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In a global juggernaut like WWE, where the brand is always superior to its parts, most Superstars don't have control over the directions their characters take. All they can do is grind their way to the top and hope to gain enough experience so they can call the shots.
While dissatisfying booking can frustrate some Superstars, it's the nature of the business. So the performers have no option but to comply with it and wait for their time to come. Yes, many disgruntled WWE Superstars jump ship to perform elsewhere if their needs aren't being met. But other wrestlers stay and wait for the opportunity of a lifetime.
Still, megastars like Hulk Hogan, Triple H, and The Rock gained control over their characters after they reached the pinnacle of success in WWE. Likewise, there are a few current WWE Superstars who have creative control. This distinction sets them apart from their peers.
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So without any further delay, let's dive in and see which Superstars have the freedom to call the shots in the notoriously strict WWE landscape.
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#5 Daniel Bryan (WWE SmackDown)
One of the most accomplished WWE Superstars of the modern era, Daniel Bryan has earned the creative control he currently enjoys. He has worked hard to become a living legend, and he's renowned for his dedication to his craft.
Bryan's tremendous in-ring abilities helped his WWE career blossom once The "Yes!" Movement began to take over the company in 2014. This momentum carried Bryan all the way to his unforgettable win in the main event of WrestleMania 30.
He later suffered a career-ending injury, but Bryan defied the odds and returned to WWE. Since he came back, Bryan has become a relative part-timer. WWE management has also rewarded Bryan for his success with creative control over his character. As reported by Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan has the final say in his character.
“When it comes to Daniel Bryan, a lot of what happens with him is very much up to him because he’s on creative and everything. A lot of things with him is very much how he wants it done.”
WWE had been planning to do a Universal Championship program between Roman Reigns and Bryan, but on the latter's recommendation, the feud was pushed forward. It will now likely culminate at WWE Royal Rumble 2021.
#4 Edge (WWE RAW)
Edge's WWE return at Royal Rumble 2020 was a euphoric moment for the fans. Nobody expected "The Rated-R Superstar" to return after he had been retired for nine years. But he came back, and he engaged in a rivalry with Randy Orton. During this storyline, both gtwo Superstars delivered remarkable promos.
Edge revealed in an interview with Kenny McIntosh of Inside The Ropes that he wrote his own promos during this feud.
"We have been left alone. And that's because I've been doing this for 25 years and Randy's been doing this for 20. Nobody's going to write a promo for me. That's all there is to it. I don't work well that way and I think everyone understands that, but it took years and years of proving it."
Behind the scenes, Edge has reportedly become a member of the creative team. Many fans are excited for his eventual return to action after his hard-fought battle with Orton at WWE Backlash. It will be interesting to see which direction he would like to take his character once he's back in the ring.
#3 Pat McAfee (WWE NXT)
NXT Superstar Pat McAfee has thrived on the black-and-gold brand from the day he arrived there. His promo work in the weeks leading up to his debut against Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver XXX was terrific. The match itself impressed many fans, and it allowed McAfee to show that he can hold his own in the ring.
During an interview with Busted Open Radio, McAfee revealed that, even as a newcomer to the wrestling business, he has creative control in WWE NXT.
“So there’s a couple conversations that happen, because I fly down, so I get, I get COVID tested on Sunday and Monday, here in Indianapolis, so when I get my results back Tuesday, Wednesday, so if those two are negative, as soon as my show ends here in Indianapolis, I hop on a plane, literally as soon as the show’s over, and fly down to Orlando. So whenever I get down there. The audience is already in the Capital Wrestling Center, right, so there’s a couple quick conversations that have to happen like, hey, this is where we’re at.
McAfee currently leads the faction, the Kings of NXT, which includes Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch and Pete Dunne. Every time he's in the ring, McAfee continues to deliver memorable promos, and he's given the freedom to do so.
#2 "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt (WWE RAW)
It's an accepted fact that Bray Wyatt is one of the most creative minds in all of WWE. All the characters he has portrayed in the company have been influenced by Wyatt. Even during his days as "The Eater of the Worlds", he wrote most of his promos, and he pitched several successful ideas for his character.
As The Fiend, a lot of credit for this new gimmick's success has gone to Wyatt. His father, former WWE wrestler Mike Rotunda, revealed in the "Two Men Power Trip of Wrestling" podcast that his son enjoys a fair amount of freedom with his character work.
Some people, you can do stuff to enhance a character and make it even bigger. It’s like the character my oldest son does when he did Bray Wyatt. They kind of came up with that themselves and it was… developed the character more and more and then they went to doing The Fiend stuff and he was just — Windham, my older son is good on the mic. He can talk well and speak well and he has a creative mind," said Rotunda.
While some of his booking has left a lot to be desired, he has nonetheless displayed his stunning creativity. For example, his cinematic match against John Cena at WWE WrestleMania 36 has rightfully won numerous accolades from the fans. This bout has been praised for its inventiveness and its utilization of subtext.
#1 Goldberg ( WWE SmackDown)
Not all instances of WWE Superstars holding creative control produce positive results. Though Goldberg is considered to be one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, his booking in the last couple of years has been widely criticized. His win over The Fiend at WWE Super ShowDown for the WWE Universal Championship frustrated many fans. It was a head-scratching decision to let an aging part-timer defeat a rising star.
Soon after the match, WrestleZone reported that Goldberg made a last-minute request to put himself over. He had asked for the change because a monster going over him would have ruined his image.
"We were told that Goldberg going over was a last-minute decision, apparently because Goldberg didn’t want to risk damaging his image. It was noted that Goldberg bargained for creative control and pushed for the title win because 'The Fiend' was a monster and the younger fans needed to see him come out victorious, or it would ruin his character."
Handing creative control to Superstars well past their prime is a risky move. Given the negative reaction to Goldberg's win, WWE should avoid repeating this mistake. To be fair, The Fiend's character managed to recover from the damage inflicted by that loss. But a victory over Goldberg that night would have certainly taken him to a new level of prominence.
