5 stars WWE seems to have given up on

WWE has an amazing roster of talent at its disposal. Although the company has five hours of main roster television time between RAW and SmackDown each week, it is inevitable that some performers will get lost in the shuffle.

However, there are a few stars that WWE seems to have lost complete interest in as of late. These men (and one woman) have proven themselves to be valuable assets to the company in the past. For whatever reason, though, the WWE creative team seems to have given up on them.

It is rarely a good sign when a WWE performer disappears from television or is given a noticeably reduced role in the company. Last month's talent releases were a reminder that no superstar lasts forever in WWE.

While there is no suggestion of any of the names on this list meeting the same fate, they are each certainly not a focus for the company right now. Here are five superstars that WWE seems to have given up on.

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#5 Jeff Hardy hasn't won a WWE singles match since January

Jeff Hardy is a former three-time world champion within WWE. However, the 43-year-old couldn't be farther away from that status at present.

Hardy stepped into a WWE ring for the first time since March last week, when he took on Jinder Mahal on Main Event. Hardy lost the match decisively, which wasn't a great vote of confidence from the company on his return.

It was more of the same for Hardy on Monday's episode of RAW as well, as he lost a rematch to Mahal in much the same fashion. This second defeat in as many weeks leaves Hardy without a singles victory since he beat Jaxson Ryker by disqualification on the January 18 edition of RAW.

On the latest edition of SK Wrestling's Legion of RAW, former WWE head writer Vince Russo had some harsh words for the company over its treatment of Hardy.

"Their whole idea is, 'If Jinder Mahal beats Jeff Hardy, he's beaten somebody.' No he hasn't," argued Russo. "You haven't done anything with Jeff Hardy. What happened to Mansoor? Where's he? Where's Mansoor? Jeff Hardy right now is as over as Mansoor. You have not done anything with him. Jinder beats him and it doesn't mean anything...They think that it does but no, you killed Hardy years ago."

Hardy remains a superstar with a devoted fanbase. With a "good chunk of time" still reportedly left on his current contract, WWE could yet turn Hardy back into a major asset. For now, though, it appears the company has limited plans for the North Carolina native.

#4 Nikki Cross hasn't been on WWE RAW since February

Just 12 months ago, Nikki Cross was riding high in WWE. As one half of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions alongside Alexa Bliss, Cross frequently appeared on both RAW and SmackDown.

Cross' partnership with Bliss ended when Alexa joined up with The Fiend on WWE television, leaving the Scottish star without much direction.

Aside from a couple of defeats to Bliss in one-sided singles matches on RAW, Cross was only seen on Main Event. She worked with the likes of RECKONING, Lacey Evans, and Peyton Royce until she disappeared entirely in early February.

Cross has been vocal about her lack of opportunity in WWE over recent months on social media. She has passionately let her fans know that she wants to compete, declaring it to what she "was born to do."

Despite Cross' obvious desire to contribute, WWE hasn't invested in promoting her properly in a long time.

The 32-year-old superstar made her first WWE appearance in more than three months at last night's RAW taping. However, far from featuring on the live show, Cross' return was instead booked on Main Event - where she defeated Naomi.

Nikki Cross is an excellent in-ring performer, who can also hold her own on the microphone. Even with that strong skillset, the WWE creative team doesn't seem particularly high on her.

#3 Ricochet has struggled for TV time on WWE RAW as of late

Ricochet is one of the most talented in-ring performers currently under WWE contract. The 32-year-old American is truly incredible between the ropes and - for a time - WWE seemed keen to capitalize on his unique abilities.

Only last February, Ricochet challenged Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship in the most high-profile match of his career at Super Showdown 2020. However, Lesnar won the bout emphatically, squashing Ricochet in a little over 90 seconds.

After his quick defeat in such a big match, Ricochet fell down the card swiftly. Somewhere along the way, WWE had clearly lost faith in The One And Only.

Unfortunately, 2021 has not started well for Ricochet either. His 10 matches on Main Event so far this calendar year vastly outweigh his appearances on RAW. His bouts on Main Event are usually of great quality, but are seen by depressingly few viewers.

Ricochet is never going to be the most physically imposing superstar. However, his talent is undeniable and he is able to have a great match with almost anyone.

Currently, though, WWE doesn't seem interested in using Ricochet anywhere near his full potential.

#2 Mustafa Ali has been relegated to WWE Main Event

Throughout his entire WWE career, Mustafa Ali has struggled to consistently receive the backing of the company's creative team.

Far from getting down about the situation, though, the former RETRIBUTION leader seems to take it as a personal challenge to prove himself each and every time he is given an opportunity to wrestle.

WWE's lack of investment in Ricochet was highlighted in the previous slide, but both he and Ali have come together to turn a negative into a positive.

The pair have been engaged in a brilliant feud on Main Event in recent weeks. The fact that the show itself is clearly not one of WWE's priorities seems to matter little to either Ali or Ricochet - as they have both gone all-out to deliver a pair of top tier bouts.

So good has the action been that Ali's fellow WWE Superstars have recently started taking to social media to encourage their followers to seek out the matches.

Mustafa Ali possesses some serious talent, both in the ring as well as with his promo work. Although the company doesn't seem to have much interest in featuring him prominently at present, Ali could make some great contributions for WWE if really given a chance.

#1 WWE appears to have no plans for "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt

The creative struggles of the likes of Ricochet and Mustafa Ali in WWE are infuriating for their fans, but are at least understandable on some level. Ricochet and Ali - as talented as they are - hardly fit the mold of a typical WWE main event performer.

The same cannot be said, though, for The Fiend. A former world champion, Bray Wyatt's alter ego is one of the most unique characters in WWE history.

The Fiend could have been taken in any number of directions by the promotion's creative team. The route it ended up choosing at WrestleMania 37, however, was very underwhelming.

The Fiend was written off of television in December 2020, when Randy Orton set him on fire at the end of the TLC pay-per-view. The shocking scene led to The Fiend disappearing from WWE until he reappeared just before WrestleMania 37 in April this year.

The story really should have told itself. The Fiend, having been burned alive, would return and take revenge against Orton on WWE's grandest stage. Somehow, though, this was not the way WWE decided to go with the match.

Instead of The Fiend finally triumphing over the dastardly Orton, WWE instead booked The Viper to defeat Wyatt at WrestleMania. The finish of the match saw Alexa Bliss distract The Fiend to cost him the match. Ending the on-screen partnership of Bliss and The Fiend made no sense at the time - and WWE has done little to explain it since.

Alexa has now branched out into her own creepy character, while Bray Wyatt has only made one appearance on RAW since WrestleMania - in a Firefly Funhouse segment.

Given that The Fiend spent nearly four months away from RAW to properly sell his injuries from TLC at the hands of Orton, there is no reason why the character needed to disappear from television again so soon. Unless WWE has no plans for him.

The gimmick still has great potential, but his absence at the moment suggests WWE is at a loss with how to properly book The Fiend.