Even the biggest of names in history will assert the importance of the WWE Universe and how working well with a crowd can make or break a Superstar’s character. However, the company has found itself in uncharted waters in the last couple of months. WWE Superstars haven’t had fans to work with but they’re still expected to put up a good show.
While some Superstars have visibly suffered because of the same, others have made the most of the dire circumstances and managed to steal the show despite the unavailability of a crowd to cheer or boo them. Let us look at seven such names in WWE right now.
#7 Apollo Crews
One of the most severely underused Superstars in the WWE roster, Apollo Crews rose to prominence after moving to the Red brand on the RAW after WrestleMania. He did lose to Aleister Black on the night but looked solid in defeat.
Crews would then go on to qualify for the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match by beating MVP and that was just the beginning of the good things that were about to come. He pinned the United States Champion Andrade in a six-man tag match the next week and looked set to claim the US title later that night but then a bad landing resulted in him injuring his knee.
Probably the most athletic Superstar in all of WWE right now, Apollo is now out of Money in the Bank and will probably miss a few weeks of TV programming as well. However, in the few appearances that he made on RAW in April, he really shined bright with his in-ring ability and put up some great matches.
Fans started to root for Apollo and felt the anguish when he was sidelined with an injury. We can only hope that the former NXT standout is able to build on this good spell whenever he makes his WWE return.
#6 Sonya Deville
After months and months of being in Mandy Rose’s shadow, Sonya Deville finally broke the shackles when she turned on her former best friend a couple of weeks ago. The intense promo she delivered in the process caught the attention of the WWE Universe who were pleased to learn that Deville is as good on the mic as she is inside the ring.
The former Fire and Desire member interfered in Mandy’s WWE Money in the Bank qualifier against Carmella last week which would result in the Golden Goddess ending up on the losing side. Following that, Deville would deliver a vicious beatdown on Mandy to leave her writhing in pain by the ringside.
The two will take the rivalry forward this week on SmackDown but irrespective of the result, Sonya Deville has managed to land her breakthrough moment in WWE. She looks all set to have a singles run after her feud with Mandy comes to a close and would definitely pose as a stern challenger for the SmackDown Women’s Championship if and when she enters the title picture.
#5 Otis
Ever since grabbing the attention of fans with his unsuccessful attempt to woo Mandy Rose early on this year, Otis has grown in stature both as a performer and a crowd favorite in WWE. His mic work might still not be up to the mark but the Heavy Machinery member has had some seriously good matches against Dolph Ziggler.
While it was his eventual pairing with The Golden Goddess that skyrocketed his fandom amongst the WWE Universe, Otis has shined bright as an individual competitor following WrestleMania. Yes, he’s still feuding with Ziggler but has managed to qualify for the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match in the process.
Otis might not be ready yet to win that briefcase yet but he’s definitely established himself as a credible singles Superstar and this opens up multiple opportunities for WWE Creative.
It must be added that Otis would receive a massive pop as the underdog who was able to gain the affection of his “Peach” Mandy Rose. However, he’s still managed to make the most of the situation and established himself as a big draw on SmackDown, highlighted by the fact that he main-evented last week’s show.
#4 Liv Morgan
Liv Morgan has seriously risen through the ranks of WWE’s women’s division since her return on the last RAW of 2019 as Lana’s love interest. While that angle from WWE Creative certainly did not work out for her, Morgan had some great matches with her former friend Ruby Riott whom she’s defeated three times since the latter’s return from injury.
Morgan has mentioned in interviews how she’s continuously learning who she is as a person which also might be a hint at the fact that she’s going to add more dimensions to her character. And this week on RAW, we saw something to that effect as the former Riott Squad member cut a rather sarcastic promo on Charlotte Flair and challenged The Queen.
While Morgan did eventually lose the match, she managed to drive the NXT Women’s Champion to her limit and the result was no indication of her push being halted by WWE. Liv Morgan continues to get better on the mic and seems to have an improved skillset inside the ring including a new finisher since her return to WWE. The rest of the RAW women’s division would do good to watch out for her.
#3 Asuka
One of the main picks heading into the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match this Sunday, Asuka has certainly been on a roll ever since WWE decided to host closed-door shows. Not only has The Empress of Tomorrow not let the absence of fans hurt her game, she’s done one further by the most of the situation.
Her commentary gigs on RAW are unforgettable and her non-wrestling segments are simply must-watch TV. Asuka has, in fact, not only helped herself but also WWE in these last few weeks. Jerry Lawler admitted that Asuka was put in the commentator’s chair to be as loud as possible to nullify the silent effect of an empty Performance Center and she played her part perfectly.
Additionally, Asuka has also managed to compliment her mic work with her exploits inside the squared circle and looks primed for another singles run. Don’t be surprised if she walks out of WWE’s corporate headquarters with the Money in the Bank briefcase.
#2 Zelina Vega
While her associates may have had mixed fortunes over the last month or so, Zelina Vega has managed to steal the limelight on every occasion these past few weeks on RAW. She has always been one of the best in the business as a spokesperson and WWE putting the focus on her of late has allowed her to run the show even better.
Be it a verbal altercation with Drew McIntyre or backstage promos where she’s hyping up the likes of Andrade, Angel Garza, and Austin Theory, Zelina Vega has been on the money in every segment.
The perfect heel that she is, Vega has the perfectly boisterous undertone whenever she’s on the mic to annoy her opponents and good chunks of the WWE Universe too. I would go ahead and claim that even her ringside antics when any of her clients are in action is also gold.
Yes, Zelina Vega isn’t a regular feature inside the WWE ring. But this just goes on to show how great character work goes a long way in helping a Superstar steal the limelight.
#1 Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre has followed up his explosive win over Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania with much aplomb. Starting from his impromptu WWE Championship defense against The Big Show minutes after winning the title to eventually his current feud with Seth Rollins, the Scotsman has come through as a freak of nature in every segment.
McIntyre’s win over Lesnar would’ve surely left the WWE Universe at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida in delirium had we not been in unforeseen times. Irrespective of that though, McIntyre is truly living up to his billing as the fighting champion. He has dominated Andrade on multiple occasions and seriously seems to be enjoying himself on the mat.
McIntyre hasn’t shown a semblance of fear despite having the numbers game work against him on multiple occasions. The best is yet to come for the Scotsman who looks very serious about holding on to his WWE title. We can surely expect him to put up a great show against the Monday Night Messiah at Money in the Bank later this week.
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