2 weeks Ago By Donald Wood
Between new television deals and the rise of several prominent Superstars in WWE and AEW, the wrestling industry is thriving, but several marquee performers in each company are in danger of being buried. As the winter holiday season approaches—a notoriously slow period in the business—top stars like Bianca Belair, Kyle O'Reilly and the duo of DIY have found themselves on the outside looking in at the worst possible time. Here are the performers in danger of being buried over the coming months.
Bianca Belair There are few female Superstars on the WWE roster with as much pure talent and strength as Bianca Belair, but instead of fighting for a major women's championship, she is relegated to a tag team storyline that continues to spin its wheels. While an eventual feud against her tag team partner, Jade Cargill, would be a marquee addition to any premium live event card, the route that WWE Creative is taking to make it happen is slow and plodding. Just as WWE did at times with Dean Ambrose, the company is taking one of its most popular stars, putting them on the back burner, and expecting her to regain all her momentum at a moment's notice.
Instead, the WWE Universe is growing wary of Belair's booking, seeing fleeting hints of a possible heel turn and a disconnect with Cargill. Belair should be a focal point of every show she is on, not an afterthought. WWE needs to book the breakup of the tag team champions immediately and return Belair to the Raw or SmackDown Women's Championship scene as soon as possible.
Kyle O'Reilly AEW usually does a great job giving its talent the opportunities to shine, but Kyle O'Reilly is one star failing to make the impact he was expected to make. After returning from an injury, the veteran has been looking for a rhythm. O'Reilly recently had a Continental Championship match against Kazuchika Okada, a marquee matchup on any continent, but there was little doubt from anyone who would come out victorious.
Instead of just letting O'Reilly showcase his immense in-ring skills to put over another talent, he should receive a push of his own. With a storied history with many of the top performers in WWE and the ability to create a great match with almost anyone, the former NXT champion should be featured more prominently on weekly AEW programming. The problem now is that O'Reilly's credibility with the fans is being impacted, and he is viewed by many as a glorified jobber to the stars.
The veteran should be fighting for world championships and forming stables with the top performers in the business, not being added to cards to ensure a better work rate. DIY One of the greatest tag teams in NXT history is DIY—the tandem of Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa—and when Triple H took over creative control for the main roster, most fans thought the team would become a big deal. Unfortunately, injuries derailed the plans initially, but the lack of consistent booking has been the biggest detriment to the duo.
Now, with the debut of the Motor City Machine Guns, DIY could be on the outside looking in when it comes to a push. Gargano and Ciampa are two of the best in-ring workers in the company, and they tell some of the best stories imaginable, as their previous feuds against each other are the stuff of legend. The problem now is that neither man has been given that chance to shine on the main roster.
If Triple H and WWE Creative don't focus on ensuring DIY isn't lost in the shuffle, the two Superstars will be cast aside and largely forgotten. If both men are healthy and not featured on WWE programming, the company has failed the fans. For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player above (some profanity).
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