2023 has been an up and down year for WWE, though for the most part it must be said that it has been an improvement over some of the last few years especially. With thrilling storylines, strong matches, and a spree of top quality premium live events, there is a lot to love about WWE this year.

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However, not everything has been perfect. Triple H and WWE have had a few projects they’ve tried to push, though not every wrestler they have tried with has hit the marks. Whether it be lackluster performances or horrendous booking, WWE have failed (and sometimes even just given up) on some wrestlers in 2023.

10 Bray Wyatt

Going into 2023, fans still had some minor hope for Bray Wyatt as a draw and a star, but the debacle that was his Mountain Dew Pitch Black Match with LA Knight at the Royal Rumble 2023 PPV, his stock dropped drastically.

Wyatt’s storyline with Uncle Howdy was awful in the end, with it losing direction quickly. WWE completely dropped the ball with someone who was red hot upon his return to the company, and in 2023 he can be described as nothing more than a failed project.

9 Lacey Evans

WWE has tried a few times with Lacey Evans in 2023, giving her the whole “Cobra Clutch” gimmick. However, nothing has stuck and she has failed to find any sort of momentum.

A couple years ago Evans was on the periphery of stardom in WWE, but in 2023 she is a failed project. She is now lost in the shuffle on WWE’s women’s division, and her time in the company feels like it may be on borrowed time.

8 Matt Riddle

Towards the end of 2022, Matt Riddle was on a roll on the back of feuds with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. However, violating WWE’s wellness policy led to him being off TV at the start of 2023 and missing WrestleMania.

Since his return, it is clear that WWE isn’t giving him the same sort of focus or push. In fact, Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio stated that due to his personal issues outside the ring, WWE are hesitant to make him a star.

7 Finn Balor

Finn Balor has put in some very good work this year, but WWE’s lack of commitment to making him a world champion only confirms what fans have known for years - WWE hasn’t seen him as world title material for a very long time.

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Even though the Judgment Day faction is on fire, Balor has remained as the most uninteresting member of the group and the one who feels the most expendable, and this failure in 2023 is all down to WWE’s booking of him. A loss at WrestleMania to Edge certainly didn’t help, and back-to-back-to-back losses against Seth Rollins put the nail in the coffin.

6 Karrion Kross

Karrion Kross was already on a decline in 2022, but in 2023 it has reached new levels. A never-ending feud with AJ Styles has dominated much of this year, and it has only seen his reactions get more and more quiet.

It is hard to understand what Triple H was trying with Kross, as he was back to cutting overly spooky promos much like his previous run, and it didn’t get over on either occasion. He currently feels dead in the water in terms of momentum.

5 Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre’s momentum and popularity is running thin as a babyface. Even after his return at Money in the Bank, he has settled into the same character and gimmick.

For someone who was once the face of Monday Night Raw, it is clear that in 2023 WWE don’t see him as someone who can break back into the main event, which is a shame given that he is insanely talented. This year has been a failure overall for McIntyre.

4 Ronda Rousey

When looking at how Ronda Rousey’s 2023 has gone down, it is hard to imagine that she was once the biggest female sportstar on the planet and one of the UFC’s biggest ever draws.

Her handling within her second WWE stint has been atrocious, with WWE not really protecting her much and allowing her misgivings to show. Rousey’s farewell seemed to come at SummerSlam, but due to her poor booking, Shayna Baszler’s victory didn’t even feel significant.

3 Omos

Omos has a superhuman size and is actually not too bad in the ring for a man of his stature, but he just hasn’t connected to WWE fans despite WWE’s best efforts in 2023.

He has been handed two major spots this year - once against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 39, and then at the following PPV against Seth Rollins. Even with some good showings, he hasn’t been a constant presence on TV and fans just don’t seem to care all that much for him. His push has certainly failed this year.

2 Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens

To say Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens are “failed projects” could feel like a stretch, but when you compare their booking mid-way through the year compared to what it was like pre-WrestleMania, it is night and day.

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WWE had two red-hot competitors who were getting major pops, but now they are lost in the shuffle on Raw, with no in-depth stories, with it feeling like their Undisputed Tag Team Championship reign has lost all its momentum. The pair both suffering injuries has not helped matters at all. They may not be as far down as some others mentioned here, but they have fallen a great deal.

1 Austin Theory

Austin Theory is one of the longest-reigning WWE United States Champions ever, he has been given big wins against the likes of Edge and Sheamus, he has been given ample promo time, and even scored a victory over John Cena at WrestleMania 39.

Somehow, even after all that, Theory has less momentum than he started the year with. Like John Cena said on the NotSam podcast with Sam Roberts, Theory doesn’t seem to believe what he’s doing, so no one else will. This has rung true all throughout 2023.