In Response To Chris Cash's "Top 5 WWE Stars Most Likely To Succeed" Column.

[Nate DaMac]

Now I've been kicking this idea around for a while, basically just seeing if I could actually articulate some kind of response without sounding like an idiot. Well I have finally decided to take a shot a disputing a lot of these claims that Chris Cash has made in his article. Idiot or not. I'm not really going to pick apart his top 5 as I agree with the majority except for one glaring flaw(Did he REALLY just rank Ted Dibiase over the guy who just won the Royal Rumble?) but rather I will address the Superstars he so casually wrote off.

Before I reveal the five superstars I "do" believe will be around for the long haul, let me acknowledge those that will NOT be on the list.

Alright, let's hear it.

The Miz - Let me get this one over with right out of the gate. I am not proclaiming in any way, shape or form that the Miz will or should be fired anytime soon. In fact, I think the Miz will be a WWE superstar for a long time to come. But not at the position Vince and company are trying to push him at currently. He's an improved worker in the ring. He is entertaining and believable on the mic. He is easy to hate. But he's NOT a talent worthy of Heavyweight Championship status. True champions should be "larger than life" and the Miz simply isn't that. It's not because of his size as I don't think that's a required factor, but if my girlfriend thinks she could take the Miz in a streetfight, then he's doing something wrong. Perception is reality and this writer doesn't perceive the Miz as a legit draw at the top of any wrestling company, much less the WWE.

Of course this is where we start. I've grown quite tiresome of the ridiculous amount of scrutiny towards Miz's title reign. People seem so up in arms that he doesn't have any successful clean title matches. It's almost as if everyone forgot how these cocky heels operate. Look at some of the all time greatest heels, really look at them. If they weren't powerhouse "Monster Heels," they general used underhanded tactics to retain their titles. (See Flair, Ric.) I just don't see where this unyielding stubborness to book The Miz as a strong champion comes from. How often did Edge, Randy Orton, or Triple H actually retain their titles cleanly during their heel runs?

But I digress. This was just a common complaint I would see around the Forums. However, Chris's complaint seems even more absurd to me. The only thing he really used as a tool to detract from The Miz was that his "girlfriend" thinks she could beat The Miz in a streetfight. Now I don't mean to offend, but if your girlfriend thinks she can beat a Professional Wrestler in a fight, odds are she's either

A. Trained in the field.

B. A beast of a human being.

or C. Fucking nuts.

Now sure The Miz isn't the biggest guy out there, but the field he works in requires him to have a significant amount of physical toughness. I'd like to think any Professional Wrestler could beat up the girlfriend of a man who spends a significant amount of his time managing a website. Maybe it's just me though.

John Morrison - His tricks are creative, innovative and definitely fun to watch, but the mid-card is where Morrison will (and should) stay. Character can't be taught and when you're on top of every tv show and pay per view, the lack of character is almost impossible to hide.

Two words: Jeff Hardy. It was only a couple of years ago that Jeff Hardy was at the top of the mountain in the WWE. It's not as if he were going to wow anyone with his promos, but he had the willingness to do absolutely insane shit to his body to get over. Now doesn't that sound a lot like John Morrison? Hell, I like Morrison's move set a lot more than Hardy's. His strikes are much more believable with his hands and especially his feet. He'll also do just about any of the crazy shit Jeff did in his heyday himself. Maybe Jeff had a little bit of a character, but it never really came from him as much as it did from the announcing crew. The kid's eat it up whenever Morrison comes out, and that's really what it's all about now.

Of course it's probably more applicable to compare Jeff Hardy to Charlie Sheen these days as opposed to JoMo, but my point remains the same.

Daniel Bryan - He's a star in ROH. Enough said.

No, I don't really think it was. Now I'm not really one to complain about the WWE storylines like everyone else seems to, but is anyone getting the creative shaft that DB is these days? He's in the midst of a feud with the 3 Divas that absolutely no one gives a shit about. I don't think this is a sign of his potential in the WWE by any means, as he is capable of a lot more than this. By the way, I'm no ROH mark. Never watched a single bit of their programming to be honest. But in the short time he's been in the WWE, I've seen a lot of potential from him. Certainly more than Dibiase(Again, what the fuck?)

Cody Rhodes - Maybe Rey Mysterio hand-picked him for a match at WrestleMania, but the fans certainly did not.

This one I might be willing to give you. Although his promo with his back turned was actually pretty good and they're actually leaving me intrigued with where this story may go, I refuse to take him seriously until they put so god damn knee pads on him.

Mason Ryan (Wildcard) - All signs point to him being a future top star due to his overwhelming resemblance to former WWE star, Batista. But looks are where the similarities end. I'm sorry to disappoint those of you who miss "The Animal" and hoped that this could be a second coming. It's not.

Now you may be absolutely right on this, but wouldn't you say it's a bit premature? I see you added the "Wildcard" label to it. It seems as if you're trying to cover your ass from getting burned if he does happen to make a big splash in the WWE. I can't say that I've seen enough out of him to go either way with it, but I am not going to label him a bust this early. He certainly has the look to make it. Only time will tell if anything comes of his debut.

Well there's my 2 cents. Feel free to debate me on any point you see here, as I'm sure Chris isn't going to grace us with his presence. I just really felt like putting this together.

 

[a member of wwe universe]

i didnt like it when chris cash mentioned twice the miz is not a credible champion and implied that he will be "fired" soon after losing the title, sure (sarcasm). The day the miz loses his job in the wwe or loses his main event status in the wwe is the day hornswaggle becomes world champion.

If Vince mcmahon didnt believe the miz as a credible champion, obviously the miz wouldnt even be in the main event at mania against the golden boy or holding the title this long. Vince loves the miz. The miz works hard, has cross appeal, and to many ppl eyes, the miz is the most successful established maineventer in the past 3 years, besides hardy. Swagger, kofi, morrison, etc have all given their respective chance and didnt capitalize it.

Sure the miz is not the larger than life character but what does that prove? Jericho, hbk, guerrero, angle etc all have similar built to the miz physically. Miz beating in cheap heel style is what he does. The lawler booking, i believe, is simply a result of wwe stupidity.

The miz is the next star that vince wants to build. Miz is not going anyway. Not hes mainevent status. No, certainly not hes job.

 

[bjarvis]

I completely agree with you on this. I thought this list was terrible.

The comments regarding Miz were more hate comments then anything of value. As you said, The Miz is no different to any other cowardly heel of the past. The Flair's, Edge's, etc. They all use what they can to get ahead. Dolph is doing it right now. Its just whilst Dolph doesn't have a title, he has a mouth piece in Vickie.

The Mason Ryan comments as well bugged me. He's been in the company for three weeks. I remember when Batista started as an assistant for Brother D-Von, no-one thought World Champion. Whilst Mason is being pushed a little harder, I'm sure the WWE will take their time with him, as they are doing so with their other big man future World Champion, Ezekiel Jackson. R-Truth wasn't the best opponent to judge on ring wise, I'm sure he'll learn to put on a decent match, as Batista did. Hanging around with CM Punk will do wonders for Ryan, as hanging around Flair and Hunter did for Batista. This was a stupid comment.

Cody Rhodes. Again I diasgree with this comment. I don't think he should have been in either the good or the bad category just yet. A year ago, maybe the bad but he's certainly been replaced by Ted DiBiase. He's got a decent gimmick, he has character, Mysterio wants to work with him at WrestleMania and this injury allows for him to be more frantic/attacking/wild. This could be Rhodes big break. He doesn't have gold stars on him just yet, but it may not be long before he's seen as a future World Champion. He just needs to continue to develop and have good feuds/a good run, like Dolph.

The only one I really agreed with was Daniel Bryan. I get it, the IWC loves him. But to me he lacks character and as much as I hate the guy, he lacks the intensity of Chris Benoit. There's no connection. Maybe in ten years, he may get the push/connection that Benoit had around Mania XX but he'll stay in the mid-card. The WWE is losing Triple H/Chris Jericho/Edge/Rey Mysterio/The Undertaker/Kane/Big Show along with the recent loses of Batista/Shawn Michaels, etc. so they'll need stars. Guys like The Miz, Morrison, Dolph, Barrett, Sheamus, Rhodes, Del Rio, Mistico, Jackson, Kingston, are there to step up. Some of them seem a lock for the Main Event, others need to work hard and persist like Dolph and The Miz.

 

[Uncle Sam]

For those wondering, his list of people that would succeed - link - is:
5. Sheamus
4. Wade Barrett
3. Alberto Del Rio
2. Dolph Ziggler
1. Ted DiBiase, Jr.

Now, apart from his rather questionable choice of Ted, you have a two-time world champion, a man who's main evented numerous pay-per-views with Randy Orton and John Cena, a man who just won the Royal Rumble and the man who is quite literally challenging for the world title on a weekly basis.

I have my own revelation to make. I don't think Chris Cash is our dear journalist's real name. No, I believe - having been absolutely wowed by his immense detective skills - that his name is actually Sherlock Holmes. I know, predicting that a group composed of main eventers, title holders and Royal Rumble winners will do well in the WWE might actually point towards someone with genuine psychic powers, but I'm trying to be logical here, damn it! I know, I never thought I'd think telling the future was possible but such an article just made me believe!

Hey Chris, what about John Cena? He might be big, eh? Shawn Michaels looks like he has potential. Tell me what you think of how this Lou Thesz fella will pan out.

Chris Cash's next list, he's told me, will be films likely to win the Academy Award for Best Picture of 2009. A sneak preview reveals that, indeed, The Hurt Locker will be on the list. He could be onto something there. Elementary, my dear Watson.

 

[HeelTurn]

The most annoying part of the list for me were his explanations of Ted Dibiase, Jr. and Dolph Ziggler versus John Morrison. Morrison will never succeed because he can't talk well, though he has some great promos from his MnM days and has an incredible moveset.

Okay-- got it. An incredible moveset is not enough to get by if you can't talk too.

Dolph Ziggler and Ted Dibiase, though they've never talked well, now those guys have talent! Haven't you seen their movesets!

Also, I'm with the posters above-- it's really unfair to put Mason Ryan on a list of guys who won't make it. He's had all of one match? With the ever increasingly botchy R-Truth, and he ended it with a pretty great, innovative submission move. I'm happy with him so far...he needs work, but for my money not half of what Dibiase does to get me watching.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I was originally going to create this very thread but I was too busy laughing at some of this guy's choices.

I think Miz has been a great champion because he's done the single most important thing a World Champion is supposed to do and done it well: make people care about the title scene. Whether people hate Miz or love him, he's got their attention and they're lined up awaiting to see what he does. Also, is it just me or have people forgotten what arrogant heels are supposed to be like? They're supposed to cheat their asses off to win, they're supposed to pull every dirty trick in the book. My god people, how many times have we all seen Ric Flair back in his day win a match and/or retain a title through cheating? But since it's Ric Flair and the memory brings to mind fond days of their youth and childhood, I guess that's ok.

As for the rest of it, it's pretty much word for word what F.A.T. typed out.

 

[Dwayne_Jason]

LMAO As much bashing as there is going on here, I must say, you guys have a point. Ted DiBiase, though a great talent is at his lowest point. He's the "Miz" of the locker room if you catch my drift. It is quite obvious that the people he put on the list are GOING to succeed as they've been booked so. In fact, I think the list was ass backwards. The people he said are NOT going to succeed will succeed. As of now, Barrett is capable to give a guy a rub and still be over with the Corre. I pesonally think Bryan is in his niche right now, sure he has this comedic feud but that matches his "player nerd" gimmick that he has. And I think creative doesn't have plans for him RIGHT NOW. They wouldn't have let Bryan go over the Miz TWICE if they didn't feel he has potential. They also wouldn't have made him the last guy at SummerSlam if he didn't have potential either. Bryan's just in his "cool down" period and I think the paycheck he gets every week from 'E is more than enough to make him happy for NOW. As for Morrison, you'd have to be a mark for Matt Hardy to see him NOT be pushed, seriously this guy made the rumble into something special. It took the entire nexus to push him out of the rumble, and also she went over Sheamus. FUCKING TWICE. Its obvious they're pushing him. As for Truth I do agree he should be in midcard because I don't think they'd want him to fuck up what city Wrestlemania's in. Now here's a new and imrproved list that I think WILL suceed in the near future:

Kofi Kingston: He's a little green and has NO time on the stick but his matches with Ziggler, and McIntyre were fantastic. When he jumps off the top rope, the only guy I can think of that can match his hight is Bourne. The pop he gets on Smackdown is always one of the top five, so I think they should notice this, and also, Fuck you Orton.

Del Rio: I really am not gonna go into this, he's the next JBL. His name is Alberto Del Rio. But you already knew that. One complain I have is his signature move needs to go, the armbrar does NOT look threating. Either he needs a better position where it looks like it'd hurt or a new submission move.

Mystico: Rey Rey's sucessor in my opinion. I think if he can grasp what the E is about, we just found our newest Mysterio.

Mason Ryan: Say what you will, this guy is Batista's long lost twin brother. And a lot nicer, with more ability too. That move he did on Truth looked nasty like him, and that should be a keeper.

Ziggler: This one is obvious, he puts on a great match and has a fantastic heat.

Those are my superstars that should succeed. Mr. Cash, and I do say so with respect, get off whatever the fuck you're on.

 

[Boondocks]

Well I believe that the list he made for the one who did not make it may have been biased. DB is a great in ring worker. The WWEwants and needs that. Therefore, he is highly likely to succeed. Miz IS a heel champion. The comments made point out that he isn't the biggest guy. Therefore he HAS to be the kind of guy who runs and wins by means of cheating, that's the way his character is. Win at ANY cost. For Morrison, I love the push he has been put on, and I think they're doing what they should with him. Don't make him talk, just let him do a promo with his actions. That's where he shines. Rhodes is a work in progress. Of course the fans didn't choose him as Mysterio's opponent, he's a dick. But it is true that he needs work before he succeeds (insert knee pads here ), but he can with effort and time. It's true that Mason Ryan is a wildcard right now, but looking at him and what I've seen in FCW, I'd put him in the wildcard of most likely TO succeed. He's big and strong, like Batista. He can work relatively well. And he isn't a bad talker, for being from a different country. He has much potential from my eyes.

 

[Justin Satiable]

I don't really have much to add to what's been said, other than that I agree to a pretty large extent. The Miz won me over at about "3-0" in his feud against John Cena. I went from not caring about him in the slightest, to enjoying all of his RAW segments. I wouldn't say he's been the number one reason I've watched, because it was the Nexus plot that really pulled me in, but he is a huge talent.

I laughed whole-heartedly at Uncle Sam's post, and I agree completely. It was a pretty silly column and he slated talents that have no reason not to make it in the end. Hell, even Cody Rhodes could suddenly fall upon a career-defining feud and make it big. Ted Dibiase however? Man... They've given him almost as much chances as Ken Kennedy, but he just doesn't have that power to captivate the fans with his words, or impress them with his abilities. If any ONE person mentioned in the whole column won't ever make something of his career (in terms of main eventing) it's that man, Ted Dibiase Jr.

 

[sycro]

The biggest problem with his complaint about Daniel Bryan is that CM Punk was also a ROH star. Sure, CM Punk is much better on the mic than Bryan, but to say something as simple as being part of ROH is a hindrance is ridiculous.

 

[MMK]

The Miz and Dolph Ziggler are the top two young stars with bright futures ahead of them.

Miz could easily transition into a face someday ala The Rock, Jericho, or Cena. He's got the quick wit and mic skills to insult all the top heels, not to mention a few catchphrases that are inclusive to crowd participation.

As for Dolph, this guy reminds me of Triple H back in 99/2000 when HHH had a shrieky voiced Stephanie McMahon by his side. The crowd hated her the same way they hate Vickie Guerrero. And the hatred for Steph was transferred to Triple H. Same goes for Dolph with Vickie.

And any time a heel has a really annoying manager, having him dump said manager is always a succesful way to turn him face. So whenever Dolph decides to dump Vickie, the crowd will pop and he'll be a major face.

So whether they're heels for now, or faces in the future, Dolph and Miz are gonna be around for a long time.

 

[AngryCenaFan]

I saw Dibiase on there and rolled my eyes, the kid does not have "IT" to say he's a big part of the future, and the Miz is not, is incredibly stupid

 

[Trance Metaphor]

I have a problem with two of his picks -- one being off his list and one being on his list. It has to do with his lack of explanations, really. First, Daniel Bryan. "He was an ROH star. Enough said." Really? How is that enough said? The guy traveled the world and held titles everywhere before coming over to WWE. He had stellar matches against Dolph Ziggler and outstanding victories over the Miz. He's the current U.S Champion. How is him being a former ROH wrestler any kind of a negative? CM Punk is a former ROH star, and so is Evan Bourne. DB may currently be in somewhat of a storyline rut, but that doesn't deter all that he has accomplished upon his arrival in the WWE.

Second, Ted DiBiase. CC is actually gonna name him #1 without any explanation? Oh wow, he was involved in an angle with Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton during the Legacy dispute/feud. Everyone was pulling for and expecting big things to come for Ted DiBiase in the near future. Too bad that never came into fruition. How does that even put Ted at the top of the list? When was the last time this guy won a match worth a hoot? What has he done besides dispose of the Million Dollar belt? Nothing. Where is all of this going? Cody Rhodes looks to be going forward more than Ted. It might actually take him another two years before he becomes a top star. He has a few good moves, is decent at best in the ring, but greatly lacks charisma and presence.

And the stuff about the Miz is just laughable. The Miz plays the cowardly heel to near-perfection. He's great on the mic, so his entertainment value sustains his reign. Have him win clean? What's better than The Miz cashing in his MitB and actually pinning Randy Orton AFTER hitting the Skull Crushing Finale for the WWE Championship? That's just awesome. Hell, the fact of the matter is that the Miz is actually defending his title! He's done it at least four or five times successfully now. It's a better first WWE Championship reign than Edge's. That's saying something.

 

[Rckstrtmmy]

I also agree with you, especially when it comes to The Miz and Mason Ryan. The Miz is a star and doing a great job with his heel run with the championship. He's charasmatic and interesting and great on the mic...dudes gonna make for an amazing face when the time comes for that. Mason Ryan looks like a beast and it seems he can handle himself in the ring. If you recall, Batista sucked ass in the ring for a while but got better as will Ryan.

I am going to disagree with you on Ted DiBiase though. This guy does have the wrestling chops and can get a crowd behind him given the right situation. Seriously check out that video of the match between him and Orton when Legacy started their breakup...If the WWE turned him face right there and stuck with it, I think we'd have a much different opinion about him. DiBiase could very well be in Orton's current position now had the WWE followed through. Heres the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33deckitBV4

If this match had actually happened legit, I think DiBiase would've been over instantly. Instead they give him the like father like son bullshit heel gimmick that nobody could pull off like his daddy did.

 

[The_Reptile_]

Okay, what the fuck?

Daniel Bryan - He was a ROH Champion.

Uhm, ever heard of a guy called CM Punk? You know, new leader of Nexus, feuding with THE top guys of the company, great on the stick, has a lot of fans? Yeah, once upon a time he was THE got to guy in ROH.

The Miz - My girlfriend looks like she could beat him.

And to be honest, so does Rey Mysterio. And Daniel Bryan... well compared to everyone else on the WWE roster at the moment. Just becaus it looks like you could beat him doesn't mean you can. Besides, he's playing the cowardly heel role to prefection.

Ted DiBiase - No 1.

... Y'know, if he ditched Maryse and put on matches like he did with Daniel Bryan on NXT, I might be able to see where you're going with this. Otherwise, I want 10 pounds of whatever you're smoking.

 

[Calderownz]

I'm going to be truthful. I stopped reading after the stupid assessment of The Miz.

Plenty of champions LOOK beatable. That's the allure of that type of champion. Ric Flair had some of that. Triple H had a bit of that during some of his career.

That's the point. It makes every big main event look like this could be the time that The Miz finally loses. The longer he's champion, the better in a sense.

I don't care what his girlfriend thinks. The Miz kicks her ass and The Miz gets across exactly what he needs to. A weak LOOKING champion that keeps winning and getting fans to hate him. You can't ask for anything more.

 

[roethlisberger78]

Few things on my mind, first off I'll agree with a few things that most of the posters have said about the Miz. The guy is doing a wonderful job with his current title run. The only problem is unless he holds the title for the rest of his life (which he wont) once he loses it he has no where to go. He doesnt have the size to make you believe that he can come back and do it again, unless he wins money in the bank again and his main rival right now is Jerry Lawler. He has to use a 61 year old man to gain him heat. Never and I mean never will the likes of John Cena or Randy Orton lose clean to him. He cant be a face because that would mean he needs to win clean and he will not be able to win clean over alot of these main event players. I just dont see much after this title run. Once again I'm not taking away from what he has done, the man is living a dream and has done a great job at it, only problem is he hit his high already and can only go down.

On to DB I do gotta agree with most of you just saying that he wont be great because he was in ROH is a joke, so was CM Punk and he is a top dog and will be for a while. The one big big thing that DB has going for him is that he can make people tap out at anypoint during a match thus making him believeable, a whole hell of a lot more than the Miz. Plus this little fued with the diva's that no one cares about will be a great way to turn the guy heel right at the perfect moment. As soon as he bitch slaps one of them he is gonna be hated by everyone and he'll be that much more ahead of the game.

Ted Debiase Jr. what can be said about him, he does have talent he has a lot of it, but I've said it before and I'll continue to say it, his father was the same way he is, he just wasnt very entertaining, what helped the MDM was that he always had great mouth pieces with him and could also do a bit of talking him self, but thats where is son drops off, he dont have the mouth piece and he cant talk for him self, he is just down right boring.

So it is kinda right out there in the open the people he has picked to be great will be but because they are already on the path to being great its not hard to point those things out.

Dolph Ziggler will be a bright player for a long time to come, and I point out one person that no one seems to compaire him to....... Mr. Perfect need I say more. Might I add I do believe Dolph will go into Mania holding the title and we'll be getting a triple threat for the Smackdown title.

This guy those is my Wild Card to be a future player... If they can find away to make him some what serious Santino could be great the guy can straight up wrestle no doubt about it but they are putting to much into his comedy, let the man shine with his talent and your looking at what could be a big time upper mid carder with a few title shots down the road (he doesnt have to win them) but he could be right up there giving the chance.

 

[Kaneanite]

The list sucks but I think you completely missed the point with his comment about his girlfriend. I highly doubt his girlfriend ACTUALLY THINKS she can beat up the Miz. I'm sure it's just a sarcastic comment joking around towards Miz's lack of credible size against the likes of Orton, Cena, etc (AKA guys who have 'the look'). I fucking hate the Miz and everything about him is blown out of proportion with the guy to the IWC.... If it weren't for the crowd reaction the guy gets than I swear he'd be the most boring champion ever. ALL of his matches have an unclean finish, GREAT OK THAT'S NICE IT ALWAYS HAPPENS WITH HEELS COOL, but come on give us something that doesn't feel like I just wasted my life watching a 15 minute match of a mediocre (if that) wrestler winning due to interference from riley or cole. I could go on and on about why the guy blows but I've done it too many times to really bother with it again and it's not like it matters because Vince likes him so I have to put up with his boringness and hopes he drops the title soon.

As for the rest of his list.. Uncle Sam is 100% right (and quite funny). He predicted guys who are already having success to be successful. Pointless. Oh but he has Ted. Great, at least he went out on some kind of pointless and incredibly wrong limb.

As for the list of guys that won't succeed or whatever, I like all of them except the Miz so I hope he's wrong. Either way, judging by his pick of Ted, he probably WILL be wrong.

 

[JGlass]

Chris Cash continues to prove that he is in no way qualified to write about professional wrestling anymore than any member of these forums. His knowledge is entirely speculative, and all of his choices were easy picks except for Ted DiBiase, who is nearly as talentless as Chris Cash himself. As Sam pointed out, Sheamus, Del Rio, Barrett, and Ziggler are already succeeding, as all of them have either A) Won a major match (Beating John Cena in a tables match, Royal Rumble) or B) Been in a World Title match at a PPV. They're already getting tons of air time and are in the top part of the WWE card.

I have no idea what inspired Chris Cash to pick Ted DiBiase besides sheer idiocy. The guy hasn't done anything worthwhile since Legacy, and that was years ago. Since being separated, Cody has flourished, and Ted as floundered.

As for his other choices... Miz seems to be the future heel of the WWE. He's holding onto the belt with his dear life, and I for one can't wait to see him lose... but at the same time I don't want him to because then the ride will end! How he thinks Miz won't be as successful as DiBiase, let alone Ziggler, Sheamus, and Barrett is beyond me.

John Morrison is knocking on the name event and has already gone over some huge names on RAW. He's getting to show off his talents on a weekly basis now, and he looks better than ever. And does he really think one has to be gold on the mic to win a World Title or succeed in the main event? Chris Cash, meet Chris Benoit.

As for DBD, Mason Ryan, and Cody Rhodes... it's still way to early to tell what the WWE will wind up doing with these young stars, but I think the future is bright for all of them. At the very least, they are all better choices than DiBiase.

 

[Swarles Barkley]

If it weren't for the crowd reaction the guy gets than I swear he'd be the most boring champion ever.

Do you realize how moronic this statement is? The whole point of pro wrestling is to get a reaction. If Miz is getting one he's doing his job and therefore is anything but boring. To say he'd be boring without the reaction would be like saying Khali would be short if he wasn't so tall. It doesn't make any sense. I also find your sig quote to be highly ironic given the stupidity of the statement you made.

As far as the list goes, the whole thing had me scratching my head. But that's his list and he is entitled to his opinion. At one point in time I'm sure we've all hitched our wagon to someone who didn't pan out (I thought Kennedy would be HUGE, for example), but I think the list is a bit off.

 

[Brahma Bull]

Worst list ive ever scene. As uncle sam said, the guy chooses 3 people who are already over. Then he throws out ted dibiase who will probably be fired by next year. the guy has been given anything, and he cant seem to succeed. i love how every dibiase mark was proved wrong when they said that rhodes would fail and dibiase would win. the guy straight up sucks. and i said 3 were over because i still dont think ziggler will succeed. he has vickie, and thats the only heat he gets. his mic skills suck, and his look is way to generic. once he looses vickie, no one will care about him.


lets see, his reason for the miz not succeeding is his gf can beat him. then she could probably beat jericho, the first undisputed champion, who has recently been the cowardly heel.
db- roh enough said? - CM Punk enough said
rhodes- was handpicked by rey rey. the crowd didnt pick him? does this guy not hear the heat that cody gets? or that it is leagues louder than dibiase's. i dont know how this guy could even be allowed to write on this webpage.
morrison- the guy is obviously being slowly pushed. they did that with the miz, and now he is going to m.e. wrestlemania. morrison is going to be huge for a long time.

 

[classicviolence]

I actually agreed with Chris Cash on some of his random thoughts about the current youth movement in the WWE. However, some of his asumptions were flatout wrong:

John Morrison: JoMo is WWE's most exciting superstar and his current state isnt stale.(ala Cena, Edge, Orton) He is just one single match for a World Title away from becoming champion. WWE will continue to allow him to steamroll threw the RAW roster until its time. As long as they allow JoMo creative freedom on the mic, he will do fine.

Daniel Bryan: He was in the rumble for 25 minutes and was the spotlight along with Punk. He is the current WWE UNited States Champion in his 5 month reign. He had the #2 WWE match of the year with Ziggler. The man is spotlighted on RAW on a weekly basis. Also, the ROH World Championship produced some big players ala CM Punk and Samoa Joe.

Ted Dibiase: Now way will Ted "make it", unless the "E" keeps him around like JBL. He lacks IT because "outsiders" that watch wrestling with me don't care about him. Unfortunately for the IWC, they like Maryse.

I agree with the Miz statements. Granted he is doing the best job with his push. WWE books him with Lawler because that is Miz's level. Think about it. I respect the fact that Miz understands what his role is as WWE Champion, but as a "true" World Champion the "Miz" does not come to mind. Think about this, if Miz and Zack Ryder switched pushes would Ryder be a more entertaining WWE Champion, but with a superior moveset. Miz lacks that "pro wrestler" look, and that was my problem with him from the beginning.

 

[admin]

I didn't realize this post was made until I saw it on the main page. Glad my article got some people talking (even if a lot of it was insulting me rather than the actual column).

To clarify a few things:

1) This list was MY opinion, so to all of you who are saying that I'm "wrong", that would actually make "you" wrong. They are an opinion on who I believe has the ability to make it long term and who doesn't, based on my personal analysis of things.

2) I am not catering my list JUST to the IWC. If I tried to please and appease you guys all the time, my columns would never be a topic of conversation. Most of you (as clearly shown in this thread) think way too much alike when it comes to who has talent, who doesn't, who will succeed and who doesn't.

If Vince McMahon listened to the IWC all the time, John Cena wouldn't be where he is today.

3) My comment toward Bryan Daniels was taken out of context and I should have explained it further. What I meant was that Daniels is ONLY a star in Ring of Honor, not in WWE. Again, that is my opinion.

4) The top 5 really wasn't mean to be taken in order. Ted DiBiase was my wild card for the "will make it" list, just like my wild card in Mason Ryan. So for those of you who think I am expecting DiBiase to make it over guys like Del Rio, Sheamus, hell..even the Miz - I'm not. That's what makes him a "wild card".

Now, to further explain some of my choices:

Miz - I simply don't see it. By the way, someone said that I wrote he "would" be fired shortly after losing the title. I said exactly the opposite. I don't think he's going anywhere as evident by the fact that Vince loves him and he truly is a good character. I enjoy his segments. But I don't think he's Chris Jericho and you need to be "Chris Jericho good" to get over with that size and look.

Mason Ryan - Yes, it's early. But I don't think he makes it. He's supposed to be the next Batista, but I don't remember Dave looking that lost out there. Watch Ryan next time out...he looks like a big, bad meathead when he's in the ring, out of the ring, during a backstage segment. I just don't take him seriously.

Cody Rhodes - Take his size out of it and the guy still doesn't make it, IN MY OPINION. Has he been dealt better cards since the break up with DiBiase, yes. He's even relatively enjoyable these days. But will he make it to the top (or even upper mid-card)? I don't believe so.

Ted DiBiase - I think he does have the potential. You guys don't see it because Vince hasn't given him a chance to do so. I've heard from a former WWE talent that his problem is "lack of passion". That is definitely a hard one to overcome, so he could very well not make it anywhere, but I don't think it's from a lack of talent. Again, that's why he's a "wild card".

I appreciate the feedback and expected a ton of criticism (maybe not quite this much). I'm sure the reasoning above won't change any of your minds and it shouldn't. Those are my thoughts on some of the superstars currently in the fold right now and who I think or don't think have the ability or potential to go further than they are currently at right now.

Thanks,

Chris Cash
[email protected]

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

I think a lot of people are going to be eating their words in a few years... First of all, people need to calm down. Chris made a list of wrestlers he thought were "most likely to succeed" in the WWE. Tons of people have been in the main event and even won titles that ended up flickering out and falling on their faces. Just because Dolph Ziggler and Alberto del Rio are hot right now, doesn't automatically mean they're going to be hot in 3 to 4 years. Success is all about longevity and building a good career, not just a one-off title run. If I were to make a most likely to succeed list, they'd be on it. Just because it's obvious or likely doesn't mean it shouldn't be on a list. You don't make a "Best movies ever" list and not put all shitty movies on it because the good ones are too damn obvious. Some of his picks may be obvious, but it doesn't make them WRONG.

That being said... I don't know if I agree with his choice in the Miz. I agree with his analysis of the Miz. I don't think he's main event material, and he really doesn't intrigue me into buying PPVs or keeping on top of his angles. Everyone is definitely entitled to their own opinions, but I don't see it in the Miz. I'm glad he got a push, he's doing DECENT as champion, but I'm not excited for a long, lengthy main event career from the man. However, I don't agree with him being on the list, because I think he WILL succeed. Note that I don't want him to, and I don't think he's anything incredibly special, but Vince loves the guy, so he'll probably do extremely well. I respect his journey, his dedication, and all...but I'm not a fan. That's all.

Ted DiBiase was Chris' LONG SHOT. Stop your bitching and complaining. He's a journalist with an opinion. It's not like he said "DiBiase is so awesome! He's the greatest thing ever! He's going to be a god!" DiBiase is his surprise pick that rise up and do really well for himself. He's got a perfect build, and I think it's buried down deep somewhere... But I agree. Nobody's a fan of DiBiase, but I think he's got potential.

Last year, Peter King made his yearly ESPN NFL picks before the season even began. Do you know who he picked? The Steelers vs. The Packers! BEFORE THE SEASON BEGAN! Journalists have hunches, and they can track the past and predict the future based on that information. I'm not saying Chris Cash is as reputable as Peter King, but in 4 years if DiBiase is a god in the ring, you're all going to be eating your words.

 

[admin]

Sorry - I put Bryan Daniels...couldn't make up my mind between putting his current or former name I guess. I was in a hurry and typing fast. Before you go crazy with insults, please realize that I caught my mistake.

Forgive me?