My pick is the obvious one in Ryback. Ryback has already emerged as one of the top faces in the WWE in just a little time and I expect he will gain even more momentum as he matures his character over time. During Ryback's first few months in the WWE, he's already been more over than any other former Nexus member combined (with the exception of Daniel Bryan). With the way he's been booked thus far, I wouldn't be surprised to see him pushed towards the Main Event picture and the WWE Championship once Wrestlemania is done and over with. His future is beyond bright.
Next would be the obvious Daniel Bryan. With a simple 'Yes' or 'No', Daniel Bryan is another member of the former Nexus who's managed to get himself more over than just about any other WWE Superstar currently on the active roster. With time, Daniel Bryan is bound to become one of the top superstars in the WWE. To agree with Jack-Hammer;
I think Daniel Bryan is going to be the next Chris Jericho. He's someone that I see as an upper mid-card mainstay who will make occasional trips into the main event picture.
Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho remind me so much of one another. Both are technically sound and can play their respective characters to perfection. While Bryan isn't as great on the mic as Jericho, Bryan can certainly keep the crowd in the palm of his hand in other ways. By that, I wouldn't be surprised if Daniel Bryan replaced Chris Jericho once Jericho's time is up as an active WWE superstar. Chris Jericho has made a career out of putting other WWE Superstars over in the best of ways. With Bryan's ability to perform, he can fit that role perfectly. With that ability to move up to the main event picture at call, I'm sure he'll go far in the WWE.
Last one worth a mention is Wade Barrett. While he's not as over as the first two, he is without a doubt someone the WWE seems to be invested in and I can certainly see why. Barrett never seems to disappoint me whether on the mic or wrestling in the ring. He is someone who will be a World Champion in the future. Being featured prominently on both Raw and Smackdown every week will certainly help Wade Barrett. Being trusted to help a young kid get over like Bo Dallas really shows how much the WWE higher ups like Wade Barrett. I cannot see him surpassing Ryback or Daniel Bryan in importance to the WWE roster but he'll definitely be successful.
Then you have a superstar like Justin Gabriel. He's such a phenomenal wrestler. If anyone has seen this guy wrestle down in FCW, you'll know how great he can work a match. However, without character and based on his current direction in the WWE, I don't see him amounting to much other than an occasional midcard feud. Same goes for Michael McGillicutty. It seems Triple H has got a hard on for McGillicutty and if he's repackaged into Joe Hennig, I could see a little light shined on him. But, as history has taught us, you cannot simply live in your father's shadow and stay relevant in the WWE – ask Ted DiBiase. David Otunga has a nice gimmick, but hasn't showed much improvement in the ring. Not to mention David Otunga hasn't been seen in months. Daren Young seems to have a nice comfortable spot as one half of the Prime Time Players. Other than a tag team title run, he'll do nothing significant. Husky Harris is another favorite of mine but he has a future that's hard for me to predict. His Bray Wyatt gimmick is just amazing to me; probably my favorite gimmick in the last couple of years. Why the WWE hasn't called him up already is beyond me. While he's still down in NXT, it's pretty much impossible to see how his future will go in the WWE or if even the WWE audience will accept his gimmick.
Last but certainly not least is Heath Slater. There's a reason I've devoted an entire paragraph to him. Heath Slater has always been one of my favorite unused guys on the roster. His potential is beyond great. Slater’s is severely underrated both in and out of the ring. Recently I attended a house show and it reminded me why I fell in love with Heath Slater in the first place. He knows how to work a crowd like very few. So much so, that he was arguably the most hated heels of the night. I have always said that if given the right character, Heath Slater can launch himself right into relevancy. While management is interested in him enough to give him a ten minute spot in each Raw or Smackdown, I don’t think their as serious about him as I want them to be. As my faith is little in management, I don’t see Heath Slater getting out of jobbing to the stars week in and week out. He’s great at it but he can do so much more.
Through all of that, the first three are sure fire future main event players within the WWE and I wouldn't bet against them. Ryback, Daniel Bryan and Wade Barrett; their futures are brighter than ever.
