WWE: Five grossly underutilized talents on the roster

Akira Tozawa

Do you remember that Akira Tozawa used to be a cruiserweight champion? He only held the belt for six days, but it was a blast of fresh air to spark some interest in the division. But what has happened since then? Tozawa may have been a part of the 2019 draft, but his usage since then has been subpar at best.

At first glance, Tozawa’s size may be the biggest detraction against him. He’s billed at 5’7” and weighs in at 156 pounds, that’s certainly well below what the WWE usually deems adequate in building up a star. But even within the cruiserweight division, Tozawa is a missing person when he should always be a top name within that division. Three months into 2020 he’s had only five matches in the WWE ring, winning one against Eric Young back in February.

What could be done with Tozawa? Perhaps booking him on NXT UK as a viable threat to Jordan Devlin. Pairing him in a tag team at a time when the entire WWE tag team division is stagnant at best. There’s opportunity to use Tozawa in several ways as he has the range to play the heel, to the face to the comedy act and everything in between. Tozawa is a talented competitor that has shared the ring with the likes of Shingo, Marty Scrull, and The Young Bucks. Yet, the WWE can’t seem to find a way to keep him active when the opportunity presents itself.