10 Times WWE Almost Made A New Star (Then Totally Blew It)

Now, strictly speaking, it is not WWE's fault that this one went so poorly - at least not initially. They succeeded in turning the former Prince Devitt into a massive star, and all they needed to do was maintain that after he returned from injury, but sadly, they dropped the ball.

After a phenomenally successful NXT run, The Demon King quickly rose to the heights of the main roster. He was Raw's fifth pick in the 2016 draft and soon gained an opportunity to contend for the Universal Championship. This instantly made him a big deal amongst casual and hardcore fans alike.

Much to everyone's shock and delight, he captured the strap at SummerSlam and became the first-ever Universal Champion. He seemed primed to become the guy, but an unfortunately timed injury forced him to vacate the belt and take some time off.

Bálor should have returned to thunderous applause, but his re-emergence with the company was instead understated. He came back with little fanfare, instantly going into mid-card pursuits and ending up lost in the shuffle.

WWE had everything in the right place here, and all they had to do was retain the booking they'd already established for him, but it seems that during his untimely absence, they lost their love for the creator of the Bullet Club.