Most Improved Star of 2008

[MasterDebator]

To me, there are only two real candidates for this title: Mark Henry and The Brian Kendrick.

Mark Henry was given the chance to be the champion of one of the three brands in the WWE, ECW, albeit it is the weakest of the brands. However, with the help of Tony Atlas, Henry went from being boring, stoic, and downright tedious in the ring and on the mic to being pretty damn entertaining. He is also receiving the type of reaction a heel champ is supposed to get, rather than the groans he was used to. I never used to watch ECW and I was NEVER a fan of Henry but yet I find myself tuning in just to see him. He is utilizing his size in that great "big-man" way and he is also benefitting from having a manager like Tony Atlas. Therefore, Henry is the consummate heel: He will sometimes win in dominant fashion as a result of his great size or, his manager will distract his opponent or attack them in such a fashion that allows Henry to pick up the win. I love the way he is being booked and I hope that the WWE continues his reign and feeds him some more credible opponents other than Matt Hardy.

Then we have The Brian Kendrick, who a few months back was on the fast track to a place called nowhere, a place his one-time partner Paul London resides at these days. Kendrick has simply reinvented himself. Like Henry, with the help of an intriguing and physically intimidating manager in Ezekiel, Kendrick has become a legit heel on SD, so much so that he won a battle royal that included some of SD's biggest stars like the Big Show and which placed him in a title match at Unforgiven. Wow. Talk about a complete 180. He was a glorified jobber on Raw only a few months ago. Kendrick carrys himself perfectly. He is a very good cocky heel and he is beginning to draw legit heat. On the mic and in the ring, Kendrick week in and week out gives a little bit more of his character and continues to keep himself fresh. Again, I hope that the WWE continues to roll with The Brian Kendrick, just like I hope they continue to roll with Henry. Both guys are doing great right now and there is no reason to stop them.

As for Most Improved, it's a close one, but I have to go with Mark Henry.

[FTS]

I would go with, and this is going to be unpopular, The Miz. His in-ring work has really stepped up. His moveset is a nice mix of technical grappling and a few power moves when he fights smaller guys. Psychologically, he mixes up well. When he is in the ring with smaller guys, he tries to out power them, and he holds them in tiring submission style holds. Against bigger guys, he tries to outquick them. You can really tell the difference in his matches.

Also, I like the way he sells. His opponent always looks good, and he never seems to botch. (As I say this, I know I am going to get told that 3:42 into a houseshow match in Saskathewan he punched with elbow too far out.) 2007 was a disaster for The Miz, but in 2008 he is in bigger matches, has a bigger role, and it was he, not Morrison, who got into the scramble.

His mic work was never bad, but The Dirt Sheet has allowed him to shine. On "The Real World" he was a bit of a clown, but on ECW he always seems to have the right emotion and solid delivery.

I won't slam either of your choices MasterDebator, but I will say Mark Henry has been around for a while, and has had some very good big man matches. He has been written into a bunch of crap, and he would have had a bigger role in the Nation, had the Rock not emerged as such a transcendental superstar.

Other people I thought about nominating were Jeff Hardy, who has gone from a crazy spot monkey to a crazy spot monkey with a following, and Shelton Benjamin. I think Shelton might have been told he was on thin ice, and he has improved lately. I don't think the body of work is there for him to be most improved for the year, but he the most improved of the last six weeks. I like what MVP has been doing as well.

[MasterDebator]

I would go with, and this is going to be unpopular, The Miz. His in-ring work has really stepped up. His moveset is a nice mix of technical grappling and a few power moves when he fights smaller guys. Psychologically, he mixes up well. When he is in the ring with smaller guys, he tries to out power them, and he holds them in tiring submission style holds. Against bigger guys, he tries to outquick them. You can really tell the difference in his matches.

Also, I like the way he sells. His opponent always looks good, and he never seems to botch. (As I say this, I know I am going to get told that 3:42 into a houseshow match in Saskathewan he punched with elbow too far out.) 2007 was a disaster for The Miz, but in 2008 he is in bigger matches, has a bigger role, and it was he, not Morrison, who got into the scramble.

His mic work was never bad, but The Dirt Sheet has allowed him to shine. On "The Real World" he was a bit of a clown, but on ECW he always seems to have the right emotion and solid delivery.

I won't slam either of your choices MasterDebator, but I will say Mark Henry has been around for a while, and has had some very good big man matches. He has been written into a bunch of crap, and he would have had a bigger role in the Nation, had the Rock not emerged as such a transcendental superstar.

Other people I thought about nominating were Jeff Hardy, who has gone from a crazy spot monkey to a crazy spot monkey with a following, and Shelton Benjamin. I think Shelton might have been told he was on thin ice, and he has improved lately. I don't think the body of work is there for him to be most improved for the year, but he the most improved of the last six weeks. I like what MVP has been doing as well.

Good call on the Miz. The only thing I'll disagree with you on is Hardy and MVP. Hardy has been way over for a long time now and he's always been able to put on good matches, even though many people feel he is a spot monkey. I also think that MVP has regressed and recently, there have been rumors that he has a lot of heat backstage all of a sudden. I wouldn't put them in the category of most improved since guys like Miz, Henry, and Kendrick were getting zero reaction and gaining zero interest and they've now become relevant in big ways.

[FTS]

I am a Hardy fan, don't get me wrong. As a matter of fact he is my favorite guy right now. His matches have gotten more interesting, and he has gotten way better at telling a story. I just couldn't put it all down to improvement within the year, as it's been steady for quite some time now.

I think the heat involving MVP has been about style more than performance, but I seem to be a lot more interested in what he's doing lately than I was before, so his all around performance has improved in my eyes.

[Dead Kennedy]

THE. BRIAN. KENDRICK.

I've never seen a metamorphosis of Kafkaesque proportions like this in wrestling in my active watching years. It's just surreal...just with one heel turn and gimmick change, the man who can rap better (and wrestle and cut better promos) than Cena becomes a WRESTLING GOD. You might say I am overrating TBK (hehe, strangely similar to the nickname of one Shawn Michaels you say??) and with all sincerity, I am. Give this guy the WWE Championship. He's managed to become one of the high points of SmackDown, nay, WWE in such a short while. Just give him the award now.
__________________________________________________ __

Mark Henry, most improved? He won a title, and now Marky Mark is the "most improved?" Hold the phone little lady. I don't often post counter-points as I more often than not tend to respect other people's opinions, but that is a load of chorizo sausage. This guy has not changed since 2003/4. He hasn't added one move, one new thing to his gimmick, which was born stale. He's a legitimately boring guy to watch. His reign is an "award" for being a loyal guy and a hard worker for so long eh? How many people have been here at least as long as him, and not gotten a title reign huh? Well, there aren't many, but each and every one of them would make better champions and deserve a reign more than this guy who has maintained a job in the business simply because his size satisfies VKM's fetish. I respect your opinion and all, but I have yet to see any "improvement" on the part of Henry for five years.
__________________________________________________ ________________________

I'd agree with The Miz, but he was really the most improved of the year 2007 for me. He did dispel the hatred everyone had for him on Cyber Sunday anyway, and really kept improving every show. In 2008, his gimmick has been allowed to grow and he has certainly kept improving, but not the same way TBK has.

And that, as they say, is how the cookie crumbles.

[OIL]

So far, i'm going to go with The Miz. Mainly because his in-ring work has improved a lot over the past year, and you can tell he has really been trying. As far for his mic work, it's pretty solid. He can cut a good promo without mis-pronouncing words or anything like that. His online show with Morrison is quality, very entertaining and gives the fans something different to watch.

[Theo Mays]

When I saw the title to this thread, The Miz was the first person who came to my mind, followed by The Brian Kendrick. Both men have improved, and are starting to gain bigger roles on their respective shows. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with them after the scramble. Shelton Benjamin, has improved recently, and hopefully he continues to get better as well, since he is my favorite wrestler in the business. But Miz and TBK stick out among the rest of WWE's roster.

[Showtime 24/7]

Shelton, Kendrick, and the Miz.
Shelton was the first person to come to mind because I feel that from the beginning of 2008 to right now he is the most improved superstar. The man was in limbo at the end of last year, his move to ECW was seen as a last chance for him, to improve his mic skills and character and make his in ring work more consistent. Fortunatly for him, since his move to ECW he was able to do all those things and WWE rewarded him with the US title and a good push for the first time in years. I have a feeling that if he contnues to improve, we'll be talking about him being most improved next year, except he'll be a world champion.
If the question were who's improved the most since the draft, the obvious choice would be The Brian Kendrick. The man has made a complete character change, similar to JBL's big transformation almost 4 years ago, and is enjoying his biggest push in the WWE ever. I think he's got the look and in-ring talent to one day be the next cruiserweight since Rey to hold a heavyweight title, but since this change and improvement was only since the draft that is why he isn't my number one choice. I love watching The Brian Kendrick wrestle and am happy he's been given this push.
What can I say about the Miz that hasn't already been said. The man went from a laughing stock who alot of people were figureing would be the next guy from the tough enough franchises to become released. His improvement actually began last year when he formed a tag team with John Morrison. Cyber Sunday I think what convinced the WWE that the Miz was over with the fans when he beat Morrison and BDV in the voting. Since Miz and Morrison won the tag belts, I have seen tremendous improvement in Miz, both his in ring work and his mic skills. I think he will make a great middle card champion one day.

Others considered: CM Punk and Jeff Hardy

[Kelsey2101]

The wrestler who I think improved the most is The Brian Kendrick... He went through a totalllll character change... From his attitude to actually cutting promos, ring attire, getting a body guard, and even being in a main event. Well, not yet, but at Unforgiven. To me he is the stand out guy from all of the wrestlers who have improved. He's the only wrestler that I can think of that have improved enough to be put in the main event. Besides CM Punk, even though he was in the main event for ECW already. To me, this was a rather easy decision because he is almost the only wrestler who comes to my mind and really stands out that has improved a nice bit.

[arsens09]

MVP is by far one of the best heels in the business. His ringwork is strong and appears stiff which is great and his promo skills are lightyears ahead of anyone else at his level of the card.

CM Punk has quickly come into his own, often garnering the 2nd of 3rd biggest pop of the night, impressive considering he's on the same brand as Cena, Batista, Michaels and many other veterans.

Jeff Hardy, if he hadn't been suspended, we might be seeing him in CM Punk's spot right now.

[Vagrant]

The Brian Kendrick & The Miz.

I won't go into great detail as it's more or less the same points of previous posters, but firstly The Brian Kendrick. His tag team days in Londrick were great but they definitely drew to an end and nothing seemed to be going his or London's way. He then moves to SmackDown!, gets repackaged, and has shown us his true ability. Despite his smaller stature, the WWE is clearly not afraid of pushing him and though not champion material yet, would now be considered upper mid card to possible ME. He's been given a great push and he's running with it and hasn't spoiled it.

The Miz has just shown a lot of promise as of recent and is (seemingly) being pushed a little more. Previously far in the shadows of his partner John Morrison, he's now in the ECW Championship Scramble (and Morrison isn't) and is my guess to be the main feud with Hardy if/when he wins the ECW championship, and will probably get his turn with it.

[Sasha Fierce]

The Miz. Kendrick really hasn't "improved" he was always a good wrestler, had charisma, and was good on the mic, the WWE is just giving him an opportunity to shine now, so I wouldn't call him the most "improved", even though he character is most improved.

Mark Henry still sucks, and hasn't improved he won a title and got a manager, he didn't improve creative did. The Miz on the other hand is actually a way better wrestler now then he was a year ago. He has also improved on the mic 10 fold(Divas Search anyone). Miz has stepped up and has improved so much that the WWE was almost forced to push him because of his change in character.

[MasterDebator]

The Miz. Kendrick really hasn't "improved" he was always a good wrestler, had charisma, and was good on the mic, the WWE is just giving him an opportunity to shine now, so I wouldn't call him the most "improved", even though he character is most improved.

Mark Henry still sucks, and hasn't improved he won a title and got a manager, he didn't improve creative did. The Miz on the other hand is actually a way better wrestler now then he was a year ago. He has also improved on the mic 10 fold(Divas Search anyone). Miz has stepped up and has improved so much that the WWE was almost forced to push him because of his change in character.

I tend to disagree. I really feel like Henry has improved himself in the ring, especially now that he has been fed opponent's that aren't either his size or bigger than him. He also has seen his share of matches that aren't of the squash variety. He plays the dominant big-man very well, utilizing classic power moves and he allows for a huge pop when his opponent FINALLY knocks him off his feet when early in the match it seems like it wouldn't happen. It's your classic big-man type stuff but it still works. Plus, he seems more agile and he certainly works a better match than most of the big men in the WWE outside of Umaga. His matches with Matt Hardy have been pretty entertaining, especially the one that took place on ECW the night after SS. I also think a lot of this has to do with Tony Atlas because it adds another dimension to his character and it gives Henry an unfair advantage at times due to Atlas' antics.

I don't know, I seem to be in the minority, but try to look at it from when he won the belt to now. Believe me, I GROANED every time I saw the guy but now, I feel like better opponents, Atlas, and a newfound intensity from Henry have made him fun to watch.

[Slyfox696]

This one is easy. And yet, no one has said it yet.

The most improved star of 2008? Easy. Chris Jericho.


Here's a guy who came in at the end of 2007 with "Save Us" campaign, and what did he do? Bore us to tear with a piss bucket face run. He was small, wasn't believable, and was boring. Since the turn of 2008, we've seen him turn heel, and proceed to have the best feud of 2008, even having to carry HBK along in the process.

Side note: HBK should be donating half his paycheck to Jericho for making him seem interesting. Mopey Shawn Michaels is boring and a half, luckily Jericho has been so damn good, he's made HBK somewhat interesting.

With that said, the fact he's having to carry Shawn Michaels in this feud, AND has single handily made it THE best feud of 2008.


We've gone from piss bucket Jericho to the best character in the WWE Jericho. And THAT is improvement.

[The Snake]

Im sort of with Sly, in that you don't have to be a poor wrestler to improve greatly, Edge has proven this, with his character movements adding even more dimension to his already deep persona. Chris Jericho has just been hot all year, striking nothing but gold for months - But does 1 storyline warrant an award of most improved? Of course it does, if people are saying it's the best thing on RAW, amongst a hot streak, then it shows he has got back to his best from being a below par version of the old "Y2J".

Notable mention is to CM Punk, but I am in complete bias, I sort of like him for his straight edge stuff, which is something I follow aswell, I'm glad he is doing so well, what he has going for him is that he went from the 3rd best title to the best title in the space of a few days (Jericho was transitional, whether this makes him superior or inferior is something I can't quite decide). Jericho has gone from being 4th best champion (IC) to being a clear and natural replacement for Punk when the time comes, which means he shades it for me.

[etc]

The Miz has improved light years since his debut on SD! 2 years ago. His matches then were atrocious and made me change the channel everytime I saw him. Since end of 2007 and begginning of 2008 I honestly think hes got what it takes to be a solid main-event midcarder within the next year and a half. His match with Bourne on ECW was on par with Hardy's and Morrisons (both PPV match qaulity).

Jeff Hardy as well although Miz is more significant cause we saw Miz climb the ladder slowly. Jeff always had some talent but lately hes changed to a more heavyweight champion style. He still does some spots here and there but he doesnt pull a series of moves together anymore when he mounts a comeback which is usually what midcard babyfaces do.

TBK, meh not a big fan cause he looks gay but in the months so far hes been on SD! I don't mind watching him but he needs to wrestle more formidable opponents not jobbers like Super Crazy etc.

[Dark Blaze]

Well, before I actually read the thread, my first thoughts were the Miz and the Brian Kendrick. However, like some have stated, Brian Kendrick had the talent all along, he was just finally given the chance to use it. He got an opportunity and thus far is using it quite well, hope it doesn't just end there for him.

The Miz however, has transitioned into a solid in-ring worker who has the potential to be in the Main Event scene on ECW which would be the equivalent to the upper midcard scene on Smackdown or RAW. Hopefully he just improves even more from now on.

But upon reading the thread, I do have to admit that Chris Jericho has improved immensely like Sly said, the thing about it is, you always know that Chris has the potential to work well and will almost always give you solid entertainment, so his "improvement" so to say, doesn't jump out as much as for example The Miz's who went from sucks to decent or Mark Henry going from "change the damn channel" to "Ok, he's a bit watchable"

But after the lack-luster return and some irrelevant feuds. This storyline with HBK is just wonderful; the complete character revamp Jericho has undergone is just amazing.

[xeducatex]

I can finally start a thread now and the first one is, "Who is the breakout star on smackdown this year?". It doesn't matter if they're new stars like TBK or established like Jeff Hardy.

In my opinion, it's a tie between Shelton Benjamin and The Brian Kendrick. WWE is finally giving Shelton a push, but we have yet to see if he can do anything with it. As far as Kendrick, it's way to early to make a judgment. I still feel WWE is going back and forth on who there really giving the push to, TBK or Ezekial. i can totally see WWE pushing Ezekial and leaving Kendrick in the dust but let's hope that doesn't happen.

As for Shelton, he has been giving some shots in the past and did nothing with them. Hopefully, he steps up his game and makes the most out of this title run because it might be his last for a long time. I've noticed he's trying but hes not doing anything that makes me tune in just to watch him.

Alright that's my opinion. Who do you guys think is the breakout star on smackdown?

[Tim Tam]

Ok, the year isn't over yet, but if it continues like it is, i'm going to have to say The Brian Kendrick. He went from being 1/2 of the tag team champs to aan absolute nobody, a jobber who hardly ever wrestled. He gets traded to SmackDown, and is given a gimmcik change. He turns heel, is given a bodyguard, and is suddenly in a World Chamionship match when he's almost smaller than Rey Mysterio, and going nowhere before! If you tell me that's not a breakout star, I don't know what is.

[The Shocktor]

I completely agree. The Brian Kendrick was in one of my favorite tag teams before. Then, like Tim Tam said, had went to being a jobber who never won. I was disappointed at that point not because of Kendrick, but because Paul London was out of action. I barely liked Kendrick. Then he becomes the first wrestler to be drafted two times in a row in the supplemental draft. We don't see him for a while, and then he comes out with a new jacket, a talentless dance, and a bodyguard named Ezekiel Jackson. The Brian Kendrick has of course not yet been defeated, and is now in the WWE Championship Scramble. Since he's move to Smackdown, TBK has moved into my top five favorite wrestlers, as I am a huge heel fan and Kendrick fan. So basically, The Brian Kendrick has broken out, and taken charge.

[Dead Kennedy]

There is one, and one choice only in this matter. It is none other than TBK; THE Brian Kendrick. From a world class tag team wrestler to a jobber to something completely different. That is what they call tapping into hidden potential. The gimmick was initially so strange, I couldn't help but like it. Random dancing? A second-hand Morrison coat? Ezekiel 25:17? It just didn't make sense, and at the same time, it did. It's one of those gimmicks that shouldn't work, but did. And boy, did it ever. His wrestling style was re-invented to a less spotty style, which should satisfy even the most jaded anti-spot wrestling fan. I can't even remember the last time Brian Kendrick was on the mic before his gimmick change, but he's just so natural with it. The sky's the limit.

Every second TBK appears on the screen will be worth the price of admission. Sure, people are gonna get tired of him being overrated at one point in time, but until that happens, there's only one way for TBK to go. Up.

Oh yeah, I also have to give some props to Shelton Benjamin. When he got drafted to SmackDown from ECW, I thought "Man, he's just gonna get lost in the shuffle." Man, was I ever wrong about that one? Shelton has resurrected a failing career in the year of 2008, and has become one of the premiere reasons to watch SmackDown, if you like actual wrestling that is. Fantastic matches with Kennedy, Matt Hardy and Finlay, and a good one with Triple H. He still is a horrid microphone man, but his wrestling skills make up for that by far. Dropping Matt's US Championship to Benjamin may be the best booking decision all year, for everyone. While he hasn't been a breakout star at the same level TBK has, he's still vastly improved his style and brought a new level of quality wrestling to SmackDown.

[Razz]

I agree with The Miz, Mark Henry. Jericho was already great, he just showed it by playing his new character with the talent he already had. He even made Shawn Michaels more interesting than he was becoming. Brian Kendrick I still have to give time. I dunno if this gimmick fits him good, don't doubt his talent. But I would have to agree with someone that CM Punk. I doubted him like many when he became champion. But he has delivered in some pretty solid matches one after one another. And his mic work/promos has also been good. But 2008 is not over yet so I can't make a final decision heh..

[Razz]

Im still not sold on The Brian Kendrick gimmick, I will have to give it time. Kendrick has talent but I will need to see more of where this strange gimmick is going. But one guy I could see break out is R-Truth aka Ron Killings. He has impressed so far in only his two matches. But its too early to tell who will be the 2008 smackdown star..

[Sparky]

Yeah Personally for being on smackdown for as short time as The Brian Kendrick, He would have to be the biggest break out star. ever since his gimmick changed he has oozed Charisma. Beeing launched into near ME status. He has done nothing but impressed me. He would have to be the biggest break out star. but as Tim Tam said the year is not over. but i think the chances are greater in the event of The Brian Kendrick improving rather then somebody else breaking out better then him. He is the only real candidate this year.

[Showtime 24/7]

Is there an echo in here, lol, no, the thread is a good idea, but I think everyone's answer is pretty well going to be the same for this year. The Brian Kendrick went from a nobody to a somebody seemingly overnight. Who knew all it would take would be new clothes/attitude, a little mic time and a bodyguard that's twice the size of you. The man has Charisma and the WWE is finally letting him show it. I think what makes his character so good is that he has absolute confidence in it and lets himself standout and be noticed, other wrestlers may have tried to play it too cool or too serious, Kendrick just makes it look natural plus he's managed to change his wrestling style to be more heel, without really having to change much from it. All in all, dispite being on SD for only 2 months, TBK is my choice for SD breakoutstar of 08

[therockyfan316]

to me its hands down shelton benjamin. i can almost pinpoint the match where he went from being a shaky midcarder to being a confidently aggresive wrestler that im sure all of creative wanted him to be. i believe that match was versus Jeff Hardy a couple weeks ago. i remember watching and going "wow he's being really aggressive." you can tell since then he's been pushed heavily. he knocked out trips last week, and then CLEANLY defeated MVP this week. not to mention hes bring major crediblity to the U.S. title. before the draft, benjamin was often not even on tv. now hes helping to carry the SD brand.

as for kendrick, he is definitley getting pushed...but what has he accomplished really? hes won a bunch of squashes and then gets placed in the scramble match. this week he did beat hardy, which was huge, but shelton has achieved more in my opinion overall. (left field: i also hate that dance kendrick does before and after the matches, it looks like he needs to take a shit. plus the jacket is a size too big for him. maybe the gimmick will grow on me lol.)

[Y 2 Jake]

I wouldn't say Brian Kendrick. Certainly not yet. He's won about 3 matches over the past month. You never know with WWE, they might get bored with him. He's one of those wrestlers that they might push for a few weeks then stop. Kind of like Maven in late 2004. Who was released about 6 months later. I'd reserve my judgment of him until at the very least, after Unforgiven.

There really isn't anybody this year that I can think of. There's no MVP type breakthrough this year. The best probably has to be Ted Dibiase & Cody Rhodes, but that really doesn't say much. But there is still 4 months left of the year.

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Most of the examples here i don't agree with. As said most of them have had the talent all along and have just never showcased it i.e. Kendrick. I love TBK, but i don't see anything different from when he debuted as Spanky except there's now a black guy where ever he goes. I would say the same for Shelton Benjamin. He's been amazing for his whole career, but after the whole 'Shelton's mama' angle he didn't really bother to try and impress, and now he is again. The Paydirt is a crap finisher though imo.

Miz i would have to agree with, he does seem a lot better but then i'm basing that whole opinion on his tag work with Morrison and that triple threat match the two had with Punk ages ago. (Do you know that the turnbuckle frankensteiner into a powerbomb double team that they did in that match and that match only is their tag finisher in SDvRaw'09?)
I've yet to watch him in a singles match that wasn't a squash.

I personally would also like to mention Cody Rhodes. While his ring work hasn't improved dramatically, his promo work certainly has and can't say i've ever been dissapointed with Team Priceless match (but as with Miz, he could just be a great tag wrestler, not a great singles wrestler)

[Nick Styles]

Brian Kendrick has inproved but i think WWE is pushing him to fast, i don't think he is ready to Main Event not yet. He needs more creditbilty and i was quite suprised that he beat Jeff Hardy because that was big win for him. WWE should give him the U.S title for the mean time. He is a great talent and hes been trained by Shawn Micheals. In 2010 he might become Main Eventer because WWE does want to push him. Another guy that i could see main eventing in 2010 and he might be World Champion that is Ted Dibise J.R because in my opinion he does have the poteninal and he is the next Randy Orton. His mic skills are not bad, I think he should be pushed for the IC title.

[PeopleChamp80]

Shelton Benjamin

Shelton Benjamin is the most improved Superstar of 2008 look at him before he went to ECW and SmackDown on RAW he was a Jobber he was only in matches to Put on a Good Match but end up losing anyways After he lost the IC Championship in 2004-2005 he went downhill then Momma Benjamin Came in and he started winning again but he went back downhill after Momma Benjamin Left they tried getting the Worlds Greatest Tag Team Back Together But it just wasn't clicking like it used to So The Question was who was it Charlie Haas or Benjamin and Charlie Was the Answer They made Benjamin go over to ECW with his blond hair and Gold Standard Gimmick and put on Great Matches with Kofi Kingston and Dominated some ECW and Home Town Jobbers at ECW that's where benjamin was able to Shine and Outshine his Opponents then the Draft Came and He Defeated Matt Hardy for the United States Championship which lead to him putting on Great Matches with Jeff Hardy Finlay and etc Shelton has been told he needed to up his Game and that's what he is doing his In-Ring Work is Amazing and his Mic Skills are getting Better I'm High on Benjamin and i tune in to see Him every week on SmackDown along with My Runner Up for Most Improved Superstar of 2008

The Brian Kendrick

The Brian Kendrick has also Upped his Game This Year During the Draft WWE i guess sat down around a table and said "gentlemen we need to break up some Tag Teams and here's what we are going to do make the Best out of the Two get Drafted to another Show and give him a Push and Keep the other one on the Current show they are on so they can Job to other guys" and thank God it was Brian Kendrick who got the Good Peice of the Pie Brian Kendrick in my opinnion was always more over with the Crowd then Paul London During there Tag Team Era I wasn't So Sure about Brian Kendrick New Gimmick and Look but after a Few Weeks of analyzing Brian Kendrick i have really grown on to him i like the little White Coat with the Tiger Claws Through the Back I like his Manager Eziekel if WWE Keeps Brian Kendrick Then in no Time maybe a Month or 2 he will be the United States Champion and in a Rivalry worth Watching Brian Kendrick is really good on the Mic and his In Ring Work like always his Amazing Hopefully WWE Dosen't Ruin this Either i'm really looking forward to what they have in store for him in 2009

[τδιγλε]

Im still not sold on The Brian Kendrick gimmick, I will have to give it time. Kendrick has talent but I will need to see more of where this strange gimmick is going. But one guy I could see break out is R-Truth aka Ron Killings. He has impressed so far in only his two matches. But its too early to tell who will be the 2008 smackdown star..

I also have been impressed with what I have seen so far from R-Truth/Ron Killings. People have questioned how far he can go given his age (he is currently 36), but he is in great shape and, barring any injuries, he easily has a good 6 to 8 years left. I think WWE is heading towards a Shelton Benjamin/R-Truth match for the U.S. Title. And, if Mr. Killings can hit the match or matches they will have out of the park, then I will have no problem calling him the Breakout Star of the Year.

[takerrulez]

tbh i dont think i can say tbk is the most improved because of his push but i do think the miz has stepped up his ring work for the better. but then there is always y2j which is doing an awesome heel until randy orton gets back and actually saves us from batista and cena bore fest matches. but i still wouldent mind seeing orton vs punk




my pick for most improved : y2j

[cfore]

The Miz from being an MTV host from a show I don't even know he's definetly improved. He's has been tag-team champion and his in-ring work has improved ALOT.

THE Brian Kendrick, although his in-ring work hasn't been as a singles competitor it's just the fact that he has gone from RAW to Smackdown in a matter of weeks on Smackdown he's in the main-event at Unforgiven.

Shelton Benjiman- Shelton Benjiman, belive it or not used to be a lazy worker, now he's gold [crappy pun intended]. He too, was in the main-event at Unforgiven and he'll probley work upper midcard or mainevent from now on on Smackdown

[Stickstar 16]

i agree with what a few have said, my top two are THE Brian Kendrick, and The Charismatic Enigma, Jeff Hardy.

TBK has impressed me from back when he had no THE and was running around in MC Hammers old wardrobe with Paul London, their fast paced high flying offence, both amazed me, and sold their matches to me, that at any chance, they'd take to the air and completely change a matches dynamics. Then unfortunately, something happened with creative and they fell off the tv, prob at the time where they were still needed in a somewhat lacking tag division on Raw. Then by chance, a tradgedy happened and through the draft Brian Kendrick was drafted to Smackdown. now at some point during the Londrick phase, TBK walked out on London, showing a hint of what could be. Then on Smackdown, we saw the first appearance of THE Brian Kendrick, in his 80's throwback jacket, and new tight, walking with a different demeanor, and accompanied by Ezekial Jackson, reminiscant of a younge Shawn Michaels, to cut the crap short, he came, he saw, he started kicking ass, and surprised all by joining the championship scramble and actually hitting his finisher and gaining a pinfall before jobbing out to two of SD current start attractions. i just thought that given the arrogance and suaveness of his new gimmick i should jazz up my explanation

Jeff Hardy, to get down to business, was the eternal spot monkey, who would run from place to place making as many high spots as he could, and doing more damage to himself than to his opponents with his moves, but since return from suspension, theres been a change, he's started to sell a story, his moves have more rhyme and reason while maintaining the unorthodoxness, and he's making more decent connections on his whisper in the wind. all in all, Jeff Hardy has been improving slowly for a while, becoming a main eventer, but since coming to SD has shown some true ability as a wrestler, almost ridding himself of his spot monkey crown

[Prodigy]

id say either the brian kendrick or the miz. the brian kendrick has went from a tag team champion to a jobber which personally i thought was going to be released, to someone who is making a pretty nice impact on smackdown. idk if id push him mabye have him feud with the mid carders and see where he goes.

the miz:he went from this punk who was absolutly HORRIBLE in the ring and had unentertaining promos, to someone who may be a good contender for the ecw title. and also not to mention his tag team title reign which is pretty good in my opinion. his in ring work has improved so much over the last year or so and he looks like he will be a nice addition to ecw instead of some fag talkshow host jobber.

so to sum it all up id have to say either the brian kendrick or the miz. i honostly cannot decide which one is better so id have to say both of them

[AMERICANFIRE]

this has to be 1 o 3 people for me

1 the miz in ring skills have grown aceptionally on me. he was already great on the mic and now he can wrestle to. i think it has alot to being paired up with morrison.

2 kenndrick hands down maybe the most improved now i think its not fair to say a little man cant main event for tittle look at what rey did. only i think kenddricks ring skils are far supperior. this guy needs to keep being pushed

3 shelton benjamin you can say hat you want about him but he has improved both in the ring and out. this guy should be pushed to main event soon he is a extremely gifted athlete. his mic skills are not great but he is getting better

[Headbanger]

I haven't seen him wrestle but i fell Kizarny will either make it hugely or flop miserably I love the idea of a carny gimmck his promo skills are really solid i think he could be a legit U.S. or maybe even WWE champ.

I'm going to say CM Punk he was big in ECW but he was a big fish in a puddle then he was drafted to raw and was an average sized fish in the ocean now he is a former whc champ and Mr. MITB

[Manjmonkey]

I'm going to have to go with the miz here. The miz when he first came wasn't taken seriously by anyone when he first came he was like the host Of smackdown i think. As time passed and he joined up with morrison he became more known and improved his mic skills a lot. Now even his ring skills are improving and I can easily see him being ecw champion now.

[Fizzywink]

This is easily Brian Kendrick. He went from jobber, to successful tag team champ, to in a WWE title match. If thats not a hugh improvement idk what is. His mic skills have went from nothing to pretty damn good, and i actually enjoy his matches now.

Honorable mention goes to the Miz while he has improved dramatically I think Kendrick outshines him.

[nitefightr69]

I will give "da Miz" his props... he has come a LONG way from "The Gay World"... I mean "The Real World".

But my most improved superstar of 2008 vote goes to...


The Great Khali!!!! Atleast now I don't shudder when I hear his music. This kiss-cam $h!t he does is so retarded its funny. And I liked how he came down and gave Kane and Mark Henry the old judo chop on this past episode of Monday Night Raw.