More than once over the years, you’ve heard talk of “WWE going down” with fans. They’ll complain about no one listening, about Vince and creative behind the times, etc. But then they’ll find a new spark that gets fans going into excitement again. A key change has been NXT and how Triple H has helped this brand adapt new stars that are helping the company. WWE has been doing a fine job winning fans back with new turns and boosting appeal. NXT alone has made the company more of a must-watch than ever before and even bits like 205 Live and the women are getting major attention. It really seems like WWE is doing a good job realizing you have to change and pushing guys who earlier might have been ignored.

Sadly, the company is still making mistakes. They still push the wrong guys constantly while holding onto workers whose stars have long faded. Fans have turned on these pushes majorly with ratings and buy rates going down to hurt the company a lot. For every fresh star who’s boosting them up, another older one is dragging their drive down. The company has many faces are making them look great but just as many who make folks want to change the channel. Here are 10 wrestlers who are saving the company for fans and 10 setting it back to show the challenges WWE has for the future.

20 Holding It Back: Alicia Fox

Amid the variety of fantastic female stars WWE is pushing, Alicia Fox is a veteran of the era when the Divas were based on nothing but looks. And sadly, she hasn’t changed much since. It’s obvious the woman is keeping her job solely due to her appearances on “Total Divas” and some favoritism when she was never a good worker in the first place. WWE has seemed to ignore her more, only using her when they need to fill out Divas stuff in matches. But that they keep holding onto a woman who only brings some nice looks to the show when they’re pushing a real women’s revolution is a sign of WWE still holding onto women’s looks counting more than anything. For Fox to keep getting paid (often more than women who have actually held the title) just to look good and boost a TV show is a bad sign and that WWE still has a ways to go to get women on an even plane.

19 Saving It: Shinsuke Nakamura

Let’s face it, WWE has a very bad track record when it comes to pushing Japanese stars. More than a few times, guys from the Land of the Rising Sun have been hired and then given the most stereotypical acts imaginable. Thankfully, Nakamura is beating that trend.

There were concerns about him in WWE with his energetic style and lack of English but thankfully, WWE has let the King of Strong Style be himself.

His fantastic entrances got crowds going and he paid it off winning the NXT title twice and sensational feuds with Samoa Joe and others. He’s done well on the main roster, even winning the Royal Rumble although not winning the title at Mania was a surprise. However, his heel turn looks to spark him once more and likely to get a long title run. The man is a stunning worker and blossoming as a star to get fans watching WWE and boost it up nicely.

18 Holding It Back: Mojo Rawley

Triple H has been great with his instincts on NXT and wanting to change WWE’s business model for a new time. But even he has his blind spots and Mojo Rawley is a big one. One would think that the NFL star is being pushed as the kind of guy Vince would love, a big beefy type who’s rough in the ring. But by all accounts, Hunter is the one convinced Mojo can be a huge star and pushing him on. That’s led to him in a tag team with Zack Ryder and winning the Andre the Giant battle royal. The problem is, Mojo is rough in the ring and bland on the mic and fans just not taking to him. But Hunter seems intent on pushing him on despite that, as he's heavily featured in the tournament for the U.S. title and seems ready to rise up on RAW again. More than once, Vince has hurt WWE by pushing a pet project guy despite his flaws and Hunter making the same mistake is something that can harm WWE as badly.

17 Saving It: Cien Almas

Cien Almas is a fantastic example of how NXT can make a guy better. After a good career in Mexico, he was brought into NXT but faltered trying to find his place. He even had an idiotic “farmer” gimmick for a time. However, the potential was there and WWE addressed that by pairing him up with Vega as his manager. Her promos had her stated Almas was wasting himself and giving him the push to turn himself around. It paid off with Almas taking off and winning the NXT title. He had a great reign as champion with several top battles before losing it to Alister Black.

Now, plans seem underway to make Almas a major player on SmackDown.

He has a terrific ring style and fantastic charisma to enthrall fans and Vega as his sidekick makes it better. All told, Almas seems primed to win a lot of Latino fans back into WWE and be a star in his own right to prove again how NXT helps the company out a lot.

16 Holding It Back: Randy Orton

By his own admission, Randy Orton has had some rough times backstage. He has his ego and brashness and while that’s matured with age, he can still act up a lot in many ways. Orton is a great worker and his RKO still gets fans going. But he has the same issue as Cena in that he’s been with WWE since 2001 and done pretty much everything already. Thus, fans aren’t as excited seeing him continue to get big pushes. That was proven when he won the 2017 Royal Rumble over a far more deserving field of guys and then the WWE title off of Bray Wyatt, who deserved a longer run.

It continues as Orton won the U.S. title just to give him the only belt he’d never worn and lost it quickly at Mania. He continues to get pushes when he should be cutting back (especially due to his long history of injuries) and continuing to push a guy going on 20 years in the business as a main eventer over younger talent holds WWE back.

15 Saving It: Johnny Gargano

2018 is not even half over and already WWE has produced two matches hailed as five-star Match of the Year candidates. And both of them involved Johnny Gargano. At Takeover Philadelphia, he came up short in a title match against Cien Almas that was hailed as a fantastic main event. Four months later, his main event war with Tommy Ciampa at TO: New Orleans was cited as possibly the greatest match in NXT history. The man is massively over with fans, good on the mic and an utter master in the ring. Both those bouts showed his star power, conditioning, psychology and genius getting the crowd on his side.

The plan seems to be him winning the NXT title but many are hoping he gets a jump to the main roster soon. This is a man who can be a mega-star and his work has brought in more pure fans than ever before. If anyone is the future of WWE, it’s Johnny Wrestling as one can only imagine how many more future classic matches he has in him.

14 Holding It Back: Brock Lesnar

The issues with Brock in WWE come down to his appearances. He can still pull off a good match and is clearly still a dominant figure. He gets pops for his showing up and can be believable as a powerful champion. The problem is the fact WWE has the Universal title around a guy who can take weeks away from television and about one match every three or four months. This is a horrible image, the idea of just phoning in your job a reminder of the lower points of WCW.

Brock has star power but he should not be bigger than the company yet that’s what he’s been made out to be with his run.

WWE should have the belt around someone who’s there every week, can defend it on TV as well as PPV and be dependable. Having it be on a guy who’s just around for the paycheck and not showing up is a major way for the company to be held back.

13 Saving It: Alexa Bliss

For a woman barely five feet tall, Alexa Bliss is dominating in WWE. She started off just the valet for Blake and Murphy and considered a secondary figure when brought up in 2016. But Bliss has proven herself in the ring, using her double-joined body and cheerleading experience to great effect. It’s led to four reigns as champion on both RAW and SmackDown to prove her worth. What really makes her work is that Bliss has hands down the best heel facial expressions in the company.

An eye roll or smirk can speak far better than any promo and also lead to funny bits (see her Mania match with Nia Jax and her scream of terror). Her promos sell her arrogant manner, the wicked witch fans love to hate and taking off excellently well. Some of the ladies in WWE can struggle to find a place but Alexa is boosted by her terrific charisma to be tops among them and show being a bad girl can be good for the company.

12 Holding It Back: The Big Show

Given his long list of injuries, it’s amazing Show is still around. It seems he truly loves the company and sticks with it no matter the conditions which can be rough. The fact is, the guy is no longer a prime athlete, showing his age and his bouts incredibly slow. WWE still tries to push him on his size and this supposedly unstoppable monster but given how many guys in the company have beaten him, that doesn’t work as well. Show himself seems tired, no longer giving his all and looks to be in it just for the paycheck.

Given he’s been in this business over two decades, maybe it’s past time he just hangs it up, gets a Hall of Fame spot and enjoys the quieter life. He can still make occasional backstage appearances but trying to push him as an in-ring force of nature doesn’t work for fans today. Sad as it is to say, it’s past time the Show finally brought down the curtain.

11 Saving It: Adam Cole

NXT has proven itself a fantastic addition to WWE. Many believe it’s “stripped down” appeal is what makes it work, no flash or wasting time on huge promos but more on in-ring action. It’s brought in slews of guys from the indies and the addition of Adam Cole has been one of the best. The ROH star was already an icon there and in Japan, the leader of the Bullet Club whose arrogant promos were backed up by terrific in-ring abilities.

In NXT, he’s taken off as he and the Undisputed Era are dominating the brand.

Cole himself pulled out the stops in the great Takeover New Orleans ladder match to become the first NXT North American Champion. His promo spots are golden and he looks ready to lead the era in dominating NXT. ROH fans are flocking to see him and it looks majorly like the future of WWE is in the hands of “Adam Cole Bay-Bay!”

10 Holding It Back: Jinder Mahal

It’s a move that was baffling when it was first made and just worse now. It’s one thing to give a guy a shot and fans have long wanted WWE to give the younger talent a try. But it’s something else to take a life-long mid-carder and jobber and turn him into WWE Champion in just a few weeks. Such ultra-short pushes rarely work out well and here’s a great example. No one could buy Jinder Mahal as champion, his move clearly made to push WWE into the market in India and Mahal just not proving himself in the part. It was made clear given how ratings fell during his reign and terrible matches and feuds. But even after he lost the belt, Mahal has remained in the mix, continuing to get pushes and even a brief US title reign. Despite how he’s proven himself bad for business, Mahal stays on and that drags down ratings whenever he appears as WWE just seems intent on doubling down on what was a bad move.

9 Saving It: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn

According to rumors, Triple H had to fight Vince had on hiring these two. Neither is the classic “WWE type” McMahon loves. Owens is heavyset and looks out of shape while Zayn spent years as the masked El Generico. It’s paid off as their NXT feud was sensational and on the main roster, both have excelled (especially Owens).

The two are clicking better than ever as a team, their long-time real-life friendship pushing them nicely.

They have great promos and fantastic matches and helped get Daniel Bryan back into the ring with their feud. Now on RAW, it’s likely the duo can rise up even more and hopefully get some attention in the title ranks. They remain a pair of fantastic stars and proving Triple H’s instincts right and the fact each breaks the usual WWE heel mold just makes them better for fans to get behind. Right now, they’re the hottest pairing in the company and look ready to rise up and prove you don’t have to be Vince’s classic idea of a star to take off.

8 Holding It Back: Ronda Rousey

This may seem odd. After all, adding Ronda Rousey has led to a slew of media attention for WWE and a lot more eyes watching. But while that may be good in the short term, the long-term shows Ronda may be doing more harm than good. Rumors abound of grousing in the locker room of how so many female workers fight for respect and getting a good shot at stardom. Now, suddenly, a UFC washout gets a huge contract and instantly pushed hard. Rousey is getting criticism for her character which will be smiling too much one minute, then too serious the next.

Her match at Mania was good but it’s obvious she has to work a bit to make the adjustment from MMA to wrestling. More importantly is that it’s a throwback to when companies would pay massive money to someone whose actual in-ring abilities were secondary to their stardom. At a time WWE should be building up women even more, bringing on someone just on their name isn’t the best move for the company.

7 Saving It: Charlotte Flair

In her biography, Charlotte says she actually tried to avoid wrestling, having seen the toll it took on her father. But the daughter of the Nature Boy just couldn’t resist it and NXT helped break her out from just a beauty to a stellar athlete. She was terrific in NXT as champion and elevated to the main roster fast. Since then, Charlotte has been utterly fantastic as a worker, putting on sensational battles and with a style that’s much like her father.

She can come out in lavish robes and wild entrances but in the ring, she’s all business. She can be a capable heel or face, always ready to give her all and more than hold her own against the best. That she was the one to break Asuka’s streak was a huge show of confidence but many agree it made sense for her to be the one to do it. She may not have the belt now but is likely to get it back and Charlotte is more than doing her father’s legacy proud to be perhaps the best of all the current ladies in WWE.

6 Holding It Back: John Cena

This is not a slam against Cena himself, who continues to be a good worker and proven himself a star among wrestlers. However, when a guy is presented pretty much exactly the same for over a decade, it’s going to lead to some issues with fans. And that’s prevalent whenever Cena is wrestling or doing a promo. To his credit, he can shut up his doubters with a great match and still prove himself capable of being among the best in WWE. However, there are just as many who are sick and tired of his act, of his promos, him pushed so much and more.

Many see him as just a favorite getting pushes on his past and should be backing down to let newer stars take over.

Even those who like Cena agree he’s getting long in the tooth and that his time may be over especially with movies calling for him. To continue to push Cena in prominent angles and such is a sign of WWE still holding onto the past too much and should be letting him slowly give way to a new generation rather than keep a guy who divides fans so much.

5 Saving It: Daniel Bryan

Everyone loves a good comeback story and that’s why Daniel Bryan is elevating WWE massively in early 2018. The man was always insanely popular thanks to his great ring work, fun mic stuff and great ability to connect to fans. That led to huge success as WWE were unable not to resist the fan demand and let Bryan win the belt in 2014. That was ended by injury and then they bungled his would-be comeback. Another injury seemed to put him in retirement and just a general manager job. But now Bryan is back and showing his great ring work all over again. Because of that, WWE is getting huge attention again, fans who are left after Bryan retired are flocking back and everyone interested to see how this is going to work out.

WWE seems ready to show Bryan off more as he’s clearly eager to get back into the mix and thus major attention rising up. So not only has Bryan’s career been revived but he’s also sparking WWE with his terrific return.

4 Holding It Back: Kane

Making an act work for over 20 years is remarkable and in that case, Glenn Jacobs should be credited. However, the way WWE still uses him so much is more than a bit baffling. The guy should be ready to cut back and retire and even seems to be set for it by running for mayor of his home town. Yet WWE continues to trot him out like he’s some sort of massive deal, continuing to push the “Big Red Machine” despite how he’s clearly past his prime. A huge example is when he crushed Finn Balor in 2017 despite Balor being far more over.

WWE seems to think he can still be the feared monster when he’s clearly showing his age and not getting any better. It’s more than time to finally let him go but the company’s insistence on having him be around more is a throwback to a far different era in wrestling. It’s past time the Big Red Machine was finally sent to the scrapyard and let some fresh blood take over.

3 Saving It: Braun Strowman

The guy really is the full package. He looked to be just your typical slow and strong guy but he’s been booked amazingly well. The “flipping over trucks” bit may be contrived but it’s sold in a great way to get him over and fans love seeing him as the monster. Even better is that Roman has shown a great aura on the mic and even some good comedy bits. He can rampage through the back then pause to grab a piece of chocolate cake. He can play a cello against Elias and his banter with Alexa Bliss was a highlight of the Mixed Match Challenge. His choice of Nicholas as a partner to win the tag titles was fun and the guy is massively over with the fans. A huge monster who can be damn funny and charismatic on the mic, many feel he, not Roman, should be the “big guy” pushed in the main event. Regardless, Braun is showing that not all big guys in WWE are a waste of time and one of the best reasons to be watching.

2 Holding It Back: Roman Reigns

The problem is not Roman Reigns himself. He has potential and with the right booking, he could have been a great main event heel. The problem is that Vince McMahon is convinced beyond reason that Roman should be the face of the company, a role that just doesn’t suit him.

Trying to make this overly jacked monster the babyface underdog overcoming the odds doesn’t work and he’s been saddled with bad promos.

More importantly, the fact WWE just shoves him down the throats of fans constantly has led to a huge backlash. Thus, Roman is possibly the most booed “heroic hero” WWE has ever known. That he keeps getting put into main event stuff and clearly prepped for another title run just adds to it. The guy could have been something major booked more as a heel type but trying to shove him as the big hero is a throwback to the WWE’s “big guy” mentality and how this holds WWE back a lot with a lot of fans.

1 Saving It: AJ Styles

It took 15 years for AJ Styles to finally get a full-time gig in WWE. And it’s more than paid off. For years, Styles was hailed for his work in ROH, TNA and Japan, a fantastic athlete pulling off moves most could never imagine. There were some concerns over WWE dropping the ball but his debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble was great. Styles was soon proving himself in various feuds and it paid off by beating Dean Ambrose for the title that fall. He lost it to Cena a few months later but remained in the mix, his great promos and still-amazing wrestling moves captivating fans. WWE couldn’t ignore it, giving him the title again in late 2017 and he’s held it since.

Styles is riding high, a guy most thought too small for WWE succeeding wildly. His tenure as champion has been great for business with major matches and WWE truly supportive of him, even letting him go over Nakumra at WrestleMania. It seems WWE was unable to ruin Styles and he’s actually helping them massively by showing a real star in a true wrestling athlete to keep the company going.