Who will be the face of the next generation?

[Cmac3311]

With names in WWE history like Sammartino, Hogan, Austin and Cena, I was wondering the other day... "Who will take the torch in the coming decade?"

In the 60's & 70's we had Bruno Sammartino, a blue collared true working class hero and people's champion. He was WWWF champ from 1963-1971 and champ again from 1973-1977... Bruno was the face of the WWWF for over 2 decades and one of classic wrestling's most godly characters...

In the 80's & early 90's we had Hulk Hogan, champ from 1984-1988 and had multiple title reigns in WWF and WCW, was the poster child behind the merchandising boom in Pro Wrestling and was at the forefront of the explosion of wrestling's popularity. Without Hulk Hogan (with Vince McMahon as the mastermind behind it all) we wouldn't have websites, discussions, or even wrestling shows to talk about.

In the mid to late 90's we had Stone Cold Steve Austin, my personal fave on this list and the man who changed the WWF and all of professional wrestling. A multiple time heavyweight champion and the most over anti-hero in the history of the business. Austin was like what grunge music was to hair metal, one was stale and dying and the other allowed for a fresh change that ushered in a new era.

Finally, the 2000's should have belonged to Brock Lesnar but due to Lesnar's taste for football and UFC, recent history shows that this era's megastar is John Cena. Multiple time WWE champion, icon of the PG era and major merchandising force in the current WWE realm. While this guy comes under fire from just about everybody (including myself) there's no denying his name is at the top of this stage in the WWE game for the passed 4-5 years and probably for another 5 years.

Which brings me to the not so distant future, who is the next guy who will join this list? Will it be an Hogan to Austin transition? Ultra babyface to Anti-Hero? Is the next mega star on the payroll currently or have we yet to see the next dominate force? I'll even ask, is he in TNA?

If I had to choose one guy on the roster I'd lean on Randy Orton as being the next megastar, I know he already is but I mean that as he could be the next huge Anti-Hero, he has the charisma, the in-ring style, and his following is growing bigger every month...

So who is your future era defining superstar?

 

[Ferbian]

I think it all depends on when the "future era" starts.

Because let's say the future era starts when guys like Triple H and Undertaker is gone, in 2-3 years time that is, then the chance for Randy Orton to be the face of that generation is rather good, as well as John Cena probably being somewhat of a face.

Sheamus and Wade Barrett would also be great choices, because they're slowly building, they're interesting. While they are not faces, I am pretty certain they could play it. Or they could be the heels of that generation. Or quite simply - Leader of that generation, much like Shawn Michaels was the leader of the new generation.

But let's say the next generation is in 5-10 years, it can all look different, a guy who's young, like Drew McIntyre (who's 25). So I really think that it's all a matter of when the new era starts, and what generation of wrestlers we have, the landscape of WWE could look completely different.

 

[#Britton#]

personally i hope its the miz and john morrison, they could be thr hhh and hbk of the era, but that will only happen if john improves on the mic.

like the ferb said it could easily be barret or sheamus which would be awesome

but im gonna have to agree that randy will be a big face for a long time, he has got the look, the moveset and the finisher that everyone wants to see, the only thing orton is missing is humor side like the rock or stone cold. But that wouldnt match his gimmick, but we will have to wait untill his later career if his gimmick changes

 

[Firewing0]

To be honest, the next 'future defining superstar' probably is either not in WWE or TNA right now or is just in such an obscure position that you could never guess it was them. There are a few names that come to mind, and for the most part the ones that jump out at me are from TNA.

"The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero- In my opinion this guy, if used correctly, could become one of the top, if not the top faces of either TNA or WWE. Last time I watched TNA (which was about two/three months ago, not sure), he was on fire, having good to great promos, having pretty good matches as well and being able to easily get the fans on his side (although this isn't too hard in the Impact Zone). All he needs to do is keep on improving and like I said before be used properly by TNA, and he could become their next major star. Hell, he could even go back to the WWE and be big over their, but with all the people their pushing at the moment that's unlikely.

Ken Anderson- Do I really need to explain this. Similarly to The Pope, he has great promos on a regular basis, has a catchphrase people can get behind (assholes, apparently), his matches are good enough to get him by, but his ring psychology is actually pretty amazing, and to top it all off he again can get the fans on his side easily, but he can also get the fans to boo him like crazy if needs be. Anderson has the ability to be a one of the future top guys in both TNA and WWE, its just up to the companies to use him right.

My final pick, although I feel there's more candidates for this, is actually Kofi Kingston. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of his, hell I think he's just slightly overrated, but I just feel there's something he's not showing us, something that could easily take him tot he next step. He started showing it when he feuded with Orton, but then it just, whatever it was, fizzled out along with the feud (it might of been his growing 'mean streak' as it were, not sure though). Even after that feud ended and him losing again and again, even losing to Batista in around 3-5 minutes I believe, since he went to Smackdown he's bounced back. If he just improves his all round game, especially his mic skills, and develops an interesting character (which I think he's lacking right now), he could become one of the top if not the top faces of WWE, at a stretch.

Oh and just a little note, this is my first post here on the formus so go easy on me please, please...

 

[Rated_R_Edgehead]

I would really like to see The Miz as the face of the Wwe in a few years time, he has really come a long way I think, and he really has shown as how good of a wrestler and how charismatic he is and I'm pretty sure he can be even more charismatic and an even better wrestler then he already is. Although if he had to be a face instead of a heel I wouldn't really like it as he makes an awesome heel.

I'm going to say that it could be someone that isn't even in the business right now, and I don't really see it happening for another 10 years or 5 years. I can see Cena carrying on till then.

 

[Dressler]

No one can tell, what if the face of the next generation isn't in the WWE right now? From the current roster it all depends on what types of Generation is next, is WWE going to continue this PG Era for an extended part of time or is it going to move back up to TV 14 or higher? If it stays in PG then you can expect Cena to be that guy for a while. If not then who knows what the next face of the generation will be.

Guys like Orton, Sheamus, CM Punk and maybe even Wade Barrett could be the face of the generation, possibly even a smaller wrestler like Evan Bourne if WWE is serious about this whole "Smaller Wrestlers can be Champions" movement they have going.

But like I said, its very hard to predict, who knows who will debut in the WWE next month? Year? maybe even longer. So who knows.

 

[RiVaLGaMeR]

Who knows really. There could be new people by then and less current wrestlers. If anyone from the current roster can take the place of John "dont call me the rock copy cat" Cena, it could only be:

John Morrison
Ted Dibiase
Hopefully the Hart Dynasty
Ezekiel Jackson

No one from Smackdown because there is too many heels and i dont think any of them have it in them.

 

[LegendKiller716]

Guys like Miz, Morrison, Henning, Dibiase, or MVP could all be great choices, but you never know what will happen.

My pick has been Ken Anderson, but we all saw what happened to him.

I have to say Cena and Orton are the Rock and Austin of this era, so IMO the next era doesn't start until they are out of the title picture. These two will be on top for a long time.

 

[Tattooed Jesus]

I don't really see anyone in wrestling right now that has the potential to reach that level right now. There are currently no Hogans, Rocks, Austins, HBKs, HHHs, Flairs, Savages, Rhodes, Stings in the business. There are some guys that have some good moments and spots here and there but not a single one that has everything all put together in the total package that it takes to make you "The Face of the Next Generation".

Really it's none of these guys fault either because none of them are being given the chance like those before them. They are all being force fed to all of us in over scripted boring promos and cookie cutter matches that you could just substitute one guy for another and never no the difference. These guys aren't able to be themselves or build their characters like a Rock or Austin, Vince is to scared to do this anymore, and the creative behind the current characters have no clue how to build anyone.

So I don't know whats gonna happen when the current vets are gone because there really is no one that can take their places right now and carry us into the future.

 

[Super Crazy]

I think it's too hard to tell to be quite honest. It really depends on when the " next generation " begins. Is it when guys like Triple H and Undertaker retire? If so, guys like Orton, Cena and Sheamus will be the leaders of the new generation.

If the new generation however is when guys like Cena and Orton call it a day, I believe it will be guys like Wade Barrett, Alex Riley, Michael McGuillicutty, and Michael Tarver will be the new faces of the next generation. They all have the skills to make it to the top of the company and carry the company just like Orton and Cena do now. I know it's a little early to make such a bold statement, but these guys have the opportunity to become the total package once they start to compete on the main roster, and I can see all of them at the top of the card.

 

[Remix]

Like it's been said repeatedly, it depends on when the 'next generation' starts. Right now it's undisputably Cena (although Orton may replace him if built right) and the next big thing is unlikely to be someone we already know. But WWE does make stars out of people, even if nobody expected it beforehand. Of the guys currently on the roster I see the most 'star potential' in these guys:

Wade Barrett

What doesn't this guy have? He's a good wrestler (mediocre finisher aside), has a damn good look, is a big guy, and is a charismatic motherfucker. Anybody who doesn't see star potential in him is either blind or stupid. Why the fuck wasn't he bought up sooner? You're telling me that Tyler fucking Reks and DJ Gabriel were thought of as better and more ready than this guy when he was good in 2008? Imo, he should have been bought up with the Berchills in 2008 and continued their successful OVW tag team. At the very least one third of them would have been entertaining.

The Miz

He says it every week, and rightly so. He is AWESOME. He's still not great in the ring, although he has made strides in that department and if the past is anything to go on, he'll continue to do so. He is also one of WWE's best promocutters, and like his in ring work has greatly improved on his mic skills. He may never be WWE's best performer, but he's more than capable of having decent matches with most people, as well as bringin his A-Game every time he goes out to wrestle. That makes him good in my books.

Alex Riley

Like Wade Barrett he's got the whole package, he's got a great look, a great gimmick, decent in ring skills and superb mic skills. I'm admitedly less high on him than Wade, but that's no slight on Riley's excellent attributes.

Sheamus

Oi fella, you can't mention potentially great young'uns without mentioning the golden boy of WWE's youth push. Sheamus has a very unique look, is good in the ring and on the mic. WWE obviously sees sometihng in him since they've given him two WWE title reigns.

Of course, a star is nothing without his supporting players: so let's give it up for the Future Chris Jerichos: John Morrison, R-Truth, Drew McIntyre, Ted DiBiase Jr (jury's out on whether he can be a star), Cody Rhodes (jury's out on whether he can be a star), Kaval, Evan Bourne, Johnny 'Lucky Cannon' Prime, Joe 'Michael McGillicutty' Hennig (jury's out on whether he can be a star), and Percy Watson.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

It's not really easy to say..but people are giving their predictions so I will aswell..

Sheamus - Although he a heel, im not really sure he will ever be a face or can pull it off...but he is going to be in the main event for a long time...

John Morrison - I don't know why but I can see him at the top, something needs to change though...he reminds me of an old Shawn Michaels...and i can see him as a heel Rick Rude..

Justin Gabriel - This guy is great, but I don't know whether he can pull being a face of a company off...

then theres, Ted DiBiase, Wade Barrett, CM Punk, who can easily take it!!,

I think though after Cena goes, Orton will take the throne, he will have it for a few years, he is like 4 years younger than Cena I believe, and i don't know whether how long they plan to stay on wrestling...But he is my pick!!

 

[paco1991]

Man I can answer this question easily...three words...Woo...Woo...Woo

Thats right people The long Island Iced Z Zack PAck leader himself...Zack Ryder
THis man has it all and is finally coming into his own...even changed his wardrobe to regular tights...his mic skills are perfect...hes a high flyer and a ground and pounder...
hes been on a little push now with being in the US title picture..even if he lost the matches he held his own and wasnt squashed..hes getting alot of face time being on both Raw and NXT...in the pit of my stomach i feel like Zack has the creditals to be the future of the WWE...

Woo...Woo..Woo You Know it!!

 

[hellod245]

Face of the next generation? I think here we are talking about the guy who will be the face of the company atleast 5 years later. Randy Orton is a smart choice but I think the way his career is going right now he wont be a full time wrestler by that time. He already has a messed up shoulder and if he hurt it once or twice again then he might have to reduce his schedule to lesen the risk. So after 5 years seeing Randy as a poster boy for WWE is really hard. I would pick The Miz. He is so charismatic. He is having an awesome run as a heel. He is not from wrestling background who has a cocky and arrogant charactor right now. WWE can easily change his charator anytime easily. We all know he is in wrestling business because of his love in this. Since his reality show days he has been saying that being a wrestler is his biggest dream and he can use this as his charactor as a face. With his rapidly growing popularity and fan base I can see turning face with in 2 years and taking Cena's or Orton's place as a poster boy with in 5 years for sure. Just wait and watch this is bound to happen in future for sure.

 

[kofifan23]

i hope the future of the wwe will be guys like miz, dibiase, and sheamus. But to be honest i think it will be the miz. Miz is a graet heel and people are already starting to like him so i think it would be great for wwe to make him the future along with sheamus, jack swagger (not as champ) and wade barret

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

A lot of people think that Randy Orton is going to be the next face of the company, but what a lot of people don't realize, is he's been around almost as long as John Cena. There's a really good chance that Cena will actually outlast Orton in terms of how long they wrestle for the WWE. I think they'll both be around for many years to come, but Orton's never going to be THE face of the company as long as super Cena is around, and that's just bad luck and timing for him.

Sheamus is an interesting pick for the future face of the company... I dont' really know how I feel about him. He's growing on me, but I don't know how long it's going to be until he hits his ceiling. I also don't know what he'll be like as a face, but you never really know. I'd say if he chooses to stick around for long enough, and he doesn't get into too much trouble, there's a good chance he'll be up there in the years to come.

As much as it pains me to say this, Ron Killings would be my personal choice for the face of the company. No, that's not a typo, I mean Ron Killings. He's got charisma, definite in-ring ability, and if you look at him he's got a great look. He's athletic enough to get down with John Morrison and the Miz, but he's also a pretty decently sized guy. Now, what they need to do is get rid of his annoying R-Truth gimmick, rebuild him as a regular guy, and let him work his magic. Just like John Cena used his rapper thug gimmick to get noticed and get over, R-Truth has his gimmick. But eventually he'll outgrow it, and if the WWE is smart, they'll make him stop and do something halfway normal. I'm not saying he needs to be boring, but with his mic skills, he can be a regular guy and get over. If they actually use him, I could very well see Ron Killings becoming the face of the WWE. However, I don't actually see it happening...

 

[Dave]

The face of the next generation of the WWE probably isn’t event on WWE programming right now.

The way I see it is that John Cena is probably going to be sticking around for a long time and if he does live up to this, then no one will get the shot to be replace him as the face of the company. Whilst Cena is still on board, no one is ever going to come close to him and that is a shame for everyone else but that’s the way it is. Now, Cena is only a young guy so I could definitely see him sticking around for the next 10 years or so. His movies have bombed and he seems to be content with the WWE lifestyle now. The speculation over his future has all but been settled and he seems to be enjoying his wrestling.

However, when Cena eventually does leave, I would imagine that the WWE will have someone in his place rapidly. It is always the same routine and it has paid off for the WWE in the past. As soon as the poster boy for the company leaves, another one is ready to step up and take that place. Sure, it may take a while for that talent to come through but history has shown us that there is always someone.

As for who is next, I really couldn’t tell you. As I said, if Cena is still around in 10 years, I don’t see anyone touching him but when the next generation of the WWE does come. However, the WWE will have measures in place to ensure that Cena is replaced and of the current crop, the only person I think could do it is Sheamus or Randy Orton. Both of these guys have a little more about them and are really over with the fans. They also have a little bit of a problem with their attitudes and with authority. With Randy Orton signing a 10 year contract, I would say he is the exceptional candidate for the job.

 

[The New Generation]

I'm not sure how anyone can really answer this question. First we need to know when the next generation is. People have given there thoughts about what the next generation is, but really there is no telling when the next generation is. Secondly, it is really hard to predict what will happen in the wwe within the next 5 years.

Let's go back to 2007, John Cena was the face of the company. Randy Orton was the heel of the company. Every single person that has been named as a future face in the company, with the exeption of The Miz, Morrison and Orton, weren't even in the WWE in 2007. If you were asked, who will be the face of the WWE when the new generation comes around, you would get people like Orton, although he would be more likely a heel, Bobby Lashley, Mr. Kennedy, Jeff Hardy, Shelton Benjemin, etc. Not a single one of those people are in the company anymore, and most likely will never be the face of the WWE. The only person who's been consistant as a future main eventer and face of the company if Randy Orton.

For the past 5 years he has been regarded as the next big thing and one of the best heels on Raw. Everyone knew that he would eventually be the face, or heel, of the company, and with his recent face turn being a success, this it is just a matter of time before he passes Cena. There will be another 5-7 years before anyone, with the exception of Orton, will pass Cena as the face of the company, and anything can happen in the next 5 years. We don't know what the roster will look like and with the WWE releasing 7-10 superstars every year, it is tough to predict anyone's WWE future.

So the only answer that is even close to a 50% chance is Randy Orton.

 

[Morpheus101]

I'd say that Sheamus is eventually going to become a fan favorite. I honestly think he could pull of a role marginally similar to the role Stone Cold used to play, especially if WWE were to deviate from the 'PG' nonsense just a tad. Sheamus has the potential to become a "popular" badass in WWE.

 

[LigerBomb]

Cena's generation isn't even close from ending. Barring career threatening injury, which would force the WWE to anoint a new knight in shining armor there isn't going to be a new face of a generation for a while. If anything perhaps were Cena to go down Orton would keep the ship afloat in the transition similar to how The Rock leveraged the momentum created by Austin until guys like Cena stepped up and ran with the ball.
For the sake of speculation I don't think anyone on the roster right now will be the new mega cash cow a lá Hogan Austin and Cena. There may be a collective that rides the tide and props WWE up until the next guy arrives but he isn't with the company yet. Whoever he is, he may not even be in the business yet.

 

[SpoodBeest]

Isn't John Cena leading the superstars into the next generation. As far as I see it Cena is relatively young and isn't leaving anytime soon. He is WWE's top draw and has the best work ethic and attitude probably on the entire roster. I cannot say enough good things about Mr. Cena. I would say he atleast has half a decade left in him maybe even a full one and as far as him being a top star that isn't going to change. Randy Orton is also in the same boat as Cena so I don't need to explain about him since I have already done so.

Sheamus is a brand new star and has only been on television for one year. He is going to carry the torch for the future of WWE. I am a big fan of his and he has only gotten better since his first WWE title reign. I see him doing big things for the company in the future as I see him becoming a big star.

Some others that I would like to mention would be The Miz and Kofi Kingston. They are both respective midcarders on the rise. I see them becoming very popular over the next few years and perhaps start main eventing some day. But who knows they are in the midcard right now but they are both super over and with Kofi being on SmackDown he could easily become the "close but no cigar" title chaser similar to what Jeff Hardy was when he was on the brand. As for Miz well it's a little crowded on RAW at the moment but his over-ness could do him wonders in the long run.