Who Will Be The Next "Top Face" of the WWE?

[Paralyzer Z]

From 2005 and on we have seen the group of superstars that had their debuts in during the end of the Attitude era and the early Ruthless Aggression Era like John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk, Edge, Chris Jericho, and Batista become the leaders of the generation that would follow. At this point though only 3 of these guys are left and will likely be the Undertaker and Triple H of the next generation that follows them. Looking at the future stars like Barrett, Ziggler, and Rhodes they have a crap load of time before they get to John Cena status since he will likely be the top face for years to come. The question is will any of these guys ever reach the status of Cena, to be the poster boy, the absolute center point, and the next in line of those that include Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and John Cena.

In each generation there is only one main superstar that can be associated with it immediately upon mention. Who do instantly think of when I say Golden era? Hulk Hogan of course. New Generation era that followed? Bret "the hitman" Hart is the guy. The era that came next the praised Attitude Era? It is Stone Cold Steve Austin no contest. The Ruthless Aggression Era is debatable but I think of Brock Lesnar despite the fact that Cena was on top for most of the end of that era. John Cena is of course synonymous with the current PG saga that WWE is going through. Then there are guys like HHH and Taker that were top stars in the previous generation and continued to be top stars (as the guys that put young talent over). Which is what I think Cena and Orton will become eventually once Cena's time as top star is over (which will be a LONG time from now).

Who do you think will eventually rise up and join the ranks of Hogan, Hart, Austin, and Cena as being the man that defined their generation (or in other words the guy that will define the next generation?)

When this person's time comes to replace Cena, do you think that Cena, Orton, and Punk will still be around playing similar roles a Triple H and Undertaker are in now (legends that put young talent over)?

When do you think that the next major era in WWE will begin?

 

[Krossbreed]

honestly now that cm punk is the top face... i dont see anyone else who has that it-factor, i see the top spot going to a wrestler who isnt even on wwe tv right now someone from developmental...like a dean ambrose or seth rollins. i always though ted dibiasse would be that guy but he has to shoot, he has to break out. Dolph, cody and believe it or not zack ryder ae the only guys i see who can bring it.

 

[SPR*VLN]

In the early Ruthless Aggresion era Brock was the face of WWE. Later we saw Cena and Batista come on the up and up.

definately saw the same in Ted Dibiase aswell. He did the movie thing and was well groomed to be a good face up until fans started cheering for Orton rather then him & Cody when they fueded. I think the next big face has yet to debut in WWE. Could be Cody Rhodes tho.

 

[PeaceAndLove]

Hey, new guy . anyway by the looks of it they are getting daniel bryan ready for something big so he may be getting the nod soon but cody rhodes and ziggler hands down will be major stars by wrestlemania 30. Punk is almost there he just needs one more thing to get completely over and i think its a long rivalry like the orton christian kind of long. but hell thats just my opinion

 

[Junkfood34]

i reckon when the miz turns face (and he will.....eventually.....some how) he will become as big as cena and will even change it from a one man poster boy company to a two man poster boy company

 

[alexikosalov]

Daniel Bryan.

No longer the pale, nervous, smiling kid who first showed up in NXT. DB's got the new man beard, the bad ass red and black gear, sick intensity, the move-set (they've got him on a long lease in there if you haven't noticed) and most importantly, the fans.

If they don't screw it up he can be the next CM Punk level super face.

 

[shafe_41]

Good question.

My opinion... the next big massive huge Cena/Austin/HBK/Rock/Hogan face of the WWE is.............................. not in the WWE yet. I just don't think we've seen them. You could argue Punk might be, but in the pecking order of the WWE, I just don't see Punk ever surpassing Cena. The only way that would happen would be if Cena could somehow turn heel and stay heel in a way NOBODY would root for him. He wouldn't even be allowed to be the "cool heel" like Orton, Punk, Jericho, etc...

I don't see Daniel Bryan being the one because he's just missing something for me. I don't know if it's the mic skills, the charisma, I don't know. There is just something about him that says "plain" to me. I love him in the ring though. One of the best the WWE has got right now. But missing that "it" factor or moment to propel him. His Austin 3:16 moment. His CM Punk "Shoot Promo on the ramp" moment. But he's still young. He just needs that one single moment.

 

[Cravendale]

I think The Miz will be the face of the "Next" generation of wrestling, he's got the charisma and the mic skills. I think he'll remain heel for a good couple of years yet and then he'll follow in the footsteps of Orton, Edge and Punk - both long term heels who eventually became successful main event faces by winning the crowd over.

 

[TheHeartbreakPunk]

I would say that it's either going to be the miz, cm punk, or maybe even daniel bryan. I must say, daniel looked kick-ass last night on smackdown. He's grown a lot. And the miz is just.... well, awesome. And cm punk. Come on? It's cm punk. He's the best in the world, and he wants ice cream bars. But seriously, cm punk is amazing in the ring, hes got great mic skills, and he could very well be the next face of wwe.
Honorable mentions: Ziggler, Rhodes, Barrett, Ryder

 

[Yesiamaduck]

I think the WWE have finally started preparing for a change of guard... the way they've been building on talent (mostly on Smackdown though) has been very good! The pushes that Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan, Zack Ryder, Wade Barrett & Sheamus are all being handled very well that you have to believe these guys will be in the picture for some time. (I am surprised I'm saying Zack Ryder because when people were calling for his push I thought he'd get a small spot in the middcard but he's getting so over, more over then I ever thought possible since his last push in the WWE a few years back).

CM Punk, The Miz & Alberto Del Rio are almost there (the 2 former more so then the latter) it's the first time in a long time where I can see the current generation shifting the momentum away from the relentless era & I think it's a conscious effort with so much of their established talent getting injured. I think they realise it's time for a change.

 

[Larry]

Z, you could have just PM'd me and I could have told you what every one of these responses was going to be before you even thought about starting a thread. The truth of the matter as I see it is that the question you are asking can not be answered at this time. There are too many factors and uncertainties to account for. However, I could have easily to you that everyone and their grandma was just going to go ahead and say either Ziggler, Rhodes, Bryan, Ryder, or Sheamus because that's who everyone is dick riding at the moment, regardless of justification or rationale, with one or two guys thrown in that the poster views as a "different" choice to try and give themselves a bit of "internet cred". I'm not dogging you for making the thread, but all it has or was ever going to accomplish was giving people another opportunity to gush over the handful of guys the IWC is falling all over themselves for, and here we have it.

 

[Yesiamaduck]

Z, you could have just PM'd me and I could have told you what every one of these responses was going to be before you even thought about starting a thread. The truth of the matter as I see it is that the question you are asking can not be answered at this time. There are too many factors and uncertainties to account for. However, I could have easily to you that everyone and their grandma was just going to go ahead and say either Ziggler, Rhodes, Bryan, Ryder, or Sheamus because that's who everyone is dick riding at the moment, regardless of justification or rationale, with one or two guys thrown in that the poster views as a "different" choice to try and give themselves a bit of "internet cred". I'm not dogging you for making the thread, but all it has or was ever going to accomplish was giving people another opportunity to gush over the handful of guys the IWC is falling all over themselves for, and here we have it.

I think a lot of the suggestions go beyond IWC man love and heres why:

Rhodes -> Is getting big reactions, is being treated as a future star by providing the guy with ample face time, a significant title reign & main event slots on Smackdown.

Ziggler -> You'll have to be an idiot to think WWE isn't high on the guy, significant title reign, booked to multiple times 2 ppvs in a row, given more and more mic time & allowed to strut around the ring. They're currently transitioning a guy whose clearly ready for the main event into the main event.

Sheamus -> Again you'd have to be an idiot to think the WWE don't have Sheamus positioned as one of their top faces already, he's being protected in that when he does loose it's due to his aggression as opposed to his lack of ability. Sheamus is now easily one of the top names in the WWE and he's still got plenty of years in him.

Daniel Bryan -> Has had massive crowd reactions as of late. The typical WWE fans are now getting behind Bryan & whilst it's unlikely he'll be the top face of the WWE he'll be up there. Potentially a main event at Wrestlemania and a main eventer in next weeks Smackdown the WWE have a lot invested in Daniel Bryan. They're even giving him more face time and mic time

Zack Ryder -> Yes, in his current form screams midcarder, however listen to the crowd... given time and a gimmick change this guy could potentially be the next John Cena.

I think you're way to full of your own opinion and are opposed to looking at current evidence just so you can spit venom and assume everyones opinions are based soley on how much they LOVE the guy. I think the majority of suggestions have been rooted in reality and all the above are definitely guys the WWE are preping for a higher role within the company.

 

[BigThunder]

I don't think anyone, short of injury will dethrone Cena, Punk, HHH and Orton at the top of the WWE's current active faces. Of the ones on the current roster, Shamus is probably the most over, and I think Christian, once he gets back from injury, could do it if turned properly, as might Henry -- I'm not sure Brodus and Mark can coexist as monster heels for very ong, particularly if Brodus gets a big push.

Daniel's more likely to become the next big heel, in my book. Ryder's popularity mystifies me a little: he's good, but his gummick (as others have mentioned) screams mid-card. Cody and Dolph are both starting to get over, though I think the crowd reaction will make it more likely to turn Cody, Miz will stay a heel, and R-Truth's future, post-Wellness, is uncertain.

As for a dark horse choice, with the right push: Alex Riley.

 

[Larry]

I think a lot of the suggestions go beyond IWC man love and heres why:
I think you're way to full of your own opinion and are opposed to looking at current evidence just so you can spit venom and assume everyones opinions are based soley on how much they LOVE the guy. I think the majority of suggestions have been rooted in reality and all the above are definitely guys the WWE are preping for a higher role within the company.

You are certainly entitled to feeling that way but that's not exactly the case. My opinion was that there is really no telling because there are way too many factors and improbabilities to account for. Current success isn't necessarily a measure of how successful someone will be, hell, 6 months from now, let alone "leading the WWE into the future". For that matter all it takes is 1 serious injury, 1 wellness policy violation, 1 act deemed deplorable by the WWE brass, 1 time for the locker room to decide they don't like you for some reason and all that shit is gone bye bye.

Who is to say that barring those things as well that the current favorites can maintain their success? Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, The Rock; they all lost their shine at some point. You can try to argue otherwise but a time did come where people were tired of all of them, their stock fell, and that time DOES come for all of them. That's why it's a big deal when someone like The Rock can come back and recapture the success he once had, and other examples may be drawn as well. Sustained success is not an easy commodity to come by. There are always people who are hot for a moment because the company and individuals talent makes it so, but to assume that any of these guys are going to be "The Leaders of Tomorrow"? I think that's quite a bit more difficult to measure than people like to profess.

 

[The Champ]

I don't feel as though this is necessarily a question that can be answered among the current group of superstars. Think about it. When Rock and Austin were in their primes and on top full time, no one knew who John Cena was. He wasn't even in WWE. He was just another prospect training in OVW, waiting for his chance. When Hogan was dominating, no one had any clue who Steve Austin and The Rock were. Hell, even when Hogan turned heel all those years later, Rock was a generic face and Austin had JUST started the Austin 3:16 thing. It took him moving to another company and turning heel in that company for Austin to even get the opportunity to do what he did. So the next top guy might be someone who we don't even know yet. No one ever really knows how far a guy is going to do until he does it or doesn't. Everyone thought Kennedy was the next megastar. He got released. Everyone thought Punk was gone by the summer. He's now the second biggest star in the company. There's just no way to know until it happens, so I'm not going to waste time making predictions that may very well be wrong. I prefer to just watch, and enjoy seeing who steps up to the plate.

 

[rge2010]

Did somebody just say Christian could be the face of WWE? This guy has been there for like 15 years with a short stint in TNA. If he aint there now, he aint getting there ever. EVER. Mark Henry an equally ludicrous suggestion.

The next 'Cena' will be The Miz. Kids will love his goofy humor and he is a work horse. Punk will be there or there abouts but he needs to stop bitching about everything because people are turned off by him already. Sheamus could reach the levels Batista did.

 

[NewEraIB]

Who do you think will eventually rise up and join the ranks of Hogan, Hart, Austin, and Cena as being the man that defined their generation (or in other words the guy that will define the next generation?) - The next generation is debatable. Either its the reality era, or the era of social media. If its the reality era, who better than CM Punk? He really knows how to dish it to guys like Laurinitis, McMahon and Triple H out in front of everyone. He's very real and tells things like they are. That's not to say he goes around doing what he wants, but he's vocal and isn't afraid to hold back even backstage. His interviews are different from guys like, say, Miz, because it's CM Punk talking. His character and his real life persona go neck in neck.

If it was the era of social media, I'd pick The Miz or Zach Ryder. Zach Ryder because of his connection with the fans through his videos, his online petitions, and the spot in his entrance where he walks down the ramp with his camcorder. He'd need a bit of work in the ring, but if reception proves anything, its that the people love him. The Miz is very corporate in his interviews. He also dresses the role of a corporate hound, and I like it. It suits him well. His involvement in reality TV shows and his transition to the WWE are great stories for the future, which is why I believe he can be the top dog in the era of social media. Put him in a few subway commercials and you're good. He plugged the sandwich very well, though I didn't buy one.

When this person's time comes to replace Cena, do you think that Cena, Orton, and Punk will still be around playing similar roles a Triple H and Undertaker are in now (legends that put young talent over)? - I won't say that Cena can't be overshadowed because it hasn't been given an honest try. He rarely loses clean. Last I remember that happening was against Triple H at Night of Champions 2008 (I could be wrong). But I would think that the current top guys would still be around putting people over. That is, if they choose to. Cena likely wouldn't. Orton has done a tremendous job of doing so in times past (he's not overrated, despite what a lot of people argue). Triple H would probably out of the ring by then. CM Punk would definitely be up for it.

When do you think that the next major era in WWE will begin? - Hard to say, but for the question's sake I want to say once Cena turns heel. IF he does.

 

[Stein Lager]

While i agree that the next top face of the next generation probably isnt on the roster yet.. theres only one man who i can see who is currently on the roster and is maybe somewhat being groomed for that role, CM Punk.

Now call me crazy but i had this thought. Who out of all the superstars besides John Cena (Rise Above Hate) carries an overly positive message along with his gimmick? CM Punk. Think about it. Imagine Vince McMahon sitting in his office pondering HOW GOOD the WWE will look with this fan favorite face as there top guy, who COMPLETLY ENDORSES no drinking no drugs and no smoking.

Whats that you say? WWE has a top fan favorite wrestler who promotes no drinking, no smoking and no drugs?! Maybe we SHOULD start letting lil jimmy watch wrestling!

Now obviously i see the contrast between CM Punk being an internet darling and being majorly over with young adult/adults, but you see all the kids wearing CM Punk t-shirts and cheering him when he comes out.. Kids are starting to eat him up.

This could be a whole different ballgame for the WWE to start exploiting, unfortunately though at CM Punks expense.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

This question is asked WAY too often in the WWE section to merit a response every single time... Instead I'll just whine about the WWE product a little bit. Ok? Ok...

Hulk Hogan kind of came out of nowhere and became the biggest thing to ever happen to professional wrestling. Before him you had huge stars, but they were limited by their territories and only started making a mainstream name for themselves by eventually crossing over into the then-WWF. Hogan was the huge name for a very long time, and for a lot of people that tired of him it seemed he would never go away. Granted, the culture and product of the 80s was so very different than today that that makes very little difference. People loved Hogan, today people hate Cena, generally speaking...

In the late 90s we had a lot of shifting faces, as nobody truly stayed as the "top guy" for too long because there were that many good performers in the industry. Stone Cold definitely broke through as the top guy overall, with the Rock close behind and a half dozen others taking the main event to freshen things up. After they started fading we saw the Jericho's, Triple H's, and Undertaker's (round II) float to the top for a long time, making huge names for themselves.

It wasn't until John Cena that we really had another "megastar" that was head-and-shoulders above everyone. Then again, different culture, company, and product. The Attitude Era didn't try to be culturally relevant or mainstream, and instead succeeded on pro wrestling and having guys be controversial and beat the hell out of one-another. It drew a lot of ratings, and most of them weren't "main stream fans", they were hardcore pro wrestling fans.

Different product today, that is very similar to that of the 80s. Wrestling is cyclical, like most other things in society. I don't think we're going to have another "top face" similar to Cena. I think we're going to have John around for quite some time, and when things do transition they will be different. It won't be the Hogan-esk era with the Macho Man's and the Steamboat's on the side. The roster is prime for building lots of different talents that can pool to make a great product without having a top dog.

Of course, there will be a top dog at all times, but I think Cena will be the last "megastar" for quite some time. Just some intelligent guesses though...

 

[CurryCollazo]

What ever happened to Drew Mcintyre? I remember when he first came out. Vince said he was a future champion, and face of the WWE. But nothing ever happened..

 

[Dagger Dias]

The guys who come the closest to being potential new "top faces" are CM Punk and The Miz. Cena has been the face of the WWE for over 5 years now. If they are going to place someone else in that spot, they have GOT to be able to out-sell him in merchandise and generate interest in PPV purchases because otherwise they lose all of the money Cena as a face generates if they turn him heel to make another guy the top face too soon. CM Punk is getting there in terms of the merchandise. He and Ryder both have started seeing large increases in their merchandise. The Miz is also a contender for the next top guy due to his appearances at events or talk shows to put over the product. He is excellent at that and the top guy needs to be great at that aspect of the business as well.

If someone does replace Cena as the next top face, I see Cena finally turning heel to be a mega-heel for the rest of his career until he goes into a last run to put over future stars similar to guys like Michaels. Orton will eventually enter that stage in his career too. They cannot keep the same guys on top forever so we will eventually see Cena, Orton, Trips, etc putting over tomorrow's stars on a more permanent basis. Guys like Punk, Miz, Sheamus, Ryder, and Bryan are all solid candidates for future top guys. Who will it be? Only time will tell.

 

[XtheXlegacyX]

I honestly see 2012 being the start of the Punk dominance. I see by 2013 him becoming the new Cena, and Cena becoming the new (Im talking 2005 era) Hogan, only coming back every couple of months to have a match at Summerslam or something.