5 WWE Superstars who will probably never return to the main event picture

WWE boasts arguably the best talent roster in professional wrestling right now, but the company also boasts one of the largest talent rosters, which can crowd the main event picture when it comes to Champions and challengers.

In the past few years, with more NXT talents being called up to the main roster, several standout names who previously competed for top titles in WWE have been relegated to the mid-card and are struggling to climb back to the top of the ladder in order to grab Vince McMahon's proverbial "brass ring."

WWE fans will always debate certain talents they feel belong at the top, but names such as Bray Wyatt, Matt Hardy, Dolph Ziggler, and up until WrestleMania 35 Kofi Kingston, have always been major fan favorites who are unable to break through the glass ceiling in WWE.

With the above in mind, let's take a look at 5 WWE wrestlers who are unlikely to return to the main event picture despite previously earning shots at top titles in the company.

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#5 Shinsuke Nakamura

Arguably one of the biggest foreign acquisitions made by WWE in the past decade is Japanese Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura, who signed with the company on the heels of a tremendous run as one of New Japan Pro Wrestling's biggest stars. The King of Strong Style continued his dominance with an impressive run on NXT before being called up to the main roster with a multitude of fanfare.

Two years ago, hardcore pro wrestling fans were treated to fantasy booking at its best when Nakamura won the Royal Rumble match and went on to face AJ Styles for the WWE Title at WrestleMania 34. Despite a lengthy feud, Nakamura was unable to capture the title from Styles, and since then his push in the company has been scaled back in a major way.

While Nakamura's in-ring talents are undeniable, his inability to cut the WWE style promo will likely prohibit him from ever returning to main event title competition in WWE.

#4 Asuka

Following in the footsteps of Shinsuke Nakamura, former WWE Women's Champion Asuka became one of the hottest stars in the company following an undefeated streak in NXT that carried over to the company's main roster.

Asuka's winning streak lasted so long that she was able to surpass Goldberg's legendary streak and has set the record for the most consecutive wins in WWE history.

Much of Asuka's success came to a screeching halt, however, when her undefeated streak was ended by Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34. Following the historic loss, Asuka slowly descended in the ranks of the women's division, and her current tag team, The Kabuki Warriors, are rarely seen on TV.

Much like Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka's inability to cut the WWE style promo will likely prevent her from ever returning to the title picture in WWE and will prevent her from restoring herself as the face of the women's division.

#3 Rey Mysterio

Dubbed the "ultimate underdog" in WWE, Rey Mysterio has achieved success in pro wrestling that few others of his stature have ever achieved. Initially perceived to be confined to the Cruiserweight Division for his entire career, Mysterio was able to break the lucha libre mold and rise to the top in WWE, earning not only a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship but an actual title reign.

Mysterio has also held numerous other titles in WWE but never made it back to the main event in the company despite years of competition.

Mysterio is nearing the end of his career and has dealt with numerous injuries in the past several years, making it unlikely that WWE will ever put him back in the WWE or Universal Title picture for one final World Championship reign. While it's likely Mysterio could hold mid-card titles before he decides to retire (with his recent US Title win being a great example), his age will likely keep him from one last run with the top gold in WWE.

#2 Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley is currently amidst his second run in WWE, having achieved a tremendous amount of success during his first run with the company.

Lashley's initial stint in WWE saw the big man rise in the company at a near meteoric rate, leaving fans stunned when Lashley decided to walk away from the company while arguably at the height of his popularity.

Following his WWE departure, Lashley went on to achieve success in Impact Wrestling and found an equal amount of success in the cage as an accomplished MMA fighter.

Lashley made his surprise return to WWE on the April 9th, 2018 episode of Monday Night Raw, the night after WrestleMania 34. While fans were certainly pleased to see Lashley back in the company, he has been booked rather aimlessly, teaming up briefly with Lio Rush as his mouthpiece, before Rush had his own issues with the company and is no longer on TV.

Bobby Lashley's age, along with his time spent at the top in Impact Wrestling, might dissuade WWE officials from ever returning The Almighty back to the main event in the company.

#1 Rusev

WWE Superstar Rusev, known early in his WWE career as Alexander Rusev, was a top act in NXT before moving to the main roster. Upon making his main roster debut, Rusev quickly ascended the ranks of WWE alongside his manager and mouthpiece, Lana.

At one point, Lana was arguably one of the hottest acts in all of WWE (perhaps pro wrestling for that matter), and it looked as if The Bulgarian Brute and The Ravishing Russian were poised to take top spots in WWE.

However, a miscue on the real-life couple's part publicly announcing their engagement on social media and openly breaking kayfabe, they found themselves in hot water with management and their push quickly revoked. Since then, the duo has remained underused on WWE TV.

With the above in mind, and considering Rusev has been used sparingly on TV in the past year, it remains doubtful WWE will ever restore the big man, and his wife Lana, to the top of the card in the company.

Edited by Israel Lutete