6 WWE Stars Who Are a Title Opportunity Away from Main Roster Success

It was not that long ago that Kofi Kingston was a midcard tag team performer. Many believed his opportunity to make it as anything more in WWE had passed. Sure, he had many title reigns to his name, but he wasn't a true star in the company.

He was the fun-loving high-flyer of The New Day, a group that had only gotten over together. All it took was one opportunity for that perception to be thrown out the window. Kofi didn't just seize his moment. He rode it straight to the top of the business.

Opportunity is a rarity in WWE. Superstars are often forced into narrow spaces with little hope of advancement. They have to overachieve in positions that are not well suited for success. This is especially problematic on WWE's overly bloated roster.

The amount of talent in WWE is staggering. There are stars considered enhancement talent who could be headliners in other promotions or just in an era with less competition. WWE has gone out of its way to hoard talent, and many are suffering for it.

How many other Kofis are there in WWE? Who could use just one opportunity to skyrocket into stardom? A few key names stand out as waiting for just one chance to shine.

Andrade

Credit: WWE.com

It needs to be said that Andrade is among the best wrestlers in the world. His work in the ring is second to just about no one, but WWE seems afraid to admit it. The evidence, though, speaks for itself.

El Idolo put on a show against AJ Styles, but he lost and nothing more was made of it. He and Rey Mysterio spent most of a remarkable short-term feud battling on SmackDown Live. When they were finally set to compete on pay-per-view, their match was turned into a Fatal 4-Way match that still nearly stole the show.

While Andrade's limited English could hold him back, he has Zelina Vega to pick up the slack. Despite narrow usage, there is no one on the main roster the Mexican Superstar would feel out of place competing with.

He and Finn Balor have already been teasing a rivalry for the Intercontinental Championship, but El Idolo could just as easily compete for the WWE Championship. In fact, it may be a more natural fit once Kofi Kingston has finished with Kevin Owens.

When Andrade is suddenly getting 15 minutes on PPV, no one will be able to ignore how good he is.

Ember Moon

Credit: WWE.com

One of the few women with a legitimate claim to being as good as Asuka in the ring, Ember Moon has always been electric. An injury has kept her on the sidelines recently, but her return feels like the perfect fresh start for a true star in the making.

While the hierarchy in both women's divisions is still being established, The War Goddess has stood out as a favorite to make a leap forward. She is one of the most likely Money in the Bank winners and will certainly steal the show in the match regardless with her high flying.

Especially once Becky Lynch heads exclusively back to Raw, SmackDown will need fresh faces at the top. Moon has never wrestled one-on-one against Charlotte Flair or Bayley, and both will be heavily involved in the title scene going forward.

Moon vs. Charlotte sounds like a recipe for success and would launch The War Goddess straight to the top. All she needs is a chance, and she may be the one on this list with the highest chance of getting it.

Buddy Murphy

The first opportunity Buddy Murphy got at a championship in WWE, he went from a forgotten name in NXT to the top star on a forgotten brand. The Juggernaut was so good that WWE was forced to move him to the main roster much like a fellow cruiserweight alum Ali.

He has not done anything on the blue brand since coming up to the main roster in April, and it will be interesting to see what comes next. While he was a champion recently, his title run barely got him attention due to his position on a brand that is barely watched by casual fans.

Murphy only needs one opportunity to win over all those who have not seen him perform, though. The Best Kept Secret will likely be a household name sooner rather than later once he starts performing. He's the kind of talent who can do it all and work with anyone.

Give him a feud with Balor and watch the sparks fly. The WWE intercontinental champion needs a challenger, and he keeps running through potential challengers with ease. If he is not going to fight Andrade for the title, why not debut Murphy on the main roster as an instant threat?

The cruiserweight ace has moved on to greener pastures, but he could easily be forgotten if he is left without real challenges to face, which would be a shame because he's a star in the making.

Chad Gable

Credit: WWE.com

Why isn't Chad Gable a household name? While the Olympian is short for a WWE Superstar at 5'8", his power and ferocity are on par with a recently retired WWE Hall of Famer in Kurt Angle. Everyone should be clambering to work with Gable.

He's consistently overachieved in tag teams while that division has been wildly undervalued. His work with Jason Jordan was so effective it got his partner the role of a lifetime as Angle's son. He managed to keep Bobby Roode and Shelton Benjamin in the spotlight at a time when the veterans were barely getting on TV.

While this all proves that the athletically gifted star has chops as a tag team wrestler, he has never gotten a real chance going solo. He has worked with Styles and done well in the role, but it was never going to be his jumping-off point.

It is time for him to get a chance as a solo act much like his now-renamed partner Robert Roode. Gable should be in the mix of the Intercontinental Championship right now, and he would turn heads with a chance to show what he can do with Balor.

Ruby Riott

Ruby Riott has not won a championship in WWE. She didn't even get a title in NXT. This seems absolutely ridiculous considering she has still managed to establish herself in WWE. She may be the best overall talent in the women's division to not be a former champion.

Rising to the occasion has been signature to Riott's work since she debuted in November 2017. Her match with Charlotte at Fastlane 2018 is a forgotten gem. The Riott Squad put on their best work of their careers together when they finally got time at Evolution against Bayley, Sasha Banks and Natalya.

No one feels like they are better suited to take the next step quite like Riott. Even though The Riott Squad was recently broken up, with Liv Morgan heading to the blue brand, the heel leader should still be a favorite to hold the Raw Women's Championship this year.

She should be the one challenging The Man already. It's a travesty that she doesn't have a spot in the women's Money in the Bank ladder match. The reason Raw's women's division feels so shallow is that Riott has been treated as an afterthought when she should be the leading heel.

With just one more title shot, Riott would become a household name in the women's division.

Sami Zayn

Who is the most talented WWE Superstar on the main roster to never hold a championship? There are a few names that stand out, but not one is more clear cut than Sami Zayn. While his in-ring work has always stood out, his recent promos have proved he can also talk with the best in the company.

The Underdog from The Underground has been hampered by injuries, but it still makes no sense that he has never held a title on the main roster or even competed one-on-one for a world championship. Right now, he is the star with the highest untapped potential on the Raw roster.

All it would take is one opportunity. Let him feud with Seth Rollins for a few months, and even if he doesn't win, he would come out the other side as a clear star. It could be argued he has already reached that level, but it still feels like he could fall off the map at any moment.

Finally separated from partner in crime Kevin Owens, this is a golden opportunity for Zayn to show why he should be considered among the best in the business. No matter how good his promos are, he needs a rival soon.

With WWE starving so many top stars to highlight a chosen few, Zayn has suffered, but he has not been forgotten. It is about time for the company to see whether he can be the next big heel in a company lacking in legitimate villains.