10 Mid-Card WWE Stars That Deserve A Big Title Shot

In the WWE today, the main event scene is packed. We’ve got tons of star power at the top, from Seth Rollins and CM Punk to Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns.

With these huge names constantly vying for titles, there isn’t a ton of room for the mid-card to get that bump up to the top.

These are the wrestlers that clearly have that “it” factor, but are being underutilized simply because of the packed crowd at the top of the card.

We’re going to take a look at some midcard wrestlers who deserve that push to the next level.

10

Julius Creed

Hidden In The Tag Division

I’ve never heard Julius talk for more than a sentence or two, but I’ve seen him in countless matches by now, and one thing is clear: this guy pops on-screen.

His athleticism is freakish and not something you come across often in the world of professional wrestling. In terms of how he moves and executes maneuvers, it’s as good as prime Seth Rollins.

In every match Julius is in, he pulls off some kind of amazing feat of strength, performs a show-stealing spot, and, overall, looks like an absolute beast in the ring.

As far as comparisons to current main event talents go, Julius is right on the level of Bron Breakker. He’s just missing the nepotism to fuel him.

I’m not sure why Triple H is keeping him in the tag division, as he’s clearly the Shawn Michaels of his tag team, and I feel like it’s only a matter of time before they pull the trigger on this guy and give him a legitimate singles push.

9

Austin Theory

Getting Used The Wrong Way

Austin Theory was chosen as the next golden boy of the WWE, but stunningly, despite winning the Money in the Bank contract, he was made to cash in on the United States Championship of all things.

It made no sense. This was the chosen guy of Vince McMahon, and he cashes in on the lowest title on the roster? It was shocking, to say the least, but for all the wrong reasons.

Theory is too good in the ring and on the mic for being wasted like he’s been. They have been teasing a breakup with A-Town Down Under for a long time now, and it’s time to break them up before it’s too late.

Theory is still in his 20s, which is a child by today’s WWE standards, but he’s more than ready to become a big-time player in the main event scene.

He may be the best athlete on the roster, and he’s got a great moveset and can sell about as well as anyone.

The way you turn him main event is pretty simple, I think. You give him some kind of Kayfabe injury and have him leave for a while. Grow his hair out, change his gimmick, and when he returns, he’s this much grittier-looking wrecking ball in the ring.

In WWE, time away can build into big things when it comes to a return. Just look at what it did for Cody Rhodes.

8

Penta

WWE’s Most Compelling Luchador

Penta is one of those guys who just demands your attention. The look, the entrance. It’s all clear that WWE wants us to know Penta is as legit as it gets, but so far, he’s been restricted to mostly midcard feuds.

That’s not to say they haven’t been entertaining, as his feud with Judgement Day is great, and it’s clear that he has a secure place at least in the Intercontinental title picture.

That’s great, but it’s clear Penta is built for the main event. He is already incredibly over, and his moveset is awesome, with some unique slams and one of the best moves in the business in the Mexican Destroyer.

Penta has all the must-haves when it comes to building a main event star. The crowd support, the epic entrance, the poses, the attire, everything is there. It’s just up to WWE to make its next great luchador star.

7

Chelsea Green

She Just Gets It

Some wrestlers just understand what wrestling is so well, that pours over into their character. Classic examples of this are Santino Marella, Macho Man, Randy Savage, and today, Chelsea Green is that wrestler.

Her gimmick of being this ditsy, semi-clownish type of character that sometimes lucks into winning has been so perfect, and her title reign as the United States Women’s Champion with her “Secret Hervice” was just hilarious in action.

The best part of it all, though, is that she can really go in the ring. At the 2024 Money in the Bank, she took a fall off a ladder through two tables, and her in-ring work gets better and better, looking like a legitimate threat a lot of the time.

She is hugely over with the crowd, can cut promos better than just about any woman on the roster, and is also in incredible shape, so there is no fear of believability when it comes to putting her up against main event stars like Tiffany Stratton or Becky Lynch.

She’s said that she wants to be the female version of The Miz, and I think that fits perfectly. But don’t forget that The Miz is a two-time world champion and main evented WrestleMania, and I don’t think those goals are too outlandish for Chelsea Green to set.

6

Otis

Believe in Something

Otis actually got the Money in the Bank contract in 2020, but it was kind of a joke, and he never got to cash in and instead lost the contract to The Miz.

However, from there, the storyline was that Chad Gable would teach him how to discover his inner alpha. That was 5 years ago now, and Otis is still toiling in Alpha Academy.

While the WWE searches for its next big stars to lead the new generation, it ignores one of the most widely cheered stars in the company.

Otis is never really treated as a huge threat, but just look at stuff like his match with Gunther before Wrestlemania, the crowd was going nuts for him, and when it seemed like he might actually win the match, the crowd noise was deafening.

They need to give Otis a real chance and have him either win Money In The Bank one more time, or give him a legitimate build.

You could kill two birds with one stone and use Chad Gable to start it. Have Gable work his way to the main event picture, maybe beat Gunther, let’s say, and then have Otis become his first challenge. The story would be perfect, and it would be a great way to instantly make two main event players.

5

LA Knight

The Megastar Needs The Gold

LA Knight is well into his career at this point, but in the WWE, he’s only just beginning. He embodies everything needed out of a main event star, but for some reason, he only had one in his career and that was a match where he didn’t even lose cleanly.

While LA has been in some high-profile matches, he’s rarely been the main threat to win and, despite his incredible promo ability, they still haven’t found a way to prop this guy up as a champion.

He can out-talk anybody on the mic and his presence is reminiscent of stars from the Attitude Era, and he’s got a finisher like a Stunner to boot.

Unfortunately, he’s stuck in the United States Championship scene. Weirdly enough though, he’s accompanied by two former WWE Champions there, so it doesn’t exactly feel midcard.

By definition, though, that’s where he’s stuck for now, but I wouldn’t mind seeing him clash with guys like CM Punk, John Cena or Cody Rhodes in the near future and his ability to create a big fight feel in his feuds is unmatched in the company right now.

4

Finn Balor

A Falling Star

What happened here? We had a superstar to carry the future of the company, ready to go; we gave him the Universal Championship, and then that was it. One freak injury and that was the end of Finn Balor as a main event threat.

It got even worse when he lost to Edge during their whole Judgement Day feud, and from there, Finn has become a tertiary player in the business at best.

But Finn had it all. The look, the entrance, the in-ring ability, The Demon, it was all there for him to become not only a main event star, but the guy in the company overall.

It’s been a long time since that fleeting moment for Finn, but he’s still used quite frequently, however, that’s mostly in the midcard world.

Thankfully, Finn is as sharp as ever in the ring in his early 40s, and still in relevant storylines like his building feud with Dom.

They need to get him back to who he was, though. Ditch the running shoes and get back to the boots, get the original theme song back, and get the crowd back to singing along with it.

It was an experience watching him come to the ring, and Finn is still there, capable of carrying another main event match if he ever gets the chance.

3

Dom Mysterio

WWE’s Best Anti-Hero

The pop that Dom Mysterio gets when he one day turns face will be legendary. The crowd began to turn towards Dom at WrestleMania, where he won his first big singles title, and, since then, Dom has been getting some pretty solid pops during his appearances.

While he’s still very young, he is clearly soaring up the roster, and his in-ring performance has gotten better over time, making it far more believable for him to be a legitimate threat.

He’s stuck in what is likely to be a long, Intercontinental title run for now, but it’s only a matter of time before we get to see him in the main event scene.

I think the way it will happen is that Dom will get hurt, likely in Kayfabe, and then he’ll leave for a little while, work out a bit, change up the physique, and come back to a huge reaction.

Once they turn him face, his ascendance will be lightning fast, and I can’t wait to see what he could do in a feud with guys like CM Punk or Drew McIntyre.

2

Chad Gable

The Entertainer

I’m at a point with Chad Gable where I’m wondering what he has to do. He has taken every atrocious gimmick given to him and made it gold.

This is the guy who made Shorty G work. Right now, he’s gotten a character named El Grande Americano over.

He’s so entertaining regardless of what he’s being asked to do or who he’s asked to prop up, and he’s just begging to be used in a bigger way.

As a performer in the ring, he is probably the best wrestler in the company right now. He’s basically the next form of Kurt Angle, with everything the Hall of Famer had in the ring, including his comedy chops outside of it.

Yes, he’s smaller than every main eventer, but that doesn’t matter when his charisma bursts off the screen and when this El Grande Americano gimmick runs its course, it’s time to put him with the big dogs, as he’s already 39, and we’re running out of time to capitalize on how great he can be.

1

Jacob Fatu

Destined For Greatness

I think we can all agree the Bloodline has run its course by now, but despite that, we have that storyline to thank for creating one of the clear new stars of the future.

Jacob Fatu has the elite heritage to draw from, but he is something completely different from any Bloodline member. He’s got the charisma on the mic, the incredible ability in the ring, and the look to overtake anyone he is paired with.

While he has already held United States championship gold, it’s clear that he’s being built up for something huge.

Since he’s been in the company, he has skyrocketed in terms of popularity and now, equipped with his own catchphrase, a great moniker as the “Samoan Werewolf” and a ton of momentum, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before he ends up in a big-time feud for the WWE championship.

It’s clear that he’s already outgrown his station and, as his merch sales rise and his week-to-week momentum grows, Jacob is going to find himself in a main event match for the title sooner rather than later.

The clear path there is through Jey Uso. They are cousins, they have all sides of the fanbase covered, and the energy that both bring to promos would be incredible to watch.