7 Wrestlers Who Should Leave WWE For The Indies
Spoilers: Daniel Bryan is NOT on this list.
I'm going to say something that may be uncontroversially true, but will probably ruffle some feathers:
WWE does not value wrestling.
That is to say: on RAW and SmackDown, it's clear that having good matches and pitting good wrestlers against each other is a secondary or tertiary priority. That's always been the case, even back in the territory days. However, in the internet age, when everyone has access to everything, and the focus on in-ring excellence is more important than ever, WWE's sports entertainment more and more sticks out like a sore thumb.
As a result of WWE's focus on "telling stories," "creating moments," and in-general pushing people they think will look good on TV, so many talented workers get lost in the shuffle. Whether it's being placed in programs that don't utilize the best of their abilities, or just not appearing on television at all, these people are being, for lack of a better word, wasted by creative.
The independent wrestling scene has seen a huge surge in popularity. With guys like Cody Rhodes making it huge outside of the WWE machine, here are some other individuals and teams who should follow his example.
7. TJP
Despite only being 33 years old, TJ Perkins is a 20-year veteran who has wrestled practically everywhere. His journeyman career culminated in 2016, when he signed with WWE and participated in the Cruiserweight Classic. Going through stars such as Johnny Gargano, Rich Swann, Kota Ibushi, and Gran Metalik, Perkins won the tournament and became the new cruiserweight champion. Despite the audience initially being hesitant towards Perkins and his persona (they didn't quite get the kids these days with their dabbing and their bit tunes), through a series of excellent matches and a heartfelt promo to cap off the amazing tournament, TJ won them over. The new Cruiserweight Champion looked set to bring the reformed division to new heights.
And then RAW happened. Immediately, Perkins was stripped of his humanity, and was just a vehicle for WWE 2K17 plugs. He lost the title to The Brian Kendrick (remember him?) about a month later, and has been a middling heel ever since on 205 Live.
Perkins has the talent and charisma to go out on his own, and considering he was trained in the New Japan LA Dojo, perhaps it's time they give each other a call.