the up and commers

[kabby420]

i know that everyone likes to talk about the best and the worst, and go into all the same points over and over again, but what about the guys that are doing good just as the mid carders or the guys that always seem to lose even tho we all know they could carry a match.

guys such as Kennedy, This guy is simply amazing, he's got mic skill and he's got in ring skill. i haven't seen this guy mess up very often and his finisher is absolutely one of the best moves to watch in the wwe. he's got no where to go but up and will make for a great feud with any top knotch star... he reminds alot of the rock.

london and kendrick, ok i know they aren't new but they aren't being used very well. These guys are the new hardy's everyone knows that, except they aren't getting the matches the hardy's used to get. L&K need to have those crazy TLC matches or ladder matches to define themselves as risk takers. i don't understand why they are needed on raw, they should go to SD! and feud with hardy and MVP. but these guys have a crazy amount of taent but we haven't seen anything new from them, and we haven't seen any extreme matches involving them heavily, so once they get that push, damn they are gunna be on fire.

MVP- o.k i know alot of people don't like the power ranger costume, but Vince doesn't want to show him on television with a malcolm x tattoo on his chest, so we hafta go beyond that. this guy really is what his gimmick says. MVP he can take a bump and beat the hell out of someone and it always looks good, the guy can go on for hours on the mic and even being in a tag situation with hardy is making both of them look like the superstars they are. it's rare when a tag team can compliment each other like that. and that just shows what MVP brings to the table.

candice michelle- i know she's a diva and alot of the diva's (phoenix) only think they can perform. But candice is really commin out of her wrestling shell and taking risks and seems to be lovin doin it, she very much reminds me of (early) lita, and anyone knows that's a compliment. she's developing well and will be a great asset to the wwe once she returns..... on a side note about candice michelle... beth phoenix should be fired for how she handled candice falling off the ropes, that was absolutely ******ed!

santino marella (sp?) this guy is great on the mic and has a pretty decent arsenal of in ring talent he just needs more time in some better quality matches and he'll be right up there.

UMAGA alright beyond his stupid ass gimmick umaga is a great talent very similar to that of samoa joe or even vader...(that's right i said it VADER!!!! LOL) he's a big guy that can be thrown around and be very agile while strong at the same time... very hard to find that in a big guy, he's convincing as a badass... the on;y bad thing i can say about this guy is he needs to finish his back tattoo, i guess he'll hafta get suspended again to finish it off

BURKE this guy at first i didn't like because he reminded me of ron killings, and i never really liked him, he always looked like he hated being in teh ring. but he's got a great moveset and is very entertaining to watch. he's an intensity that comes thru the tv and into your face.. so i can see him doing very well

cody rhodes ALRIGHT I KNOW I'M GUNNA CATCH SOME HEAT FOR THIS BUT HERE I GO ANYWAYS... CR is still in the beginning parts of his career, and every week he seems to be getting better and better, he remionds me of orton or even cena when they first started out in the company, everyone thought the same thing about them as tehy think about rhodes... riding the coat tails of teh past. but this kid has talent and he's in great shape, every week it seems liek his arsenal is growing it will be interesting to see what happens to this kid.

anyways i know i left out some guys but i just wanted to make this thread to show that wwe isn't gunna keep going in a downward spiral like they are now, once these guys get their momentum going we'll have alot of good matches again. so don't give up hope, WWE DOESN'T NEED TO BE SAVED, IT JUST NEEDS PATIENCE

 

[Rusty]

Hi there,
i agree with everything you mentioned except the bit about kennedys finisher because he cannot make up his mind on which finisher he wants. Most matches he doent even use one is there a reason behind this??

 

[beetle717]

I disagree with London and Kendrick being the new Hardys. I think with thier more light hearted demeanor and style that they are more equivalent to the Rockers from the 80's. But that's just my opinion.

 

[lost_vision]

i totally agree with those points made, but i think u left one guy out.... Hacksaw Jim Duggan, LOL, no i joke.... But on a serious note, i think Kevin Thorn has a lot of promise, he has in ring skills, and also has a gimmick, that if dealt with in the right way, can get him somewhere.

 

[lowey84]

I very much agree with all the superstars (and diva!) that r mentioned. While MVP Umaga and Mr Kennedy r being used in good story lines, the other guys aren't, which is a real shame, not only cuz there very talented in there own ways, they have superb matches when given the chance. The 1 guy i think also needs credit is Kevin Thorn, great gimmick and good moves in the ring. He needs a bit more time in ECW to learn his trede and then switch him 2 SD!

 

[MCWLegend]

I'm not gonna lie, it's a bad reason, but I'd like Cody Rhodes a lot more if two things changed.

1)He's greener in the ring than the grass on my front lawn.

2)I wish he knew how to wear his freaking knee pads for once.

 

[tap-out]

Kennedy is definitely considered an up and comer. He has yet to be placed in that one nice long feud with a top star that puts him over. He does have potential but DOES need to figure out a new finisher. One takes way to long and the other is being and has been done b4.

As for another up and comer i like to think of the suspended harry smith. For only able to see his 2 matches b4 he got suspended i thought the fans got behind him pretty quick and he did remind me of watching his dad. I really like how he used his dads finisher....it fits his whole character about his dad and stuff.

 

[Father_Nelson]

I agree heavily with kennedy and burke. Kennedy is one of the best on the mic behind edge and maybe santino and he sure as hell can wrestle with the best of them. Burke is one of my favorite wrestlers right now, pretty decent on the mic, but his in ring ability is wat really impresses me. His athleticism and charisma blow most of the ecw superstars away, and i could see him making a strong push in the next couple of years.

 

[kenfuu]

I would still say CM Punk because the ECW title is basically considered a midcard title now and from what i saw in ROH(i'n not aROH fan) but he could realistically win the world title in my opinion because he is very good, i think if he got better on the mic he could be similar to shawn micheals as there were steroid problems when shawn first got hist title run and there are steroid problems now..but again just my opinion.

 

[Sicko]

I agree with that list, I think Cody Rhodes has alot of potential still have some work to do but, yeah CM Punk should be up there also

 

[HyphyMan01]

the main one i agree with is cody rhodes all he needs is a finisher and i think things will start pickin up 4 him

.i also think d.h smiths gonna be awsome one reason because of his father and another because hes a great in ring performer.

.Kenny dykstra i never seen somone so miss used hes so good he can be used as a great heel hes already been a tag champ he has a phenomenal finisher

(jus my opinions)

 

[jback]

candice michelle- i know she's a diva and alot of the diva's (phoenix) only think they can perform. But candice is really commin out of her wrestling shell and taking risks and seems to be lovin doin it, she very much reminds me of (early) lita: beth phoenix should be fired for how she handled candice falling off the ropes, that was absolutely ******ed

First I am starting to like Candice a bit but she is no Lita. Second Beth Pheonix is a heel so she had to pull her and get the pin. #1 she didnt no she was seriously hurt and also wat was she supposed to do go over and kiss Candice's boo boo and carry her to the medics? Shes a heel and has to be believeable.

As for the next big star their is no question that it is Santino Marella. He is one of the best talkers in the wwe right now. He draws great heel heat and is well hated which makes him a perfect heel. He will only improve with his in-ring skills...

 

[Mighty NorCal]

1. Kennedy.....The obvious choice here, I think we may see a rumble win/mania main event at WM 25. Im very glad to see him being put in a good feud with shawn, I think this will enhance his skills even further. Id like for him to get another finisher besides the kenton bomb though. While that move is SICK he cant hit it on anyone, at any time.

2. MVP...could see him near the world title picture even sooner than Kennedy, becuase he is on SmackDown! and they have been pushing him pretty hard lately. Real good skills in the ring (moreso than kennedy) good promo skills, great charisma. Put on what I felt was a very good match with mysterio last night, and I hope they can have a lil feud til matt hardy comes back.

3. CM punk....as over rated as I think he is, he does posses good skills and gets great reactions out of the crowd. Not sure if I ever see him rising to the absolute top of the company like the two guys above, But if he sticks around he will be in the upper mid card/main event scene.

4. Shelton...If he gets oppurtunities to show what he can do, and acctually takes the oppurtunity and DOES something with it, he will hopefully will do some spectacular things with a lot of the guys on ECW, and hopefully become a champion there.

5.Elijah Burke...If they can get more passion out of him, and he can prove he wants to be there, he can go real far. has a natural charisma, and has good in ring work, always find his matches entertaining.

6a. Rhodes....I think they rushed him a little, and from what I can see on live events and on the internet, not many people care for him a whole lot. Is pretty technically sound, but thats about all you can say. I think what they are doing with him now with holly, is about the best utilization of him.

6b. Harry smith...dont have much of an evaluation of him, since ive only seen the two matches. Seems sorta generic and bland right now a lot like rhodes. nothing really sticks out about either guy besides decent technical skills and having legendary fathers.

 

[RikRaines]

My list of Up and Comers would be the following. . .

CM Punk - Out of all the guys in the WWE Locker Room, he is the brightest shining star. Not only is this guy gifted wrestling wise, but he actually can cut really good promos. I advise anyone who has not seen CM Punk's work in ROH, please go do so immeaditly. Inparticular when he signs his WWE contract on the ROH Title. That is just PURE GOLD!!!

John Morrison - Ok step away from his ripoff of *cough* Jim Morrison *cough* gimmick, he is another guy that is just naturally gifted. He needs work on his mic skills still, but his ring work is really solid. He can only get better in the ring and on the mic.

Elijah Burke - He is great in the ring and even better on the mic. He just needs to be given a true chance to shine. I don't know why, but for some reason the writers aren't displaying a guy with true talent. Hopefully with Shelton in ECW now, the writters will do more with Burke, which of course will be good for Burke, but even better for us fans.

Shelton Benjamin - One of the best technical wrestlers currently in the WWE and I can even say in the US. His only true downfall is he is piss poor on the mic, but with Burke backing him, hopefully Shelton won't have to work the mic and just awe us with his true wrestling talent.

Kevin Thorn - He has an impressive arsenal of "dangerous" looking moves. If the writers utilize him right (as an Enforcer to a stable imo), Thorn could easily become another great in the business.

MVP - There is a reason Chris Benoit took this guy under his wing. Becuase he has a true dedication for the industry. MVP is known for spending hours everyday analizing old wrestling footage, much like a Head Coach of an American Football team would do. He has improved so much over a short span. It's just simply amazing. Veterans are lining up to work with him, cause they all believe he is the future. Oh, and this guy can cut one hell of a promo.

London/Kendrick - Can we say the NEW Rockers, minus one thing. Neither of these guys are the "Marty Jannety" (sp) of the team. ;x These two just need an actual tag-team division to work with now and some time to work on their mic skills.

Lance Cade - Ditch Murdoch, repackage him, send him to ECW for awhile to get over, and you will have yourself a legend in the making. This guy is great in the ring. I'm really unsure of his mic skills, cause I usually don't pay attention to any promos that him and Murdoch have ever cut, but his in-ring abilites have more then impressed me.

Harry "DH" Smith - Not only is this guy the son of the late and great "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith (RIP), he is a fucking HART!!!! Enough said. Just stay away from the juice Harry and you will achieve goals your father only dreamed about.

Ken "Mr" Kennedy - He needs to work on his in-ring abilites a bit still. I can point out at least one bad botch in every match he is in that is his fault, but other then that he is great. He is another guy who is golden on the mic. The future looks very bright for him.

The Up and Comers that will never amount to anything in my opinion *drum roll* . . .

Cody "Rhodes" Runnels - Now let's all be honest with ourselves here for a minutes. Dusty has never been anything great, Dustin has never been anything great, and I don't expect Cody to be anything great. The best thing about the Runnels family....Marlina (that was her name right? I mean in character of course) while she was still married to Dustin...GAWD she was hot.

Santino Marella - I love this guy I really do. I even go as far to impersinate him all of the time (espcially when around the Italian guy I work with). If only he could wrestle using his mic skills. People will never look at him as anything more then the "Miracle in Milan". It might of been different if Austin wouldn't of come out and squashed him, but we all knew Austin was going to.

 

[Slyfox696]

Kennedy - An untalented hack that is more hype than substance, which is amazing considering his only hype comes from the fact he says his name twice. His mic skills are average at best, he's constantly lost in the ring, and the guy has no clue how to work a match.

London/Kendrick - Exactly where they should be, doing exactly what they need to do. The WWE should make more tag team out of undersized cruiserweights.

MVP - Probably the greatest of the undercards with potential (excluding the Hardys). In only a short time, he took piss poor gimmick and debut and has made it work. He's solid on the mic, good in the ring, and really seems to understand wrestling psychology. A future World Champion.

Candice Michelle - Highly underrated by some of the members around here (got that Echelon? ) and has improved tremendously in the ring. Her matches are fun to watch, and she oozes charisma. While she's not one of the best in the WWE yet, she certainly is working her way up there, and is already better than Torrie ever thought about being.

Santino - Great comedy heel, and really makes a person want him to get his ass beat. His small stature will hurt future main-event aspirations, but as long as he can continue on his current path, he'll always have a job.

UMAGA alright beyond his stupid ass gimmick umaga is a great talent very similar to that of samoa joe or even vader

Umaga is twice the wrestler that Samoa Joe is right now. Joe isn't fit to shine Umaga's shoes at this point.

 

[Nathan]

The following wrestlers are the best up and comers in WWE right now:

Ken Kennedy

Great on the mic, Good in the ring, a future world champ. Could do with another gimmick though. All he does is say his name twice, i mean come on.

MVP

Made a crap gimmick work for him good skills in the ring. A bright future for him.

Santino Marella

Hugely under-rated. Great on the mic, really good heel, actually makes you want to rip out his throat!

There are many more that are experienced performers that can't really be classed as up and comers butare quite young and have a bright future such as Matt Hardy And Jeff hardy.

 

[the_phenomenal1]

Cody Rhodes, DH Smith, London & Kendrick were all accepted somewhat immediately and liked from the start. They were also face right from the start.

MVP, Elijah Burke & Kennedy however have taken much more time for their quality to be seen. MVP at Wrestlemania against Benoit, and Elijah Burke i believe has benefited from ECW, and is one of the few positives to come out of ECW. Kennedy's talent was realised a bit sooner than the other two but it wasn't until his feud with The Undertaker.

I was going to add CM Punk to this list but Punk seems to have been around such a long time in ROH etc that most Wrestling fans knew who he was when he entered WWE.

Feel free to disagree as i expect quite a few people to do, but it's just my opinion that people's opinion on Wrestler's new or old for that matter do depend on Whether they are heel/face

 

[Meilichia]

There are a few 'up comers' I really like, firstly i like DH Smith, I think he will go really far, not just because of who is he, but because from the few matches I have seen he is a good wrestler, but I'm not sure if he has a good enough character to get that far, just yet. The same goes for Cody Rhodes, he will be big in the future, because he is continuing to improve so much every week, and they obviously want him to go far, by putting him with Holly.
I also really like Morrison, I think he will be big too, he has a good wrestling style, I can see him moving up quite soon, mainly because he also has charisma, in my opinion.
but the best 'up comer' i think is Santino Marella, he is great on the mic, he makes a good heel, and as many of the 'big stars' in WWE have proved you don't really need to be the best wrestler to go really far, for example Austin, he wasn't a great wrestler but had a good character at the time.

 

[k/king8]

Umaga is twice the wrestler that Samoa Joe is right now. Joe isn't fit to shine Umaga's shoes at this point.

I completely agree, I think Umaga puts on excellent matches, and plays his gimmick to perfection. I am a much bigger fan of Umaga ove Samoa Joe any day.

 

[Final Night]

I think Santino is on course to become another Christian. I think he's going to make a great comedy heal, but it'll hurt him when it's time for serious consideration. How many people really thought Christian had a chance when he feuded with Cena before he left?

The person who said Santino is always going to have a job is right, I just don't think he's ever going to break through.

 

[RVDgurl]

I think Santino is on course to become another Christian. I think he's going to make a great comedy heal, but it'll hurt him when it's time for serious consideration. How many people really thought Christian had a chance when he feuded with Cena before he left?

The person who said Santino is always going to have a job is right, I just don't think he's ever going to break through.

Wow. I agree with your opinion of Santino but I cannot believe that you could even compare Santino and Christian. I think Santino is funny but he is not (and probably never will be) on the same level as Christian. Christian is absolutely main event material (he has been since he left the WWE). No one had a problem taking Edge seriously as a title contender- and he was a comedy heel. Santino will not get a break through opportunity because his in ring work is not good enough- it will have nothing to do with his character.

 

[midgensa]

I will definitely jump on the Burke bandwagon. That guy is an up-and-coming SUPERSTAR. He will be a World Champ someday. He is very athletic and a solid 9.5 on the stick.
I, however, am quickly falling off of the Kennedy bandwagon. He does not cut great promos all the time ... the whiney heel is good when backed up with wins, which he does not get ... he fails drug tests and has had very untimely injuries. I would not hold any one of those against him, but four or five things since winning money in the bank have me doubting whether he could carry a belt for an extended period of time.

 

[midgensa]

Wow. I agree with your opinion of Santino but I cannot believe that you could even compare Santino and Christian. I think Santino is funny but he is not (and probably never will be) on the same level as Christian. Christian is absolutely main event material (he has been since he left the WWE). No one had a problem taking Edge seriously as a title contender- and he was a comedy heel. Santino will not get a break through opportunity because his in ring work is not good enough- it will have nothing to do with his character.

Just remember, his in ring work is not good enough RIGHT NOW. I actually do not find him to be that entertaining as most do. He is a one schtick pony I think. The fake problems with the English language will get old after a while. I do think he has a lot of talent though and could maybe push through to the top tier, but I think it is a LONG LONG way down the road.
By the way ... dead on with your take on Christian. He is not only main event material ... but he is one of the BEST 10 in the ENTIRE BUSINESS. Absolutley great in the ring, on the stick and with his work ethic.

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

I'm surprised I haven't come across this thread yet lol. Anyway, here's my list...

Some guys that have already "made it", but will continue to grow:

Jeff Hardy - I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the main event after Wrestlemania, or possibly even after the Royal Rumble, depending on who they want to win that.

John Cena - He'll continue to be one of their top guys for a while, but it would help him a lot if he turned heel soon since he's been a face for such a long time and people are bored with him.

Edge - Definitely one of the best guys they have. Thank God they realize that. Edge is a future Hall of Fame member without a doubt.

Matt Hardy - They obviously don't trust him enough yet to give him the United States title, but if he continues to improve himself, they may be willing to push him.

Jamie Noble - This guy's been pretty good lately and if they put him in the right storylines, he could be a reliable performer. Now, I don't expect Noble to be a main event guy, but he could make one hell of a tag team if paired with the right person.

Future big stars:

Lance Cade - This guy has a lot of talent and I'm surprised they haven't started placing him in contention for the Intercontinental title. I'm one of the types that believes in the "championship climb method", as in "you win the tag team title, make a name for yourself, win the midcard title once or twice, grab a large fan base, then you're pushed to the main event title". Cade is being held back by Murdoch.

Kendrick & London - If these guys were good on the mic, they'd be one hell of an impressive tag team, but I don't think I've heard their voices once lol.

Mr. Kennedy - Not the best in ring performer, but he's working on it, and if he continues to improve, he could easily become their new Stone Cold or Rock.

Santino Marella - Again, needs to improve in the ring, but he's gold on the mic. I hated his freakin guts as a face but he's one of the most entertaining heels they have right now.

Cody Rhodes - I can see Cody becoming a very, very skilled technical wrestler (as in a Bret Hart). It seems like he has a lot of heart. Another thing that helps him is that he's already impressing people at this young of an age, he has a lot of time to grow. By this time next year, I'd be completely shocked if he wasn't at least fighting for the Intercontinental/United States title.

Umaga - EASILY the best of the "big men". He reminds me of a more agile Vader, who was a good performer in his own right. Umaga's being held back creatively, though, by not being able to speak English on-screen. There's a catch, though. A wrestler like Umaga could be screwed over by creative down the line. For some reason, the WWE likes to take big guys and pass them off as domineering, then repackage them as a face (most of the time a comedic waste of time) that jobs to people. It happened to Vader, it happened to Kurgan, Mabel/Viscera/Big Daddy V, etc, and hopefully it won't happen to Umaga.

Lashley - If Lashley cured himself of being a somewhat wooden performer with absolutely no mic skills, he could find success.

DH Smith - I can't say for sure whether or not he'll make something of himself, seeing as he's only 2 matches into it and already suspended, but if he inherited a majority of his father's potential, and he fixes his mindset, Harry could be an important player. Far too soon to tell for sure, though.

Kenny Dykstra - The guy's only 21 and he's better than some people that have been at it longer. Now he's certainly not ready for a belt, I'm not going that far, but it seems like he has nowhere to go but up. Give him a few years and if he works hard, Kenny could be huge.

Festus - I don't know...this guy's fun to watch and he has an absolutely ******ed (mind the pun) gimmick, but even that's fun. As long as it doesn't get stale, he could become an important singles competitor.

MVP - Much, much, much better on the mic than he is in the ring, and sometimes he can be a little choppy and boring, but MVP has a bright future for sure.

Shelton Benjamin - Improve the mic skills and you really will become the "gold standard". Amazing in the ring.

Elijah Burke - I like Burke, but I just feel that he's missing something right now, so I wouldn't even give him a midcard title yet. He needs some work but he'll get there.

CM Punk - Though he's sort of been more relaxed as the champ, I still think Punk will be a giant star. For some reason, I have a feeling that it'll happen after he turns heel and hopefully starts using the Anaconda Vice again. After he goes from face to heel, then heel to face again, Punk could be a top performer.

John Morrison - I laughed when they gave him the ECW title cause I thought he totally didn't deserve it. But ever since then, he's been getting better week by week. Morrison's in-ring performance is one of the very best in the WWE right now, I feel, and although he needs more time to flex and learn on the mic, he's improving exponentially. I'd seriously consider this guy one of the top 6 heels and if I had it my way, he'd already be the #2 heel on Raw. Watch out for this guy. He may very well be the next Shawn Michaels in due time.

The Miz - Ok, ok, I know, I freaking hate the guy too, lol. Certainly, I'm not throwing him in here as a future main event star, but weirder things HAVE happened. The reason I'm putting him on here is that I could see him being a solid member of a tag team. He's improving in the ring and getting less annoying, maybe since he isn't being showcased in singles comp lately lol.

Kevin Thorn - He keeps improving and he could be a very solid midcarder.

 

[carbondioxide830]

mr. kennedy is without doubt my favorite in the entire wwe now that cena is injured. i really hope they do right with him by creating a legacy as i see kennedy as the next "rock" of the wwe. so far, no rip off title runs like they did when orton first won the title and thus it'll actually mean something when he does become wwe champion. he's already been u.s. champion, now i see kennedy taking jeff hardy's i.c. title and having a nice run with that. finally, i see kennedy as the number one superstar in wwe by wrestlemania 25.

mvp also has potential. he has the mic skills, the gimmick, and is able to draw heat from the crowd like no other. on top of that, his in ring ability is pretty nice too. its nice to see him have a nice, long run as united states champion and his feud with matt hardy was well done and i look forward to it's conclusion when hardy returns. i see big things for montel vontavious porter.

another guy who isn't exactly an "up and commer" as he's already established, but is seemingly getting more and more popular is jeff hardy. since returning to wwe, he's been bigger than ever. he's had some awesome matches with nitro, umaga, kennedy, and he and matt had some good tag matches with cade & murdoch. call me silly, but i could picture jeff hardy main eventing for the wwe championship and possibly even having a run as champ...he deserves it.