10 "Superstars" You Totally Forgot Were On The WWE Roster
Lost (and sold) souls...
Contrary to some understandable comparisons, Jon Moxley’s Talk Is Jericho appearance was so much more than the kinder accompaniment to CM Punk’s acidic assault on WWE back in 2014.
The former Dean Ambrose aimed to forge a crack in WWE’s foundation with his assessment, not by going for the throats of his former employers but by highlighting the systemic failures in the process designed to make stars rather than break them.
His discussion of scripting conflicts, inadvertent character assassinations and the weekly work dread was catnip to those that stick with often-wretched editions of Monday Night Raw in spite of themselves. The timing for Moxley and the industry itself was important - his AEW debut at the end of Double Or Nothing was a statement of intent, bolstering his views on the podcasts to feel like they were statements of fact.
Moxley in character spoke after the show of a “paradigm shift”, and it was a shoot, brother. The narrative is out there and hardening by the day - WWE have such potent heels in their own world that an entire promotion gets to be the babyface just for taking a run at them.
It’s why Moxley made the jump. It’s why Shawn Spears gambled on it too. It’s why, presumably, The Revival and Sasha Banks (to name but three) haven’t shied away from at least taking a stand. It’s why the following 10 talents may do the same...
10. The Ascension
What have you done in your place of work over the last five years? If you're reading this and blessed with the gift of enough youth/wealth/indifference to have not been in work for all of the last five years, what have you done in general over the last five years?
Odds are, it's more than The Ascension.
Konnor and Viktor's Wikipedia page barely exists for any other reason than to remind the reader of which one's which, but the main roster section is pathetically slim for an act five years into a run that never even remotely resembled their forcefully fun frolic through NXT's embryonic tag division in the years prior.
As is the case for everybody on this list, the duo can't shoulder the blame like they may have done once upon a time. WWE's never been a meritocracy, but it's also never been less of a one than now, despite the Network specials that artfully bullsh*t their way through an empowering fans arc in direct contradiction to another Shane McMahon push on television.
Worse perhaps for The Ascension that being forgotten is being remembered. It's been ages since the "good" old days of having the sh*t kicked out of them by a bunch of part-timers and playing comedic foil for Tyler Breeze and Fandango.
Wait, Fandangwho?