Ever since the WWE Draft last summer, SmackDown Live has been regarded as the land of opportunity. It’s been the brand for underutilized WWE Superstars to change their fate and become top performers on WWE programming. For instance, Alexa Bliss, The Miz, and AJ Styles all capitalized on their opportunities. Luke Harper did the same, but his momentum was wasted by WWE officials on “The Road to WrestleMania 33 .”
The WWE Universe was disappointed to see Luke Harper’s momentum wasted. He was on the cusp of the main event mere weeks before WrestleMania , but he’s barely on television right now. The opportunity may have been wasted, but that doesn’t mean people haven’t noticed. SmackDown Live’s GM, Daniel Bryan, took notice as well. During an interview with Fox Sports , he had the following to say regarding Luke Harper.
“I think that he’s somebody that we can utilize better. When he left the Wyatt Family, I thought the fans were really starting to get behind him — and his match with Randy Orton, gosh, I loved his match with Randy Orton. Every time you see him, he’s dynamic. The crowd gets behind him, and then you just kind of lose him on TV to where we don’t really see him much. I think we’re really losing out on that. I think that specifically about Luke Harper, I’m a big Luke Harper proponent.”
Daniel Bryan has a lot on his mind about WWE’s booking and the way they are presenting their Superstars on Raw and SmackDown Live . More specifically, he’s taken note of the way Luke Harper has been utilized on WWE programming and feels that he has a lot more to contribute as a talent. Based on the momentum Luke Harper had created heading into WrestleMania 33 , there is no doubting that Harper has a lot more to give.
On SmackDown Live this week, Harper put over Jinder Mahal in a solid match in the main event. That bout is unlikely to lead to anything bigger, but it showcases the talent that he has in the ring. Luke Harper is still establishing himself as a babyface. However, he’s going to need television time and a real rivalry to get over with the WWE Universe. There is only so far he can go without time to connect with WWE fans every week.
The clock hasn’t struck midnight on Luke Harper’s career yet, but the WWE Universe hates to see talented performers go to waste. Unfortunately, WWE’s roster is full of talented wrestlers who are underutilized. The most Luke Harper or any other performer can do is make the most of their opportunities. Hopefully, WWE officials are willing to give Luke Harper a chance the next time the WWE Universe starts to get behind him.
[Featured Image by WWE]
