In WWE there are tiers of wrestlers. There is the lower card, the mid card, and the main eventers.
It isn't expected that everyone will be a focal point on the show and be a main event performer. In fact, some wrestlers are well placed as part of the mid-card, where they can have long-standing feuds and potentially compete for titles such as the Intercontinental and the United States championships.
Then, there is talent that is at the bottom of the card, the so-called ‘curtain jerkers.' They generally are seen on dark matches or are considered enhancement talent for the rest of the roster on the show. These talents are there to make others around them look better.
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Some performers may not necessarily be considered enhancement talent, but instead, they just aren't seen on television at all, or seen very rarely even though they could easily be a part of the program. These wrestlers are former champions or were champions in other promotions prior to coming to the WWE.
It seems as though the company would prefer to have them sit rather than use their skillset and have fans enjoy their contributions. Here are a group of wrestlers that are used so poorly, it's actually a crime that they aren't on Raw or Smackdown Live more often.
#5 Curt Hawkins
When he first debuted in WWE years ago, Curt Hawkins was part of the Edge army alongside Zack Ryder. They were Edge clones, from how they dressed to how they looked. Hawkins was there to support Edge, the head of the faction. After that, he toiled as an enhancement talent, rarely, if ever, making it on TV, before he was released.
However, after leaving the company, he earned a name for himself on the independent scene.
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One of the greatest things any wrestler can achieve when they are not a part of a major promotion is to get themselves over with the audience. This was the case for Brian Myers, aka Curt Hawkins. He got himself over, and it seemed as though WWE took notice. Throughout the summer, vignettes were aired promoting his return.
The vignettes were fairly entertaining, so it seemed safe to presume that when he returned he would be pushed, and used in a way that fans could get behind him. However, he's already been booked to look like the fool and that is definitely not helping his cause.
#4 Curtis Axel
Curtis Axel is a wrestler that has been reinvented time and time again, but regardless of whether he was Michael McGuillicuty or accurately advertised as the son of WWE Hall of Famer Mr. Perfect, he has been poorly booked for a very long time.
While some may have enjoyed the Social Outcasts or his work as Axelmania, those gimmicks illustrate how he has been made to look silly for far too long. Axel's wrestling skillset is often taken for granted; after all, just to be where he is suggests that he has real talent.
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He is capable of delivering engaging and focused promos and has taken part in matches that have not only make him look good, but have done wonders for his opposition as well.
What happened then? It seems as though the man that The Rock once praised has simply been relegated to being enhancement talent. This, even though the depth of talent on the roster suggests that he could easily be part of the mid card and have some promising feuds.
That doesn't seem to be on the cards, though. Axel is among the best wrestlers on the roster but has been made to look like a complete joke.
#3 Sami Zayn
He may be referred to as the underdog from the underground, but Sami Zayn's skillset suggests otherwise. While he was part of the NXT brand, he was booked as the perennial lovable loser. He was the guy that worked so long and so hard to win, only to come up short time and time again.
When his moment of triumph finally came, the joy of victory was quickly replaced by the agony of defeat at the hands of his ‘former best friend' Kevin Owens. This highest of highs suggested that Zayn wasn't simply a good wrestler, but a great performer with an incredible knack for getting fans on their feet.
The problem is that, despite coming up to the roster with terrific fanfare and an immediate feud with Kevin Owens, nothing much has materialised for him since then. He has had solid matches against the likes of Seth Rollins and Chris Jericho, but he is capable of doing so much more.
There are some instances where he doesn't even appear on Monday Night Raw, with no explanation for his absence provided. While he may have suffered injuries that hampered his progress in the past, he is currently healthy, and the time to be booked in quality feuds is now.
#2 Neville
It seems it isn't only gravity that forgot about Neville, but the creative team appears to have lost all memory of his past accomplishments as well. Neville is a former NXT tag team champion (alongside Corey Graves,) and a former NXT champion.
Both of these reigns showed that there was more to him than flips and trips. He showcased himself as a talented wrestler with an explosive aerial attack. The initial idea being tossed around was that he would debut with the gimmick of being a modern day Mighty Mouse.
However, since then, even though he has put on outstanding matches against some of the biggest names on the roster, he hasn’t been booked properly at all.
While some may say his height hampers his use on the main roster, that couldn’t possibly be a factor when we have witnessed the success of the likes of AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan over the past few years. He could also be a part of the Cruiserweight division on the Raw brand, but so far that hasn't been the case.
As it stands right now, Neville may be sporting a beard, but that appears to be the only thing that has progressed with his booking lately.
#1 Apollo Crews
Apollo Crews is honestly one of the best pure athletes that the WWE has in the fold. It hasn't mattered whether he was a part of NXT or Smackdown Live, it seems as though Crews wins some matches, loses others, but nothing more comes of it.
When he debuted in NXT he faced a number of talented wrestlers, and while he lost to Baron Corbin, that wasn't supposed to be the last we saw of him or his push. His being drafted late to the Smackdown Live brand has meant that any plans of him being used as a formidable title contender have taken a backseat.
Often WWE will discuss how their talent have to fight for that brass ring, for their opportunity. However, the question remains, has the company seriously considered moving Crews along and putting him in feuds that would help elevate him?
He may have been put over by Sheamus, but since then Sheamus has been in a program alongside Cesaro while Crews is barely seen. When we look for someone that could easily occupy a spot among the mid-card talent on Smackdown Live, Apollo Crews is without question that person.
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