Ten Wrestlers Who Could Use A Refresh

 

Happy New Year folks, just like that we are in 2024. Ready to crush goals and conquer fears, and continue on whatever makes you happy in life. A new year usually brings a refresh upon many people, whether it's trying something new. Shedding old habits, or stepping out of your comfort zone.

Since the beginning of the year is about starting over. I started thinking about some wrestlers who could probably use a refresh to their persona. I'm omitting TNA wrestlers from this list since they are essentially doing a "soft" relaunch and likely will be adjusting personas as part of that effort.

With that here are ten wrestlers who are due for a refresh of some sort.

10. Nikkita Lyons

To the average fan Nikkita Lyons is a attractive lady with a big butt and some moves. To smark fans she is a very polarizing figure, some people hate her because of her looks, and her apparent culture appropriation, and her alluded to political beliefs. Others like her because of her looks and see potential.

There is no doubt she is a attractive woman with a very attractive body. In-ring however she still leaves a lot to be desired. She has a solid martial arts background which influences her in ring style. But she still has sloppy moments and her promos are just cringeeeeeee.

9. Cedric Alexander 

Cedric Alexander is one of those very talented guys who knows what his job is. Not necessarily saying he is content and doesn't want more, but does what is asked of him and collects his check. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I think he could be more.

He is very athletic and exciting in the ring and during his time in The Hurt Business showed he can handle big pressure ssituations. I think because he isn't a great talker, he needs a manager to talk for him and generate that fan connection a little stronger. Unfortunately in today's WWE other than Paul Heyman, managers just aren't there.

Maybe he could go back on assignment in NXT and find a character persona that works for him. Right now he has so much potential being wasted.

8. Dexter Lumis

Dexter Lumis is a great character wrestler, the man behind the gimmick Sam Shaw. Has perfected the nuances and idiosyncrasies of his character. The problem is for the most part the character is very one dimensional.

Inspired by the likes of Michael Myers and Patrick Bateman, his mannerisms and mind games will creep you out, but past that nothing. He had his marriage with Indi Hartwell in NXT, which WWE has started and stopped a few times on the main roster.

Right now it's rumored he hasn't been on TV, because creative has nothing for him. Which would be a fine time to tweak his presentation a bit and bring about a new angle.

7.Wendy Choo

This is another one dimensional angle on a very talented member of the roster. Wendy Choo is a talented wrestler saddled with a gimmick of someone who is always tired. So tired in fact she's liable to take a nap during mid-match.

Credit to Wendy who has given it her all. The gimmick just doesn't have much longevity and her career is being wasted. If memory serves me she is still rehabbing an injury, or at least I don't recall seeing her since she was "attacked" in NXT's parking lot last summer. Let's hope the time away brings forth a new persona for Wendy Choo.

6. Keith Lee

Keith Lee is right now an enigma in wrestling, by that I mean no one including fans, wrestling promoters, analysts really know what to do with him or how he should be presented. I wonder if Keith really knows.

A big guy who is very agile for his size. Many thought he was perfect Main Event material when he got called up to the WWE main roster. Instead he gets lost in the shuffle until he is released in 2021. Then he joins AEW, other than his program with Swerve and later Shane. He's really just been there.

He could benefit from a refresh of sorts. I know he has had some health issues since contracting covid a couple years ago. So to help him, team him up with Rusev to dominate the tag division and share workload. Put Stokley Hathaway by his side to be the heat generating mouthpiece and make him a heel. Do something other than have him just there.

5. Nyla Rose

Ever since Vickie Guerrero left AEW, Nyla Rose has been all alone in nowhere land. Which is quite a shame as AEW relied on her quite a bit during the first couple years of the company's history.

She should be a destroyer of the women's division, bulldozing her way through the roster. Essentially playing a bully role for the women's division, a final boss type villian for a rising star. Maybe pair her up with a returning Britt Baker and be her muscle, until it's time for the two to seperate. She deserves more right now.

4.Viking Raiders

I'm not sure how out of touch WWE brass are with these two, or they just don't care. However it's clear the Viking Raiders presentation just isn't working. I don't know if it's because no one at this time cares about vikings or they just don't care about the team.

I do know Erik and Ivar are two very athletic big men who deserve a bit more. At the same I'm not sure how they could be repackaged, so I'm sure WWE is in the same boat. Which is why they're still modern day vikings wrestling.

 If they start cracking jokes no one will take them seriously, if they start dressing up in suits everyone will quickly see through that and how fake it is. Hopefully with Erik being out, some wheels are turning on how to bring their act into the 2020's.

3. Penta El Zero

I am a Penta El Zero mark, in fact I am a Lucha Bros. mark. Penta and Fenix are two exciting wrestlers to watch, especially for someone like me who enjoys the fast paced acrobatic style of lucha or lucha inspired wrestling like myself.

As much as I am a fan, Penta has not changed since AEW started five years ago. In fact his persona has been the same from when he was in Impact. They slapped Alex Abrahantes with him, but he is nothing more than a hype man.

They should let Alex do more talking for Penta. Start producing vignettes on the persona of Penta El Zero, ciero miedo and more of Pentas goals. Have him develop a more vicious streak and go after some singles championships.

2. Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho is a guy who if you make a list of top ten wrestlers who always reinvented themselves, he's top two and he's not number two. He's been able to sustain a long relevant career by always switching up his act. From Lionheart to the savior of WCW's cruiserweight division. Y2J, his save us gimmick, his great 2008 heel run, best friends, painmaker run and everything in between. 

Lately it seems like he's run out of ideas. He is fixated on this rock star character and leading a faction. Which I get at his age, he can spilt time in the ring, or have his "goons" wrestle most matches while he saves himself for big matches. I get it, but it's time for a change.

Deviate from the rock star persona and come up with something else. Tap into your social media persona, and become a get off my lawn older wrestler. Always complaining about the current generation of wrestlers. That would draw a lot of heat.

I don't know maybe do a satire of an older wrestler that just keeps finding a way to stick around. He honestly has enough of a sense of humor and wit to make that work. Take an Apollo Creed type route, becoming a trainer first wrestler second. Help a promising wrestler reach the top, only to brutally attack them for another shot at being AEW world champion.

Opportunity is there, let's hope Jericho and AEW know, fans wouldn't mind a new version of him.

1. The Miz

Ah The Miz, a guy who is an underrated worker in my book. He's flashy but he's a steady hand. His persona can use a touch up at this point. He's been doing the Hollywood A-lister gimmick for a decade now if not a bit more. He has appeared on TV more frequently but an actual film role he has not been in since 2020.

Right now he's playing the face role and thats not the right fit. He excels in a heel role when he is a annoying abrasive asshole. Now the question becomes, what do you do with him to give him an updated act? He's done just about everything you can think of over his career, but he still has more to offer. Like I suggested for Jericho, does he become a disillusioned veteran? Calling back to his days from the Real World when people thought he was a joke?

Should a NXT recruit become his muscle and they become a tag team? Maybe join with Johnny Gargano and Candice Larae and make a WWE version of OVE. Maybe he just stays the same ol Miz but do away with the jacket and headband for his entrances. Or get a new entrance song.

I can't quite put my finger on what kind of refresh he needs. He is a reliable good representation veteran for the company for outside endeavors. He may be left alone from that aspect. But I feel like he is one wrestler who probably needs it the most.