Ricochet and 7 WWE, AEW Stars in Desperate Need of New Gimmick

As far as talent is concerned, pro wrestling might be the healthiest it has ever been. Men and women across the industry are raising the bar for in-ring ability every year.

When it comes to wrestlers who appear on TV every week, they have extra pressure because they are expected to be more than just great athletes. They also have to be enjoyable characters.

Fans who tune in every week want to be invested in a story, so they need a gimmick or personality with which people can connect.

Take Roman Reigns for example. Do you think he has been the undisputed WWE universal champion for almost three years because he puts on the best matches? No, it's because he's been one of the most interesting characters in WWE.

There are many talented performers in WWE and All Elite Wrestling who should be getting more TV time and picking up more wins, but it might take a gimmick change to make it happen.

Apollo Crews

What can we saw about Apollo Crews that hasn't already been said a million times?

This is a guy who has every tool necessary to succeed in WWE, but for some unknown reason, he has never been able to build enough momentum to sustain a push.

Part of the issue is on management's side. The less we talk about the fake accent of the recent past, the better. But that gimmick only made up part of his time in WWE.

His recent run in NXT allowed him to reset a bit, but clearly it wasn't enough to convince management of his potential because he's not on TV every week anymore.

A manager might help, but it's tough to say how much. All we can say is Crews has too much talent to be left wasting on the sidelines.

Nyla Rose

Nyla Rose has been in a feud with Athena in Ring of Honor for the past couple of months, but it feels like years since AEW used her properly.

The former AEW women's champion has cultivated a reputation online for being one of the funniest members of the roster, and her current feud has allowed her to show more of that side. But it's not happening on AEW's flagship shows.

Only a fraction of the main AEW audience subscribes to the ROH streaming service, so this new direction with her character hasn't been seen by nearly enough people.

These are good first steps, though. Allowing Rose to be more comedic has been great, but she may need a few more minor changes to her overall character. Perhaps new gear or a new entrance song would help.

Even if it's just a few minor alterations, anything that gets Rose back on TV to show the crowd how funny she is will be great.

Dexter Lumis

Dexter Lumis was a popular character in NXT, but we have all seen how popularity in the developmental system does not always translate to the main roster.

For some reason, management has struggled to find anything for him to do. His last major appearance happened almost a year ago when he helped Indi Hartwell in a match at NXT Stand and Deliver.

Since then, he has been harder to find at a WWE show than Waldo on a crowded beach.

Sadly, there is only so much you can do with a silent character, so it's not surprising that WWE has struggled to find anything new for the 40-year-old that isn't just a repeat of something he did in NXT.

Lumis has a great look, good wrestling ability and comedic timing. If he switched direction a bit and altered his character into one who speaks more often, it would give the crowd more reason to pay attention.

Lance Archer

AEW does a lot of things well, but one of the things it has never quite been able to do is properly book huge powerhouses.

Miro, Wardlow and Brian Cage are just a few examples of big guys who should have had more success already, but one of the biggest examples is Lance Archer.

His character is a wrecking ball. He often comes out for matches having already attacked someone on his way to the ring while Jake Roberts stands back and laughs. It's a simple character, but it's not a bad one.

The problem is that he has been booked to put other people over so many times and appears so infrequently that the AEW audience has no reason to think things will change.

The Murderhawk Monster has the potential to be a world champion in AEW, but he may need more depth to his gimmick before that's possible.

A sustained push, some real storylines and a few interviews to reveal his motivations are all it would take to reverse course and get him back on the right path. It just takes someone in a position of power to make it happen.

Ricochet

You would think being one of the best high-flyers in the world would be enough to be successful, even in WWE, but that hasn't been the case for Ricochet.

He has had some degree of success in the company with reigns as the North American, intercontinental and United States champion, but he has never been able to sustain a push for an extended period of time.

Most of the blame for this can be put on WWE management. The 35-year-old has done a fantastic job with everything the company has asked of him, but it hasn't given him enough.

The fact of the matter is he needs something to make him stand out. The WWE Universe has seen so many great high-flyers over the years that it needs more reason to care about someone.

It might not be the key to his success, but maybe it's time WWE sees how Ricochet can do as a heel.

Sometimes natural babyfaces turn out to be the best villains. Bayley made it work, so there's no reason why Ricochet can't too.

Scorpio Sky

Scorpio Sky was one of the first AEW tag team champions as a member of SCU, and he's a former TNT champion.

A couple of years ago, fans were calling for him to be the first triple-crown champion in the promotion, but he is barely ever seen on TV anymore.

As talented as Sky is, his character has always been an extension of his real self. He's not a gigantic, colorful personality; he's just a really good wrestler who wants to perform.

On the indie scene, that would be enough to make him successful, but he hasn't stood out enough on weekly television.

His most well-known storyline in AEW was when he and Ethan Page were part of American Top Team and that sort of fizzled out.

Sky doesn't necessarily need a brand-new character, but he does need to do something to stand out more. There are simply too many big personalities on the roster for him to rely solely on his physical talent.

Katana Chance and Kayden Carter

Kayden Carter and Katana Chance are both incredibly gifted athletes who have demonstrated the ability to use their agility to come up with unique double-team moves, but they could use a lot of work in the gimmick department.

Despite being former women's tag team champions in both NXT and on the main roster, they have only ever been given surface-level character development.

Basically, WWE has booked them as clubbers who just like to party and have fun. That's it. Their finisher is even called The Keg Stand.

Part of the reason for this may be that both Superstars look younger than they are, but Carter (35) and Chance (34) have spent their lives developing their physical abilities. They deserve to be more than just girls who like to go clubbing.

There is nothing wrong with a character enjoying a night out, but it shouldn't be the only thing fans know about them.

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Everyone on this list needs something to refresh them, but there are plenty more. Who would you like to see have a character overhaul in WWE and AEW?