Finn Balor and Raw Stars Who Deserve Biggest Push on Road to WWE Royal Rumble
WWE fans tuned into the November 20 edition of Monday Night Raw to see Triple H and Kurt Angle nose-to-nose in the middle of the ring. Their confrontation came, of course, because of Hunter's attack on Angle at Survivor Series the night before.
But as much as fans respect and love both legends, there's no denying that the old guard of WWE continues to occupy much of the spotlight in the company. However, that shouldn't be the case leading up to the Royal Rumble.
It's time for other Superstars to step up and be recognized.
The Rumble takes place on January 29, and different guys should be given the opportunity to shine along the way. Fans must see that several talents possess the ability to move up and have a viable shot of winning the Royal Rumble match.
If not then the road to WrestleMania will be full of predictability.
Then there's the fact that many of the Superstars in question are deserving of a chance to rise in the ranks. Some have indeed been waiting a long time for their turn, while others just can't seem to get started. There's no better time than now to get these talents moving in the right direction.
Apollo Crews
1 of 5
Apollo Crews has had a pleasantly surprising run as part of Titus Worldwide. Crews' association with Titus O'Neil has actually clicked with fans, even though it looked as though there was perhaps no chance for it to work.
But even though Crews is having fun and fans are enjoying it, there should be more to come.
Crews has the potential to do much more, and the time may be drawing near when he gets a chance to prove it. He may not be a Royal Rumble contender right now, but he will never get to that point unless he can start moving forward.
That likely means he will turn heel on O'Neil.
Crews needs a killer instinct and an edgier character to put him on the map for fans. He looks like a great babyface, but so far, he's only been good. With a fresh start and new booking, he could become a top-notch heel.
If WWE makes the change, Crews could find himself on the way up sooner than later.
Bray Wyatt
2 of 5
This is a tough one.
At any given point, Bray Wyatt has been a featured Superstar in WWE. He's worked main event matches. He's faced legends on the WrestleMania stage. He's even been WWE champion. No one can say that The Eater of Worlds hasn't had opportunities.
But he continues to flounder. Why is that?
The easy answer is his booking. Wyatt loses more matches than he wins and that has never helped his cause. If fans don't believe in a talent, then that talent has no chance to succeed. Fans want to believe in Wyatt and many indeed want him to do well.
Yet every time he takes a step forward, he's pushed back again. He may always be on the short list of guys who should not only get a real shot, but a consistent run as well. Wyatt has proved that he can handle the pressure, and he's capable of carrying the load.
WWE must recognize that and finally position him where he deserves to be.
Samoa Joe
3 of 5
Samoa Joe doesn't need much in the way of big-time booking. He just needs an open path to the ring and a good storyline to go with it.
He's already over with fans, as the WWE faithful have respected him since day one. He's a legitimate tough guy, and he's also technically sound in the ring. He went move for move with Brock Lesnar, and he could have believably handed a loss to The Beast Incarnate.
Losing a match doesn't seem to hurt Joe at all; fans still want to see him in the ring.
If anyone is going to get a good run on the way to the Royal Rumble, it's Samoa Joe. He needs the least amount of work, and he's ready for any challenge the company can throw at him. He may not be the Universal champion, but that does not mean he won't win it at some point.
AJ Styles got a shot on SmackDown Live and proved himself as the best man to carry the brand. Joe has the potential to do the same on Monday Night Raw. He's ready for the opportunity, and fans are surely ready to see him get it.
WWE should step up and make it happen.
Matt Hardy
4 of 5
Will Matt Hardy ever be Broken?
Fans have been waiting for him to do so since he and brother Jeff came back to WWE. Jeff was considered the bigger star of the team for many years, but thanks to Matt's rebirth in Impact Wrestling, all of that changed. The WWE faithful now view Matt as the must-see character of the team.
When will he bring that to life on Monday Night Raw?
This may be the perfect time for him to make the change. If he's ever allowed to resume his gimmick, then he would quickly become the hottest star in WWE. Fans want it. Matt surely wants it as well. Eventually, it has to happen.
He's already over, but he's currently sitting at the midcard with Elias. However, if Hardy becomes Broken once again, then he would rise up as a result.
The best thing about that gimmick is Matt doesn't need to be a champion for it to work. He would still be over like no one else on Raw and that would be the case in spite of where he's booked. However, Hardy is a main event caliber star, and that should indeed be the case in Vince McMahon's company.
The only way to fix him is to break him.
Finn Balor
5 of 5
Finn Balor is a unique Superstar, a captivating talent who can do so much in the ring that he has to be seen to be believed. He gives maximum effort every time he steps through the ropes, and he does so with a flair the likes of which fans haven't seen from a WWE Superstar in years.
The company is quick to remind fans of that, yet Balor remains just on the cusp of doing big things on Monday nights.
Balor is indeed a main event talent and while there's no need to rush his career, it is curious why WWE has not fully elevated him. Perhaps it's because Brock Lesnar is not yet finished in WWE. Of course, that reason could apply to several Superstars that can't move up because of WWE's title focus on The Beast Incarnate.
Maybe Balor's positioning is due to the high level of talent that's already around him.
Whatever the reason, Balor continues to be one major run away from becoming the standard bearer for Monday Night Raw.
But that may change soon. Balor could conceivably win the Royal Rumble and then go on to face Lesnar at WrestleMania 34 for the Universal Championship. If that happens, then the Irish-born Superstar would finally realize his potential on top of Raw.
Of course, defeating Lesnar would be another matter altogether. But what better Superstar to beat the Beast other than Balor?
Fans would surely love to see it happen, even if Balor had to summon a demon to make it a reality.
Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com
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