5 WWE Superstars who have not been on TV since WrestleMania 35 (and the reasons why)

Since WrestleMania 35 took place on April 7, over 50 WWE Superstars have appeared on Raw and/or SmackDown Live on more than one occasion.

Seth Rollins, for example, has tried to establish himself as WWE’s top male Superstar over the last three months after defeating Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship, while Kofi Kingston has put together a remarkable 21-match winning streak as WWE champion.

In the women’s division, Becky Lynch has kept hold of the Raw Women’s Championship that she won in the main event of WrestleMania, while the rejuvenated Bayley now holds the SmackDown Women’s Championship after cashing in her Money In The Bank contract on Charlotte Flair.

As is always the case in WWE, for every set of major Superstars who are at the top of their game, there are just as many Superstars who, for various different reasons, are not even being used on television.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at five people who have not appeared on WWE’s flagship shows since WrestleMania 35.

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#5 Luke Harper

Shortly before WrestleMania 35, Luke Harper posted a passionate letter on Twitter in which he explained why his return match at WrestleMania Axxess against Dominik Dijakovic was so important to him.

The former Wyatt Family member went on to defeat the NXT Superstar in a widely praised match which later aired on the WWE Network as part of the ‘Worlds Collide’ event.

Unfortunately for Harper, he has not appeared on WWE television since WrestleMania 35, where he participated in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and he revealed one week after the show that he asked WWE to release him from his contract.

Lots of reasons have been given as to why Harper is not being used on Raw or SmackDown Live, with Fightful claiming that Vince McMahon has a “long-term issue” with him and the Wrestling Observer reporting that McMahon did not want him to be drafted in the Superstar Shake-Up after a “bad” dark match against EC3.

Harper’s contract expires in 2020, so it looks unlikely that he will compete for WWE again.

#4 Nia Jax

From WrestleMania 34 to WrestleMania 35, Nia Jax was one of the most prominent female Superstars on Monday Night Raw.

Having been involved in rivalries with Alexa Bliss and Ronda Rousey in 2018, “The Irresistible Force” became tag team partners with Tamina – her real-life cousin – just in time for the introduction of the Women’s Tag Team titles in February 2019.

Although they failed to win the championships in a six-team match at Elimination Chamber, Jax & Tamina remained in the hunt for the titles ahead of WrestleMania 35, where they took part in a Fatal 4-Way match against Sasha Banks & Bayley, Beth Phoenix & Natalya and winners Billie Kay & Peyton Royce.

Since then, Jax has been sidelined after undergoing double knee surgery. It is not known exactly how long the former Raw Women’s champion will be out of in-ring action, but she recently tweeted that she was “doing great” with her recovery.

#3 Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey was one of the most featured Superstars on WWE television between her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 and her Triple Threat main event against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 35.

The former Raw Women’s champion was originally advertised for the post-Mania episode of Raw in Brooklyn, New York on April 8, but she did not appear on the show and it was later revealed that she underwent surgery after suffering a broken hand.

Three months on from her last WWE appearance, it appears that Rousey, who has openly stated in several interviews that she wants to start a family, is taking an extended break from WWE.

Short-term, it looks unlikely that “The Baddest Woman on the Planet” will be back inside a squared circle. Long-term, WWE clarified earlier this year that her contract with the company expires in 2021 after WrestleMania 37, so there is still plenty of time for her to compete again.

#2 Rhyno

Rhyno’s last televised WWE match came at WrestleMania 35 when he participated in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the event’s kickoff show.

Since then, it has emerged that the ECW legend will leave WWE on July 17, bringing an end to his three-year tag team partnership with Heath Slater and his latest four-year association with the company.

Speaking to Chris Van Vliet in May 2019, the former SmackDown Tag Team champion explained that he rejected a new deal with WWE because he wants to compete in more matches as he gets closer to the end of his in-ring career.

“July 17th is my last date there. They actually offered me more than twice my downside [guarantee] but it wasn’t where they would have to use me because the downside is so large. It wasn’t about money – it was about me wanting to be on the road working.”

#1 Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks has been one of WWE’s most talked-about Superstars since WrestleMania 35, despite the fact that she has not even appeared on television over the last three months.

“The Boss” was originally due to be involved in a segment with Alexa Bliss and Bayley on the post-Mania episode of Raw, but she was mysteriously absent from the show and later tweeted that she had to cancel an appearance on a talk show.

Since then, reports have been running rampant about her WWE future, with several outlets claiming that she asked for her release, and Pro Wrestling Sheet’s Ryan Satin even reported that both Banks and Bayley loudly complained on the locker room floor and outside one of their hotel rooms following their Women’s Tag Team Championship loss at WrestleMania.

Banks, meanwhile, has posted several cryptic messages and pictures on social media, leaving the WWE Universe guessing as to when she will return to the ring.

The latest piece of information on Banks came from Tom Colohue, who reported that she has not been offered a new deal, contrary to reports, and her recent time away from the company is “nothing too out of the ordinary”.