5 Hidden Gems of the WWE and AEW Rosters
5 Hidden Gems of the WWE and AEW Rosters0 of 5
Credit: WWE.com
Pro wrestling is brimming with hidden gems and underexposed talent, no more so than in WWE and AEW, where stars fight for television exposure every week.
They are oftentimes talented, have more to offer than just their in-ring abilities, or have sat on the sidelines for too long, too consistently.
They have shined when given the opportunity, or have built careers on excelling in big-match situations, but have not been able to convince the higher-ups that they belong in key roles to this point with their respective companies.
Who are some of those stars, with a penchant for impressing in roles far more limited than they should be?
Find out with this look at some of pro wrestling’s greatest hidden gems.
Cedric Alexander1 of 5
Cedric Alexander wowed fans with his performance in the Cruiserweight Classic back in 2016 and their demands that the WWE sign him were answered.
Since then, he has been a central figure in the cruiserweight division, and part of the acclaimed Hurt Business faction during the pandemic era, but has gone largely underutilized otherwise.
An uber-athletic competitor who combines aerial offense and speed with a technical arsenal, Alexander’s growth has only been stunted by a lack of consistent opportunity, in terms of on-screen presence and promo time.
That is why Alexander remains a hidden gem on one of the most expansive rosters in professional wrestling despite eight years with the company.
It is a status that can change with any genuine, well-intentioned push, in which he would have the opportunity to reacquaint himself with the WWE Universe and remind it of his undeniable talent.
Lee Moriarty 2 of 5
On a roster full of celebrated in-ring performers, Lee Moriarity may be the most pure, technically sound wrestler in AEW.
That is saying a ton considering that roster includes the likes of Bryan Danielson and Roderick Strong, among others.
The master of Taiga Style has appeared on television and mixed it up with some of the most recognizable stars on the planet. He has shared the ring with Danielson, Jon Moxley, and MJF, but has not yet been able to establish his own star in the company.
A member of Shane Taylor Promotions, he also appears for AEW’s sister company, Ring of Honor.
Despite being on television and having a solid fan base across social media, Moriarty remains a hidden gem; a star of the future stuck in the logjam of performers who are all too infrequently utilized across AEW’s three cable television properties.
At some point, that will change or Moriarty could look elsewhere for more consistent opportunities to prove himself as among the best in the business.
Creed Brothers3 of 5
It was not all that long ago that Julius and Brutus Creed looked like a sure thing coming out of NXT. The modern equivalent to the Steiner Brothers, with a willingness to take the occasional risk, they wowed fans in the developmental brand while establishing themselves as championship contenders.
Unfortunately, that has yet to translate to the main roster.
They have had impressive performances to this point, but have not yet established themselves among the best tag teams or a consistent threat to win consistently, let alone the biggest matches on Raw or SmackDown.
That appears to be changing, with backstage interactions with Chad Gable hinting at something significant for the siblings shortly.
Still, until that is fully realized, it is impossible not to look at the Creeds and everything they are physically able to do between the ropes and not recognize them as hidden gems.
Hopefully, those gems are uncovered and displayed for the world to see soon.
Matt Taven and Mike Bennett4 of 5
How Matt Taven and Mike Bennett appear on AEW television and are the reigning Ring of Honor world tag team champions but are still largely hidden gems is a question better left for Tony Khan to answer.
The duo, one half of Undisputed Kingdom alongside Roderick Strong and Adam Cole, are one of the company’s best tag teams and capable of so much more than being relegated to the role of lackeys for the former.
Yet that is the position they find themselves in.
A veteran team with great in-ring chemistry and huge personality, they should be routinely mixing it up with The Young Bucks, FTR, The Acclaimed, and the Gunns, not taking bumps as glorified heaters.
Until that changes and the team is elevated to the position they earned long ago, they will remain one of the more disappointing acts on the show, through no fault of their own, and one of the most frustrating on the entire roster.
Pretty Deadly5 of 5
Speaking of tag teams with enormous personalities…
Pretty Deadly arrived on the main roster from NXT and immediately proved themselves as one of the most talented tandems on the roster. Not only could they hang with talent such as Sheamus, Pete Dunne, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens, but they could capture the attention of the WWE Universe with their over-the-topic antics and humorous promos.
Despite a hot arrival that put them on TV every week, and some well-produced vignettes that continued to get their faces in front of the audience, Kit Wilson and Elton Prince have seen their status fall off considerably since.
The team has not enjoyed the prominence that they did before and they have not wrestled on television since the March 29 episode of SmackDown.
Why they have been de-emphasized remains a mystery but when they are allowed to shine, they take the proverbial ball and run with it.
Hopefully, for their sake, that opportunity presents itself again because they are far too talented in more than one way to be wasted when the tag team division in WWE is already anything but stacked with legitimate teams.
