10 Wrestlers WWE Have Ruined Without Fans

6. Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair Rhea Ripley
WWE.com

It's not Bianca Belair's fault that WWE don't realise what they have in her. Least of all because a Network special that aired shortly before the Royal Rumble seemed to imply they absolutely did.

There's a living-your-dream story worthy of airing for 'The EST', but available as an option on Peacock is where that belonged. Too often since getting the call-up at WrestleMania 36, Belair's seemingly been instructed to act like a deer in the headlights rather than a megastar stealing a spotlight.

Though wins didn't always come her way in NXT, the black-and-gold brand struck the perfect balance as she ascended. Confidence subtly gave way to inexperience, but growth brought assuredness. Such nuance has been lost since day one - she went from Sasha Banks' swooning fan to awkward partner before WrestleMania, and a dreadful angle with Bayley has done damage to both ever since.

The matches are often great, but that isn't always enough. A rematch with Banks will be the second time the two have fought in front of an audience, but WWE's booking of the current Champion is risking 'The Boss' taking all the adulation.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett