Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: Apollo Crews Must Be a Higher Priority for WWE in 2017

1. The Forgotten Dynamo

WWE found a way to make James Ellsworth a star, told a captivating story with Heath Slater and paved the way for Braun Strowman to make his mark, but it did next to nothing with Apollo Crews.

That's surprising, given the wealth of physical gifts Crews possesses. He's built like a tank but moves like a jaguar. He's a young, likable indy darling with a sky-high ceiling.

But WWE simply didn't put enough effort into showcasing him. The List of Jericho had more spotlight in 2016 than Crews.

After drafting him to SmackDown in July, WWE didn't craft any substantial storylines for him. He didn't have a real rivalry at any point. And there was no character development to speak of during his tenure on the main roster.

Crews had exactly two pay-per-view bouts to his name, per CageMatch.net.

The guys at Busted Open expressed frustration over the lack of attention on Crews:

That has to change next year. WWE has a potential breakout star in its midst, and officials have to do more to let him reach his potential.

Crews is like a young, unproven quarterback standing on the sidelines with a clipboard in hand. The team has to put him on the field to see what it has in him.

On Tuesday's SmackDown, he showed flashes of what he could become with the right platform. Crews had his best match since his call-up against intercontinental champion The Miz.

He was especially crisp, brought an engaging energy to the contest and showed great emotion when a German suplex wasn't enough to put away his foe.

Crews followed that up with a solid promo backstage. After The Miz gifted him a participation award for his efforts in their title bout, the rookie talked of how motivated he was and how he has overcome obstacles in the past.

We need to see much more of this in the coming year.

Crews has to clash with high-quality foils like The Miz more often. WWE has to do as NXT did and produce a video package to give us a better sense of who he is. And he simply has to have more ring time.

Indy wrestler El Ligero is among those pining to see Crews in action more often:

If Crews doesn't live up to expectations, WWE can adjust its plan for him. If his charisma never matches his athleticism, he can slide back into the background. But the company can't know what Crews is capable of without providing him a proper vehicle for success.

Ellsworth starred as a pawn in the AJ Styles-Dean Ambrose feud. Slater intrigued by way of fighting for a SmackDown contract and wanting to buy himself a double-wide trailer. Strowman played an insatiable monster who demanded increased competition.

In 2017, it's Crews' turn to be the center of his own narrative.

2. Since the Promise of Emmalina

Oct. 3. That was the first night WWE aired a vignette hyping Emma's transformation into Emmalina. She has been advertised as "premiering soon" ever since.

After that date, 11 editions of Raw have come and gone, WWE has produced five pay-per-view events and the Raw Women's Championship has changed hands four times, per WWE.com.

The MLB playoffs started and finished in that span, too.

The Undertaker, Neville, Big Show, Goldberg and Mickie James all returned from hiatuses of varying lengths since that first video package. Emma has not.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Shark Cage Match

As we discovered on Monday's Raw, Chris Jericho is set to stand in a suspended shark cage as his best friend, Kevin Owens, battles Roman Reigns at the 2017 Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Jan. 29.

As much as Y2J has to hate that idea, at least he's not fighting inside the small, steel structure. That's what Jay Strongbow and Don Kent did in 1977 in one of the strangest matches in wrestling history:

What a terrible idea this was. The wrestlers had an uphill climb trying to make this entertaining in the least.

Suddenly, the CM Punk vs. Ryback and Paul Heyman Hell in a Cell match doesn't seem so bad.

4. Sting's New Gig

Sting hasn't been in a ring since taking on Seth Rollins at the 2015 Night of Champions PPV. In the meantime, he's apparently found something else to do with his time—serving as the Dallas Cowboys' intimidation coach:

The Stinger nailed his role in this comedy bit, but it would be fun to see alternative versions with the likes of Bray Wyatt and Mankind.

5. The Cruiserweight Division's 2017 Resolutions

The cruiserweight division has a lot of work ahead. It's been a disappointing addition to Raw—not nearly as captivating as the summer's Cruiserweight Classic tournament.

It's clear what WWE needs to do to change that:

• Spotlight Neville.
• Find ways to showcase Jack Gallagher. 
• Get Akira Tozawa off the bench.
• Produce more character-revealing vignettes.
• Develop rivalries, and tell more stories outside the ring.

Gallagher is one of the few captivating characters in the division. WWE has to make full use of that.

"

"As an #ExtraordinaryGentlemen, I am declaring my intention to interfere in this match!" - @GentlemanJackG #RAW #205Live pic.twitter.com/wHflIDDsUi

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) December 13, 2016"

And it's baffling that the company has chosen to give guys like Ariya Daivari so much attention while Tozawa has been a complete non-factor.

6. Debuting While Still in Diapers

Total Nonstop Deletion was as insane as advertised.

Among the most eye-catching moments to come out of TNA's celebration of the bizarre last week was Matt Hardy's son, Maxel, entering the ring. The one-year-old scored a pinfall victory over Rockstar Spud, thanks to a stun gun.

This kind of absurdity isn't for everybody, but the medium can't be homogenized. There is plenty of traditionalist fare to be enjoyed out there. TNA has boldly ventured into the oddest corners of the art of wrestling, and it's been a hell of a fun ride.

7. The Boss' Tailspin

After Sasha Banks' loss to Charlotte Flair at Roadblock: End of the Line, WWE has a chance to tell an intriguing story of a Superstar grinding her way back to contention.

The Boss had three title reigns, none of them lasting long in the least. Rather than rush her back to the title scene, the company should send her on a winding journey. 

In the coming months, WWE should build Banks up by breaking her down.

That could begin with Nia Jax. The powerhouse could abuse the weakened babyface in their coming feud. As Jax moves on, Banks could be flustered by defeat, refusing to take time off despite how broken her body is at that point.

Losses to Summer Rae or Dana Brooke could wreck her confidence even more. Then The Boss could charge back up the ladder with fiery performance after fiery performance.

Banks could generate a ton of pathos this way. She excels at making fans empathize with her. And everyone loves a good rags-to-riches story.

8. Neville at His Best

At the Roadblock PPV, WWE wisely inserted Neville into the cruiserweight division. The Man That Gravity Forgot, formerly Adrian Neville, attacked Rich Swann and TJ Perkins to announce his arrival to that sector of the Raw brand.

Now, the high-flyer will finally get some opportunities to shine. He has been underutilized for too long.

For a refresher of what Neville is capable of when given a spot on the stage, check out these clips and highlights of his best WWE work:

• Adrian Neville vs. Sami Zayn: NXT TakeOver: Revolution
• Adrian Neville vs. Finn Balor: NXT TakeOver: Rival
• Adrian Neville vs. Tyson Kidd vs. Sami Zayn vs. Tyler Breeze: NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way
• Neville vs. Chris Jericho: Beast in the East
• Neville vs. Seth Rollins: Raw, Aug. 3, 2015

In his pre-WWE days, Neville had some excellent showings against Swann and Tozawa. As part of the cruiserweight division, he can collide with those foes again. Here's to that happening as soon as possible.

9. Roman's Uneventful Reign

Reigns' United States Championship isn't getting much usage these days. The Big Dog's focus on the Universal Championship has left the title he currently owns as an afterthought.

Per CageMatch.net, Reigns has only twice defended the belt since Halloween, including zero times in November. That's a far cry from the days of John Cena's weekly open challenge.

The Miz, by comparison, has defended the Intercontinental Championship five times in that span on TV and PPV, per the Internet Wrestling Database.

And it doesn't look like Reigns is going to put his gold on the line at the Royal Rumble, either. He is set to face Owens for the universal title. 

WWE has to make a move here. Either have Reigns focus more on the U.S. strap, or have him drop it so that someone else can benefit from carrying it around.

10. Charlotte's Resolution

Flair checked off every box on her 2016 to-do list. 

The Raw women's champ posted a list of goals for the year on Instagram in January (h/t IWNerd.com) and proceeded to accomplish them one by one:

Flair defended her title at WrestleMania 32 against Banks and Becky Lynch. She and The Boss main-evented the Hell in a Cell PPV. And WWE did indeed introduce a new version of the Women's Championship, crowning her its first titleholder.

That's inspiration to dream big and work like hell to make it all come true.