WWE: Five breakout superstars in 2013
The past year has been quite significant for the WWE, with the landscape of the organization changing drastically. First, we had seen the rise of a revolution, then we were witnessing one of the most important periods of wrestling history, and last but not the least, we were witnessing something that happens only once in a decade. By ‘rise of a revolution’, I was referring to the guy who went against all odds when people laughed at him and told him he couldn’t be anything in the WWE. He literally had to claw his way into the picture, and when he did, he held on and gave it his best shot. No, I’m not talking about CM Punk, but the Ryder Revolution. Last year saw something very significant – how never giving up will result in success, no matter how long it takes. Zack Ryder, when no one gave him a chance, used the internet to gather his troops, his ‘Zack pack’, to fight his way into getting some air time. What happened next can only be described as a truly miraculous turn of events. From being known as a guy who was a ‘curtain jerker’ to being the one person people wanted to see throughout the night, Zack Ryder earned his spot on TV. What more? He won the prestigious United States title, before fading out once again, but it proved his mettle.
Last year was also one of the most important periods in the WWE. Vince Mcmahon took a gamble with one guy who people said couldn’t be big in this business. This individual proved himself in many promotions, with his unparalleled charisma, excellent in-ring and mic skills, and his passion for the business. This one man is CM Punk. 2011 was the game changing period, but 2012 saw Punk carrying the title throughout the calendar year. This can only be described as one of the best things to happen in the WWE, as they haven’t backed a guy so much since putting John Cena on a pedestal. Now don’t get me wrong, Cena is an outstanding professional, but he cannot mesmerize the fans like the Second City Saint can. And this proved to be one of the most influential moments in the PG Era. Lastly, this period repeats only once in a decade, as WWE never invests in the smaller guys carrying the company for a longer period of time. 2012 saw CM Punk carrying the WWE title, Zack Ryder carrying the US title, and arguably the best pure technical wrestler in the World, Daniel Bryan, carrying the World Heavyweight title. The last time WWE took a chance with smaller guys carrying the company was back in ’04 with Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit. The last time before that was when Bret and Shawn erased the notion of how a WWF Champion would look like.
So, 2012 was quite exceptional, and 2013 also promises to live up to the potential. That is unless the WWE creative cannot capitalize on the talent they have. I have picked 5 guys who I want to be the breakout stars in the WWE. So without further ado, the list is:
5. Wade Barrett
The man from England, and the former leader of ‘Nexus’, is long overdue for a push. When Nexus made their initial impact, it was bigger than anything the modern era had witnessed. It was almost identical to how NWO started in WCW, but it fizzled out too quickly. Since John Cena was still the poster boy of the organization, they couldn’t let Nexus take him out early, and so, all the momentum they had was halted. That’s the one grievance I have with WWE. They don’t let the storylines spread out, but Wade formed another faction on Smackdown! which lasted only for a while.
Honestly, when Barrett started out, I saw nothing much in him for WWE to give the guy a huge push. But as time passed, he wasn’t green in the ring anymore, and his mic work improved. Frankly, they could, and should have tried him out like they did with Jack Swagger, but it was too early. But all that push finally was useless, and Wade found himself at the bottom, and when it looked like WWE might give him a chance at WrestleMania, he got injured, which furthered his push. 2013 can and should be a good time for WWE to push Barrett into the main event scene right after WrestleMania, and see how he does as the World Heavyweight Champion. The guy has gained quite a large fanbase, and having a champion from the UK is long overdue in the WWE.
4. Seth Rollins
Here is one of my favorite wrestlers in the current roster. Seth is one of the best wrestlers in the world. If you don’t believe me, check out his matches from RoH. It’s logical that the WWE will split The Shield very soon, although I don’t want to see that happening. Seth Rollins is kind of like the second coming of Jeff Hardy, if you plan it right. The guy can pull off a believable heel, but can be one of the biggest babyfaces if WWE plays the cards right. With his charisma and his ability to pull the crowd towards himself, he will do wonders if he’s left alone.
The idea behind this is simple. Once The Shield self implodes, make Dean and Roman turn on Seth, blaming him for their losses. And when he seeks retribution, make him play the Tommy Dreamer during his feud with Raven, with Seth losing all of his encounters with his former partners, and in the final blow up match, make him win. Not only will fans get behind Seth and increase his popularity by gaining the ‘face sympathy’ as I’d like to call it, but it will also add another dimension in the WWE, who are in dire need of some top good guys. Seth can become the next Jeff if given the opportunity, with his in-ring skills, and his charisma.
3. Cody Rhodes
Just like Wade, Cody has been in the line to break out for a long time now, but was never given the proper chance. Cody has become one of the top heels on SmackDown!, and he has improved by leaps and bounds in the past few years. With his lineage and the legacy his family has, you would have imagined him to be in the spot of Randy Orton, but nothing ever went right for Cody.
Cody has everything a great heel needs. If given the right opportunity and storyline/feud, Cody can become like Rick Rude. You can also add the scenario where you make ‘The American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes his manager. Cody is much more talented than his older brother, and can really come up as a bad guy in the WWE if they take a chance with him. I’m hoping for Cody, and his moustache, to get over this year in the company, and soon hold the World title. It’s about time WWE takes chances with guys who’ve been in the business for quite a while. There is no time like the present to build the future, and it’s no secret that guys like Cody Rhodes are the future of the business.
2. Dean Ambrose
Arguably one of my favorites in the industry, Dean Ambrose has a sick, demented aura surrounding him. He can be the biggest heel in the WWE, and even in the industry! Dean Ambrose, who is a part of The Shield, has been tipped to be the break out star of the group. The guy is simply sensational, starting with his in-ring skills, to his mic work, down to his facial expressions; the guy is a text book heel. If WWE ever wanted to replace a bad guy of HHH’s standards, you’re looking at him.
Dean Ambrose is also probably the most well rounded performer in the company, apart from CM Punk. His in-ring skills and mic work are simply sensational, and he looks like a legit bad guy, which is what you want in the business. If Roddy Piper looked like Kofi Kingston, no one would have taken him seriously. But since ‘Hot Rod’ looked like a legit bad guy, the fans bought into him, and made him one of, if not the biggest, heels in the wrestling business. And Dean Ambrose has that potential in him. The WWE are pretty high on him, so we can only hope to see his spot rising in the roster as the year goes by.
1. Dolph Ziggler
And my number 1 pick is the ‘Show off’ Dolph Ziggler. It is hard to believe that Dolph was a former World Champion, albeit for less than a day. Dolph is the only guy on the roster who has come so close to getting into the main event scene, but just hasn’t received the final nod from the higher authorities. Dolph is one of the better performers in the company, and was stuck with Vickie Guerrero for a good part of 2 years. And now, he finds himself with AJ Lee and another rookie from NXT. There have been rumors that WWE wants to turn him into a fan favorite, which in my view is a huge mistake. The guy is hate-able and you cannot change that. He has been doing a tremendous job as a heel for such a long time. Turning him now would be a waste of his heel persona. He should be given some time with the title as a heel, and depending on the face/heel turn the management decides to do later on, Dolph’s character can be changed. But for now, there is no need to turn him. Dolph is one of the biggest heels in the company, and is only a push away from breaking into the main event scene.
Writer’s wish
I decided to add one more name; something I wish would’ve/could’ve happened. And the entry is none other than the last person to be trained in ‘The Dungeon’, Tyson Kidd. It’s a shame that Tyson has been injured and will be out of action for a long time, but as Punk stated in his promo, Tyson has been a work horse ever since he came into the WWE. Most of the people see him as the best athlete in the industry, and one of the best performers in the WWE. It’s sad that the management has no faith in Tyson Kidd, nor has any idea where to go with his character. It’s a sad part, because the guy can deliver good to great matches even with the rookies.