For the past several weeks there has been a significant change in the WWE. And it's not just that the IWC is getting what they've wanted for so long (see current champions), no. What I'm talking about is the re-birth of an interesting product. Now, I for one always thought that the WWE delivered when it came to story-lines; and ever since their horrible year in 2009, the WWE has picked up their game and put focus into the area where they really should've had focus all this time: the youth movement.
We look at 2010 and 2011 and we saw the growth of this youth movement as guys like Sheamus, Miz, R-Truth, Punk, Ziggler, Cody, Barret, Del-Rio, and Bryan all got a chance at glory. At first, all these guys had their haters--some still do--but something that should be taken notice of--especially in the past few weeks--is exactly how much they've grown. Not just them, however; this includes the then-current crop as well such as Kane and Henry. Nonetheless, all these guys have formed their own persona that works just right for them turning into what will ultimately lead them to becoming larger than life characters joining the leagues of John Cena and Triple H.
Starting from the top:
The Great White Sheamus - The Irish fella that looks like a legitimate bad-ass. This guy's head is in the right place and seems to value his moral judgement above all. Fighting for what's right and never backing down from a challenge. This kind of persona works great for Sheamus as it's exactly the kind of image he gives upon first notice.
Mr. Awesome, the Miz - Miz carries on this impression that he's worth more than what people give him and deserves to have all the glory; yet, despite this, his fists don't back up his mouth. Miz is not afraid to beat you down, but when you attack him, you're a maniac for doing so and deserve to be punished. This persona shows Miz as something he can play best. Sometimes his vocabulary and in-ring ability can be limited, but because he is a cowardly egotist, it does not matter because he's more awesome than you'll ever be.
Coo-coo for Coco Puffs, R-Truth - Dude's got some issues that not even Vince McMahon himself could solve. R-Truth really seems to portray a man that has gone insane as a result of thinking too much about stuff. Little Jimmy thinks so, and so do the rest of us all. This guy plays an amazing maniac that makes me want to sometimes believe that he really has gone mad; irregardless, the dude is fucking hilarious. Don't "WHAT" me, bitches.
The Cult of Personality, CM Punk - A dear favorite to all. CM Punk is a guy everyone can relate to because he looks so average. But looks can be deceiving as the dude is a phenomenal wrestler who is not restricted by boundaries. He'll say whatever he wants, whenever he wants; and ain't no one--not even the interim general manager of Raw and the executive vice-president of talent relations, Mr. John Llaurinaitis can stop him from speaking his mind.
The Show-off, Dolph Ziggler - Cocky can only be described so much. Here's a guy who is in love with himself more than anything else and enjoys showing people how good he is, even if it means acting like a douche in front everyone. His song says it all: "I'm here to show the world." -- the look Ziggler has works perfect to the personality Ziggler has managed to perfect. It's him; it's always been him.
A Re-formed Cody Rhodes - First he was boring, then he was dashing; got broken, and then re-formed. I am in fricken love with Cody Rhodes right now. He's taken off that mask that made him emo and has shown himself to be one confidently dashing, son of a bitch who has restored glory to the IC title. He has an interesting set of ideals and truly believes that the future is here in him. Of course, the stupid'll never understand this.
Wade Barrett and The Barret Barrage - A bare-knuckle fighter from jolly old England, Wade has continued his Barret Barrage show-casing exactly how much of a force to be reckoned with he can really be. Crawling under the skin of the Viper, Barret has raised his once dying fame back to where it should be: rising. The kind of character Barret has now really highlights the legitimacy his looks carry. Barrett's not someone to take lightly, and if ticked off, he'll give you the beating of your life.
The Mexican Aristocrat, Alberto Del Rio - He ended 2011 with a harsh bang by getting injured; but that's alright, cause when he comes back, he'll be richer than ever. The gimmick this man carries has been done before--that's been said a million times--but you gotta give the man credit, he's worked rather well with it. Besides, his hairstyle and facial appearance just scream "snobby narcissist."
Soon to be douche, Daniel Bryan - Ever since he won the world-title, his ego has grown passed the line of cocky. Bryan believes in himself more than anyone ever could--but that's not necessarily a good thing. He likes to rub his victories in our faces by stepping on top of the barricade every time and screaming "YES! YES! YES!" And well, I guess he has the right to scream it; after all, he is champion. Bryan reminds of that kind of kid that you hate when he brags about how good he is, but when you stop and think, he backs up what he says every time. I sense a potential heel in the making.
Kane and Henry, although having been in the business quite a while, have also changed up their character. Kane has returned to his roots embracing "Hate" and becoming, once again, the demonic monster from hell he once was. Henry built a "House of Pain" in which he vowed everyone will eventually suffer from it. Henry looks like one scary motherfucker you never want to piss off--he's playing that part now and he really makes it believable.
The point in me explaining all this, though, is to show exactly how much all these superstars have grown within the past months. They have all started 2012 strong, and one can only assume that as 2012 continues, their characters will improve thus making them the larger than life characters that they are meant to be. At one point or another, we came to think: these guys aren't ready to become main-eventers; they're too bland--they're just not interesting enough. Where's Shawn Michaels? Where's Stone Cold? Eddie? Benoit? -- That's all in the past. 2012 will show a re-start in which the youth's we have now will make the WWE thrive in glory once again.
But enough about what I think, what say you?
Do you think that the aforementioned crop is enough to keep one interested in WWE for the upcoming years?
What's your take on their progress? Too early to speak, or are they meeting expectations?
Who of them do you think will be larger than life?
You don't have to answer all of them--or any of them for that matter--just say what you think about these guys' development. Oh, and if I missed anyone feel free to add them to the discussion.
