5 WWE Wrestlers Currently Being Wasted On The Main Roster

Along with WWE facing recent criticism for overpriced tickets and blocking watch parties, fans have started to become more outspoken about their frustration with the current product. Creatively, WWE has been accused of overpushing certain stars or running back stale rivalries, but it's not that there isn't other talent available – the company just chooses not to utilize them. Whether it's "WWE NXT" call-ups or signings from the independent wrestling scene, there continues to be an abundance of uber-talented wrestlers on the roster that struggle to earn TV time and have simply been forgotten about.

Listed below is a collection of WWE superstars who have been unable to find themselves a consistent role on TV and seemingly have no creative direction at the moment, despite there being five and a half hours worth of main roster programming every week. 

Five years ago, it could be argued that The Street Profits were WWE's hottest tag team. However, Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford are now seen as two individuals who have definitely not benefited from Triple H taking over as head of creative. In addition to not having a televised match on the main roster in 2026, the Street Profits have only had a handful of matches since the middle of 2025, three of which were against the same opponent. That said, Dawkins and Ford still delivered when given a chance to perform, with their TLC matches at WWE SummerSlam and on the "SmackDown" after WrestleMania 41 being "match of the year" contenders.

As of right now, WWE has been using the team sporadically at NXT live events. It was recently reported that WWE chose to keep Dawkins and Ford off television to keep them fresh while they decide how to use them creatively, but judging how they've been booked over the last three years, it's hard to envision the company utilizing them in a satisfying way. 

To this day, Johnny Gargano is recognized as one of the best professional wrestlers to ever step inside an "NXT" ring. Many fans of the "Black and Gold" era would have a hard time believing that Gargano would get lost in the shuffle on WWE's main roster, especially under Triple H's leadership, but that's exactly what has happened.

When Gargano first arrived to the main roster, fans expected him to get the same treatment as Seth Rollins or Finn Balor after being called up from "NXT," as they were directly inserted into the main event scene. Instead, Gargano spent months competing in meaningless singles feuds until WWE decided to have him reunite with his #DIY partner, Tommaso Ciampa. For a brief period of time, it seemed like the plan to have #DIY team together again was working, as both men found themselves on TV more often after becoming WWE Tag Team Champions. However, after their second reign with the titles ended, their appearances on "SmackDown" became fewer.

Last month, Ciampa left WWE for AEW, leaving Gargano to be inserted into a storyline where he his depressed every week after having lost his tag team partner. At the very least, the story is a new direction for his character, but many fans rather see Gargano return to being the weekly spark plug that was "Johnny Wrestling." 

Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne are widely regarded as some of the best technical wrestlers the world has seen in the last 10 years, but they have consistently been under-utilized on WWE's main roster, with their recent creative direction being as close to rock bottom as you can get.

Although the El Grande Americano character has been entertaining in both WWE and AAA, it's been tough to watch Bate and Dunne perform in comedic roles as Bravo and Rayo, part of Los Americanos. Formerly known as the New Catch Republic, Bate and Dunne were some of the best wrestlers to come out of the United Kingdom and were arguably the most promising talent WWE had in their developmental system, but the company has continuously failed both men creatively.

At 32 and 28 years old, the only silver lining for the tag team is their age, as Bate and Dunne could still have a long career ahead of them, but it's shocking to realize that WWE has neglected to elevate either star over the last decade.

Over the past two years on "SmackDown," Michin hasn't been completely forgotten about, unlike some of the other entries on this list, but the company never seems to have interest in booking her to be successful. Whether it's the United States Championship, North American Championship, or the WWE Women's Championship , Michin has never capitalized on a title opportunity in the seven years that she's worked for the company.

After WWE started to lose faith in Michin as a singles star, she's was paired with B-Fab and joined the women's tag team division, but it's resulted in her getting less TV time than ever before. The 36-year-old still hasn't wrestled in a match this year and has not stepped inside the ropes on "SmackDown" since September. At the time of writing, WWE has created a storyline for Michin and B-Fab to target WWE Women's Champion Jade Cargill, but the promotion has given the audience no reason to have faith in the tag team because of how poorly they've been booked. 

In addition to her lack of TV time, Michin wasn't featured in this year's Women's Royal Rumble after having been a participant in the match for three years in a row. Like other talent on the main roster, Michin has become another former "NXT" star who WWE doesn't see any potential in, despite the reputation she built for herself on the developmental brand and on the independent wrestling scene.

The Motor City Machine Guns were one of the most beloved tag teams on the indie circuit for 20 years before signing with WWE in 2024, and the company immediately elevated them by having Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin win the tag titles within their first two weeks on the roster. However, things have gone downhill for the "SmackDown" pair ever since.

These days, the MCMG are rarely featured in matches on TV and have been viewed as one of the biggest afterthoughts in WWE's tag team division, despite being some of the most skilled wrestlers on the roster. For the better part of a year, Shelley and Sabin have continued to fight the same tag teams on rotation without any real story and have not been near the title picture since the Six Pack TLC match at SummerSlam. The MCMG were once presented as a tag team that would be difficult to beat due to their storied history on the indies and in TNA, but they've since lost matches to opponents such as The MFTs, and have been bumped to shows like "WWE Main Event."

At this point, WWE seems clueless when it comes to the creative direction for Shelley and Sabin.