At the moment, much has been made about WWE’s main event scene. Roman Reigns is indisputably WWE’s Tribal Chief as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, however, this may actually be a bad thing.
Reigns is on the run of a lifetime, but some make the argument this is at the expense of the majority of the roster, and they might be right. There are many talents on WWE’s payroll that have main event potential but have either never gotten the chance or have never gotten a second chance.
Male or female, WWE’s main event scene seems to be a densely populated place with room for others. These entries are all worthy candidates.
10 Asuka
When it comes to WWE, there is a difference between being a World Champion and a main eventer. Although Asuka is a three-time WWE Women’s Champion and the longest-reigning NXT Women’s Champion, she has never truly been presented as a main eventer.
It could be argued The Empress of Tomorrow has never been presented as the top star in her own division, even while Women’s Champion. It seems WWE is hesitant to push her to the next level due to her language barrier, although audiences feel that doesn’t hold her back.
Asuka oozes natural physical charisma and cuts a great promo in her native Japanese language. Outside her charisma, Asuka is right there with Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair in terms of in-ring work.
9 Bayley
Bayley and Asuka are in very similar situations, however, Bayley is among the most accomplished women’s wrestlers of all time. She is a Grand Slam Women’s Champion, as well as a former Money In The Bank winner.
However, like Asuka, Bayley has rarely been presented in the same league as women’s division main eventers like Charlotte Flair. Again, Bayley has all the talent in the world and has improved over time, showing she can be just as effective as a heel as a babyface.
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Bayley has main evented a couple of PPVs, but she should be a regular in that scene. Perhaps, when she returns from her ACL injury, she will be thrust into a top position.
8 Alexa Bliss
While Alexa Bliss is a Triple Crown Champion, fans the world over believe she hasn’t reached her full potential. Some may even say Bliss’s closest thing to a main event program came when she teamed with The Fiend against Randy Orton in 2020 and 2021.
Since becoming the demonic version of herself in 2020, Bliss has actually seen less success than she did as ‘Little Miss Bliss.’ In that incarnation of herself, Bliss seemed to have a title around her waist or a consistent storyline at all times.
Since failing to capture the Raw Women’s Championship from Charlotte Flair at Extreme Rules in September 2021, Bliss has been seen in-ring twice. Although Bliss needed facial surgery and got married during this time off, she herself even seems to suggest she is ready to come back full-time, where perhaps she will get her chance atop the women’s division.
7 Shinsuke Nakamura
After a brief (and bad) WWE Championship feud with Jinder Mahal in 2017, it looked like WWE was pulling the trigger on Shinsuke Nakamura’s main event potential in 2018. He won the Royal Rumble and booked his ticket for a WrestleMania 34 WWE Championship dream match with AJ Styles.
It may have been that very dream match that soured WWE on Nakamura. The encounter disappointed many and at the end of the contest, Nakamura turned heel on Styles, ensuring their feud would continue with many months of low blows to come.
Since then, Nakamura has been a consistent midcard talent, but one of the best in that scene. Those who remember Nakamura’s days as IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion dream of those days returning, but it seems WWE is happy with where they have The King of Strong Style now.
6 Finn Balor
It seems every other month reports are out saying WWE has lost interest in Finn Balor. That would explain his lengthy absence from TV leading up to a surprise United States Championship win, a title he wouldn’t defend at a two-night WrestleMania and lost to Theory a couple of weeks later.
The Prince’s inconsistent booking isn’t just a product of today, as ever since his injury during his Universal Championship win at SummerSlam 2016 it feels like WWE won’t ever pull the trigger. One week Balor is challenging Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at Royal Rumble and the next he’s sent down to NXT.
In both of his NXT runs, Balor did some of his best work but Balor has not found nearly as much success on the main roster. Since his return to the main roster, Balor has flirted with the main event scene but once again has struggled to find consistent booking.
5 Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn is in his seventh year on WWE’s main roster and has been a heel since October 2017. Some forget that Zayn is a phenomenal babyface when given the chance, as shown essentially his entire career before 2017.
Whether it be as El Generico on the indy scene or as Sami Zayn in NXT/the early days of his main roster run, Zayn has an intangible that many wrestlers don’t possess when it comes to being an effective babyface. Every movement and facial expression Zayn made encouraged the fans to rally behind him, never more clear than Zayn’s emotional NXT Championship win in late 2014.
The point is, at a time when WWE is struggling for true main event babyfaces, they may already have one on the roster. Zayn is phenomenal in-ring whether it be as a face or a heel and has proven to be willing to do anything the company asks of him through character work. However, WWE may be too comfortable with Zayn in the entertaining heel role he is currently in.
4 Naomi
When Naomi debuted on WWE’s main roster in 2012 as one of Brodus Clay’s Funkadactyls, no one could have fathomed what she would become. Today, Naomi is one of the most likable talents on WWE’s roster with great in-ring ability.
What’s more, Naomi seems to improve year by year and she has been allowed more time to show that over the last few months through her feud with Sonya Deville and as Women’s Tag Team Champion with Sasha Banks. Even so, the legs were cut out from under her feud with Deville right before it reached its conclusion and WWE does not have a good track record with its Women’s Tag Team titles.
Whenever Naomi gets a chance, she makes the most of it, but fans feel she deserves more. She is a former Women’s Champion but has never been close to the main event, where she would get a shot to prove herself.
3 Dolph Ziggler
It could have been him. Although Dolph Ziggler has been with WWE since 2004 and has accomplished a great deal (he is a Grand Slam Champion), he has never been presented as a main eventer.
After 18 years it seems too late, as WWE seems to love the spot they have for The Showoff now. Ziggler got to enjoy a run with the NXT Championship in early 2022 and gets to go on tour pursuing stand-up comedy, so it seems Ziggler is happy with it too.
That said, Ziggler is a supremely talented individual, both in-ring and on the mic with his Showoff character never running dry. He’s always shown main event potential, however, even when crowned World Heavyweight Champion in 2013, WWE hasn’t seemed to feel the same way.
2 Happy Corbin
Happy Corbin is a polarizing figure in the wrestling business. Many feel his “true” heel work should be praised and others feel he doesn’t deserve his spot on the card.
What can’t be disputed, whether you love him or hate him, is that he has not reached his full potential. Corbin is billed at six foot eight inches and 285 pounds, meaning he is a Vince McMahon guy through and through, so why has he never truly been a main eventer?
Looking back to Corbin’s NXT debut in 2014, has his in-ring style really changed? Yes, he is a very solid in-ring worker with a great character, however, his style may just warrant a high midcard position rather than a World Champion main eventer.
1 The New Day
Let’s title the list “12 WWE Wrestlers Who Should Have Been Headlining Stars By Now- But Aren’t” because including just one of the members of The New Day would be unfair to the other two. Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods have experienced great success together, and some separate, but none have truly been treated as main event talents.
When Kofi Kingston inspired ‘KofiMania’ at WrestleMania 35, culminating an 11-year journey to become WWE Champion, it was a genuinely emotional moment. When Big E won Money In The Bank and cashed in to become WWE Champion a few months later, the wrestling community the world over shared Big E’s delight. When Xavier Woods realized his dream of becoming King of the Ring, fans seemed just as happy as he was.
The point is, they are main event talents, despite what their biggest runs showed WWE thought of them. None of them were allowed to be true main eventers and with WWE struggling for true main event babyfaces, these are three proven talents waiting in the wings that are perfect fits.