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Arguably, the most challenging part of being a professional wrestler is the amount of control the creative team and booker have over one's career. Even in other art forms, prominent governing bodies recognize those for their excellence. That's why someone like Robert Downey Jr. was still able to find work after years of ongoing legal trouble—he was that good on camera.
In the squared circle, performances are so subjective. Whether that's in-ring work or presentation, the qualities to make a main eventer or even get screen time can vary dramatically across promotions. With WWE ushering in a new golden age, it's clear that some personas simply aren't working right now. Here are five stars who desperately need a change.
Damian PriestWWE / Contributor
Ludwig Kaiser
The former mouthpiece for Imperium, Ludwig Kaiser, has been floundering on the mid-card since his departure from the stable. He's stuck being a smaller, less interesting version of Gunther despite being a stellar talker and possessing a striking physique.
Kaiser needs a personality that clearly distinguishes him from the World Heavyweight champion. He can still maintain the Eastern European superiority complex, but he needs to change his motivations or promo delivery. Getting in a consistent one-on-feud against a white-hot babyface could do wonders for his future.
Finn Bálor
The internet wrestling community has started to call Finn Pin Bálor over the last few years because of his inability to win matches. His only PLE win since October 2023 was in a tag match with Damian Priest against New Catch Republic. He hasn't won a singles bout on camera in over a year.
The Judgement Day has grown incredibly stale, but the lack of direction has hurt Bálor the most. He can be a viable heel, but the crowd is clearly desperate to cheer for him once again. A definitive story of trying to go after the belt he never lost and trying to make amends with the rest of the roster could be fascinating.
Solo Sikoa
The head of the TEMU Bloodline, Solo Sikoa, is still wildly dull. He is a charisma vacuum who has shown little to no character development over the last few months.
For a guy that talks a lot and is a leader of a prominent group, he is substandard on the mic. The only thing even keeping him relevant is the brilliance of Jacob Fatu and the subsequent blowoff between the two. Sikoa should revert to the street fighter gimmick and be a brutal, solo brawler hovering around the United States title scene.
The Miz
The Miz pops up just enough to remind everyone he hasn't had a decent long-term program since 2017. His work with John Morrison/Nitro/TV/Impact/Hennigan during the pandemic was solid, but that era of television was largely unwatchable for that to even matter. The tag team title run with R-Truth was great for the latter to finally get his WrestleMania moment, but it ended in limp fashion and a forgettable and obvious Miz heel turn.
At this point, he's more of a legacy act, stuck in one gear that was far more captivating a decade ago. Going down to NXT to work with younger talent could do wonders for his career as he tries to regain the creative chops that helped him be a television mainstay throughout the 2010s.
Damian Priest
After escaping the Judgement Day mediocrity vortex, Damian Priest has done nothing remotely engaging. He's currently in a dead-end feud with Drew McIntyre that will lead to a forgettable scrap in a few weeks at the Show of Shows. He lacks a special trait to get fans behind him—he's just adequate at just about everything. It's hard to articulate what Priest lacks besides the obvious—being aligned with Rhea Ripley. He needs a sharp shift in approach before he rapidly ascends into SmackDown's undercard purgatory.
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In the squared circle, performances are so subjective. Whether that's in-ring work or presentation, the qualities to make a main eventer or even get screen time can vary dramatically across promotions. With WWE ushering in a new golden age, it's clear that some personas simply aren't working right now. Here are five stars who desperately need a change.
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Damian PriestWWE / Contributor
Ludwig Kaiser
The former mouthpiece for Imperium, Ludwig Kaiser, has been floundering on the mid-card since his departure from the stable. He's stuck being a smaller, less interesting version of Gunther despite being a stellar talker and possessing a striking physique.
Kaiser needs a personality that clearly distinguishes him from the World Heavyweight champion. He can still maintain the Eastern European superiority complex, but he needs to change his motivations or promo delivery. Getting in a consistent one-on-feud against a white-hot babyface could do wonders for his future.
Finn Bálor
The internet wrestling community has started to call Finn Pin Bálor over the last few years because of his inability to win matches. His only PLE win since October 2023 was in a tag match with Damian Priest against New Catch Republic. He hasn't won a singles bout on camera in over a year.
The Judgement Day has grown incredibly stale, but the lack of direction has hurt Bálor the most. He can be a viable heel, but the crowd is clearly desperate to cheer for him once again. A definitive story of trying to go after the belt he never lost and trying to make amends with the rest of the roster could be fascinating.
Solo Sikoa
The head of the TEMU Bloodline, Solo Sikoa, is still wildly dull. He is a charisma vacuum who has shown little to no character development over the last few months.
For a guy that talks a lot and is a leader of a prominent group, he is substandard on the mic. The only thing even keeping him relevant is the brilliance of Jacob Fatu and the subsequent blowoff between the two. Sikoa should revert to the street fighter gimmick and be a brutal, solo brawler hovering around the United States title scene.
The Miz
The Miz pops up just enough to remind everyone he hasn't had a decent long-term program since 2017. His work with John Morrison/Nitro/TV/Impact/Hennigan during the pandemic was solid, but that era of television was largely unwatchable for that to even matter. The tag team title run with R-Truth was great for the latter to finally get his WrestleMania moment, but it ended in limp fashion and a forgettable and obvious Miz heel turn.
At this point, he's more of a legacy act, stuck in one gear that was far more captivating a decade ago. Going down to NXT to work with younger talent could do wonders for his career as he tries to regain the creative chops that helped him be a television mainstay throughout the 2010s.
Damian Priest
After escaping the Judgement Day mediocrity vortex, Damian Priest has done nothing remotely engaging. He's currently in a dead-end feud with Drew McIntyre that will lead to a forgettable scrap in a few weeks at the Show of Shows. He lacks a special trait to get fans behind him—he's just adequate at just about everything. It's hard to articulate what Priest lacks besides the obvious—being aligned with Rhea Ripley. He needs a sharp shift in approach before he rapidly ascends into SmackDown's undercard purgatory.
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