Cody Rhodes is a prime example of someone who left WWE and reached even greater levels of success on his own terms on the independent scene.
While working for WWE is the dream of most professional wrestlers, there are a lot of performers who we think have more potential in other promotions.
Here are 5 WWE superstars who I think would benefit from working elsewhere:
Dolph Ziggler:
Recent reports have suggested that Dolph Ziggler isn’t content in his current role at WWE. Having introduced Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode to the main roster with opening feuds that have seen him on the losing end overall, Dolph isn’t exactly progressing towards significant title opportunities that he was accustomed to previously in his career.
His current entrance, with no music, sums up his entire direction and drive at the moment: there is none! I don’t believe that this is due to him personally, but how he is being used within the company. The perfect example is his absence from this month’s Survivor Series PPV.
The plan for Dolph Ziggler should be to leave WWE, re-invent himself having toured other companies, and return to WWE a new man!
Zach Ryder:
The Hype Bros just don’t have the hype anymore; some may ask whether they ever had any hype at all. And since returning from a knee injury after 6 months off, Zach Ryder has been involved in more losing matches than winning. One of his last memorable moments came in the form of Wrestlemania 32:
But this is rumoured to have only come about because Neville had broken his ankle.
Since partnered with Mojo Rawley, The Hype Bros have been able to work their way into number 1 contender positions, but haven’t been able to convert these opportunities into meaningful title reigns. With Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin being pushed, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn potentially working as tag-team partners, as well as the return of Luke Harper and Erick Rowan as The Bludgeon Brothers, The Hype Bros aren’t likely to feature in many significant matches in the near future.
Another problem Ryder faces is his one-dimensional tag team partner, Mojo Rawley. Mojo Rawley won the Andre The Giant Battle Royale Memorial Match… and has done nothing with it; the year before Baron Corbin won the same match.
Ryder could simply part ways with his tag partner, but it then appears difficult to place him in the ring with other superstars who have overtaken him in the singles division. The worry would be that he ends up doing nothing, much like he is doing now.
Given the chance to leave WWE, Zach Ryder is just about young enough to alter his persona and break away from WWE, whilst also using his experience to put on good matches and build himself up out on the independent circuit.
It may seem unlikely, but let’s remember that Simon Gotch has done extremely well for himself since leaving WWE.
Gentleman Jack Gallagher:
Jack Gallagher is a shadow of his former self. The 205 Live superstar was a fantastic face, with brutal headbutts and an umbrella named William the Third! He has since turned heel and lost all moment that he had. I personally believe that he should have won the Cruiserweight Championship from Neville.
However, the main reason why Jack Gallagher should move away from WWE is centred around the division he is in: 205 Live. The show isn’t big enough for more than 1 or 2 main superstars, everyone else takes a backseat and can’t develop their career. Furthermore, after the departure of Austin Aries and Neville, WWE brought in Enzo Amore and Kalisto – they didn’t even promote superstars from within the division!
Jack Gallagher needs to leave and continue this persona with other companies where he can earn and take genuine steps forward, rather than being ignored. If I were him, I would be talking to Neville and other promotions, starting in the UK.
Chad Gable:
Unlike Zach Ryder, Chad Gable is currently part of a tag-team which could deliver in the next year. Gable has teamed up with Shelton Benjamin after Jason Jordan parted ways with American Alpha to seek success as a singles competitor. The truth is, Chad Gable is just as impressive on his own, and deserves to be on the singles scene as much as Jordan. Unfortunately for Gable, Jordan was given priority.
While Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin were able to defeat The Usos via countout, many say the match appeared weird and suspect an injury forced a quick end. However WWE’s willing to have the match at all shows a desire to push the newly formed tag-team which could lead to title opportunities in the future.
The main point is: if Chad Gable becomes a singles competitor, he should leave WWE. If he stays in a tag team, he should remain where he is already established. Chad Gable had a few singles matches, and put on a great performance against AJ Styles, but didn’t appear to be rewarded for it. He needs to be somewhere that casts him as a legitimate champion, which I believe is more achievable for him outside WWE.
Rusev:
Rusev looks the part, sounds the part, and sells an RKO better than anyone else. He is also active outside the ring, and entertaining on twitter.
The bad news for him is that WWE have cornered him into a stereotypical role that has no freedom or creativity. Getting Rusev to pursue nationalistic goals, like flag matches and Rusev Day, doesn’t develop his character and he just ends up helping others look better than he is.
Much like Dolph Ziggler, Rusev has also missed out on this month’s Survivor Series and is sat on the sidelines.
When he was featured on UpUpDownDown however, he didn’t appear as his in-ring character, and we were able to see the real Rusev which was much more entertaining. It appears that the in-ring persona is largely controlled by the WWE creative team, which is holding Rusev back. That’s not to say that Rusev isn’t successful in WWE, but I believe he has the potential to achieve even more outside the company.
There is no doubt that Rusev would draw huge numbers to any promotion outside of WWE; and he could finally explore new creative avenues that would only boost popularity among fans. I believe people would go to see him as an ex-WWE superstar, but then continue watching to see how he develops on his own.
Unfortunately I can’t see him make the move away from WWE as the lure of potential success remains present for him, but I wish he would take the opportunity to set himself free.
