10 Wrestlers WWE Gave Up On In 2017

6. Tye Dillinger

Tye Dillinger
WWE.com

WWE missed the boat on capitalising on Tye Dillinger's popularity.

The '10' chants were peaking in January, and him entering the Royal Rumble at that number was a perfect moment, drawing one of the loudest pops of the night in San Antonio. That should have been the jump-off point for a successful main roster run, but it wasn't. Dillinger shuffled off back to NXT, and wasn't seen again until April, by which point his Rumble momentum was utterly dead.

A main roster push still isn't forthcoming. Tye feuded with Aiden English, and has flirted with the United States Title division a couple of times, but that's it. He's fortunate if he makes it onto television these days, and now looks set to eek out the most modest existence imaginable on the SmackDown house show loop.

It's hard to tell when exactly WWE decided Dillinger wasn't a pushable performer, but he was legitimately one of the most popular acts in the company at the turn of the year. He's lost at sea, and with the 'Perfect 10' gimmick now firmly out of style, it's hard to see him getting back on track.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.