The world of professional wrestling right now is in perhaps the greatest transition it has ever witnessed, with Vince McMahon stepping down from his positions of the CEO, Chairman, and Head of Creative of the company amidst scandal, with him handing over his duties to the new regime, the trio of Stephanie McMahon, Nick Khan, and Paul Levesque.
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However, one major news item that got pushed behind due to Vince's sudden retirement was Andrew Zarian reporting that Monday Night Raw might soon revert to being rated TV-14, with Peacock even rating SummerSlam as TV-14 at one point before the show. There is no denying that WWE's greatest moments happened before the birth of the PG Era, and that many stars will benefit greatly once the company goes back to it. With that, let's take a look at the wrestlers who will be suited more to a TV-14 environment the most, and hence will benefit greatly.
9 Gunther
The former WALTER is having a pretty strong showing on the main roster so far with him taking no time to win the Intercontinental Championship. However, those who have followed his career on the indies and even NXT UK will acknowledge how the absolute violent nature of his have been missing on WWE television, with his presentation not looking as threatening as it should.
A major reason for this can be Gunther having to cut his promos due to the PG-13 rating, and him also not trying to have violence in his matches. If Raw goes TV-14, fans will be in a treat when Gunther chops his opponents into having bloody red chests.
8 Randy Orton
While there is nothing left for the 14-time World Champion to achieve, the end of WWE television being a PG rated program can help Orton greatly.
Without heavy restrictions, Orton can perhaps go back to his mean streak from his days as the "Legend Killer", and can even start using his famous Punt-Kick move once again full-time. Most importantly, this will also Orton to dive into the personality he shows online and in interviews, with him seeming like the legend who is as brutal with his words as he is with his moves.
7 Riddle
Speaking of Randy Orton, it will be his own tag partner who will be the one benefiting as well from the lack of filtration on WWE's part. While the comedic dimension of his character has been well presented on the main roster, it is obvious that his serious side lacks depth.
In a TV-14 environment, Riddle will be able to swear in his promos which will add much needed fire in his heated rivalries, just like he did in promotions like Evolve and Progress.
6 Kevin Owens
Back in his days in Ring of Honor, the then Kevin Steen was by far one of the biggest stars due to his unparalleled mic skills and charisma, and the fact that his promos had a genuine feel of realism.
However, on the WWE main roster, while having a generally successful run, Owens has yet to reach his true potential and that is partly because of him having to abide to the policies of the TV networks. Perhaps a change in decision by the USA Network will light that fire in Owens once again and take him away from the role of a mid-card comedy act.
5 Mandy Rose (And Toxic Attraction)
Mandy Rose has done a great job in the last year in totally re-inventing a career. She, through her character work, made the absolute best out of the TV-14 rating at NXT 2.0 and hence has been on the top of the division alongside her faction mates of the Toxic Attraction.
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However, her run in the developmental has run its course, and it's time for her to show up on the main roster once again. Whenever Raw goes TV-14, Mandy debuting on the first show under the new rating will be stroke of genius, as her character will not be able to fully breathe in a PG oriented television show.
4 Ciampa
With Triple H now the head of creative, it will be a surprise if Ciampa does not win a championship in the next 12 months, considering his natural talent and him being one of Hunter's favorite stars due to their time together at NXT.
Ciampa's best work to this day has been his mega-heel run in NXT back in 2017-2018, something he might be able to top on Raw under Triple H's guidance and lack of TV-PG restrictions.
3 Becky Lynch
The kickoff match at SummerSlam 2022 saw Bianca Belair successfully retain her Raw Women's Championship against Becky Lynch in what was the final chapter in their year-long rivalry. The post-match turn of events saw Becky Lynch turning face again, however it was later revealed that she will be missing time from action due to a shoulder injury.
When Becky returns, there is zero doubt that the fans will see the return of "The Man" character, which is perhaps one of the best babyface characters produced by WWE since Stone Cold Steve Austin. In a TV-14 environment, Becky will be able to surpass any expectations fans might have due to her previous tremendous run from 2018 till 2020.
2 Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar has been among the few stars who have been able to swear on WWE TV regardless of the rules imposed by the TV Networks, and that has given the WWE Universe some of his best moments on the mic. While Raw going TV-14 will surely ease out Brock more with promos, the real help he will get will be in his matches.
Since his return from the UFC in 2012, some of Lesnar's finest matches have been where blood was allowed, such as his encounter with Cena in 2012, Roman Reigns at Mania 31, and Randy Orton in 2016. Hence, there is zero doubt at the carnage the beast will create if the executives have indeed changed their minds.
1 Cody Rhodes
At WrestleMania 38, Cody Rhodes became the first major AEW star to jump ship to the competition. While Cody has been fantastic in both his promo and in-ring work, it is no secret that grandson of a plumber loves to bleed in his matches just like his father. As shown by his matches in AEW, Cody Rhodes has proven that he knows how to make the best use out of bleeding, and he surely can do that again in WWE.
