The WWE is red-hot right now, and it also has the strongest main roster we've seen in decades. The roster is so strong, in fact, that there are major superstars waiting on the sidelines mainly because there's just not a lot of television time to go around. It's a good problem to have, but there are quite a few people I'm beginning to miss and wish would appear on television more often.
There are five hours of WWE television right now between Monday Night Raw and Smackdown, and another two hours on NXT. Not that I think any of these following superstars need to appear on the developmental show, but if it means more time to shine on television, I may be okay with seeing them back in the mix. Here's who I'm missing the most as we head into the back half of 2024.
AJ Styles
If you need any evidence that the current WWE main roster is deep, look no further than the fact that AJ Styles is currently off of television and hasn't been in a major angle since taking on Cody Rhodes at WWE Backlash. Never mind his numerous title runs in the WWE; the guy was considered the John Cena of TNA for the bulk of its run. If the WWE isn't trying to work him into a spot wherever it can, you know it has a pretty deep roster. I know Styles will come back eventually, but it's just wild to have seen him away for a while now and it not really impact the WWE at all.
Carmelo Hayes
Being called up from NXT to the main roster can be brutal. Carmelo Hayes was one of the top stars of the brand, and was crushing it there, but he's really struggled to find the same television time as some of his peers. I think it's a case of Hayes being considered a "top guy" type of performer, and there's just not any room at the top for him right now. As such, WWE would rather have him hang out to the side rather than eat pins in the midcard.
Charlotte Flair
It's been close to nine months since Charlotte Flair posted about getting surgery on her injured leg, and that was the timetable for her recovery time. The women's division has kept chugging along without her, and there are definitely more than a few challengers to her title as "queen." I'm hoping for Charlotte to make a big splash upon her return, and I wouldn't be surprised if she's the challenger for Nia Jax's future title defense, considering their close friendship over the years.
Pretty Deadly
If Pretty Deadly debuted in the WWE 10 years ago, they'd be at the top of the tag-team division. They're essentially a more polished version of Breezango from years prior, but is that kind of thing going to take off in the modern WWE? Every big-shot wrestler is ultra-serious these days, and even with a name like "Pretty Deadly," it feels like this will be a hard climate for them to thrive in anything more than comedy storylines. I'm hoping I'm wrong, though, and they get the titles sometime within the next year or so.
Ilja Dragunov
Ilja Dragunov is killing it every time he gets a chance to get in the ring on Monday Night Raw, so I don't understand why he's being used so sparingly to this point. His match with Gunther back when they were in NXT UK was a certified five-star match, and yet he's still messing around in the midcard and bring thrown into the mix at random against other talent with no rhyme or reason. I think he needs a huge push, and may eventually get it, but it's not happening fast enough.
Santos Escobar
When Santos Escobar turned heel on the LWO and took on Rey Mysterio, I figured it was his meal ticket to the top of the roster. Unfortunately, that feud came and went without much fanfare, and yet Escobar continues to prove on SmackDown that he's a top heel worthy of more recognition and screen time than he's currently getting. That may be strange to say considering he just went up against L.A. Knight for the United States title, but he's becoming the Karrion Kross of SmackDown without nearly as much time on television. If WWE gives him a chance to shine, I'm sure he'll rise to the occasion.
Kayden Carter and Katana Chance
When Kayden Carter and Katana Chance first won the tag-team titles back in December 2023, I thought they were about to set the women's tag division on fire. They had exactly one title defense before dropping the title a little over a month later to The Kabuki Warriors. Since then, they just haven't had any momentum, and I hate that. As one of the few earnest women's tag-team duos in the brand, they should be in the mix for the titles more so than two singles competitors who join forces to pursue the titles.
Alexa Bliss
We've been waiting, and waiting, for Alexa Bliss to return to the WWE after the birth of her child. When the Wyatt Sicks debuted, we assumed Bliss was dropping hints about joining them, but she's still at home. It's a shame because Bliss is still on the roster and legitimately still one of its greatest women performers. I would love to see her have some matches with some of the up-and-coming stars on this roster and maybe get another title shot in the next year.
Shinsuke Nakamura
Sometimes I feel like the WWE treats Shinsuke Nakamura like he's in the twilight of his career. In actuality, "The King of Strong Style" is the same age as Randy Orton and capable of putting on a few high-profile bangers a year, as he showed during his long feud with Seth Rollins. Now he's missing from WWE television, but making appearances at live shows on tour. I guess it's better than not working at all, but I can't help but think there should always be a place for Shinsuke.
Fortunately, there's no shortage of chances to appear on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown, so hopefully we'll see some of these stars pop up more often before the end of the year. In the meantime, many of their matches are available with a Peacock Premium subscription so check out some of their classic matches in previous PLEs.
