6 WWE stars who could lose their push when crowds return

6 WWE Superstars who could lose their push when crowds return

Modified Jan 27, 2021 21:10 GMT

There was never a period in WWE history more unique than the COVID-19 era. From March 2020 till now, WWE has had shows behind closed doors due to government restrictions.

While the ThunderDome has been a success, WWE will be eager to have fans back in the arenas, which is expected to happen from WrestleMania 37 onwards.

Certain WWE Superstars have benefited from the lack of crowds, with some getting the biggest push of their careers. However, getting a push can often be cyclical, and these six WWE stars could lose their push when crowds return.

#6 Will WWE stop pushing Sami Zayn?

Sami Zayn had a great 2020 in WWE. Despite missing several months between WrestleMania 36 and SummerSlam, it was a largely successful year in which he won the Intercontinental Championship twice.

While the first one was impressive, the second one was perhaps even bigger because he came out on top in a feud involving two bonafide former WWE World Champions in AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy.

While he lost the Intercontinental title to Big E, it was a worthy opponent at the right time. Even after that, Sami Zayn has been a prominent part of WWE TV.

While he was regularly featured even when crowds were present, he has been a Superstar who benefited from the lack of crowds in WWE's COVID-19 era.

It will be interesting to see how things play out. Given how big a talent Sami Zayn is, it's even possible that he will end up getting a bigger push once fans return. But as of now, he's in a good spot.

We fully expect a lot of things to change once crowds return, and there's also the possibility of Sami Zayn losing his push in WWE.

#5 Apollo Crews got the biggest push of his WWE career in 2020

2020 was Apollo Crews' best year since he signed with WWE in 2015. Apollo Crews always had the tools, but his lack of character and promo skills played against him with inconsistent TV time and not a single accolade to his name.

That changed in 2020 after former WWE Executive Director Paul Heyman reportedly got him over to RAW. He became one of the brightest stars in the next few months, winning the United States Championship while improving his character work.

He's on SmackDown again, and there are signs that his push could continue. But given how he has benefited from the lack of crowds in WWE, he may lose his push once they're back.

#4 Cesaro is on an uprise

Cesaro is a Superstar that several WWE fans want to see receive a push. He's been long overdue for over five years, and it's only in 2021 that WWE has started showing interest in presenting Cesaro as a legitimate threat.

It all depends on how he connects with the crowds once they return. If he's unable to do so, he will likely lose his push.

#3 Bobby Lashley had an incredible year with WWE in 2020

It's hard to dispute the fact that 2020 was Bobby Lashley's best year in WWE since he returned. He had mixed results between 2018 and 2019, but once WrestleMania 36 was done, WWE went all-in on Bobby Lashley.

While he was never going to dethrone Drew McIntyre in his second WWE title defense, he had a great year in 2020 and captured the United States title from Apollo Crews.

The Hurt Business has been the turning point of Lashley's WWE career, and fans hope to see it continue. But it wouldn't be surprising to see him lose his push when crowds return.

#2 Shinsuke Nakamura has the Universal title in his sights

Shinsuke Nakamura appeared to be on the cusp of a mini-resurgence with his gauntlet match performance on SmackDown. While he was deprived of his No. 1 contender spot against Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble, he is still positioned strongly to contend for the title following a face turn.

Shinsuke Nakamura deserves another good babyface run, but it's unlikely that anything will come of it once crowds return.

#1 Will WWE RAW Women's Champion Asuka have a downfall?

When asked about the best women in WWE in 2020, there can only be three names - Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Asuka. While other women have excelled, these are the three names who dominated the championship scene.

Asuka found success both as a Tag Team Champion with two different partners, as well as enjoying two reigns as the RAW Women's Champion. With Becky Lynch's absence, WWE gave the ball to Asuka, and she has run with it.

Considering the circumstances, she has been given less appreciation by WWE fans, with Sasha Banks and Bayley getting most of the attention. Asuka will always be one of the centerpieces of WWE's women's division as long as she is around, but the push she received in 2020 is unlikely to repeat.

She will likely lose her push to another woman once crowds are back, but that doesn't mean that she won't be in an important spot in WWE while she's around.

Edited by Alex Turk