Five Guys With Huge Potential... If Booked Properly

[AustinHartLesnarHBKTaz80]

here's my list of 5 guys with HUGE POTENTIAL if booked correctly and given enough tv time to develop.....


1) JINDER MAHAL----seriously underbooked. give him a MOHAMMED HASSAN-type gimmick where he insults the crowd every week and he will build massive heat. give him the US title right off the bat and have him keep it for a very long time to build his credibility. he's very solid in the ring already and he would be a very credible champion.

2) DAVID OTUNGA----otunga is also very solid in the ring. he was one of the old NXT's stable's best guys on the mic. he still is very good on the mic. he has a good, marketable look to him. he can use his association with jennifer hudson to his advantage, maybe have her valet for certain ppvs. give him more tv time, more wrestling time, and this guy will shine, no doubt about it.

3) KOFI KINGSTON---kingston is one of the few high flyers on the roster and can have exciting matches. he just needs to stop jumping nonsensically and over-reacting too much before he does a flying closeline or whatever. first and foremost, he needs to DITCH the jamaican boom boom gimmick. DITCH IT for good. stick him with a more serious bad ass gimmick of some sort. just don't do the stereotypical jamaican guy ever again. it annoys the crap outta me. this gimmick is what is holding him back. he's pretty intelligent on the mic and give him a run as a heel, i see great potential with this character change, and it could possibly finally move him past the midcard.

4) TYLER REKS----has a great, unique look. love the dreads. i see dreadlock wigs selling like hotcakes when this guy hits it big. give him mic time and more tv exposure to develop his character more. wwe should have given him the squash matches and the big push rather than fat ass 'not good enough for tv' brodus clay. reks looks pretty solid in the ring as well. sticking him with a typical monster heel persona would work wonders for this guy.

5) R TRUTH---he needs to go back to his great HEEL persona, where he smashed water bottles over peoples heads and smoked cigarettes inside the arenas. he needs to make kids cry in the stands, get the audience riled up, spit water in peoples faces. he was a loose cannon on the mic and this heel truth is just more congruent than babyface truth that we see now. he's watered down now, and him catering to his 'little jimmys' and smiling too much is corny, killed all his momentum, and it just doesn't fit right. truth needs to 'embrace the hate!'

thats my list.

what you guys think?

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Starting from the bottom up.
5) Truth's new character change has helped him more than anything. Why do most of you think a guy needs to be a badass to be taken seriously? Truth is like that batshit crazy friend you have who will always have your back in a fight. He's a great babyface. So yea, I can see him becoming a big star in 2012.

4) Yea, Reks has a great look, but he doesn't do any character stuff to really standout. Another question about "most of you" that I have is why most of you think it's on the bookers to get a guy over? Wrestlers get themselves over. If you can't bring a character to life, it's your own damn fault.

3) Kofi is on the cusp. He looked like he was trying really hard at EC and it seems like they'll give him a shot. Obviously has all the athleticism and a good amount of charisma, just needs to put it into a more memorable character. His jumping up and down before and after stuff is him doing "big" motions, it's what gets over in large arenas. His jumping makes sense, it's not like Morrison doing a fuckin cartwheel into some break dancing before doing a leg drop. Also lol at you saying "ditch the jamaican thing and act like a badass". Not everyone is a badass, not everyone should be a badass. He's not even acting Jamaican anymore other than being black with dreadlocks and coming out to jamaican music. He speaks like a regular guy.

2) Otunga I agre with. He gets it. He understands that it's character driven and keeps adding more character ticks every week.

1) No. First off, he's not arabian despite the WWE's excellent job at doing the Indian thing in such a way that dumb rednecks will go 'IT'S A TERIST!!!", but no. Jinder seems to lack any and all ability to portray a character other than simply being Indian. He's like a diet Alberto Del Rio.

 

[AustinHartLesnarHBKTaz80]

also, for a wrestler to be OVER though, they gotta be given the tv time and the exposure to do it. reks is barely seen or heard from. mahal, although has matches every week----not booked correctly.

the wwe has to have faith in the guy and give him a couple of weeks of CONSTANT tv exposure to help get his character over.

reks has not been given much tv time nor enough exposure. mahal has not been given enough tv time, nor given much mic time.

brodus clay on the other hand, got tooo much tv time and exposure. instead, the bookers should have given this time to someone else----i say it should have been tyler reks.

 

[Psyclone]

none of the guys you mentioned aside from kofi potentially have main event potential.... kofi also doesnt have a jamaican gimmick (he comes out to the music sure, but thats just a continuance from his early days..) He doesn't speak in a jamaican accent anymore, he doesn't get announced as from "jamaica" (but from Ghana West Africa...) Also, he tried the "bad ass" gimmick once before, when I thought he was about to breakout when he feuded with Randy Orton... He's again on the cusp sure, and I agree deserves some time on the mic... but not as a bad ass like a sheamus or a mark henry... more as himself as he was during the debate... as a guy who is confident in himself and will do the best he can... I can see him and only him of the 5 you mentioned as a WHC or WWE champion in the next 2 years.

as for the rest

1) Jinder Mahal HAHAHBAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA... no nothing I've seen of him shows that he can talk much (aside from insulting people in hindi I'm assuming) and from his short short matches in the ring he's not exactly a technician there either... He's not going to get over, and I hate how every other smackdown he's involved (especially since or the most part its a match with sheamus..)

2) David Otunga is decent right now... He's alright on the mic and has a decent look.... He's gotten better in the ring since his first matches, but by no means do I see "main event" level potential... I see MAYBE upper mid card.... he's doing alright now though latched on to the GM storyline... but until he improves in the ring, I don't see anything beyond maybe a US or IC title..

4 Tyler Reks... He's got a decent enough look, sadly since I dont watch NXT or Superstars I havent really seen him... Not really huge potential in him... again maybe a midcard title if all goes well for him...

5 Truth... Now unlike you I remember the first incarnation of "R truth" aka K-Kwik in the wwe... I've seen him from good guy to bad guy to good rapping guy to bad DONT WHAT ME to good DONT WHAT ME and back again... He's fine where he is right now because honestly his promo's are at least somewhat funny and now the crowd gets to laugh along with them... I hated the "heel" truth because his finisher seemingly was hitting someone with an open water bottle (which you mentioned).... Hit yourself with a plastic bottle filled with water and without a top... ITS WEAK AS ALL SHIT..... Look truth's character was clearly suited to be a face as he spouts random as shit stuff that is funny... crowds are going to cheer for shit that they laugh at... its going to happen... Honestly though the only reason that his momentum was killed, was because of what he did (getting suspended)... He was in the midst of a push that got killed when he got suspended for the 30 days... THAT and only THAT is the reason why he had to suddenly become a face (whichwas a good thing for him overall..) but you talk about it like they killed all his momentum because of it... no.. him being away 30 days was the reason why it all changed... his fault

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

also, for a wrestler to be OVER though, they gotta be given the tv time and the exposure to do it. reks is barely seen or heard from. mahal, although has matches every week----not booked correctly.

the wwe has to have faith in the guy and give him a couple of weeks of CONSTANT tv exposure to help get his character over.

reks has not been given much tv time nor enough exposure. mahal has not been given enough tv time, nor given much mic time.

brodus clay on the other hand, got tooo much tv time and exposure. instead, the bookers should have given this time to someone else----i say it should have been tyler reks.

So, they should prove they deserve the time. Anytime Reks is on TV, he looks generic and boring, doesn't do anything to garner anymore time. Same with Mahal. Mahal has had time and really didn't do anything.

Brodus Clay got OVER. So no, it wasn't wasted time, it was good. The gimmick got over and it wasn't the typical boring "GRR IM BADASS" shit. You seem to forget that wrestling is fun. You probably think Santino was booked wrong at EC because he's not a serious badass.

 

[AustinHartLesnarHBKTaz80]

So, they should prove they deserve the time. Anytime Reks is on TV, he looks generic and boring, doesn't do anything to garner anymore time. Same with Mahal. Mahal has had time and really didn't do anything.

Brodus Clay got OVER. So no, it wasn't wasted time, it was good. The gimmick got over and it wasn't the typical boring "GRR IM BADASS" shit. You seem to forget that wrestling is fun. You probably think Santino was booked wrong at EC because he's not a serious badass.

don't get me started with santino man....UGH.....

i'm just not a fan of lame comedy acts and funky fat dancers who cant have good quality matches.

i'm old school when it comes to my kind of wrestling in the ring. i like good technical wrestling, realistic looking action with a little people's elbow and ric flair strutting / chops thrown in there for glitz and entertainment value.

but if you stick a guy with a stupid comedy act like santino, who femininely power walks to the ring, and whose finisher is a puppet cobra punch (seriously?!) i'm sorry, but i just can't take this guy seriously, no matter how much the fans cheer for the guy, or how much the wwe wants to make us think he would win the title.

-mahal couldnt really get anything done because he was booked to lose every single time and not given enough much time to speak on a consistent basis.

-of course brodus got 'over' because he was on every single week made to look like an unstoppable force. that was the booker's call by the way.

-austin couldnt hit his potential in wcw because the booker's never let him move up the card and they shut him down.

-booker's play more of a role in a superstars rise than most people think.

-you're right monster heel gimmicks are played out, but just like good vs evil, there is always a place for it.

-as for brodus, i would have preferred him to not even make tv. i honestly don't think he is any good. he may have gotten over sure, by squashing people, (thanks to the bookers) but he was very one dimensional----dance to the ring, two moves of doom, dance some more. this guy had no talent in the ring. they should have given his valuable tv time to reks or mahal---guys who could move around better in the ring and possibly kill it on the mic as well.

wrestling is fun---the best dancing gimmicks were alex wright, disco inferno----at least these guys could wrestle to add to their classic dance moves.....

 

[Azane]

1. Arabic racial gimmick, oh boy, sounds new and interesting. He actually isn't a bad competitor, but wrestling is extremely racist, and his gimmicks will ruin any chance he has of being a big competitor. Wrestling fans mistake Indian for Arab, and gone are the days of the Iron Sheik that you'd see an arab anti-American in the spotlight.

2. Otunga was the one guy from NXT that was pretty much assumed would be cut, but his kissass real life persona is working for him in the actual company. He is god awful in the ring and can't wrestle. He's a good talker and has a look, but god don't let him wrestle. Right now, he's heat magnetized by Johnny, the only reason anyone cares about him. Put Otunga on his own and you get a dead fish.

3. Kofi has had so many breakout opportunities drop from him, his style and gimmick have been hard set midcard gimmicks, and he's pretty much Jomo's understudy that's taken over now that he's cross the future endeavored line. I wish Kofi could go further, but as long as he's an African Jamaican American who does nothing but say boom and jump high, he's not going to go far. With a gimmick overhaul, and giving him some time to play his character like he did vs RKO a couple years ago, I could see him at least competing in the ME, he still doesn't really look like World Champion material to me... he's too much of a spot monkey to represent the entire company.

4. I like Reks, I think he was pretty impressive the few times I've seen him, and I remember his finisher looked pretty painful. I think he could at least be a midcard champion if they groomed him. I reserve full judgement on him though, because he's been a complete waste of a roster slot.

5. Truth is doing the best he's done with WWE. I haven't laughed at a racist gimmick in a while, but his batshit crazy gimmick has got me laughing out loud. He's not a very strong heel, I like him playing a comedy face in the uppercard much more. I think keeping him where he's at will keep him from being "R-NT you fired?". Ron Killings is also a lot older than people think, he's not a youth talent, he's 40.


Slightly off-topic, but on the subject of Brodus Clay.... Did you see how many Call my Momma signs and such were in the audience? I doubt WWE planted that many, he was definitely over to a good chunk of the crowd. The problem is, there's nowhere for his gimmick to go, it's completely ruined the second he loses a match. Overexposure also is bad for that sort of gimmick, which I hoped WWE realized.

And it takes more to get over than being booked to win, similarly someone can get over while losing. It doesn't hurt, but if booking someone to win was all it took, then they'd book some random guy to win every match ever and... nvm John Cena.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

don't get me started with santino man....UGH.....

i'm just not a fan of lame comedy acts and funky fat dancers who cant have good quality matches.

i'm old school when it comes to my kind of wrestling in the ring. i like good technical wrestling, realistic looking action with a little people's elbow and ric flair strutting / chops thrown in there for glitz and entertainment value.

but if you stick a guy with a stupid comedy act like santino, who femininely power walks to the ring, and whose finisher is a puppet cobra punch (seriously?!) i'm sorry, but i just can't take this guy seriously, no matter how much the fans cheer for the guy, or how much the wwe wants to make us think he would win the title.

-mahal couldnt really get anything done because he was booked to lose and not given enough time.

-of course brodus got 'over' because he was on every single week made to look like an unstoppable force. that was the booker's call by the way.

-austin couldnt hit his potential in wcw because the booker's never let him move up the card and they shut him down.

-booker's play more of a role in a superstars rise than most people think.

-you're right monster heel gimmicks are played out, but just like good vs evil, there is always a place for it.

-as for brodus, i would have preferred him to not even make tv. i honestly don't think he is any good. he may have gotten over sure, by squashing people, (thanks to the bookers) but he was very one dimensional----dance to the ring, two moves of doom, dance some more. this guy had no talent in the ring. they should have given his valuable tv time to reks or mahal---guys who could move around better in the ring and possibly kill it on the mic as well.

wrestling is fun---the best dancing gimmicks were alex wright, disco inferno, norman smiley----at least these guys could wrestle to add to their classic dance moves.....

Funky man being stiff and squashing jobbers is about as old school as it gets. That's what 90% of old shows were.

Also, you don't actually know what technical wrestling is since you don't know how to do every move, you know what's BOOKED and PROMOTED as technical wrestling, but you don't actually know.

You seem to be in the stage of smarkdom I was in around 2002. You like Angle, Lesnar, Benoit, etc. Pretty soon you'll branch out.

Santino's act isn't stupid, it's over. Him walking "femininely" (are you homophobic?) is funny. Please don't bitch about his sock finish. Jesus Christ. People's elbow, Hogan Leg Drop, shit an IRISH WHIP doesn't make any sense. I buy a guy hitting you in the throat with his finger tips as realistic more than a guy getting pushed into 3 strands of cable, pivoting, and coming back dumbfounded.

"booked to lose" doesn't matter". This isn't the 70s where people think it's real. When you lose they don't go "damn he lost, he sucks" it's simply "are you entertaining?" Mahal isn't. He doesn't bring his character to life, people don't believe him. Mahal is like Ted Dibiase. Physical ability, but bland as shit when it comes to character work.

No, Brodus didn't get over because he won a lot of squash matches, goddamn dude get out of the fuckin 70s. Do you REALLY think people would be dancing and laughing and smiling and having a good time if he wasn't so damn good at his character. Think about this, if all it took to get someone over was having them win a lot, then the WWE's job would be a hell of a lot easier wouldn't it? It's not, it's about creating a memorable character.

Austin was getting over in WCW. You are confusing "getting over" with "winning world titles". Austin was over, he just wasn't booked as over as he was. It's inverse of what you think. You simply give a guy a chance, if he gets over, he gets pushed more, gets more over, push him more, gets over more, push him more, etc. John Morrison had lots of pushes, never got more than midcard over and was never more than a midcarder. John Cena kept getting more and more over, he's a huge star.

Booker's obvioulsy play a role, but if a guy fails, 90% of the time it's their own damn fault for not portraying the character well enough. The bookers are simply a vehicle. If you don't make the most of the opportunity, you're going nowhere. Scott Hall had the right idea when he supposedly told Vince "if you want me to be GI Joe I'll be the best GI Joe". You take what they give you and run with it, you don't wait for them to give you the right character with the right push against the right opponent with the right amount of TV time. If they tell you to dress up in gold latex and act like a cross dresser, you do that to such an extent that you get over and become a memorable character.

Good vs Evil is a story, "evil monster" is a character. The show already has too many evil monsters, it devalues everyone if everyone is the same thing. Much like how you seem to think everyone should be a serious badass.

Again, Brodus didn't get over because of bookers. No one gives a shit about W/L records, they care about being entertained. Moving around in the ring? Brodus was incredibly athletic for a big guy. MOVEZ don't get you over. Plus, if Brodus is exchanging wristlocks, that doesn't make a lot of sense and is sort of a plothole in the match. Sort of like how indy guys suddenly forget to sell when it's time for the finishing stretch. An example of it done correctly is how CM Punk alters his moves to adjust for whatever bodypart was just worked on.

Did you really just say that Alex Wright and Disco could wrestle? Sure, they weren't bad (well Alex kinda was) but JESUS. Just because guys do a lot of moves or sort of fly doesn't make them good. Pro wrestling is a lot more complex than that.

 

[Its_A_Snake!]

Brodus Clay got OVER. So no, it wasn't wasted time, it was good. The gimmick got over and it wasn't the typical boring "GRR IM BADASS" shit. You seem to forget that wrestling is fun. You probably think Santino was booked wrong at EC because he's not a serious badass

Exactly.

What people seem to forget WWE is and always has been entertainment first, wrestling second.

Anyway,

I see potential in Tyler Reks. Give him a manager, book him right and keep away from talking to much.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

1. Arabic racial gimmick, oh boy, sounds new and interesting. He actually isn't a bad competitor, but wrestling is extremely racist, and his gimmicks will ruin any chance he has of being a big competitor. Wrestling fans mistake Indian for Arab, and gone are the days of the Iron Sheik that you'd see an arab anti-American in the spotlight.

2. Otunga was the one guy from NXT that was pretty much assumed would be cut, but his kissass real life persona is working for him in the actual company. He is god awful in the ring and can't wrestle. He's a good talker and has a look, but god don't let him wrestle. Right now, he's heat magnetized by Johnny, the only reason anyone cares about him. Put Otunga on his own and you get a dead fish.

3. Kofi has had so many breakout opportunities drop from him, his style and gimmick have been hard set midcard gimmicks, and he's pretty much Jomo's understudy that's taken over now that he's cross the future endeavored line. I wish Kofi could go further, but as long as he's an African Jamaican American who does nothing but say boom and jump high, he's not going to go far. With a gimmick overhaul, and giving him some time to play his character like he did vs RKO a couple years ago, I could see him at least competing in the ME, he still doesn't really look like World Champion material to me... he's too much of a spot monkey to represent the entire company.

4. I like Reks, I think he was pretty impressive the few times I've seen him, and I remember his finisher looked pretty painful. I think he could at least be a midcard champion if they groomed him. I reserve full judgement on him though, because he's been a complete waste of a roster slot.

5. Truth is doing the best he's done with WWE. I haven't laughed at a racist gimmick in a while, but his batshit crazy gimmick has got me laughing out loud. He's not a very strong heel, I like him playing a comedy face in the uppercard much more. I think keeping him where he's at will keep him from being "R-NT you fired?". Ron Killings is also a lot older than people think, he's not a youth talent, he's 40.


Slightly off-topic, but on the subject of Brodus Clay.... Did you see how many Call my Momma signs and such were in the audience? I doubt WWE planted that many, he was definitely over to a good chunk of the crowd. The problem is, there's nowhere for his gimmick to go, it's completely ruined the second he loses a match. Overexposure also is bad for that sort of gimmick, which I hoped WWE realized.

And it takes more to get over than being booked to win, similarly someone can get over while losing. It doesn't hurt, but if booking someone to win was all it took, then they'd book some random guy to win every match ever and... nvm John Cena.

Otunga was getting a lot of heat before he was with Ace. When he talks, people hate him. He plays up his real life stuff.

I agree with you on point 1, the racist stuff is pretty played out. Very clever of WWE to use thier audience's stupidity to create more of a heel than their really is. If they wanted to stereotype and Indian guy. they'd have him be a doctor with a 40 year old gold digging blonde wife with breast implants. Instead they give him a turbine. Good job on WWE's part to be sneaky.

Kofi isn't a spot monkey. Simply doing spots doesn't make you a spot monkey. Most of Kofi's stuff is tied into the match to look spontaneous. I do agree that his character needs work, not an overhaul, just to evolve.

Truth might be 40 but he's still really fit and the longer you're in wrestling, the smarter you get. He's really smart and as long as he has his health, he'll be fine.

 

[TheViper723]

This is what I can say about your 5:

1. Jinder Mahal - when i first heard of him, i said to myself...this is going to be another waste. Let's face it, the reason why Jinder Mahal is on TV is because of trying to attract the Indian crowd to watch WWE programming. Let's face it, with over a billion people in India and to have Jinder Mahal, an Indian (more like Canadian), on WWE is GOOD for Business. But is it smart? Usually they say HIT or MISS and in this case...a big MISS. The guy loses more matches than Goldberg has won in WCW. He is too typical of the HEEL who is not AMERICAN.

2. Otunga - has potential to shine and trust me, in 2012, Otunga will make a splash. I give it another 6 months or less before he starts competing big time for either the US or the IC Title. Let's face it, he has persona, can speak, can wrestle, but he lacks a certain charisma.

3. Kofi - I think he is under-utilized but at the same time, he really sucks on the mic. He can wrestle but the only one time where I ever took Kofi seriously is when he was in a feud with Orton a few years back. Since then, Kofi has been back in the mid-card. And at times, certain wrestlers are best left to shine and make the mid-card look glorious as opposed to trying to make it in the main event where wrestlers are stacked and almost impossible to compete. There is only 2 World Titles that have significance and there is almost 10 contenders for it each.

4. Tyler Reeks - Who is he again?

5. R-Truth - He has done a lot with his "crazy" persona. But he really won't be much a competitor because he is aging. He is a comedian but let's face it, he was really relevant with the Miz and even his feud with the Miz.



My two:

1. Ted Dibiase - He is the son of the Million Dollar Man. He made a great run as a face. And I think he still has enough potential to make it big. He should go into a program with Cody over the IC Title.

2. Justin Gabriel - He needs a severe push because he is fun to watch.

 

[Ballin247]

The main problem with Tyler Reks is his damn name. The guy has an intimidating look because he is big and the dreadlocks make him stand out but the name is just awful. Tyler is not what I think of when I see that guy. They need to give him a ring name. Something crazy and different to fit his look. They could put on a Hannibal Lector type mask on him and make him be a deranged lunatic. His look would fit the part. He has all the tools, except for mic skills. He cant talk without sounding like some west coast surfer. They should not let him talk, just look crazy and beat the shit out of people. Maybe give him a manager like James Mitchell.

Also, did you say Jinder Mahal can be huge? lol. That guy is awful. He is the definition of vanilla and average. He makes the dumbest faces too. Half the time I am laughing at the dude because he looks like such a dumbass all the time. He simply doesn't have it.

I think the ship has sailed on R-Truth already. He is pushing 40 if he isnt already there. He'll be upper-midcard and used to get younger guys over.

Kofi has the best shot at hitting it big. Otunga is okay. He might be intercontinental champion someday but that seems to be his peak.

 

[Foshinzo]

The only two I have an opinion about are:

Jinder Mahal: I've made a whole post before about how I don't understand the appeal of this guy. He's not a great wrestler, he's not a great talker, and his character is just an Indian ADR. Also, I don't get how a heel Indian wrestler appeals to the Indian demo. Aren't they supposed to just cheer for John Cena, the good guy, just like the rest of us?

The Arab gimmick like Hassan's, though Mahal isn't Arab, is either offensive to Arabs or offensive to Americans...but either way, it's just offensive.

I've seen people site the Iron Sheik as proof that the Arab stereotype can succeed, but I always say the same thing: You know who Sheik's tag partner was? A Soviet Russian stereotype. As evidenced by Kozlov, kids today don't really understand why the Russian stereotype is so hated. It's just an outdated gimmick, IMO. Especially since 9/11 created nationwide Islamophobia, it's just not right for Arabs.

I'm not trying to be that guy, because I know it's just wrestling, but there's a reason Hassan got in hot water; it's an easily offensive gimmick.

The only other wrestler on your list that I have an opinion about is Kofi Kingston.

The only "evaluation" I have for Kofi is that If there was something "Main Event" about Kofi, he would have gotten there, by now. He really is just a spot ****e. Without all his spots, he's really got nothing. You can book him anyway you want, but I defy you to turn him into a top face. Right now, he's doing about as well as I think he ever could. He's got a nice smile and he's fun to watch, but his character is just shallow, and that's just uninteresting enough to hold him back. I've always said that I would rather have ten average wrestlers who are great entertainers over fifty amazing athletes who are below-average entertainers.

Finally, the only person off of your list that I think should be on there is Ted DiBiase.

I firmly believe that if they had given him the Fortunate Sons stable, guys like Barrett and Henry would be fighting for a spot at the top of the heel class on Smackdown. Ted DiBiase needed time to grow. He needed space to grow. They didn't give him that. They threw Maryse on him, like that was going to make him credible somehow, and they tried to turn him into his father with the Million Dollar Championship, which isn't going to work because Jr. isn't Sr. and he's probably not as good, either. But, I do believe that he would have been a really good heel with a stable. If he had had his brother Brett, Joe Hennig, maybe one of the Rotundo boys or a Ritchie Steamboat off of FCW, it would have been a stable that could have rocketed him to success.

I'm not sure why the FSs never happened. It seems like Vince's hatred of stables is not only lame, but unwise, too. Ted deserves a spot in a real feud, not just some hackneyed television feud with Hunico. I'd also like to see him as a babyface. I've felt for awhile that he should be the one who takes the Intercontinental Championship off of Cody, and I'm clearly not the only one who feels that way.

 

[Prince Punk]

R-Truth will continue to be at the top of the card for awhile (even more so if he has been working with HHH on his promo stuff)

Kofi Kingston is primed for a position at the top of the upper mid card and if they give him the time I think he can take it (air boom is dead and gone so maybe Kingston can use that exposure to get back into being fully relevant)

the other 3 however I besides Otunga (which i think is getting a push now) I don't really pay enough attention too to think about.

However I think that Santino is going to end up with a decent enough push after Elimination Chamber and the following nights battle royal. THAT is someone who is over. I could see him as the PG era Mick Foley the lovable comedy guy except he actually has the potential to REALLY wrestle and could be a credible transitional champion.

(no offense to Foley but I've never seen him as a great ring wrestler) The fact that they could make me feel like Santino could and that they even got me to want for Santino to win at EC should show you that the in ring story can overshadow the wrestlers gimmick.

 

[JoonDaGr8One]

I think Kofi is poised for a run pretty soon, With Wade getting hurt and Cody holding the IC belt he may be the fav to win the Money In The Bank if they have it at Mania. I've always noticed that when faces the top face like Cena or Punk in a match, they make him look like he can hang with him. CM Punk slapped hands with him when he jumped the top rope in the chamber match as to say "you a bad mofo". I liked how he talked a little trash to Y2J after he hit the Trouble in Paradise on him at the debate, just let him keep that aggression, make him get an edge trying to prove himself to the upper level stars. I think the Show Off gimmick would have been good for him because he is the only one that can actually do stuff that others can't do. I'd have him slap a guy after he jumps over there head with ease and do a top rope trouble in paradise on the big show or Khali.

Well as you can see i really like Kofi, but i think Jinder Mahal can be good if booked right. WWE needs to step up and stop limiting there stars because of their race, i think he can wrestle, just let him be a heel that cheats to win. You don't have to force the fact that he is Indian down our throats, just let him do his thing. I think he debuted too soon after Del Rio with a similar gimmick, a rich arrogant foreigner.

I don't know much but i like Tyler Reks(one k or 2?) but i like his look, they should let him speak a bit and see how it goes.

R Truth is cool and all but i've never been crazy about him, he seems corny as hell to me. He is all over the place when he talks, i don't know what it is but sometimes i like it and sometimes i'm like WTF?

Who's left, oh David Otunga, he's getting better and its seems they are determined to make it work so he has that in his favor. Its up to him not to f' it up, because he has backing form somebody. I'm surprised nobody has ever said anything about him going after flavor flav's sloppy seconds. (I Love New York Season 1)

 

[IHW]

I like your list. But, the one point i do not agree with is Jinder Mahal. I just do not see anything about this guy, except his nose of course.

 

[BigThunder]

Comedy has been a part of wrestling for a very long, long time. You can call yourself "old school", but the old school wasn't all serious business. I remember watching midget matches and comedy routines from jobbers (like the ol' criss-cross, people getting dizzy after airplane spins) and refs forty years ago.

I wish that the comedy of modern wrestling was funnier (though both Truth and Santino do crack me up), however Vince and the WWE aren't betraying wrestling's heritage by throwing humor into the mix. Whether there's too much humor is another matter.

As for the five wrestlers listed here: I haven't been impressed by Mahal. It's rather sad to see the audience mistake Arabia and India; that's like confusing Oklohoma with Alaska. Kofi's impresed me lately; Tyler Rex is someone I haven't written off yet, but he needs a real chance to shine. Otunga is getting there, and R-Truth is worthy of a main event push right now.

 

[Loveless]

Anytime Reks is on TV, he looks generic and boring

I'm awarding you my "Stupidest Comment of the Week" award. He's a 6'5 white caveman with dreads, he couldn't be any less generic in this era.

As for the rest of this list

Mahal is a waste of time, when no-one cares even when you're playing the evil foreigner you've no future.
Kofi I just can't see getting into the main event as a face. He's got potential but is just stale and needs a new (or old car smashing) attitude.
Otunga is an interesting one I can't quite make my mind up on. He's terrible in the ring but there's a personality developing, I don't think it'll be enough given how WWE are cutting the throat of everyone.
R-Truth. Any chance he had of being main event disappeared with his face turn. He went from dangerous maniac to Santino

 

[PagingMr.ass]

Justin Gabriel- He has The look and some great moves to get over. From what I remember his mic skills were pretty decent but he hasn't got any mic time since the NXT thing. He could be a dominant face in the IC/US picture if given the shot, and he could help relaunch the cruiser weight division if those plans ever amount to anything.

Seth Rollins/Tyler Black- I really think he's gonna be a instant hit when he gets moved up to the main roster, He's got as much indy buzz as Daniel Bryan had when he moved in, with the added bonus charisma and a highflying move set that can be a little more visually stimulating then a ground attack. He's got the potential do reach Jeff Hardy-esque heights in the WWE.

Alex Riley- Don't really no why he's vanished in recent months, he seemed to be as total of a package that a rookie could be when first introduced. He was even able to come off looking strong while loosing in his feud with the miz

Tyler Reks- WWE is gonna need a new "monster" some time soon. Taker, Kane, and Henry are all in the twilight of their careers and I wouldn't be surprised if they are all in retirement with in two years. I dont' think Kahli has anything else to offer and they went a different rout with Brodus so I think he'd be the perfect candidate. Most WWE "monsters" are slow and generic. Reks has a unique look all his own and is extremely agile for his size. Could really be put over as a dominant force if given the chance.

Hunico- He's the kind of guy who really knows how to use his tv time. He takes every oppurtinity he gets and shines. He reminds me of a Chavo Guererro with charisma which could amount to very big things.

My Bottom Five- New guys I've lost faith in.

Ezekiel Jackson- Was a huge fan as TBK's body guard, and even his ECW run but ever since his face turn he's come off bland and his IC run was won of the least note worthy in recent history.

Johnny Curtis- For years I waited for Johnny Curtis and Johnny Prime to be moved up to the main roster. Johnny Curtis has been a huge disapointment, they emiadiatley scrapped his tag title shot w/ r-truth he earned by winning NXT and I don't see any more chances coming his way. His old partner Prime/Cannon was a lot more entertaining then him and he was served the pink slip months ago so i think Curtis isn't far behind. They should have been brought in as a tag team then they might of had a chance.

Trent Baretta- I think Hawkins and JTG have more to offer, so if he's the Jobber to the Jobbers why even sign his check.

 

[James]

I just stopped reading after I saw David Otunga and I don't even want to finish this post, but what in the hell? The last 3 besides Tyler are getting pushed somewhat but not everyone can be feuding for the top title all the time.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Tyler Reks absolutely should be teamed in Funkasaurus Reks... He has a kind of "caveman" look, it'd be a team that sells shitloads of merch, imagine the Jurassic Park style t-shirts etc... As a team they could be the next long term tag champs.

Mahal is being portrayed stereotypically and that will actually hurt the Indian fans. Much as with Tiger Ali Singh, the Indians do not want to see either a posh snob or a Bollywood star representiing their culture. Most Indians despise the concept of castes and by portratying Mahal as being someone Khali owes money too and beneath him is bad.

The damage for Asian wrestlers was done with Hassan, the gimmick itself was on the money, an Asian american sick of the stereotyping. But then WWE went the "terrorist" route and ruined it. Mahal could still get over by working the rediscovering his roots angle, visiting India and realising he can be a hero in vignettes...

Zeke would benefit from the APA gimmick, have Ron Simmons "sell him" the franchise and have him team with someone like Joe Hennig or Mason Ryan.

 

[Champ1432]

Some on this list are good, some are not.

Jinder Mahal is just boring and bland, I would think it's him more than the bookers, I don't think you can blame them for his lack of reaction. I just can't get into him, and apparently neither can most of the audience. Don't think he has much of a future.

David Otunga could be going somewhere, although right now I can't see him getting past the midcard. He needs to improve both in the ring and on the mic, but he has made some improvement already, so it is possible. He definitely has the look. If he can make improvements, he could challenge for the IC belt or something around that level. But not yet, if he were separated from Johnny Ace, he would go back to getting zero heat.

Kofi I like a lot, and I think he could be a main event level guy and a future champion. He's definitely more than a spot monkey. He does need to improve on the mic, but he's already taken some steps there, as seen in the Raw debate they had. Let him get just a bit more serious, or maybe confident is the right word, as someone else mentioned. He can just be that guy who's quietly confident he can beat you, he doesn't have to be arrogant or yelling all the time. Improve that little bit on the mic and I think he'll be there.

Tyler Reks I'm honestly not sure of. He definitely has the physique. I haven't seen a whole lot of him, and I can't remember much at all, which is probably the problem. he's not very good/memorable on the mic. Not sure if he can improve enough to be around consistently.

R-Truth is doing as well now as he ever has. The way he plays the crazy gimmick is more suited to being a face. He's not a young man anymore, so I don't know if he has a lot of titles in his future. He's likely to be used as a guy to put others over, but he'll stick around upper midcard/main event level I think.

To the OP, not everyone has to be a heel/monster heel. You said all five of these guys should be or turn heel. There are other ways to get guys over.

One guy not in the list I'd like to see advance is Ted Dibiase Jr. I don't know how likely it is, but I've always liked him for some reason. He has a decent look, and he definitely has the lineage. He's had a lot of problems getting over, though. Maybe he could have had a bit more help, someone mentioned a "Fortunate Sons stable" gimmick, that may have worked. Something else was definitely needed. Just hard to tell what. I think he's doing a bit better as a face, hopefully he can start to work his way up.

 

[RoadhogJ]

I think that Mahal should be made into an anti american type character and have him jump ship to Raw and win the US Championship! then i would have him say that it should be the Indian Championship and not the US because he is holding it!! I would like to see this played out!

 

[xavyer]

Well, i think David Otunga, if given the time he can become a big star, like a very methodical heel, like Triple H in the attitude era, he's got the look, and his skills are geting better, and his mic work is not bad, he needs more experience, but he will definitly get there,everyone start somewhere, Tyler Reks has the talent, i remember watching him in ECW, he's a great athlete, he's got the look to be intimidating, i don't know about his mic work, but they used to say the same about other athletes before they become big stars, if they book Tyler Reks the right way he can deliver, give him matches with athletic superstars, like against Dolph Ziggler or Jack Swagger, or Kofy Kingston and i can be sure that any of those matches can be awesome, the WWE got a diamond in the rough in Tyler, just give him a storyline and he can be great........

 

[Ryberg]

Well my five are the following:

Justin Gabriel- He had amazing in ring skills his only dent is his mic work BUT that can all change with enough exposure and practice.

Michael McGillicutty (Joe Hennig)- Seriously they need to drop the whole Michael McGillicutty and have him wrestle as a third generation star. Maybe in a a new stable of third generation wrestlers IE Ted DiBiase, Nattie Neidhart, and Windham Rotunda.

Tyler Reks- The guy is huge and should be destroying people in the ring.

Ricardo Rodriguez- I think he'd make an awesome in ring presence as a comical jobber or Senor Santino Rodriguez type!

R-Truth- I know he gets a semi-push but the guy needs to be a CHAMPION as much as I love DB and Punk. He's awesome on the mic and in the ring.

I wish they'd STOP pushing the following as no matter what they will NEVER get over:

Jack Swagger- He's not even good enough or entertaining enough to be the poor man's Kurt Angle

ADR- No one cares about him and he's quite boring in the ring and on the mic

Dolph Ziggler- (yes I know I'll get heat for this) BUT all the skills in the ring still hasn't given him any reaction with fans. No one cares about him away from the net forums.