5 WWE Superstars who should receive a push after the 2021 draft

The 2021 WWE Draft is due to be held on the October 1 episode of SmackDown and the October 4 episode of RAW. If recent WWE Drafts are anything to go by, fans can expect plenty of changes on both brands after the upcoming roster moves.

In 2020, Bianca Belair and Big E were among the superstars who benefited most from being assigned to SmackDown. Riddle and Sheamus also went on to achieve success on RAW after moving to the red brand.

Looking at the current landscape of RAW and SmackDown, WWE has added lots of new faces to both shows in recent months. That means, with the annual draft on the horizon, the company’s decision-makers have lots of men and women waiting for their chance in the spotlight.

In this article, let’s take a look at five WWE Superstars who should receive a push after the 2021 draft.

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#5. Liv Morgan (current WWE SmackDown Superstar)

Liv Morgan has repeatedly said in recent interviews that she feels ready to win her first WWE Women’s Championship. Last year, that goal might have seemed unrealistic. Now, however, it is a very real possibility.

The former Riott Squad member has gained a lot of support from WWE fans in 2021, especially since she became a singles competitor.

As the tweet below shows, she told Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Rick Ucchino this week about an emotional interaction she had with Becky Lynch in May 2020. After announcing her pregnancy, Lynch told Morgan backstage that she will be the Women’s Champion by the time she returns.

While Morgan has undoubtedly made huge strides in the last 16 months, she has not yet reached the career-defining target that Lynch set for her.

In July, the women’s ladder match at WWE Money in the Bank summed up just how much Morgan’s popularity has increased this year. Although Nikki A.S.H. won the match, Morgan and Alexa Bliss were the top two babyfaces based on how fans reacted to them.

Regardless of Morgan’s brand after the draft, now is the right time for her to become a credible Women’s Championship contender.

#4. AJ Styles (current WWE RAW Superstar)

It could be argued that someone of AJ Styles’ caliber does not need a push in WWE. The Phenomenal One is already an established superstar and he has achieved more in five years than some people do in their entire career.

With that being said, Styles’ partnership with Omos feels like it has gone as far as it can go. The two men lost the RAW Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam to RK-Bro and their fortunes have not improved since.

Styles lost against Randy Orton on the latest episode of RAW, meaning he has now lost 11 of his last 14 singles matches on television. Granted, wins and losses do not count for much in WWE, but that statistic is alarming considering that Styles has Omos watching his back.

While Styles has undoubtedly helped Omos’ career over the last year, his own credibility as a singles competitor has gone downhill. The only way to make the two-time WWE Champion a serious title challenger again is to give him a singles push after the draft.

It remains to be seen whether WWE’s higher-ups even want Styles in the World Championship picture again. But if the likes of Bobby Lashley, 45, and Goldberg, 54, can challenge for major titles, there is no reason why 44-year-old Styles cannot.

#3. Elias (current WWE RAW Superstar)

“WWE stood for Walk With Elias… but Elias is dead.”

Elias uttered those words after burning his guitar in a cryptic segment on the August 9 episode of WWE RAW. He also appeared in similar segments on the next two episodes before suddenly disappearing from RAW at the end of August.

Needless to say, WWE fans want answers. Where is Elias? Is he going to return with a new look and fresh persona? Why did he burn his guitar?

Due to Elias’ month-long absence, the answers to those questions remain unclear.

Moving forward, Elias desperately needs to receive a push in order to revive his career. WWE’s resident guitarist has fallen a long way from his days of feuding with the likes of John Cena and Roman Reigns between 2017 and 2019.

Elias lost 10 matches in a row on RAW between April and July, including four one-on-one matches against Jaxson Ryker. He also hasn’t competed in a pay-per-view match since losing in four minutes against Braun Strowman at Fastlane in March.

With the draft now looming, it is the perfect time for WWE to use Elias on television again and explain his apparent character change.

#2. Shayna Baszler (current WWE RAW Superstar)

Shayna Baszler is one of many WWE Superstars who has not yet fulfilled her potential on the main roster after a successful run in NXT.

In February 2020, The Queen of Spades made an unforgettable statement on her RAW debut by biting the neck of then-RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch. She went on to eliminate five superstars in an Elimination Chamber match to set up a WrestleMania 36 encounter with Lynch, which she lost.

Since losing that match, Baszler has mostly been involved in tag team storylines and comedy segments with Nia Jax.

Baszler viciously attacked Jax on the latest episode of RAW after several weeks of dissension between the two-time Women’s Tag Team Champions. Jax has since been ruled out for an undisclosed amount of time, which leaves Baszler in need of a new rival.

The former MMA star worked with superstars on RAW and SmackDown during her two tag title reigns with Jax. However, both brands still have fresh faces who Baszler could take on in singles competition after the draft.

Carmella, Liv Morgan, and Zelina Vega are among the current SmackDown superstars who Baszler has never faced in a televised singles match.

#1. Keith Lee (current WWE RAW Superstar)

Like Shayna Baszler, Keith Lee is another WWE Superstar whose most memorable moments and storylines came during his time in NXT.

Lee has suffered from health problems in 2021, which explains why he did not appear on television between February and July. Even before his five-month absence, it felt like The Limitless One had become lost in the main-roster shuffle after moving to RAW in 2020.

Fortunately for the former NXT Champion, it looks as though WWE’s higher-ups are looking to reintroduce him to television in the near future.

Since defeating Karrion Kross on the August 2 episode of RAW, Lee has competed in several untelevised matches before RAW and SmackDown shows. This week, he even received a new name – Keith “Bearcat” Lee – before his latest dark match.

Lee is one of the most impressive in-ring performers on the main roster right now. The problem is that he has not had the opportunity to showcase his skills over the last seven months.

Now, with a new nickname confirmed and a possible character change on the horizon, Lee seems destined to receive a push after the upcoming draft.