25 Biggest WWE Epic Failures Of 2016

15. Apollo Crews Gets Called Up Too Soon

Undertaker Shane
WWE.com

Apollo Crews immediately captured the attention of fans when he debuted at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn in August 2015 and showed signs of potential as a singles star. He continued to build momentum in the remainder of the year and challenged for the NXT Championship, which is why his call-up to the main roster the night after WrestleMania 32 came as such a surprise.

He was just getting his feet wet in NXT when he was promoted to Raw, and in the absence of Baron Corbin and later on Finn Balor, he could have captured the NXT title at some point. However, because right after 'Mania is traditionally the time of year to bring up people from developmental, WWE rushed his push considerably.

The worst part was that they brought him to Raw without a set plan in mind. He faced enhancement talent for months before finally feuding with Sheamus and beating him at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. But WWE apparently lost in interest in him after that and he has largely been left off SmackDown Live in the latter half of the year.

Crews is by no means damaged goods, so here's hoping he is utilized the right way in 2017.

Contributor
Contributor

Since 2008, Graham has been a diehard pro wrestling fan and, in 2010, he combined his passions for WWE and writing when he joined Bleacher Report. Equipped with a master's in journalism, Graham has contributed to WhatCulture, FanSided's Daily DDT, Sports Betting Dime, and GateHouse Media. Along the way, he has conducted interviews with wrestling superstars like Chris Jericho, Edge, Goldberg, Christian, Diamond Dallas Page, Jim Ross, Adam Cole, Tessa Blanchard, Ryback, and Nick Aldis among others.