And the new face is...

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

For several months I've heard nothing but "will _____ be the next face of the WWE?" It seems that people are jumping for whoever is getting a push at the time, and subjecting them to the IWCs opinions of whether they are worthy or not. I don't blame anyone, as we live in an age where WWE doesn't build new characters into the Hall of Fame, they just tell us directly that they're going to be the next big thing. Literally. ANd we're supposed to just accept that and play along with what they want. It's not longer based on whether the fans react to a superstar, but whether Vince wants to push him down our throats. So it's not really the IWCs fault that we're so eager to find the next big thing...but I digress...

The thing I wanted to address is John Cena. He's been the face of the company for years now, and people seem eager to find the next one. But Cena is still young, he's still drawing millions of dollars more than anybody else, and I don't think he's going anywhere any time soon. However, that doesn't mean he won't stop being the face of the company. Shawn Michaels carried the WWF back in the day, but during the later parts of his career he was there to put people over. So, my question is... is it premature to think a new face should be emerging to lead the WWE, or is John Cena on his way out of the spotlight? If he is, who has the best chance of coming out as the next big thing?

 

[wrestling fan 666]

Currently, I like John Morrison. I think he's got the talent; the mike skills; and the "it" factor. I seriously see him as the next Shawn Michaels.

Now, a good surprise factor would be Ted Dibiase; if he could turn face. The guy needs a push soon or he'll be in mid-card oblivion forever.

 

[JGlass]

Oh my, a coherent thread about who the face of the WWE is! This may be a first in Wrestlezone history.

It is way to early to think John Cena is on his way out of the position as the face of the WWE. John Cena is only 33, which puts him about at the tail end of WWE's youth movement. That's right, he still fits into the youth movement after 6-7 years in the main event. The names that people throw out as new face of the WWE are Dolph Ziggler (30), CM Punk (32), Randy Orton (30), and Daniel Bryan (29). None of these guys are significantly younger than Cena, and it is unlikely that they will have to take over Cena's place once he retires, as by the time that comes around most of these guys, if not all of them, will be close to retiring as well.

Furthermore, none of these guys have the skill to be the face of the WWE.

Dolph Ziggler is good in the ring and has the personality inside and outside of the ring (I've seen him interviewed and he's extremely charismatic), but he doesn't really have the look. He's kind of small and he's got that slicked back bleach blond hair. That's something he could change, but he still doesn't look tough enough to be the face of the WWE. Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, and John Cena all look like tough guys, Dolph Ziggler does not.

CM Punk certainly looks tough, but more in a biker tough type of way than wrestler tough. Furthermore, while he is very talented in the ring, his mic skills are mediocre (a lot of people will disagree, but he simply does not match the momentum and talent of guys like Cena or Miz right now). Furthermore, rumor is that he's kind of a dick off camera. I've seen some reports of him getting back stage heat for be snarky and high maintenance. You can't be snarky when addressing thousands and thousands of adoring fans.

Randy Orton may be the best guy to take over for Cena as he meets many of the requirements Cena fills. He is good in the ring, he's a tough guy, and he is pretty good with the fans. However, he's less than stellar on the mic, but for whatever reason the majority of wrestling fans seem to love him. I don't think, however, he has the passion for the business that Cena does, and that shows through his off-stage persona.

Daniel Bryan is sort of a wild card. He was THE MAN when talking about Indy Wrestling, but the Indies are a very different place compared to the WWE. He's a fantastic wrestler and his passion for the business is unquestionable. He doesn't have the quintessential tough guy wrestler look, but he makes up for that with the fact that he's been wrestling since he was old enough to tie his boots. However, he has not been given enough time to display his personality inside or outside the WWE, and that's probably the most important aspect of becoming the face of the company.

There is nobody in the company better suited to be the face of the WWE than John Cena, and I think it's safe to say he will remain the company's face until he retires.

 

[eromenation18]

Thats really a tough situation to look at. Just because WWE at certain times had a guy waiting in the wings during a time of rebuilding. The only difference this time is that right now, we've seen some of the guys that will be stars in about a year, there not hiding in the wings. We've seen Barrett, Sheamus, John Morrison, Alberto Del Rio and The Miz really stand out in the last year or two. Then we've seen the experience guys like Cena, Orton, Edge, Big Show, CM Punk and Mysterio work with these guys and put them over.

If I really had to sit down and really look at the next breakout superstar for this company I would say as of now..its John Morrison. Morrison is the only young guy right now on the roster that I believe is ready for the big time main event matches. I can see Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel having big careers in the future but right now, I would say Morrison.

 

[tnarage2]

I Think Cena will be the top dog for about five more years or so. But I think you should add a new face for the WWE just in case Cena has a career threating injury like HBK. or pull a rock and quit for making films but thats not gonna happen. But if there was someone to replace Cena it has to be The Miz. I mean he's on his way there right now. He's been a really great champion. Miz is great on the mic. He shows great Charisma Miz whether you like it or not he is the next big thing.

 

[xXxB-RebelxXx]

I really think it will be CM Punk after his heel run has ended, hopefully that is not for a long time though.

He is very good at drawing the fans in and you can hear cheers for him already as a heel. The fans want to like him and they loved him when he was a face. He didn't get as big a reaction as I think he should have. But he is now the top heel on Raw and after a year or two at that position, I can see him turning face with the crowd's full support.

He puts on thrilling matches and can is so good at talking that he should have no problem taking Cena's spot as the #1 guy after Cena steps down from it.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Dolph Ziggler is good in the ring and has the personality inside and outside of the ring (I've seen him interviewed and he's extremely charismatic), but he doesn't really have the look. He's kind of small and he's got that slicked back bleach blond hair. That's something he could change, but he still doesn't look tough enough to be the face of the WWE. Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, and John Cena all look like tough guys, Dolph Ziggler does not.

CM Punk certainly looks tough, but more in a biker tough type of way than wrestler tough. Furthermore, while he is very talented in the ring, his mic skills are mediocre (a lot of people will disagree, but he simply does not match the momentum and talent of guys like Cena or Miz right now). Furthermore, rumor is that he's kind of a dick off camera. I've seen some reports of him getting back stage heat for be snarky and high maintenance. You can't be snarky when addressing thousands and thousands of adoring fans.

Randy Orton may be the best guy to take over for Cena as he meets many of the requirements Cena fills. He is good in the ring, he's a tough guy, and he is pretty good with the fans. However, he's less than stellar on the mic, but for whatever reason the majority of wrestling fans seem to love him. I don't think, however, he has the passion for the business that Cena does, and that shows through his off-stage persona.

Daniel Bryan is sort of a wild card. He was THE MAN when talking about Indy Wrestling, but the Indies are a very different place compared to the WWE. He's a fantastic wrestler and his passion for the business is unquestionable. He doesn't have the quintessential tough guy wrestler look, but he makes up for that with the fact that he's been wrestling since he was old enough to tie his boots. However, he has not been given enough time to display his personality inside or outside the WWE, and that's probably the most important aspect of becoming the face of the company.

There is nobody in the company better suited to be the face of the WWE than John Cena, and I think it's safe to say he will remain the company's face until he retires.

I agree and I disagree. Great point bringing up that most of them are around the same age as Cena, and will be retiring around the same time as well. I honestly hadn't thought about that. I agree with your assessment of CM Punk. He is kind of an ass, and while he's a great character, he doesn't have what it takes to LEAD the WWE. He's a great support character though, and I think he has what it takes to build up main eventers and put them over. Dolph ZIggler is another that I don't think will necessarily be the top dog, but he does have potential to be big. He may not have "the look", but he does resemble a Hall of Famer by the name of Mr. Perfect. Never say never in the wrestling industry! Daniel Bryan is the guy that I'm most interested in following. His size and look is going to be a big obstacle for him, but his intensity and skill in the ring, as well as his cult following in the indies makes him a formidable challenger for main event status. He reminds me a LOT of Chris Benoit. He's not a big guy, but he's cut-throat and he can make ANYBODY tap out. He won't die and he's got a very viscous attitude. Let's just hope things work out better for him than they did for Benoit.

 

[DwayneJason]

The man is in his prime, he's firggin' 30 for fuck's sake, there's NO WAY he's out of the spotlight. That being said, Cena and Orton are the only surefire guys left. HHH might be hanging up the boots soon, Undertaker's a train wreck, Kane is hopefully devoting his time in Citizen X, Jericho's a on-off guy, Edge and Mysterio will be following suit soon. So, Orton and Cena are the two biggest draws at this point. WWE needs ME's that can stand toe-to toe with those two guys. They don't need a face. Cena puts people over and he should do that until the Main Event scene is filled up. And then he can go ahead and be bigger than Hogan.

PS: How'd you get to be a moderator? Just wondering. I've been DYING to try to write an editorial.

 

[MizterColemine]

When I take into account what I see in WWE along with your other posts, my opinion is this: The combination of Cena and Orton right now can be seen as a parallel of The Rock and Stone Cold, not to that level or plane in terms of super-stardom, but they are where it's at right now. That being said, they are not on a high enough level for the WWE to want to let them carry the ball by themselves for the next 10 years. (We'll see how much longer Edge and Triple H can last). I think there are two superstars that are also a parallel, in a sense, to Orton and Cena. These men are The Miz and John Morrison.
If the Miz can perfect his mic game and put finishing touches on his catchphrases and add one or two more, while keeping his wrestling intensity and not being injured, he is on the track to becoming a true great.
If Morrison can make it to the top, AS A FACE, and improve his mic game to even Miz's level, he will have become a better draw than the Miz IMO. Because for people to love him right now without even being that good on the mic, he'll be amazing once he can take control of a crowd and gets pushed to a Royal Rumble victory or otherwise into the mainstream.
There are other, newer guys that could possibly take the torch, but theres no use in speculation because none of them are that good yet (save MAYBE Sheamus, Ziggler, and Del Rio being on their way) and any one of them could be gone tomorrow-- for NO ONE is safe when it comes to the 'E'. (Except for, that is, Undertaker, Triple H, Cena, Orton, and maybe Jericho and Edge)

 

[THTRobtaylor]

I think Jericho could be the face... if he was given incentive to do it... His come-go attitude seems more to be that Vince hasn't given him the big face run more than really wanting to be a rock star. From the mainstream perspective he is the most over guy they have with TVland and the media in general... Whenever he returns I think it will govern what happens for him, if its a face, expect him to be in for the long haul and to be positioned as the top face for a good year or so... if as heel, he might get a face turn at the end...

Morrison is best placed in terms of ability and x-factor and they are being very smart in taking their time building him, like with Shawn... lots of titles in the run up to a "boyhood dream" moment. I really do see it being he who wins the Rumble this year...

Sheamus makes a lot of sense, his mic skills and humor will eventually make him a very charismatic face in the Hogan mold... he is probably 5 years off that point, but long term he is a good bet.

The one guy in FCW who I think could end up top guy is Richie Steamboat... if he has half the talent and charisma as his dad, I really do see him taking off in 6-8 years time...

 

[S.J. Maximus]

I can't believe someone on here had the audacity to say that CM Punk's mic skills were mediocre when hes better on the mic than everyone else in the company, including Michael Cole and Jerry "The King" Lawler. However, in terms of the topic, Dolph Ziggler is NO WAY near the top face of the company and he won't be until he learns how to connect with the fans. Believe it or not, Ziggler was NOTHING before Vickie Guerrero. Vickie did enhance him a lot, but once she leaves him I highly doubt people will give a rats ass about the bland blonde

Orton was pretty close when it comes to pops last year, but I feel like he's lost a lot of momentum during the last few months of 2010. In July he was getting pops for RKO'ing Cena, but by November no one even cared about him beating Wade Barrett when it meant that Cena was fired. I don't think he will carry the company seeing as how Cena and Orton have always been perceived as equals and theyre only 1- year apart in age

Miz is almost an obvious choice to be the face of the company, he's been ALL over the place promoting the WWE and Vince loves him, what more does he need? All Miz needs is a face turn and EVERYONE will eat up his catchphrases and his merchandise will sell like hot cakes. Despite his small stature, Miz looks like the clear future of WWE

 

[Jack-Hammer]

For several months I've heard nothing but "will _____ be the next face of the WWE?" It seems that people are jumping for whoever is getting a push at the time, and subjecting them to the IWCs opinions of whether they are worthy or not. I don't blame anyone, as we live in an age where WWE doesn't build new characters into the Hall of Fame, they just tell us directly that they're going to be the next big thing. Literally. ANd we're supposed to just accept that and play along with what they want. It's not longer based on whether the fans react to a superstar, but whether Vince wants to push him down our throats. So it's not really the IWCs fault that we're so eager to find the next big thing...but I digress...

For as long as I've been watching wrestling, that's pretty much how it's always been. It's nothing new. Vince McMahon has ALWAYS gone, first and foremost, with who he believes will be the best choice. As a wrestling promoter and a businessman, that's pretty much how it has to be done. For instance, Mark Henry often gets a pretty good reaction on Raw but it's pretty obvious that he's not going to be main eventing anytime soon. Simultaneously, Daniel Bryan's crowd reactions aren't usually as strong but he's been United States Champion for the past 4 months. Sometimes Vince will screw up and push someone he wants because maybe he sees something that just isn't there. Once again, that's nothing new because every wrestling promoter makes that sort of error in judgement at some point

As to the "new face" of the WWE, I think that's mostly just something the IWC wants more than your average fan because many within the IWC just flat out hate John Cena. John Cena has been "the face" of WWE for almost 6 years now and given the fact that so many of the IWC came of age during the Attitude Era, they just don't dig Cena's family friendly character. At times, I agree that Cena does get irritating and you just want to see someone take his place. But the fact of it is that John Cena is still a young man, is wildly popular with your average wrestling fan and still helps generate a lot of money for the WWE. So he's not going anywhere anytime soon and Vince McMahon would be an absolute fool if he tried to make a change at this point.

 

[hasbeenkid]

I personally feel with the new youth movement of the WWE that perhaps we have finally seen the age where there isnt just ONE main star on each show perhaps that is the reason why the ratings have been for lack of a better word shitty..with that being said I believe there could be a few new faces of the WWE for one I'd say the Miz he has been showing the same work ethic as John Cena showed before he rose to stardom. Another person is CM Punk draws a lot of heat and has been over as both a face and a heel. Another person is John Morrison came along way from Tough Enough and is finally over..last but not least I see Alberto Del Rio as stepping into the stardom and since I'm new to wrestlezone and cant post a thread does anybody see Alberto Del Rio as the PG version of JBL i mean from their entrances to their logos on the titantron are identical?

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I agree with the other posters here that have said that Cena's time to step down as the top face of the company has not come yet. But the time is nearing when Cena will be too stale to be the top face of the WWE. The question is who will be the one to rise up when Cena steps aside.

The thing is, at the moment, I do not feel that anyone is ready, not even Orton if the views of the IWC are to be take seriously. John Morrison and Daniel Bryan both lack the neccesary mic skills to be taken seriously as main eventers and while the same could be said about Dolph Ziggler, I'd reserve my opinion on him till I have heard a few of his promos.

It could be either Miz or CM Punk, two proven heel performers. Of the two, Punk is funnier and hence has a better chance of getting over as a face as compared to Miz.

Or the next face could be someone who is not even on the roster at this moment. You could not have predicted that Austin would be the next face of WWF in 1994 or that Hogan would have been the biggest star ever in 1980 so I think that we should do the same in this case and lay the predictions to rest.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I agree with the other posters here that have said that Cena's time to step down as the top face of the company has not come yet. But the time is nearing when Cena will be too stale to be the top face of the WWE.

Yeah, Cena will still be the top guy until he stops being a money-making machine. I agree, he character is beginning to become stale and he will probably need to update his persona if is to remain as the face of the company eventually.

The thing is, at the moment, I do not feel that anyone is ready, not even Orton if the views of the IWC are to be take seriously. John Morrison and Daniel Bryan both lack the neccesary mic skills to be taken seriously as main eventers and while the same could be said about Dolph Ziggler, I'd reserve my opinion on him till I have heard a few of his promos.

Again I agree. The WWE is going through a transitional phase right now, with alot of new talent. These guys need time to develop their skills and characters before becoming the face of the company. Out of the talent right now, I would Orton is best placed to do this, but Morrison has the looks and physique to really stand out as the main babyface. If he could work on his mic skills he could be huge.

Or the next face could be someone who is not even on the roster at this moment. You could not have predicted that Austin would be the next face of WWF in 1994 or that Hogan would have been the biggest star ever in 1980 so I think that we should do the same in this case and lay the predictions to rest.

Very true. Sometimes the best things occur when you least expect it. After seeing the Hitman in his early days, who would have thought he would have become the face of the WWE, or even The Rock when he first came in? It could quite easily be someone who isnt even being considered now, or someone who hasnt yet been signed or called up to the roster. Hell, it could even be someone like AJ Styles if he ever joined the WWE?! We are all just speculating at this time

 

[FSWWE]

I have to agree, i can really see The Miz become somehow the next face of WWE, as well as Alberto Del Rio.

I Think that WWE, doesn't need to have only ONE FACE!!

They Should Have The Face of Smackdown and The Face of RAW, it was something that they should bet on, I loved the John Cena and Batista 1st feud, when they both was faces, it was a match between THE TWO MAJOR FACES OF WWE. Anybody knew who was going to win that match, it was a hell of a match, everyone was paying attention.

I dont like Ziggler, i think he doesn´t have a personality, he is just Vickie Guerrero dog, and after that??
This storyline is somehow the same as EDGE & Vickie...

I Think that WWE as a lot of Potential, even Wade Barret can b the next face of WWE, he is Very GOOD in MIC, and in The ring he just need a new finisher or a new signature.

It Was Something Like That

RAW FACES - The Miz, CM Punk, Orton and even Drew McIntyre (with a draft and a face turn

SD! FACES - John Morrison, Kofi Kingston, Del Rio, Wade Barret and hell, even Sheffield is something to look at.

 

[Mustang Sally]

The thing I wanted to address is John Cena. He's been the face of the company for years now, and people seem eager to find the next one.

At 33, Cena is still young and can continue his role as the lead face for years. The problem is that he's suffered some serious injuries and the company seems to lose it's "head-face" focus when he's not around. There's nothing wrong with building up the next guy and having him ready to take over if Cena is again out for an extended length of time.

I would choose C.M. Punk. Yes, he's totally entrenched in his heel role, but he can be made into a hero in no time at all, if the company wants to. Ironically, it's because of his pop as a heel that he would convert to such a huge face. The good thing here is that they can keep him as a heel for as long as they need to.....then, if Cena is sidelined, put the focus on Punk and turn him face in a program that would keep us all riveted.

It's interesting to listen to all the people who "hate" Cena. He's clearly the best thing WWE has going in the role he's been chosen to portray. And remember, he's totally home-grown. Like The Rock, Cena was a virtual unknown before VKM combined his star-building machine with the man's natural charisma to make him into a huge star. Don't presume McMahon can't do it again with someone else.

 

[Zangash]

The IWC can be funny at times... Cena is going to be the face for a LONG time... The next true face of the WWE is probably still in High School right now or has just graduated. He might not even know he wants to be a pro wrestler at this point.

 

[Calderownz]

Personally, I think that Cena will stick around but perhaps not as long as people would assume. Still, I think that he has at least another half-decade in him still.

Nonetheless, it depends on how things go obviously, in terms of who replaces him. I'd put some solid money on guys like Dolph Ziggler, John Morrison, CM Punk or The Miz.

All of these guys have two of the three things it takes to make it. The looks, the mic work, or the in-ring work.

The problem is that it takes time and net fans have very little of that.

 

[swayscobain]

New face??? There is no "new face" of wwe. John cena is vinces go to guy. 9 world titles, soon to be 7 straight ME's at wrestlemania, movies, merchandise, public appearances, award shows, sports shows, name recognition, ppv sales and 200 wishes granted. There's no bigger name in wrestling than John cena right now. The modern day hulk hogan. There's no new face of the company until the next big thing happens in the biz and from the looks of things thts not happening

 

[xsKiitz]

I don't think Cena's going anywhere soon.
I would not like to see The Miz turn face. He's an EXCELLENT hell, somewhat reminding me of Chris Jericho. Had a young wild attitude, then wins a title and puts on a suit.

Ziggler is very promising in my eyes. I was really hoping he'd beat Edge at the Rumble. But I do believe it's too early for him, he came into the title picture just like *snap*, that.
If he ditches the dog Vickie, then he could be something big and win the title. I really believe that.

JoMo is obvious. Work him up the ranks, give him a lot of solid matches and give him a title shot possibly towards the end of this year. Definite future.

Don't even touch Chris Jericho. Turn him face and his character has gone down the hole.

Unfortunately I feel that Yoshi Tatsu has come to the WWE 5 years late. If he was around for the cruiserweight days then he could be the next Ultimo Dragon. Nothing's stopping him from being a solid midcarder though. He is actually legitimately exciting, something rare these days in the E.

McIntyre as a face.. I might be able to picture it. I've been rooting for him lately actually, just to shove it in Kelly Kelly's face, as she's being the biggest bitch right now. So yeah, if they try make Drew a face I would not have any complaints.

Barretts another possible face. I've been liking him lately, showing a more 'respective' side which is great to see. Him and Cena shouldn't do anything anymore, at least for a while.

Sheamus, Punk and Kane should not turn face. I can't see them as a serious face anymore. Especially Sheamus, no fkn way.

Best bets i'd like to see rise up to mainevent status and turn face and Justin Gabriel who is amazing to watch and produced a great match against Edge. And Dolph Ziggler who I've loved watching every match he's been in.

 

[Tech N9ne]

I don't think John Cena is anywhere near being done. He still has much to do.

There will still be a Heel turn in his future, than a return back to the love of the fans, etc etc...

The next Face or the next guy to hit the spotlight, in my opinion is Morrison.

Morrison has what it takes and seems to get better every week. I couldn't care less about what he does on the mic. I am sure they will always be working on that part of his game. To me, I would say it does not hold him back.

The one thing John Morrison is missing is a finisher. That one move that drives people wild. I think once that is attained, so will his stardom!