I recently asked my friends on my WZR Facebook account if they had any specific subjects they would like to read a full-length featured editorial about here on eWrestlingNews.com. One of the ideas was for me to predict and write about who I feel some of the main event level Superstars of the next generation will be in WWE.
Following the request, I looked up and down the entire current roster in WWE and tried to predict who I feel has the potential to be a future main eventer. This doesn’t necessarily mean the following guys are the Superstars that I feel are the most talented in WWE right now. In all actuality, these are Superstars currently in the company that I feel WWE, based on their track record, will eventually push to the top spots in the company. Some will end up as main eventers by default, meaning guys like John Cena and Randy Orton will no longer be around, or will be winding down their careers and top spots will open up and need to be filled. Others are just too good to be denied. These are the type of guys you can just look at and already see “future Superstar” written all over them.
With that being said, let’s look at part one of a new series I’m calling “WWE’s Next Generation Main Event Stars.”
WWE’s Next Generation Main Event Stars (Part One): Roman Reigns
And the award for the most obvious future WWE main eventer goes to… Roman Reigns. Obviously, right?
When skimming through the current WWE roster, Roman Reigns jumps out at first glance. He has all of the tools needed to be a top-tier Superstar for the company. He has the look, which we all know is one of the most important attributes in a promotion like WWE. Coming from the famous line of Samoan wrestlers, Reigns has the heritage. Often times that will give a guy opportunities that others may not receive. In the case of Reigns, it doesn’t really matter that he has that particular background, as he is a guy who would likely be given a break even if he was a Turkish soccer player who just discovered professional wrestling yesterday. When it comes to in-ring ability, considering the short career Reigns has had thus far, his work in the ring is higher than most people with his level of experience.
More importantly than any of that, he has the drive and the passion. When you read or listen to interviews with Roman Reigns, he makes it clear that he’s determined to be the biggest star in the history of WWE. He has said it on numerous occasions, and with enough conviction that you truly believe him when he says it.
For what it’s worth, WWE is already grooming Roman Reigns for a top spot. Look at the way he was booked during the latest Survivor Series pay-per-view. In the past, when WWE is attempting to get someone over, particularly a big guy, they will have them eliminate a number of competitors in a traditional Survivor Series match. Often times they will position them to obtain said eliminations with the odds stacked against them. WWE did both of those things when laying out Reigns’ work in the match at this year’s Survivor Series.
Anyone who follows the news in wrestling on a regular basis has heard the rumor by now that WWE plans to make Reigns look like a monster in the upcoming Royal Rumble match. This is another gimmick match that WWE uses to establish future Superstars. Once again, they seem to enjoy doing so with big guys. Kane and Kevin Nash are two examples of big guys in past Royal Rumble matches who came out of the contest with their stock raised. Reigns is apparently on track to follow suit.
I have been a fan of pro wrestling for all of the 29 years I’ve lived on this planet and I’ve covered the sport as a journalist for nearly 15 years. If you have never believed a word I’ve said in the past, believe me when I say this: Roman Reigns will be a main event Superstar in WWE sooner than later. Then again, you could be a 12 year old who just started watching wrestling last week and could tell the same thing. That’s how much obvious potential Reigns has as a top act. Then again, CM Punk was an obvious Superstar for years and didn’t really get a true chance to compete on a consistent basis in the main event picture until he threatened to quit the company. Daniel Bryan has been the obvious main event favorite of the fans for months now and WWE still keeps him one level below a true main eventer. In the case of Bryan, reports claim that they blame it on his size and their belief that their fans don’t buy a guy as small as Bryan beating up larger athletes. Luckily for Reigns he’s a big boy. He should be, and likely will be, just fine. I only wish I could say the same for his Shield running buddies. Dean Ambrose has a shot, but unfortunately for Seth Rollins, who I’m an enormous fan of, I am scared to death at what his future holds once The Shield parts ways. Reigns on the other hand? Not even a little bit. He is, like the title of this editorial says, without question, one of “WWE’s Next Generation Main Event Stars.”
Stop back by eWrestlingNews.com on Sunday for the next installment of “WWE’s Next Generation Main Event Stars,” where we will take a look at another Superstar on the current WWE roster with future main event potential.
For those who would like to contribute ideas for future editorials, or talk with me about pro wrestling in general, add me as a friend on Facebook.
