Finding that next.... star!

[CobraStarship]

For years and years fans under estimate "jobbers".. "low-card talent".. "shotgun, velocity, heat, superstars performers" in the industry... if you all know what i mean... I'm not talking about the talents that come through the indies where YOU KNOW! they are that good... (i.e. Punk, Aries, Danielson, Moxley, Black etc.)

Take for a couple examples;
1. The Miz - NOBODY thought when he was doing his reality gimmick and even when he was with JoMo... NOBODY thought of him being one of the top 10 stars of the company today, i know i certainly never saw it coming... wrestle mania headliner etc...

2. Edge - when The Brood were causing ruckus right through the attitude era, not once did i go wow... Edge is going to be a 10 time world champion, hall of fame winner and pretty much accomplish everything there is to do in the business... but he did!

3. Robert Roode - Even as small as TNA is - when Bobby Roode was part of Team Canada, i always thought it was Petey Williams who was going break through at the end of Team Canada - nope it was Roode! Now look at him... i can't picture impact wrestling without him in the main event anymore...
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What i want to know is... who do you believe will go on to have a big and/or hall of fame career? This is this the list of guys i will give you to think of (any others feel free to add ..

Drew McIntyre, Alex Riley, JTG, Primo, Epico, Tyson Kidd, Justin Gabriel, Hunico, Camacho, Heath Slater, Darren Young, Titus O'Neil, Jinder Mahal, Derrick Bateman, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Ezekiel Jackson, Brodus Clay, Sin Cara, Evan Bourne, Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder & Johnny Curtis

Yes most of them have had a lot of shine on Smackdown and RAW already; however opportunities and things change in this industry... but who has that something else... most of this list were part of nexus, hart dynasty, part of the legendary colon family or anoa'i family or were once "mcmahons chosen one" or once headlined raw in a tag team with Shaqueille O'Neal for god sake or a former ECW Champion or was calling his momma on Wrestlemania Stage....

My pick - Heath Slater - i for some reason... see a lot of Edge in him - former FCW Champion, Part of the inaugural NXT Season, Part of the Nexus (Tag Team Champion), Part of the Corre (Tag Team Champion), Started his One Maaaaaannnn Bannnnndddd Babyyyy!, Did the lead up and the actual final segment of RAW 1000 working with legends like Vader, Sid, Piper, Rikishi etc, now he is doing his 3MB thing leading the group with Mahal and McIntyre... i mean already he has had some cool 3 or so years on WWE Television - but i truly believe somehow someway Heath Slater will be a WWE Champion, by 2018! i know it sounds a while a way... but he will, he will go face, he will go heel again... that's my opinion...

Whats yours?

 

[AhSpicyDrop]

Heath Slater as WWE Champ by 2018? You mean the guy that looks like the Rock n Roll Express snuck off and had a kid together?

The guy has a lot of charisma and he's definitely willing to do whatever it takes to keep his job, but he's tiny in stature. There's nothing about him that screams future WWE champion. He's the heel equivalent of Santino Marella. He's a comedy jobber, and now he's leading a group of jobbers. So basically he's the leader of this generation's JOB Squad.

The 3MB is arguably the worst segment out of RAW on any given week. There's nothing even remotely funny about seeing Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal parading around with him. Hell, I don't even want to see Jinder Mahal on my television, let alone trying to be a heel comedian.

But to answer your question, out of all the names you listed Drew McInytre is the only one I can see making it to the big time... and I'm hoping that starts sooner than later.

Thinking about it a little bit more, I think Titus O'Neill has more upside than Drew McIntyre, and he'll eventually be a breakout star because he's got the physique to be a Main Event attraction and he's already shown that he's at least comfortable enough to have a microphone in front of him.

 

[Master JM]

Several guys are on the cusp of breaking the glass ceiling and becoming big time players. In fact, this might very well be the year of the next generation - but then again, us internet fans say that nearly every year. Nevertheless, these are the people who, in my opinion, are going to become the next big stars in WWE.

Wade Barrett - The perfect burly look, a good promo voice, and a great moveset. The current Intercontinental Champion has been one of my favourites for a while, and he is, without a doubt, a future World Champ.

Antonio Cesaro - Christ, I love this guy. Manages to pull off a gimmick that has been beaten to death over the years and is excelling with it. He has one of the most hard-hitting styles in wrestling and is one of the strongest guys on the roster. That's perfect jerk-off material for Vince McMahon, so I can't picture Cesaro going anywhere except up.

Damien Sandow - Cody Rhodes has been boring me to death recently, but Sandow is playing that educated and eloquent egomaniac perfectly, making for extremely entertaining television. And everyone knows that if you can entertain, you can succeed. He is perfectly solid in the ring, too.

Dolph Ziggler - I don't like Dolph Ziggler. I've tried to bring myself to be a fan many times, but the man simply does nothing for me - he sounds like I did when I was 14 years old and isn't the best worker on the planet. I rarely let my personal bias get in the way of fact, however, and the fact is this: Zolph Diggler is going to be a star, and his performance in the Royal Rumble will undoubtedly be great. It's just a matter of when with him, as that briefcase is a near-guaranteed WHC run.

The Shield - One of the strongest debuts in recent memory and a not too shabby 1-0 record in matches. I'm not going to talk a lot about these guys, but rest assured that they will turn out to be something good.

I thought about listing Daniel Bryan, Alberto Del Rio and The Miz, but these guys are pretty well established already.

Many other stars were not listed because of one of three reasons:
A. I don't see them as big players.
B. They suck.
C. They're Divas. No Diva can be a big star in 2013.

 

[InstantAttitude]

Hmmmmm......
Hard to answer. All these guys seem like their futures are thin.
But If I had to pick I'd go with Curt Hawkins.....yeah sure he's a jobber right now but who knows WWE could push him just like that.

Hawkins is still pretty young right now about 27 yrs of age. He's got charisma and is pretty goood in the ring. Not to mention he's been training with The Rock lately so who knows if that will do anything to change his career.

So If I had to pick a next breakout guy it'd be Hawkins.
Doubt it will happen though.

 

[Aquaman6686]

Cody Rhodes. Damien Sandow bores the living f*** out of me, but Rhodes has managed to keep the team interesting and I see all the potential in the world in Cody Rhodes. Aside from the stumbling block of the Undashing crap in 2011, Rhodes has impressed me since he first debuted, and I think 2014 will be the year of Rhodes. I see Cody Rhodes being World Heavyweight Champion before the end of next years.

 

[das1234]

i think if it werent for a certain someone, riley might be WHC by now. i know, i know, probably not and he wasnt very good in the ring but he is actually really intense in a way and was over as crazy. back when he still had storylines and won matches.

 

[soooooperdragon]

Alex Riley-i am willing to bet that this guy will be the next big face of the wwe.just something about him reminds me of john cena for some reason back before he had ruthless aggression.

Xavier Woods-he was in tna as consequeses creed.he has a lot of potential he reminds me of a larger version of shelton benjamin,has a great look nice move set i think he will go pretty far when hes called up to main roster.

Dean ambrose- Dean fucking ambrose

 

[Papa Pillman]

I think we have entered a new age in how the WWE will create its future top line talent.

Yes it will still be done at times how the WWE has often done it in the past.

A few second/third generation guys, and other guys with family ties who get there first real exposure with the business as WWE developmental talents will end up making it as stars, some strong current possibilities being: Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, and Joe Hennig.

And the occasional guy who fits the "WWE mold" will get brought in practically off the street and given a chance to fulfill Vince's vision that "you can't teach size or a look but anyone can be taught to wrestle" and become a star, a good current example being: Big E. Langston.

But mostly I think you are seeing the WWE gravititate toward the more logical means of bringing in the stars of the future, that being- scout the indies and find all the young guys that are out there who are transcendent and sign them to developmental, teach them the WWE way, and then put them in a position to get over for a national audience the same way they got over in gyms, armory's, union halls, etc.

Chris Jericho once said (paraphrasing) that whether you are performing in front of a few fans or a few thousand, getting yourself over is still getting yourself over, that is a trait that translates.

That is why we are seeing WWE go out and sign so many more of the top guys on the indy circuit. Even guys who don't seem to fit their physical mold like PAC or El Generico for example.

Along with the transition to HHH being in charge, plus the success that huge name indy stars like Punk and Bryan have had, we are likely to see a change in the way the WWE looks at who they will peg as their future stars.

Therefore, I think that the trend will be that the most talented and complete independent guys who they bring in will end up being the biggest names in the company down the line. The first two best examples being Moxley and Black, both of whom I would wager on heavily to be multiple time future world champions. Claudio also fits this mold, and I think he will also win world titles. And there will be more who come through the pipeline eventually who aren't even signed yet; for example a guy like Adam Cole who is supremely talented and is at the top of the indy circuit right now despite being only 22 years old.

 

[a member of wwe universe]

I think Damiem sandow might have a chance of becoming something unique and hang out with the top dog in the future. HOWEVER.... i want to get this off my back

But OP i suggest you to change the title of the thread from *star* to credible midcarder. Besides jeff hardy and cm punk, since 2006 who were successful going on becoming a BONaFIDE maineventer? I do not blame the talent entirely as creative definitely had something to do with it. In other word, WWE are struggling to make *STARS" since 2006.

At this moment, ryback, daniel bryan, del rio, sheamus, ziggler are "UPPER Midcarder." When i think of stars, i think of cm punk, cena, and orton.

Take a look at this list. All these gentlemen were once pushed by wwe at high level and some were once praised by iwc as "future" of wwe and the next "star." Now im aware there are political issue that may play a huge factor but that still no excuse.

kofi kingston
ted dibiase
jack swagger
drew mcytre
alex riley
mason ryan
brodus clay
zack ryder
miz - to an extent

*not with wwe anymore*
*john morrison
*mvp
*vladmir kloslov
*eziekel jackson
*mvp
*shelton benjamin

if you do the math, since 2006, only 2 stars, well one left. And 5 upper midcarders are produced, well atleast are currenlty with the company. The other 15+ guys are either released, jobbing, or hanging in midcard division. And haters wondering why part timers like rock are "stealing the spotlight"?

 

[Radical]

Heath Slater as WWE Champ by 2018? You mean the guy that looks like the Rock n Roll Express snuck off and had a kid together?

The guy has a lot of charisma and he's definitely willing to do whatever it takes to keep his job, but he's tiny in stature. There's nothing about him that screams future WWE champion. He's the heel equivalent of Santino Marella. He's a comedy jobber, and now he's leading a group of jobbers. So basically he's the leader of this generation's JOB Squad.

The 3MB is arguably the worst segment out of RAW on any given week. There's nothing even remotely funny about seeing Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal parading around with him. Hell, I don't even want to see Jinder Mahal on my television, let alone trying to be a heel comedian.

In Pro Wrestling you have to be careful about disregarding a guy as a 'worthy' World Champion due to his stature. Especially a guy who is at least 6'2", 216 lbs ... which, by the way, is the same height and only 2 pounds lighter than CM Punk. So he's by no means too 'small' to be World Champion.

However, that said, his current gimmick is too cheesy to allow him to be a credible World Champion.

Unless his gimmick gets a bit more serious at best he could be a Tag Team Champion again or US Champion.

I don't hate 3MB as much as a lot of people seem to. I do not like Jinder Mahal in the group. I wish it was Curt Hawkins instead. It probably would have been if he wasn't injured when they were making the group. I can only hope they have the very rare HEEL team stays HEEL by getting more serious and maybe beating up their own guy (Mahal) for screwing up something big and replacing him with Hawkins.

I would like to see 3MB progress at least to the point where they come out with real guitars. I think it'd be funny if they tried to play them and then had the guys in the truck dub over their terrible playing with good playing and have them pretend it was them.

 

[tvcolosi]

I know WWE was high on Bo Dallas, but I really wan't. I was wring, He looked like a star in waiting last night. Maybe they will throw Dallas into the IC cup on ME and have him fued with Barrett. Maybe some how this leads to Richie Steamboat vs Wade Barrett at WM29

 

[HellBoundPower]

Ryback: I think with the way Ryback has been built up in 2012, he's a future world champion in the making. The crowd is obviously behind him (Goldberg chants aside), he has the look, a decent amount of ability, and the charisma to help carry the WWE when his time is here. I know a lot of people think he's terrible and blah blah blah, but I definitely see big star potential in him. He definitely looks credible against everyone he faces as a threat, has a lot more skill and charisma than an Ezekiel Jackson or a Mason Ryan, and has Vince McMahon behind him. His future is bright, and I'm sure he'll be a world champion in the next year.

Alex Riley: When Riley first broke away from The Miz, he has future star written all over him. They gave him awesome theme music, a clean victory over a former WWE Champion, and he seemed to get pretty over with the crowd. Unfortunately, him vocalizing displeasure over a rib from John Cena got him put in lower card purgatory, and then an injury took him out of the game. I think with enough hard work, Riley could come back from his setbacks and be a credible star in the next couple of years. I guess it all depends on creative realizing that they have something on their hands that could be big.

Dolph Ziggler: Ziggler has been around for awhile, and obviously on the brink of the push that brings him to the Main Event. He's almost there. And I think that once he wins the World Title, he'll get over with the crowd. I think the only thing that has held him back is his name, but I think that people will get over it. I mean, a guy named "CM Punk" just held the WWE Title for 434 days. So why not Dolph Ziggler? I think Dolph will become a top heel, and finally make his way out of the upper-middle card and into the Main Event.

 

[JBK2008]

The next star of the WWE could very well be Dolph Ziggler. The briefcase is back and Dolph is teasing it more. Along with Jericho being back, and I'm assuming that'll be Ziggler's WreslteMania opponent, this could be the year Dolph wins it all for good. That first title reign doesn't count by any stretch of the imagination!

Jericho will put Dolph over and we may even say a cash in at WrestleMania for the first time ever! It's time for the Show Off to take off and win the big one. He's got a look that we don't see much of these days. He indeed steals the show and the crowd can't stand him half the time. A face turn will somehow have to happen, but I think that can happen AFTER he cashes in on a heel. If Orton or Big Show or someone else takes the World Heavyweight Championship off Del Rio, you can almost count on Ziggler cashing in next!