WWE and AEW Stars Suffering the Most Without Fans

After yet another pay-per-view without any paying fans in attendance, it's clear there are several Superstars in WWE and All Elite Wrestling suffering from the lack of interaction with the audience.

While both companies have now used employees to fill out the crowd and make noise to mimic what it would be like with an arena full of people, it is a shell of what wrestling fans expect from the sport.

No matter how much WWE and AEW try to bring normalcy to a world impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the empty arenas have hurt the product overall and driven away hardcore and casual fans alike.

Here are the WWE and AEW stars suffering the most without fans.

Brian Cage

When Brian Cage made his AEW debut with Taz during the Casino Ladder match at Double or Nothing in May, he dominated the field and walked away as the No. 1 contender for the company's world title.

Unfortunately, there was no crowd in attendance to explode when The Machine hit the ring, which would help casual fans understand why he is one of the biggest signings in recent wrestling history.

He is one of the most physically dominant wrestlers in the world, but he also has the agility of a man half his size. Add in the mic work of a bona fide legend like Taz, and a live crowd of ravenous AEW fans would be eating up his initial heel run right now.

Instead, Cage feels like a secondary attraction who doesn't actually pose a threat to Jon Moxley and the AEW World Heavyweight Championship. When fans do return, the reaction for The Machine will be unforgettable.

Nia Jax

Nia Jax has been involved in several questionable spots in recent weeks that have led to injuries or possible injuries, but instead of WWE letting her feed off the negative feedback from the crowd, she is forced to cut longer promos to get heat.

The Irresistible Force should be the monster who hits hard and talks less.

The fans in attendance at the arenas would see the awe-inspiring size of Jax and immediately turn on her. Add in her cockiness about hurting fan favorites such as Kairi Sane and Asuka, and she would be one of the most hated heels in WWE.

With a portion of the WWE Universe advocating for her to return to NXT so she can sharpen her skills to stop hurting opponents, letting her play up to a crowd that she likes putting performers on the shelf would be a welcomed change when it comes.

Brodie Lee

Of all the Superstars hurt by the lack of fans, Brodie Lee may have been impacted the most.

After being underrated and underutilized by WWE for so long, fans were so excited by the possibility of his debut with AEW before the coronavirus outbreak started in the United States.

Not only did his debut not feel as special since the fans in attendance couldn't provide the shock and awe that makes the moment unforgettable, but he also lost his first marquee match, a moment easily hidden if the fan response had been there.

When fans return, AEW must rekindle the fire lost since Lee made his debut, which shouldn't be hard since he is one of the most talented big-man, in-ring performers in the business and a fan favorite.

Apollo Crews

Winning the United States Championship has been the highlight of Apollo Crews' career to date, but it didn't mean as much without fans in attendance.

Crews is one of the most psychically gifted athletes in the sport and has the charisma to back it up. With the first true storyline he can dig his teeth into since joining WWE, he has shined bright.

The empty arenas have made it hard for casual fans to get excited for his character, though. While Crews has the charisma, looks and in-ring ability that make him an ideal face, he needs depth and turning heel could provide him the edge he needs.

Eventually when fans return to ringside, Crews can turn on his stablemates and cement his place as one of the top faces on the Raw brand.

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player above (some language NSFW).