He really is this generation's answer to the rock. His in-ring ability is good and he can stand up in the ring and produce great watchable matches just like he could. But that is far overshadowed by his mic work. He has unique character in this time and it's so strange that his first gigantic break where he will live up to the role is going to be as a face when we all know how much of a jackass heel he can be.
And all of those who said he couldn't hack it in the WWE forget how often he was injured there at the very worst points. Vince was incredibly high on the character although not high on the man himself which speaks volumes, most other guys vince would just punish or let go of if he didnt like the man just like christian whom he punishes for jumping ship and back for example.
But I may well be alone in saying this yet I hope I'm not. I think the very best career descision that anderson could have made was to jump ship to TNA. Say what you want about TNA's lousy dead-ends, it's poor booking, it's shoot style of building storys, all of that is indeed true. But the Anderson character never would have had the chance to fulfil it's true potential in the PG-WWE environment. In TNA he can be who he is on the mic, he can directly goad the crowd just like piper or flair would (and in some cases still) do which is frowned upon in WWE. Vince likes guys to come out and deliver their piece and them go back in just like robots and that discounts a certain aspect of realism that anderson pounces upon and exploits to make it his own.
I saw Anderson in WWE and was never terribly impressed. And unless it is possible for a man to change so rapidly over the period of 3 months then it is clear he had this potential the entire time, and it was just never being fulfilled where he was. Anderson can now add versatile, a dangerous word, to his already impressive repetoire. He went from being a great heel to face of the number two company in the world in the space of 10 months (although I'll be the first to say the circumstances of his turn were unarguably questionnable).
He is in fact trail-blazing upon the same path of the great one. Comes in quite green and nobody knows what to think of him and most just think he's another guy, a poor excuse for a heel. He starts to turn heads with his being very good at trash talking, but more importantly being able to back it all up in the ring. Sooner or later people are starting to treasure him because nobody else is quite like him on the mic, and the animosity naturally turns into a clinging to and turning face becomes a pre-requisite, an inevitability.
TNA belongs to him right now, his concussion although bad for him couldn't have worked out better for himself and the company from a storyline vantage point. It draws his quest for revenge out and longer storylines are what makes or breaks a company in the long-run, so expect to see anderson a fair distance from achieving his vengeance, a white light at the end of a long and arduous tunnel. And that instead of what they did for the rock, a top of the company heel turn ought to follow immediately after this happens to maintain interest in him and make him truly the biggest thing in the companys history. An epic feud between himself and A.J. eventually ensues and we have another rock v austin situation. WOOOOH.
Most importantly, when you have a guy like him, who can really talk, it makes other guys raise their game so expect to see matt morgan, fortune and even kurt trying to get to grips with the talking game once again to keep up. With anderson at the forefront, he really could do what austin did for WWE, starting back in 97 and plant the seeds of launching a company into the zone of "cool".
Yes I am being overly optimistic, but anderson is one of, if not the best thing about wrestling today. He's funny, intense and talented all rolled into one package, and sorry cena, batista, jeff hardy but that is worth waiting for.
