10 WWE Stars Who Should Be WAY More Over Than They Actually Are

3. Luke Harper

seth rollins
WWE.com

Luke Harper is a curious case.

Logic dictates that he should be the stuff of which Vince McMahon's dreams are made of. He's tall and physically imposing. Unlike John Morrison, who McMahon infamously could never buy as an "ass-kicker", Harper just looks deadly. He's even a critical darling, remarkably agile for his monstrous proportions, capable of an ultraviolent-looking suicide dive. This matters more and more to WWE, even if their attempts to capture the so-called "smark" crowd very much have the air of "Do we have to?"

Part of the problem is that people will forever associate Harper as a Bray Wyatt lackey, as long as he's decked out in that backwoods henchman attire. Switching his vest from white to black is a fitting symbol of WWE's halfhearted approach. It is the easiest, laziest way in which to present Harper as different entity. Funnily enough, it hasn't worked.

Harper is crying out for definition. The ability to recognise a line from a Shakespeare play is hardly the way to proceed with a man who is as credible as anybody on the roster, with the obvious exception of Brock Lesnar.

Fans seem to want to get behind him - it wasn't too long ago that many lobbied for his inclusion in Bray Wyatt Vs. Randy Orton at WrestleMania 33 - they just don't have any impetus to.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!