5 WWE Superstars who lost their momentum after Vince McMahon's exit 

WWE has been operating at a phenomenal level since Triple H took over the creative department in 2022. However, this success has come at the cost of some wrestlers' momentum.

The regime change in question took effect in July 2022. Over the next year and a half, several underutilized or miscast superstars started getting the recognition they'd been clamoring for. The likes of Chad Gable, Dominik Mysterio, Pete Dunne, and Tommaso Ciampa are prime examples of that.

Over the same period, though, many WWE performers who were being booked exceptionally well by Vince McMahon lost their momentum. A few of them were even released after slipping to the bottom of the card. It wouldn't be far-fetched to state that these wrestlers could've been in the midst of engaging WrestleMania programs right now if Vince were still in charge.

But who are these WWE Superstars who lost momentum following Vince McMahon's exit? Let's take a look at five of them.

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#5 Austin Theory

Up until the summer of 2022, all signs were pointing to Austin Theory gearing up to take over as the next big thing. After all, it's a rare sight to witness a young prospect win a singles championship and the Money in the Bank contract in their first year on the main roster.

Unfortunately for the fans of Austin Theory, his meteoric rise to superstardom had a crash landing once Triple H assumed his role as head of creative. Things got even worse when Theory cashed in his Money in the Bank contract for an unsuccessful shot at the US Title.

It's worth noting that he ended up winning the US Title eventually. However, his second reign did him more harm than good. Even after wins over John Cena and Edge, the 26-year-old superstar didn't get his heat back.

Currently, he's teaming up with Grayson Waller. The duo started on a promising note last year, but their lack of success hasn't done them any favors lately.

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#4 Elias/Ezekiel

Triple H could book generational rivalries all year long, but booking Elias effectively was always an uphill battle for him.

Following a lackluster stint in the Triple H-led NXT, The Drifter made his way to the main roster in 2017. Surprisingly, he didn't get lost in the shuffle and actually became a consistent presence on WWE TV. Elias never went on a monstrous winning streak, but his segments were getting significant time weekly and it was clear that the company saw potential in him.

In April 2022, following a lengthy absence, he debuted a new gimmick, Ezekiel, who was supposed to be Elias' brother. Despite the character's comical origin, 'Zeke' actually received a substantial push, sharing the ring with the likes of Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, and Cody Rhodes.

However, the fun didn't last long, because as soon as Vince McMahon left WWE, Ezekiel was instantly written off TV. He made his return as Elias a couple of months later, only to find out that he had lost his spot for good. In September 2023, he was let go by WWE.

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#3 Omos

Despite boasting an irreplicable presence, Omos has been directionless for almost a full year now.

But even while he has been active during Triple H's reign as the creative head, the Nigerian Giant has mainly put over other main-event and upper midcard superstars. That was a far cry from how he was being booked during the Vince McMahon regime.

Between late 2020 and early 2022, Omos was a force to be reckoned with. During his TV in-ring debut at WrestleMania 37, the seven-foot-three behemoth became Tag Team Champion. After a dominant run in the duos division, Omos parted ways with AJ Styles and got an important win over him.

While he has all the tools to become an attraction, the current creative team hasn't cracked the code on how to utilize Omos correctly. As a result, he has absolutely no momentum at the moment.

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#2 Madcap Moss

During Vince McMahon's final years as the leader of WWE, it was rare for him to go all the way to pushing a new superstar, but he made an exception with Madcap Moss.

In late 2021, Moss joined forces with Happy Corbin. Fans didn't expect him to become a big deal, as he was merely a comedic sidekick of a villain who hadn't picked up many significant victories. However, to everyone's surprise, Moss actually got a rocket strapped to his back.

He had a decent showing in the 2022 men's Royal Rumble match and went on to win the Andre the Giant Memorial battle royal. Following WWE WrestleMania 38, he turned face and defeated Corbin not once, not twice, but thrice!

As a fiery babyface, Moss started getting popular among fans. Unfortunately, though, time wasn't on his side. His gradual push became a casualty of the regime change. As it turned out, things didn't get any better for the Minnesota native, and he got his WWE release papers in September 2023.

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#1 2x WWE Champion AJ Styles

When AJ Styles first popped up in WWE, fans were concerned as Vince McMahon didn't have a good track record of pushing superstars who came from rival companies.

In an astonishing turn of events, Styles had a phenomenal (pun fully intended) debut year. He got two wins over John Cena and won the WWE Championship. His second reign as the top champion was even more successful than his first and lasted for over a year.

Even after exiting the World Title picture, Vince kept Styles winning gold left and right. As a result, he became a Grand Slam Champion at WrestleMania 37.

While it's true that The Phenomenal One's best years in the ring are way behind him, he is still a top-notch athlete. Yet, he hasn't been on a remarkable run since Mr. McMahon's departure due to injuries and inconsistent bookings. Hopefully, his feud with LA Knight changes things for the better.