The women’s revolution has changed WWE for the better in recent years. Women like Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch have become faces of the company up there with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. WWE no longer looks to hold back women from reaching a top spot, but there is a history of poorly booking top female talent.
Many ladies could have had stronger WWE careers if they were pushed harder and booked to showcase their overall skills. Some of them found success in other promotions while others remained underutilized in WWE for the most part in their careers. Find out just why WWE didn’t let them fulfill their true potential. The following women could have been top superstars but were mishandled in WWE.
10 Awesome Kong
WWE signing Awesome Kong made huge news in the wrestling community. Kong was coming off an outstanding run in TNA as one of the most valuable members of the Knockouts division. WWE signed her to play a monster heel character.
The first few appearances as Kharma saw her attacking others with some weird teases towards her backstory. WWE stopped booking her after a pregnancy. Kong revealed she had a miscarriage, and WWE showed no interest in bringing her back for a real run.
9 Brooke Adams
The WWE run of Brooke Adams saw her rarely wrestling in the ring. Brooke was part of the Extreme Expose trio with Kelly Kelly and Layla. The ladies took part in dance routines on the ECW brand until splitting up.
Brooke was the first one released and moved to TNA during the Hogan/Bischoff regime. The success for Brooke in the Knockouts division saw her become the top face character. WWE missed out on her star power by giving up too early.
8 Victoria
Victoria was among the most underrated women for the division in the early 2000s. The rivalry with Trish Stratus helped her breakout in the early era of the Raw division, having more credibility with stronger matches.
WWE’s problem was using her in important roles moving forward. Victoria was booked as a secondary talent for most of her run. The company didn’t think she was on the level of Stratus, Lita, or Mickie James, but her talent was as strong as the others.
7 Asuka
One of the recent instances of WWE failing to get the full potential of a top female superstar was Asuka’s booking. WWE brought her up to the main roster after her NXT stint ended with an undefeated streak intact.
Asuka saw her streak sacrificed to make Charlotte Flair stronger at WrestleMania 34. The booking for Asuka was hot and cold moving forward as WWE positioned her below the big names. Asuka has been spotlighted more recently during the empty venue shows for her exciting entertainment.
6 Taryn Terrell
Many wrestling fans forget Taryn Terrell was even in WWE due to her weak run as Tiffany. WWE used her as the ECW General Manager and eventually a lower-tier part of the women’s division on Smackdown.
The company released her when believing she’d never improve her in-ring skills. TNA signed her under her real name to become a breakout star. Gail Kim and Taryn had some of the best matches in company history with her background in stunt work leading to creative wrestling spots.
5 Sasha Banks
Sasha Banks was at a higher level than Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch when all three were called up to the main roster. The classic TakeOver match between Banks and Bayley played a huge role in the women’s evolution taking off.
Banks unfortunately never had a push as strong as Charlotte, Becky, or even Alexa Bliss. The current role of Sasha sees her as Bayley’s sidekick on Smackdown. WWE is teasing a turn, but they’ve never truly elevated her enough to show confidence in a top role.
4 Katie Lea Burchill
The controversial storyline of siblings Katie Lea Burchill and Paul Burchill saw them having an odd tease of flirtatious moments between them. WWE gave up on the storyline after a few weeks due to their PG rating shift.
Katie Lea never had much luck on her own since WWE didn’t have a long-term plan for her character outside of the sibling dynamic. The impressive matches and even better character work saw Katie thriving more in TNA.
3 Emma
Tenille Dashwood’s WWE run as Emma saw her having two different characters work out in NXT. The main roster call-ups would never see the same success since the booking never spotlighted her as a difference-maker.
Dashwood has shined outside of WWE with solid stints in Impact Wrestling and Ring of Honor. The modeling success even shows her ability to thrive as a face of a brand. WWE could have found more success if giving her a real chance.
2 Summer Rae
Dusty Rhodes was the biggest supporter of Summer Rae during her time in FCW and NXT. Summer had an outstanding heel character that showed strong potential to become a bigger name on the main roster.
The promo work and charisma made Summer a top prospect for a few years. Unfortunately, it was never showcased on Raw or Smackdown. Summer’s stints with Rusev, Tyler Breeze, and Fandango all ended too early. WWE missed out on using her personality in a long-term role.
1 Gail Kim
The greatest instance of WWE missing the mark with a top female competitor was Gail Kim. Two stints in the company saw her struggling to get a consistent role or push that could provide long-term success due to Vince McMahon not viewing her as a star.
TNA saved Kim from WWE with two great runs after each WWE exit. Gail created a legacy as one of the best female wrestlers of all-time. WWE wasted having such a talented star in her prime and doing nothing of note with her.