Underused WWE Superstars Who Must Be Showcased More in 2016

WWE has a fleet of talented warriors waiting to finally receive their orders and charge into 2016. Their swords have mostly gone unused. Their armor remains pristine.

To properly utilize the depth of its roster, WWE has to find paths for these men and women to march down.

Too often during 2015, Damien Sandow stood somewhere off camera. Despite his verbal acumen and connection with the crowd, he spent half the year on the bench.

That was too often the case for Natalya, Emma and Stardust, as well. These underappreciated wrestlers had too few opportunities. WWE wasted its talent.

The new year is a prime chance to correct that.

The following is a list of the Superstars whose level of excellence most differs from their level of spotlight. For some, WWE needs to simply have them go from nonexistent to a more consistent part of the show. For others, like a certain Swiss powerhouse, the company would be making a mistake in not pushing them up the card. 

Cesaro

Cesaro has the in-ring prowess of a main event talent. He combines power and agility like a specimen made in a lab. 

Time and again, he put on spectacular performances in 2015. At times, the mat game seemed too easy to him, so he began to screw around, pulling out moves just to see if he could.

Yet despite that and the growing vocal support from the "Cesaro Section," WWE didn't use him as more than a midcard act. He battled for both the United States and Intercontinental Championships, but his feuds never lasted long. His bouts were rarely high-profile.

John Cena tweeted that he believed Cesaro and Luke Harper to be the most underutilized guys on the roster.

He's right. And that has to change come 2016.

Cesaro is too special of a talent to not take a more prominent role of WWE, a centerpiece of a new era.

Curtis Axel

While he will never be a top-tier star, Curtis Axel can contribute far more than WWE allowed him to in 2015.

After Erick Rowan (who wasn't officially in the match) knocked him out before he entered the Royal Rumble, he claimed to be the real Rumble winner. That morphed into a Hulk Hogan gimmick. That is, until WWE blacklisted Hogan in response to his racially charged comments.

Axel then went missing. Per CageMatch.net, his last Raw match and last bout on SmackDown came back in May.

He's too good of a worker not to be on TV more than that. Axel combines brawling and mat wrestling to deliver solid in-ring performances each night. He should be one of WWE's workhorses, the guy tasked with taking a pounding and making the rising stars look good.

If WWE keeps him on the sidelines as often in 2016 as it did this year, it will be missing out on a dependable role player. 

Damien Sandow

The Damien Sandow story is a baffling one.

After somehow transforming a silly gimmick into one of WWE's hottest acts, Sandow simply fell by the wayside. As much as fans roared for "Mizdow," WWE decided to then hamper him with an anchor of a shtick, having him play a ripoff version of Randy Savage.

But he didn't even get to do that for long.

Just after he and Curtis Axel began to team up, he stopped appearing on Raw or SmackDown. As seen on his CageMatch.net profile, Sandow last wrestled on Raw on May 11. WWE then decided to have him miss seven months worth of its flagship show.

WWE may not believe Sandow to be a top-flight Superstar, but he clearly has the potential to be more than a guy hanging around catering.

Sandow remains one of the best talkers on the roster. His work as The Intellectual Savior of the Masses was stellar. He's also solid in the ring, has good size and, for a good stretch there, had a growing fanbase.

To not take advantage of that next year would be foolish. WWE should prioritize finding him a character that best highlights his skills and have him ascend to the midcard title picture.

As hungry as waiting around for half a year likely left him, the company is assured something special from Sandow. 

Emma

Emma traveled to NXT to rejuvenate a career that sputtered once she hit the main roster. Mission accomplished.

She has been one of the division's best heels at either NXT or WWE. She's effectively morphed into a snarling, cold-hearted predator. Her already good ring work has jumped up in quality, too. 

That was most obvious when she and Asuka kicked off NXT TakeOver: London with an excellent match.

Aaron Oster of Rolling Stone wrote, "I don't think Evil Emma has received the attention she deserves. If you tell me that in six months these two are feuding over the NXT Women's title, it would draw, and draw big."

WWE should at least reach that level, but the company should really consider doing even more with her. She would thrive at the top of the main roster's women's division, sure to excel against the likes of Becky Lynch, Natalya and Sasha Banks.

Emma has earned another call-up and far more ring time. Just don't stick her with Santino Marella and make her a joke this time.

Natalya

The Divas Revolution knocked Natalya off the stage, and WWE hasn't found a way to bring her back.

She looked like she was going to enter a feud with Paige, but not much came of it. She and Sasha Banks were on a collision course, but the collision never happened. Instead, WWE has simply ignored Natalya.

For the best technical wrestler in the division to only have one pay-per-view match all year (a tag bout at the Royal Rumble) is insane.

As WWE looks to elevate Banks, Charlotte and any newcomers from NXT in 2016, Natalya has to be at the heart of that process. She has proved that she can produce in the ring. Her experience, toughness and connection with fans need to be tapped into, as well.

Natalya needs to a priority for WWE Creative, or this ongoing attempt to have the women's division soar will be missing a key component.

Sasha Banks

Champion, headliner, producer of classics; Sasha Banks can be all of these things.

She has lapped Emma and Natalya in terms of opportunities, but her main-roster run hasn't been nearly as effective as it could have been. Fans continue to chant "We want Sasha!" when she's not in the ring, and WWE continues to not put her in the ring enough.

In October, PWInsider's Dave Scherer called Banks "the best professional wrestler in America." There's an argument to be made that he's spot on here.

Banks boasts fantastic showmanship, deft technical skill and a rare level of presence. Armed with those traits, she is capable of being the cornerstone of the women's division, the wrestler who can spearhead the unfolding revolution in women's wrestling.

If 2016 ends with her missing out on pay-per-views as often as she did this year and not being put in the center of hyped feuds, WWE will be missing the boat on a potential megastar. 

Stardust

Missed chances marked Stardust's 2015.

WWE had him feud with his brother but truncated the story. There was no apex to be had. He looked to be in line to clash with both Cesaro and Titus O'Neil, but each time, WWE didn't put the story in gear.

And so one of the most versatile and engrossing performers on the roster has been forced to do his best work on social media.

Stardust too often didn't make the cut come pay-per-view time. He wasn't a big enough part of Raw each week, either. Instead, he's been trying to squeeze everything he can from his brief chances on TV.

WWE can help itself in a big way in 2016 by focusing far more on The Prince of Dark Matter. Whether that comes with Stardust reverting back to Cody Rhodes or evolving into something stranger, there's a great chance to create a unique joyride of a tale.

Stardust begs to be more than just a low-rung roster-filler. He is a star in the making.