based on their look, character, etc.

Austin could bring in the rowdy hardcore crowd; a lot of them lower income white people. It definitely filled up the arenas and saved WWE but the resulting Attitude Era limited WWE's (and pro wrestling's) mainstream popularity more than it's ever did before.

Cena can attract women and kids, something that WWE really couldn't do in a major way since Hulkamania. He's got the PC look, he's willing to do any and every event WWE wants him to, and he's really smooth in interviews with the press and at charity events. Other than possibly Hulk, Cena's the best brand ambassador WWE has ever had.

Even though he was never pushed that way, Rey Mysterio was the #2 guy in WWE at one time. Those masks sell like hotcakes to kids. He's able to draw a Latino audience for the ratings and in the WWE Shop (so did Eddie Guerrero before him). And that's why he was able to become World Champion and WWE Champion even though he's only 5'3 (if that).

When you look at who can draw, and what kinds of people they can draw, you got to look at their advantages and limitations. Sure; Bryan has a strong fanbase and has been one of the best workers in the world since he was in ROH. But if all of that can't result into new money coming in for WWE, then putting him as a top guy or THE top guy won't mean any more than if he was in the mid card. Add to that he's not a big guy (I still get nightmares of how out of place and dwarfish he looked beside Rock at Raw's 1000th episode) and he doesn't have the look that WWE wants out of their guys.

The top stars WWE had proved they could bring in a new audience that was different and more lucrative than WWE had at the time. Bryan has to do the same thing. He should get that chance just like Punk and others did, but if he can't make a difference in ratings or merch, WWE will do the same thing to Bryan that they did to all the others.
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