FIGHT-ON Hardcore Pro Wrestling and Combat Sports Podcast

WWE Should Make These Men Into Stars

It’s time for WWE to elevate talent and make them into stars. John Cena vs. Randy Orton has without a doubt become more than stale… rotting would probably a better word. The company has done a decent job of elevating some young talent; most notably CM Punk who is the current World Heavyweight Champion and John Morrison who is the current Intercontinental Champion. This is hopefully the beginning of well-needed change within the industry and for fans of Pro Wrestling (or Sports Entertainment if you prefer) young and old. The following Superstars should (in my humble opinion) either be World Heavyweight (or WWE) Champion, or have at least been in major contention for the title, within one years time.

-Jack Swagger
I believe WWE already sees that this young man is money. When I first saw Swagger I wasn’t sold. But after his outstanding series of matches with Christian, I knew he was destined for superstardom. A big time feud with Triple H, Shawn Michaels or the Undertaker could catapult Swagger towards gold.

-Christian
Christian isn’t the new kid on the block by any means. He’s had multiple runs with the ECW, tag team and intercontinental championships. Not to mention the fact that he’s held the TNA (NWA) World Title on two occasions. Christian is arguably the best Pro Wrestler in the world today and if anyone should be elevated to the top, it’s him.

-Evan Bourne
Evan Bourne’s matches in Ring of Honor got him noticed and for good reason. Bourne is no doubt the next generation of high flyer. His style, size and ring psychology resemble that of veteran Rey Mysterio. Bourne also has a look that screams baby face (good guy) which will (I believe) help him to move tons of merchandise. Bourne is a guy who really does need the championship because of his size. One would hope that the WWE wouldn’t go with the horrible “underdog” angle if Bourne were to get a run with the belt but would instead present him as simply being “that damn good”.

-Ted DiBiase
DiBiase reminds me of a young Randy Orton (except he actually seems to have his head on straight). He certainly has the look and the in-ring ability to be a LONG-TERM champion who could work as a heel or a babyface.

-Kofi Kingston
Like Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston is an incredible spastic high-flyer whom I can actually see working baby-face his entire career. His work-ethic is second to none and he is a man who always gets a reaction both with his ring-entrance and pure athletic ability.

-MVP
WWE seems to be missing the ball when it comes to MVP. Yes, he’s had a few backstage problems but compared to someone like Randy Orton it’s nothing. If WWE is going to pull the trigger with MVP they need to do it no later than WrestleMania 26. I’d love to see MVP win the Rumble and go all the way to the Championship. If they’re going to do it, the bottom line is that the time is NOW.

-Shelton Benjamin
Without a doubt the most talented WWE talent to have never held either of the top championships is Shelton Benjamin. His in-ring ability is simply incredible. Many critics have said that he doesn’t have enough charisma to be on top but I feel that’s simply not true. Benjamin should have had a title run years ago when he was feuding with Triple H. I feel that this man still has a lot of gas left in the tank but I hope that WWE will at some point begin to use him properly.

-John Morrison
John Morrison has just started his Intercontanental title reign, capturing the belt from the now suspended Rey Mysterio. He’s also a formal tag team and ECW Champion. Morrison certainly has the in-ring ability but his charisma as a face is somewhat lacking. I feel if Morrison is going to hold one of the big two, it’s going to be as a heel. This may seem odd considering the fact that he’s a high flyer but given his look I see Morrison capturing his first major championship after a heel turn. Make no bones about it, John Morrison is destined for the top spot at some point in the near future.

-DH Smith
DH Smith is just starting his WWE career but much like DiBiase he’s got the look and seems to quickly be developing the in-ring ability to be a future World Champion.

-Mike Knox
Many people will question my decision to put Knox on this list. But hear me out. Knox has a great look and he gets how to work as a big man. Every week this gigantic dwarf continues to get better and better in the ring. Not to mention the fact that he’s a great talker. If WWE is going to push a big man it should without a doubt be Mike Knox.

In Conclusion:
At least from my vantage point, which is by the way the vantage point of a fan, WWE has ten men they can make into Champions or at least feud at that level. Men like Randy Orton and John Cena are certainly not old by any stretch of the imagination and should still be thrown into the mix as well (I hate to admit that about Cena considering I’m not a fan of his even in the least). But right now, I feel that the men listed above are the guys WWE should focus on the most. Shawn Michaels, the Undertaker, Batista and even Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho are starting to wind down their careers (or will be within a short amount of time). WWE has to get the next generation of talent ready. They have an incredible roster but the question is how they utilized their talent.

It should be noted that both Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuiness (both formal Ring of Honor World Champions) have signed with WWE. The only reason that they aren’t on this list is because they have not started with the company. I feel that I should say that it would be insane if at some point both men were not WWE or World Heavyweight Champion.

Pro Wrestling is always changing and evolving. It cannot stay stagnant, certainly not in the current economic environment we live in today. Whether they like it or not WWE has heavy competition in the form of UFC on Pay-Per-View. While many would contest this I can tell you now that a majority of people only buy one pay-per-view a month (and that includes me). At the end of the day it all comes down to money and that money hinges on whether or not WWE can produce competitive, athletic, entertaining stars. I am in no way predicting some sort of doomsday scenario for WWE but I am staying that the time to step it up and create new talent is now and not later.

-Yuen Fei Lung 云飞轮
Written: September 12th 2009