Underrated and Overlooked: Six WWE Wrestlers Who Could’ve Been GOATs

In WWE, several factors contribute towards the success of a wrestler’s career. WWE holds a limited spotlight for its top stars, and some wrestlers are simply overshadowed by more established superstars. The focus is more on wrestlers with larger-than-life characters, hands-on mic skills, and the ability to appeal to a wide demographic. Being underrated in WWE is a combination of factors, and not all of them are in control of wrestlers themselves.
Despite a wrestler’s talent, ability to entertain, and in-ring wrestling skills, some wrestlers don’t get the opportunity that would elevate them to the level of the icons. While some individuals are able to break through these barriers and achieve stardom, some remain underappreciated for a long time.
Here’s a list of stars that could’ve had a more prominent presence in the WWE universe.

During Ziggler’s peak years, superstars like John Cena, Randy Orton, Triple H, and The Rock dominated the top spots, leaving very little space for Ziggler to be consistently pushed as a top-tier talent. Although Ziggler’s performance was great in the midcard matches, due to inconsistency in storyline and lack of character development, fans connected less to the star.

While his in-ring abilities were universally praised, he was often not given a chance to carry a major feud and championship program in WWE.
The Miz is a great in-ring performer, known for his top-notch mic skills and promo skills. He was often viewed as a “reality star” rather than a legitimate wrestler due to his origins on The Real World. This overshadowed his in-ring ability for a long time.

Despite being WWE’s most effective heel, Miz’s character was highly misunderstood by the fans. His wrestling skills were overlooked due to his comedic roles and his midcard booking.
Despite having incredible in-ring skills and physical strength, Cesaro was frequently booked in midcard or tag-team roles. Cesaro’s character was never strongly defined or promoted as compared to other stars, despite having multiple high-profile matches and TAG team success (especially with Sheamus as The Bar).

Cesaro’s prime years coincided with major stars like John Cena, Roman Reigns, and Daniel Bryan, which made it even more difficult for him to break through to the main event scene despite his talent.
Before joining WWE, he was one of the most highly regarded wrestlers in the world. Nakamura’s time in NXT was hugely successful, where he had great matches and built a strong following. However, WWE did not capitalize on his massive potential. Nakamura’s Japanese heritage and lack of fluency in English also became one of the reasons for his underwhelming appeal outside the ring, which made him unrelatable to the fans.

His potential was often sidelined due to several reasons, like inconsistency in storylines, lack of character development, and language barriers.
Zayn has been part of major storylines, like his involvement with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline. His ability to connect with the audience, whether as a Babyface or Heel, is a major asset. However, being booked as an underdog babyface limited his potential in the eyes of the fans and management. Lack of significant title reigns and inconsistent character direction prevented him from being recognized as WWE’s top-tier star.

Despite these challenges, Zayn’s true potential is recognized among his fans and wrestlers.
Roode’s transition from TNA to WWE brought high expectations. His “Glorious” persona became popular almost immediately. While he held the United States Championship and TAG Team championships, his main roster run was never fully materialized in terms of a world title push.

Roode was a standout in NXT and enjoyed a successful run, whereas WWE did not capitalize on the potential he built in NXT.
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These are just some names who remain underrated due to the noted factors; however, the recognition of their skill and work ethic by fans and peers alike shows that, even underrated, these superstars contribute significantly to the overall success and entertainment value of WWE.
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