10 Wrestlers WWE Gave Up On In 2017

3. Bayley

Bayley Injury
WWE.com

It'd take a tome the length Tolstoy's War and Peace to document the full extent of WWE's mistakes with Bayley's main roster run, but you'd find plenty of evidence to support the idea that they gave up on the former Raw Women's Champion in 2017 within it.

Bayley's credibility lies in tatters. Once considered a 'can't miss' babyface prospect, she has seen her popularity gradually eroded through poor booking, to the point where significant portions of the crowd now actively jeer her. Her character is a wet blanket. Unapologetically juvenile after cheating to win the title, she was soundly buried a few months later, when the sharp-tongued Alexa Bliss cut her down on a weekly basis, with their historically bad 'This Is Your Life' segment leaving Bayley six feet deep.

The real damage came at Payback, when she was portrayed as a meek, overawed goober who gave the impression that she didn't belong in the ring with Bliss, despite their experience gulf. WWE have shown no intention of pushing her since then, and she's now little more than a supporting cast member in a movie starring Bliss, Asuka, and Sasha Banks.

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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.