Disclaimer: The views of the author do not reflect those of Sportskeeda
There are many names that came up in Kevin Owens' "pipe bomb" promo that are rarely on TV. Now arguably, you could make a case for any Superstar that could be given more TV time, but I'm only interested in Superstars that would add more value to the TV product on either Raw or SmackDown Live.
The Superstars suggested could be used to begin an epic feud, entertain the crowd with awesome promos or just simply put on great matches. Some of these superstars are on TV already but could be used in a larger role, while others are hardly seen at all.
Becky Lynch is a fine example of someone who is given some more TV time and she became a huge star. Seth Rollins is massively over and Superstars like The Miz, Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe do really well, as they get TV time.
WWE has done great things by giving Aleister Black, Ricochet, R-Truth and Drake Maverick TV time recently and they are all doing great things in their own way. Drew McIntyre is getting over and Lashley has exactly the right amount time each week.
Each Superstar on this list has a range of reasons why they should be featured more on WWE TV. It is not necessarily about the main event, as not everyone is destined for that. WWE usually puts on great main events, but at times the mid-card of Raw or SmackDown Live can require an energy injection. I believe these Superstars have a lot more value to add on WWE programming.
Finn Balor
This guy is fantastic. Finn would benefit from more promo time to get his message across. He is obviously a great wrestler. The ordinary man capable of extra-ordinary things is a great description. He could also develop the demon side of his character more. It can appear like anytime he is not winning a feud, he puts on the demon paint and wins a match. No explanation whatsoever. He is about to begin a feud with Shinsuke Nakamura which on paper is mouth-watering. I hope this feud plays a major role on TV, as it could be one of the stand out feuds of the year.
He could also reunite with The Club when it is time for them to turn face. It's been a while since we had a great faction again in WWE. The Shield were great a few years ago but they are all but done and dusted. Finn brings in the cool guy factor and if the current club is built right then he could make it awesome. This could lead to a World Title feud against AJ Styles that could make him the focal point of Raw or SmackDown Live!
Andrade
Andrade is one of the best in-ring performers in WWE right now. He has amazing matches with everyone. If you look back at last year, we have seen some epic encounters with Rey Mysterio, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor and those Fatal 4 Ways for the US title with Samoa Joe, R-Truth and Rey were awesome. He can be put in any match and produce high quality.
Plus, you get Zelina Vega with him. She is a great promo for him and does some awesome work on the outside. I love watching her get involved with his matches. Imagine him feuding with Ricochet or AJ Styles on Raw. Or Roman Reigns on SmackDown. Imagine the story lines of him leading up to the 2020 Royal Rumble. He might not be the guy to win it but WWE needs credible challengers to top titles. Andrade needs to be more involved on TV for sure!
Rusev
It's difficult to really decide the most underutilized Superstars in WWE, as the case could be made for so many. Rusev is definitely on that list. He certainly requires more TV time. There are so many things for Rusev to do on Raw or SmackDown Live. He is great as the Bulgarian Brute, beating up Superstars to prove he can. He is a fantastic baby-face too. Rusev Day! Rusev Day! Those chants were so over with the WWE audience.
He could be used well in the upper mid-card. He does not need a title to have a good story with other Superstars. Maybe up and coming stars could challenge him, as sort of a gatekeeper type scenario to the main roster. Perhaps he goes on a baby-face run for the Intercontinental Championship. Maybe he does a series of vignettes showing his funny side or his relentless workout routines. Perhaps he coaches the next "super athlete." The possibilities are endless. Remember, if we get more of Rusev on TV, we also get more of Lana on TV.
EC3
When EC3 (Derrick Bateman then) left the WWE, there was a missed opportunity. He worked himself into a strong character in TNA, becoming one of the main event stars of that promotion. When he re-signed with WWE, it came with some excitement. What could he achieve? Unfortunately, the WWE audience has not seen what this man is capable of on the main roster.
He is carved out of stone, supremely talented and could be a great mid-carder or more eventually. This gimmick where he doesn't talk though is ridiculous and it has to go. Top 1 percent lends itself to a cool version of JBL. He could hire people also like the Million Dollar Man. There are a lot of possibilities with him. He could even give other Superstars a drink from that cup he carries around. A face EC3 could have beer or a protein shake in it, or a heel EC3 could give people something disgusting. One thing is for sure, EC3 needs more TV!
Buddy Murphy
If you've never seen Buddy Murphy before then you may be missing out. He is extremely talented and his time in 205 Live showed that he can produce a great match with any Superstar. The possibilities are endless going forward with feuds. He would be great as a heel or baby-face and could go on mid-card title runs. A match with The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship would be a PPV worthy match on any card. WWE could go the obvious route and have him feud with Ali, Ricochet or Aleister Black, as the high flying match. Or he could go against Superstars like Cesaro, Rusev or Finn Balor.
Another option for him would be as part of a tag team. You could go big-man/small-man with Mojo Rawley or even Braun Strowman. Or you could have him with another high flyer, such as Cedric Alexander. It would be fantastic to see him play an important role on WWE TV.
If you have any thoughts or feedback, please use the comments section below.