--- title: "Every WWE Star Not On WrestleMania 38 Ranked From Least Shocking To Most Shocking" canonical: "https://wrestletalk.com/features/every-wwe-star-not-wrestlemania-38-ranked-least-shocking-most-shocking/" type: "post" language: "en-US" author: "Liam" section: "Features" published: "2022-03-25T14:39:42Z" modified: "2022-03-25T14:39:42Z" --- # Every WWE Star Not On WrestleMania 38 Ranked From Least Shocking To Most Shocking WrestleMania season is upon us and in just under a week, we in the UK will be getting ready to say goodbye to our sleep schedules and will be preparing to stay up until 5am on consecutive nights, all in the name of watching shows we’ll probably moan about afterwards. How fun! What’s not fun, I would imagine, is being a main roster ‘WWE Superstar’ and not being on the card for the biggest show of the year, and unfortunately, that’s the case for 26 people this year, and we’re going to rank them from the least shocking to the most shocking. Excluded from this list are Seth Rollins vs Cody Rhodes, Finn Balor vs Damian Priest, and Omos vs Bobby Lashley, because those matches are all planned, they just haven’t been announced yet. One other match that was planned until a couple of weeks ago was the three members of New Day vs Sheamus, Ridge Holland & Butch, but obviously because of Big E’s broken neck, that won’t be happening any more. I’m not going to include the remaining members of that match that don’t have broken necks on this list either, because I’d think they could just recalibrate the match into either a regular tag match with one of the British blokes on the outside, a two-on-three handicap would work fine, or find someone to team with New Day and make it a six-man tag. Lacey Evans also isn’t on this list because she gave birth a few months ago and we don’t know if she’s ready to come back yet. Right let’s get on with it, here are all 26 people who currently have no direction for WrestleMania ranked from the least shocking to the most shocking. ## 26. MACE ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/mace-march-25-a.png) Yeah, he still exists. I think. But he hasn’t been on WWE TV since November when he was in a battle royal on SmackDown. It’s a weird one because physically, he’s a big guy and he has a unique look, and going by social media he’s someone who would have a great personality if given the chance to show it. But WWE has just kept him hidden away. Maybe it’s so we forget about the fact he was such a geek in RETRIBUTION so when he returns he can be built up as a believable threat. Or maybe WWE has actually just forgotten about him. Probably that. ## 25. R-Truth ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/r-truth-october-19-a.jpg) We haven’t seen R-Truth much at all recently. Even the 24/7 scene has been without him for the most part, hence why he’s so low down on this list and we’ll get to the other bunch in a bit. We all know Truth is usually great at whatever he does, it’s just that he doesn’t do much these days, and he was never really gonna make the biggest show of the year if we’re being honest. ## 24. T-BAR ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/t-bar-march-25-a.png) Hey look, it’s MACE’s friend. T-BAR is a bit higher up because he did have a couple of outings on Raw against Damian Priest fairly recently, and is on Main Event pretty much every single week. Another guy who would be useful if they let him. ## 23. Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/cedric-alexander-shelton-benjamin-hurt-business-october-21-b.jpg) Speaking of people who would be useful if they let them. They still show up on Raw every couple of weeks, but the problem is, they always lose. If they were still aligned with Bobby Lashley all would be fine, but instead, for literally not one reason whatsoever, WWE decided to split the Hurt Business group up. And then put them back together again. And then split them again. And then put them back together again. And then split them again. Okay you get the point. ## 22. Xia Li ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Xia-Li-January-22.jpg) WWE built up Xia Li arriving on SmackDown as a big deal, with vignettes for weeks, and then a pretty spectacular entrance when she did arrive. But since then, her appearances have been inconsistent and she’s only had one match. WWE does this so often. It’s no longer surprising, but doesn’t get any less frustrating. ## 21. Drew Gulak ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Drew-Gulak-nm.jpg) You’re probably wondering why Gulak is so high on this list. It’s actually because of WWE 2K22, for which Gulak is the guy on the tutorial screens and practice matches when you first boot up the game. WWE has been pushing 2K22 really hard, and I wouldn’t have ruled out the possibility of WWE getting Gulak some TV time so, you know, people actually remembered who he is when he tells them what buttons to press to win matches in the video game. But, they didn’t. ## 20. Shotzi ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/shotzi-february-6-a.jpg) Shotzi has a lot potential, and when she first burst onto the scene on SmackDown, it looked like maybe WWE realised that. She had competitive matches with Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks, and was even on the Survivor Series team, but since then, she’s vanished. There’s not really much else to say. Just another name to add to the list of talented and marketable people WWE can’t figure out what to do with. ## 19. Dana Brooke, Reggie, Akira Tozawa & Tamina ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/reggie-dana-brooke-akira-tozawa-tamina-march-22-a.png) Yes, I know they’re the 24/7 mob and no-one really cares about them, but they’re a regular part of Raw and have been becoming more and more prominent recently. There could have been a case for doing a mixed tag at Mania, but evidently WWE has decided to keep the silliness to Monday nights. Perhaps they’ll be some backstage shenanigans or something. ## 18. Jinder Mahal w/Shanky ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Jinder-Mahal-Shanky-March-5.jpg) Jinder Mahal as WWE Champion sure was a fun time. But that was five whole years ago, and nowadays, he’s back to being nothing more than someone who, on the rare occasion he appears, loses in about a minute. But still, he was WWE Champion only a couple of years ago (actually five, but it feels like less than that), so that’s why he’s a bit higher on the list than you may have expected based on current presentation. ## 17. Apollo Crews w/Commander Azeez ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/commander-azeez-apollo-crews-december-29-a.jpg) There was a little while that Apollo Crews was actually a credible name, and had reigns with the US Title and the IC Title, even winning the latter from Big E just a year ago. Nowadays though, he’s fallen back down the pecking order, and just this past Monday, he and Azeez were both mauled by Omos. WWE strikes again. ## 16. Aliyah ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/aliyah-february-6-b.jpg) Aliyah actually did pretty well for a little while, picking up win after win after win over Natalya, and she’s a very likeable babyface. But as you may have noticed becoming a theme on this list, WWE just couldn’t continue the momentum, and now she’s just another background player in the women’s division again. Natalya’s on WrestleMania and Aliyah isn’t, which pretty much sums up the issue here. ## 15. Robert Roode ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/robert-roode-february-23-a.png) Robert Roode *should* be higher on this list, but it’s representative of WWE’s use of him that he isn’t. Roode is a great worker, looks great, is good on the mic, he pretty much has everything, except WWE just keeps him and Ziggler as that team that might win a match one week, but then they’ll lose their next four in a row, and that cycle continues. We’ll get to Ziggler later on, but yeah Roode could easily be a WrestleMania-match-level guy if they wanted him to be. But apparently, they don’t. ## 14. Nikki ASH ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Nikki-ASH-February-19.jpg) Nikki ASH has had a pretty terrible time this year, but she’s still been a pretty prominent member of the Raw women’s division. The team with Rhea Ripley should never have existed in the first place, but it was always clear that Rhea was going to be the one to break out on her own afterwards. Or, you know, she could just find a different makeshift tag partner. At least she’s on WrestleMania, unlike Nikki. ## 13. Doudrop ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/doudrop-february-6-b.jpg) It would have been really nice if Doudrop had a spot on WrestleMania. Her work is always great, but she’s just not quite been booked on top yet, losing repeatedly to Bianca Belair especially. Doudrop always has great matches, but she also always loses them. ## 12. Viking Raiders ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ivar-erik-viking-raiders-february-20-a.jpg) The Viking Raiders’ time in WWE has been weird. They’re always there or thereabouts, they always put in good work and have good enough matches, but they just don’t seem like a really big deal. Maybe it’s because of the silly helmets and facepaint, maybe it’s because we still haven’t forgotten WWE tried calling them the Viking Experience. Whatever it is, they could certainly have a WrestleMania quality match if called upon, but it probably wouldn’t *feel* like a big match. ## 11. Los Lotharios ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/angel-humberto-los-lotharios-february-14-a.jpg) Remember when Los Lotharios beat New Day? And then New Day beat them the following week and the Lotharios haven’t recovered since? There’s clearly something there with these two. WWE has given them a cool name, the cool unique presentation with the kiss cam, and a win over New Day. But again, they just couldn’t keep the momentum going and they pretty much feel like jobbers again. They’re too talented and have too much potential for that. ## 10. Mustafa Ali ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/mustafa-ali-october-21-b.jpg) Now obviously, considering what’s going on between Ali and WWE, him not being on WrestleMania isn’t surprising at all. However, this is more to point out that the situation as a whole is so surprising. How do you have someone as good as Mustafa Ali just sitting at home because he didn’t like your idea and probably had about 836 better ones? He was on track to challenge for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania three years ago. Silly WWE. ## 9. Veer Mahaan ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/veer-mahaan-november-2-a.jpg) Veer Mahaan has been coming for a long time now, and on April 4, the Raw after WrestleMania he will finally come. Unfortunately, we won’t get to see him come at WrestleMania. It probably wouldn’t have been a bad idea to build him up his coming all this time and have him come at the biggest show of the year, but instead we’ll just have to wait. By all accounts he’s not bad in the ring, and the guy even had a Disney movie made about his baseball career, yet, for whatever reason, he hasn’t been able to stop coming until now. Perhaps he’ll get to come at WrestleMania next year instead. ## 8. Elias ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/elias-july-6-a.jpg) Considering it’s been so long since we saw him it’s not surprising he’s not on WrestleMania, but kinda like Mustafa Ali, the very fact we haven’t seen him much is shocking in itself. Elias has had notable segments with many, many WWE legends, including John Cena and the Undertaker. Yet for some reason, WWE decided to bury him in favor of putting over Jaxson Ryker, who they then released, and Elias hasn’t been seen since. Baffling. ## 7. Mansoor ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/mansoor-october-19-b.jpg) Mansoor was being used pretty consitently on SmackDown until recently, but for the past few weeks, he’s nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t even at the latest Saudi show last month, which is the first time he’s missed one. And the Saudi thing really is why he’s so high on this list. You’d think the Saudi king bloke would want their guy to be on the biggest show of the year, and honestly, Mansoor seems to be a popular enough guy to do it with and it not be blatantly obvious. But yeah, he’s just not in their plans right now I guess. ## 6. Sonya Deville ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/sonya-deville-december-12-a.jpg) Sonya Deville has done great in her authority figure role, but people forget she’s capable of some really good matches too. The only reason I can think of that they didn’t save Naomi vs Sonya for WrestleMania is because they couldn’t figure out who else to put Sasha Banks with in the tag title match other than Naomi. Or they’re just morons. Still, it wouldn’t have been hard to have Sonya Deville screw over one of the other women and have that lead to a match. ## 5. Dolph Ziggler ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Dolph-Ziggler-Robert-Roode-NXT-March-9.jpg) Well, not many people would have expected him to be NXT Champion right now. Ziggler remains one of those guys that could always be called upon to do pretty much anything. A big match, a comedy match, a main event, be on Main Event, whatever they want him to do, he’d do it well. Even at this point, after all these years, it’s surprising that WWE hasn’t found something for him to do at WrestleMania. Yes, he’ll be at Stand & Deliver instead, but still. They easily could have done Ziggler vs Breakker at Stand & Deliver, and then something to follow up at WrestleMania. A three-way with Ciampa, a four-way with Ciampa and Roode, just a straight rematch. It would get more eyes on NXT and the potential of Breakker too. ## 4. Asuka ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/asuka-april-1-a.jpg) It’s been said that Asuka is cleared from her arm injury and is simply waiting to be written back onto TV, hence why she’s on the list and so high. If that’s not true, and she’s still not cleared, then I guess you’ll just have to pretend she’s not here. But if it IS true, and has been true for the little while since it was reported, then she’s definitely a surprising omission from the card. Asuka was one of the MVPs of the pandemic era, and is always a name WWE can count on for a pretty big women’s match. Asuka vs Sonya would even work. You could tie in the fact that she’s been cleared for a little while and not brought back to TV, and have Sonya be the one to blame for that. And then you’ve got yourself a pretty nice match. Boom, I’m a genius. ## 3. Bayley ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/bayley-may-17-a.jpg) So this one is the same as Asuka – if she’s cleared and just not been brought back yet, then her entry on this list counts, and if she’s not cleared, it doesn’t. Bayley’s slightly higher than Asuka because she is a somewhat bigger name, and generally it seems like WWE management thinks higher of Bayley than it does of Asuka. It was even reported that WWE had considered doing a Four Horsewomen four-way before Ronda Rousey returned, which Bayley would of course have been a part of. But instead, we’re just gonna have to wait a little longer, and it’ll be two years in a row without a Bayley match. ## 2. Alexa Bliss ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/alexa-bliss-september-21-a.jpg) When it comes to Alexa Bliss, all my questions begin with the same word – Why. Why did she return only to disappear again? Why did she have those therapy sessions if she came out of them exactly the same? Why are we still getting this Alexa Bliss and not the, you know, good Alexa Bliss from 2017-2018? And also, why is she not on WrestleMania? Alexa always puts her all into everything she’s told to do, it’s just that for the past year, what she’s been told to do, has been terrible. If she had something good to do, like being an actual normal functioning human with a vendetta against someone else, there’s no reason why you couldn’t do an Alexa Bliss singles match at WrestleMania. She has the star power to be able to do that. But, WWE has fell so far down this rabbit hole of Fiend-lite with her, and seemingly can’t find its way out. ## 1. Ricochet ![](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Ricochet-Intercontinental-Championship-March-12.jpg) We’re two weeks away from WrestleMania, and there has not been one single solitary hint at what the Intercontinental Champion could be doing on the show. It seemed like Sami Zayn vs Johnny Knoxville may have been for the title, and maybe it’s for the best that it isn’t, but maybe it would have been better than it not being on the show at all. Here’s my genius pitch for what should happen with Ricochet. He replaces Big E for the night, and they do Ricochet, Kofi and Woods vs Sheamus, Ridge and Butch. The following SmackDown, Sheamus beats Ricochet for the IC Title to win his grand slam. Because in terms of who could challenge him for the title at Mania, unless it’s Sheamus himself, the next-down person on the list would be who? Jinder Mahal? That doesn’t sound very appealing to me.