10 Wrestlers WWE Gave Up On In 2017
Creative has nothing for you.
WWE's talent roster is in a constant state of flux.
Perma-pushed stars like Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns aside, wrestlers are continually switched in and out of the spotlight, and nobody exemplifies this better than AJ Styles. Clearly one of the best wrestlers on the planet, 'The Phenomenal One' has occupied a number of roles throughout 2017. He started the year as WWE Champion, then feuded with Shane McMahon, dabbled in the US Title division during the summer, and eventually regained the top prize in November, re-establishing him as the top dog.
Such cycles are nothing new. Nobody was screaming "burial!" when Styles dropped into the US division, because they knew he'd eventually return to the main event scene. But not all demotions are created equally, and while those experienced by AJ (and others) in 2017 were temporary reshuffles, others feel like an outright loss of faith.
WWE have given up on many performers this year, and while some should be strong enough to recover, others may not be so fortunate. Whatever the case, it's clear that the company aren't anywhere as enthusiastic about pushing them as they were 12 months ago.
10. Lana
In the space of just under two months this summer, WWE decided that they were going to give Lana a go as a singles wrestler, jobbed her out, and realised that maybe the whole thing wasn't such a good idea in the first place. That's quite a turnaround, even for them.
'The Ravishing Russian's' push started at Money In The Bank, where she challenged unsuccessfully for Naomi's SmackDown Women's Title. It was an awkward, disjointed bout, but a relatively even one. Lana's fortunes declined thereafter, though: she lost her rematch in a single minute, then fell to Naomi once more, this time in just 10 seconds. WWE seemingly gave up on her push there and then, and Lana went back to management after a loss to Charlotte Flair in August 8th.
She remains active on the house show scene, but Lana has wrestled just one televised bout since then. Now, she's Tamina's manager, though her services have had brought nothing to her lumbering charge, who remains the brand's least engaging performer. The demotion is understandable, though: Lana looked woeful in her fleeting in-ring dalliances.