort.

 

2. Tye Dillinger

Again with the call-ups that kill any and all momentum a superstar once had. The Perfect 10 debuted just after Wrestlemania 33, defeating the likes of Aiden English and Curt Hawkins in back-to-back matches. Since then, Dillinger has just sort of been there, very rarely featured on televised episodes of Smackdown. It seems that the creative writers don’t really have anything to go on aside from that he likes to shout the number 10 a lot.

So, as per typical WWE response, they hit the panic button and turn him heel. For those unaware, Dillinger has recently been working as a heel at live events, changing his tactics to be more aggressive against names such as Sin Cara. I can’t say for sure whether or not it managed to get over with the crowds, but Tye is certainly someone who knows just how to work a crowd, whether that be as a face or a heel.

Hopefully we’ll see Dillinger bring his new heel persona to Smackdown Live shows soon enough, the guy deserves to at least have a couple of prolific feuds to his name before they totally give up on him. Whether or not 2018 brings much success the way of the Perfect 10, I’d at least like to see them make the effort to try.

 

3. Rusev

Rusev Day. That is all.

Somehow Rusev has found a way to become one of the top merch pushers at the top of the year. Since dropping the foreign monster schtick, Rusev has been granted time to display his ability to not take himself too seriously, which for some bizarre reason, is precisely what gets over these days. I’m happy for the former Russian/Bulgarian/Italian (take away whichever whilst you’re reading this), it’s great to see him enjoying himself alongside Aiden English and be received so well by all crowds.

Creative control is the way forward for most undercard wrestlers who are looking for their big break. Rusev and English continue to dominate social media with comedy skits and promos which are genuinely entertaining to watch. Rusev Day 2018 should be a grand event for all demographics, let’s just hope they allow this to flourish.

 

4. Cedric Alexander

Alexander put on an instant classic against Kota Ibushi in the CWC, much to the point where the entire crowd were demanding for him to be signed by Triple H after the tournament. Wishes were granted when Cedric became a regular member of the 205 Live roster, putting on incredible matches with the likes of Noam Dar and Jack Gallagher. Finally, the man who can get a decent match out of pretty much everyone is breaking through to the title picture, but whether or not it will be a success for him is a different story.

As of the time of writing, Cedric is set to face Enzo Amore for the championship on the New Year’s Day edition of Raw, but considering how well Enzo is working as a top heel, I doubt they’ll simply hand it down to Cedric that easily.

It’s a shame considering that the Cruserweight Division should be about talent found in surprising places and then that talent being a regular feature and show-stealer. Alexander is the ideal name to start bringing new fans into 205, putting on more matches of the same ilk as his match against Kota. 205 Live should be about phenomenal wrestling and out of the entire Cruserweight Division, Cedric Alexander is the one to lead that charge.

 

5. Finn Balor

Someone which many penned to be a huge success for WWE has kind of fizzled out over the months. I haven’t given up on Finn, I doubt anyone backstage has either, but Balor definitely deserves to have more of a presence in 2018 than he has done for most of 2017. Having recovered from an untimely injury which halted his incredible push, Balor has meandered around the upper-mid card, occasionally finding himself in feuds which don’t really amount to anything. His bit rivalry with Bray Wyatt had potential to do wonders for both individuals, but was squandered with the whole Sister Abigail nonsense.

Finn certainly deserves more than just squashing Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas on a weekly basis. It baffles me that they’ve never considered him for the IC title at the very least. Hopefully they’ll break the rut that he’s stuck in over the next 12 months.