In the past few years, a new crop of stars was poised for greatness in WWE. Paying attention to the machine it operates, the company seemed all in on their potential. Yet in recent months, much of their pushes either stagnated or stopped altogether. Yes, there is still hope for some of them; that’s why this article reads “Are Dropping the Ball On” and not “Have Dropped the Ball On.”
There’s still a chance for these stars to shine, but WWE needs to either accidentally make better decisions or wake up before their investments become just another face on the roster. As things stand, it seems much of the acquired talent was signed to prevent them from signing with AEW.
No better is this flaw exposed than in the latest two seasons of Netflix’s WWE Unreal. The old heads of the past, being in control of the careers of young talent, fumble their responsibilities often. It’s a pattern that’s become all too noticeable. I don’t even think they’re the sole reason for this frustrating trend.
Carnies have always run rampant in the pro wrestling industry, and boy, do they know how to politick. A song as old as time; top talent keeping their banks full even at the expense of someone who could truly use the opportunity to carry the baton.
It’s not the easiest thing in the world to be a wrestling booker. I admit that. Being tasked with managing a plethora of people, making sure things go right and that everyone is as happy as possible, it’s a weight almost as heavy as Atlas buckling beneath the world. But is relying on stars of the past always the best way to go?
Do so many talents need to face adversity all the time before grasping the brass ring? Time is of the essence, and one can only hope WWE can correct course and develop a way for their rising stars to get over and stay over.
So, who are the most affected victims?
Oba Femi
There is still hope for The Ruler. Once he gained momentum in NXT and TNA, crowds eagerly got behind him. On December 13, 2025, in his first main roster match opposite Cody Rhodes at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, Femi got a loud, warm welcome.
Femi quickly picked up steam again. Called up from the NXT roster, Femi marched into Raw and SmackDown, squashing talent after talent. He even lasted nearly 40 minutes in WWE Royal Rumble 2026! This saw him clash with a litany of talents, most pertinently Brock Lesnar.
Now, I don’t like Lesnar, mostly due to his part in the ongoing Janel Grant case, and I’m not a fan of this rivalry he has with Femi. However, it’s clear that he knows Femi is money, and the fact that they’re on the third match of their trilogy so far shows he wants to keep that cash flowing.
This brings me to the most irksome circumstance of Femi’s current situation. Defeating Jey Uso at WWE Night of Champions 2026 on June 7, Femi won the King of the Ring Tournament in the finals. Normally, this would’ve earned him a huge title shot at SummerSlam 2026 in Minnesota.
After weeks of trash-talking Lesnar on the microphone following his loss to the Beast at WWE Clash in Italy, Femi’s celebrations were cut short. Lesnar retaliated. Femi knew that either way, Lesnar would keep coming after him. So, he relinquished his title shot to lock up with Lesnar one last time in a Hell in a Cell Match.
If they had Femi lay out this challenge and postpone his opportunity, that would have been fine. Instead, he gave it up, unless the general consensus is missing something. Why then didn’t Lesnar cost him the King of the Ring Finals and end things at SummerSlam? Plenty of motivated and underserved wrestlers could’ve taken that opportunity. No, that’d be too simple. It’s better to waste everybody’s time rather than reward fan investment,
I suppose. Femi will likely come out stronger after his Hell in a Cell bout, but for now, The Ruler looks a little silly for giving away the logical next step in his career.
Bron Breakker
Primed as the next Goldberg and touting his Steiner lineage, Breakker instantly seemed poised for superstardom. He practically ruled NXT during his tenure on the developmental brand. When he aligned with Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman after their post-WrestleMania 41 feud against Roman Reigns and CM Punk, things seemed to be on the up and up.
In The Vision, the story seemed clear: Rollins gets the gold, Breakker accrues some residuals, and the pupil would then challenge the teacher in a heated dispute. For the most part, that seemed to be the case. The trio would then be joined by Bronson Reed, Logan Paul (for some reason), and Austin Theory.
The Vision ousted Rollins amid an injury that popped up on its former leader, and Brock Lesnar would temporarily join the group for 2025’s Survivor Series: WarGames.
Then, the predictable happened. WWE dropped the ball. Losing to CM Punk on the WWE Raw Anniversary special on Netflix began Breakker’s downfall. He’d fall short in the Royal Rumble months later after a hooded Rollins attacked, leaving Oba Femi to eliminate him, and in under ten seconds, too.
Momentum would return to Breakker when he returned to cost Rollins his WrestleMania 42 match against Gunther, and he’d defeat Rollins at Backlash. The creative team’s stagnancy would return as well, with Breakker having naught to do but co-hold the WWE World Tag Team Championship with Theory following Logan Paul’s arm injury.
Rollins then came back with a vengeance, alongside Street Profits and Joe Hendry, leading to Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford becoming the new tag team champs on the June 22 episode of WWE Raw. Come June 27’s Night of Champions, Breakker took on Rollins in a steel cage.
This could have easily been the chance for him to be reheated as a big deal. This was too tall an ask for WWE, as Rollins soundly defeated Breakker and left The Vision in the rearview. Paul Heyman soon distanced himself from the faction before finally departing from them.
Throughout Summer 2026, Theory courted Alpha Academy’s Maxxine Dupri, much against Otis and Akira Tozawa’s wishes. Meanwhile, Logan Paul and Joe Hendry’s beef continued. The Vision did win the WWE World Tag Team Championship, with Breakker and Theory still holding at the time of writing. Nevertheless, Breakker, once groomed to be the star of the show, now feels like a minor supporting character.
During the obligatory weekly televised makeout sessions between Theory and Dupri, Breakker stands like a background fixture. There’s a vacant expression on his face, as though his life has careened off the rails and he’s too powerless to stop it. Breakker was a monster, with vicious spears and animated promos. Now, he’s lifeless.
Giulia
You would be forgiven if you were new to Giulia and didn’t think she’s a big deal at this point. While her booking has improved steadily since June, the Japanese-Italian wrestler has changed her look and made a babyface turn. No longer is she paired with Kiana James. Giulia is more active as of late, but can she regain her shine?
Long ago, Giulia was one of the top faces of World Wonder Ring Stardom, with her legendary rivalry against Tam Nakano guaranteed to generate moneymaking matches. Clips of her would spread across social media, showcasing her brutal and stiff nature. Once WWE acquired the former Donna Del Mondo leader, they paraded her around as a huge signing. And she was! She was. Another recent signing would catch more eyes, though.
Ex-CMLL wrestler Stephanie Vaquer, equally as rough as Giulia, got over swiftly. Vaquer’s finisher, Devil’s Kiss, proved a crucial formula in popularizing her. Booker T chanting “Ah! Ah! Ah!”, gear that accentuated her physical features, and cameras catering to the male gaze catapulted her into superstardom.
It wasn’t Giulia’s fault fans resonated with Vaquer more. Nor was it Vaquer’s, as she had the talent to justify her spot. This was primarily due to the creative team’s error, particularly on the main roster. A SmackDown talent, Giulia rarely garnered much television time until taking Kiana James on as her valet.
She’d win the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship a couple of times, with little to no substance, before floundering. A few months went by where WWE placed James at the forefront, believing her to be the bigger star of the two, and fans made their disdain known.
The treatment of Giulia should not have been what it was. Nobody was expecting her to come in, guns-a-blazing, taking down Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley, or Becky Lynch from the get-go. But for her to have gone from a highly sought-after free agent to the WWE equivalent of an earthworm fell short of everyone’s expectations. Thankfully, she’s parted from James, hopefully leaving both in a better place in the future.
There’s no defense of this malpractice, period, as the trajectory of talents largely rests upon the booking and the creative. She’s done her job, as best she could with the limitations imposed upon her. Fortunately for her, it seems she might have some light at the end of the tunnel if her babyface turn sees a significant push.
