5 WWE stars that we haven't heard from in a long time

WWE is a never-ending marathon, with many wrestlers retiring and/or debuting daily.

On one hand, fans are happy to see underutilized stars like Apollo Crews getting a chance to shine. Whereas, on the other hand, many are tired of seeing Charlotte Flair on every show on the company. Distance makes the heart grow fonder is a phrase that is certainly applicable in WWE, as we have seen many instances of how a returning superstar gets showered by cheers from the WWE Universe. WWE is in a weird position right now, with their top faces (Roman Reigns and Becky Lynch) being out of action for an indefinite period, and fans are feeling their absence on the weekly programming.

There are some other superstars, though, who have not been in action for quite some time now. So without further ado, let us present to you five superstars who you may have forgotten about.

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#5. Kyle O'Reilly

Kyle O'Reillyhas been a cornerstone of not only the UE, but NXT as well

Kyle O'Reilly is the only entry on this list who has been a featured part of WWE TV in the Pandemic Era. O'Reilly is a former ROH World Champion, former PWG World Champion, and a three-time ROH World Tag Team Champion alongside Bobby Fish as reDragon. However, reDragon reached the next level when they debuted in WWE and aligned themselves with Adam Cole to form The Undisputed Era. Reilly has been a record three-time NXT Tag Team Champion and has been a cornerstone of NXT as part of the UE.

Kyle O'Reilly last appeared in a WWE ring at NXT Takeover Portland, where he and Fish would lose the NXT Tag Team Titles to the Broserweights (Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle). Reilly suffers from Diabetes, which prompted the UE member to take time off during this global pandemic. Though he has been part of many pre-taped segments, we wish that KOR makes his return soon.

#4. Mickie James

James is a wrestling legend in her own right

Mickie James is the only female to hold the WWE Women's, WWE Divas, and TNA Knockouts Championships in wrestling history. Also, James made history on the December 17, 2019, edition of Raw by competing in the highest number of matches by a female Superstar in the show's 27-year history. These accomplishments should be enough to describe the level of success that James has achieved in the world of pro wrestling. Outside of WWE, she has been able to achieve pretty decent success in the world of music as a country singer.

Reports surfaced in early June 2019 that James had suffered a torn ACL in a singles match with Carmella, forcing her to miss six to nine months of in-ring action. Mickie did undergo successful knee surgery a month later on July 16, returning as a commentator for WWE's Main Event show. WWE should consider bringing James back, as she is a veteran and can help in elevating the women's division, which has suffered a setback since the departure of Becky Lynch.

#3. Robert Roode

Bobby Roode as NXT Champion

The GLOOOOOORIOUS One has often drawn parallels with WWE Hall of Famer Triple H, due to him having an appearance and moveset similar to the NXT Head. After having a GLOOOOOORIOUS run in Impact Wrestling, Bobby (now Robert) Roode made his way to WWE's Performance Center, and it seemed that bigger things awaited the former NXT Champion on the main roster.

Alas, that was not true, as Roode turned babyface upon debuting on the SummerSlam fallout show of SmackDown in 2017, and things have been not-so-GLOOOOOORIOUS (Sorry, can't help it) since then.

But, it seemed that he finally found his footing in 2019, turning heel and teaming up with Dolph Ziggler to form a formidable tag team. So, it came as a surprise to many when Roode was not backing his partner up during the latter's feud with Otis on the road to WrestleMania 36.

Roode's last televised appearance for WWE came in March when he teamed up with Ziggler to challenge for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships inside the Elimination Chamber. Since then, Roode (a Canadian resident) has not been able to travel to the US due to the ongoing global pandemic, leading to him not being featured on WWE programming. But, with things slowly returning to normality, we can expect Roode to return soon and give the SmackDown tag division, a much-needed boost.

Roode and Ziggler as tag champs will be GLOOOOOORIOUS (swear this is the last time I say it).

#2. Mustafa Ali

Is Ali the SmackDown hacker?

After working hard to make the Cruiserweight championship and 205 Live relevant after the departure of Neville and Austin Aries from the scene, Mustafa Ali got a much-deserved call up to the main roster, courtesy of the then-WWE Champion Daniel Bryan. Ali was supposedly going to be in the World title picture alongside Daniel Bryan, but an eye injury led to Kofi replacing him in the Elimination Chamber match. This led to the birth of KofiMania, which saw Ali's push coming to a halt.

WWE hinted at an Ali v/s Nakamura feud over the Intercontinental Championship during the Summer, but that feud too never came to fruition. Last being a part of Team SmackDown at 2019's Survivor Series PPV, the 'Heart and Soul of WWE' has been off-TV ever since.

Rumors are rife that Ali is indeed the Hacker that has been running roughshod over SmackDown. We hope that this rumor is true, as Ali has the in-ring skills, and a gimmick as intriguing as this will surely propel him to the next level.

#1. Lars Sullivan

Very few WWE superstars share screen-time with Mr. McMahon so early into their career

There are illustrious careers, there are unsuccessful careers, and then... there's Lars Sullivan's career.

The Freak fit right into Vince McMahon's mold of a top star, and his skills inside the ring meant he was a fan favorite, too. So much so, the only time Sullivan lost clean in a one-on-one match in NXT was in his very last match in the brand, which was against the then-NXT Champion Aleister Black for his NXT Championship.

Promos featuring the arrival of Sullivan on the main roster started airing in late 2018, and rumors were rife that Lars was getting a huge push, fighting WWE legend John Cena at WrestleMania 35. Anxiety attacks led to WWE changing plans for The Freak, with him debuting on the RAW after WrestleMania 35 and making a statement by attacking WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle.

Moving over to SmackDown as a part of the WWE Superstar Shakeup a week later, Sullivan started feuding with the Lucha House Party, and it was in a match with them on the June 10, 2019, episode of RAW that Lars suffered a legitimate knee injury, which put him on the shelf for six to nine months.

Lars was supposed to be back in time for WrestleMania 36, but his recovery is not going at the expected rate. We hope that Lars returns soon and picks up from where he left.

What other stars are M.I.A. that you hope come back soon? Let us know in the comments section!