Okay, so yesterday I tried doing not one, but two versions of this article. I wanted to do a top 25, but apparently the file was too large and I instantly thought about going insane. But cooler heads prevail. This is the last time I’ll try doing this, and if it doesn’t work, I’m quitting. Anyways, in honor of the WWE draft, and in honor of doing articles that isn’t a random entry, I decided to do an NBA/NFL style scouting report on the WWE talents and who Shane and Stephanie should have on the top of their list once the draft commences. Once they are in their respective war rooms, and decipher who will be best for each brand, hopefully they’ll look at this article. Probably not, but it’s at least worth a shot. For those of you who are curious as to who rounded out the other 15, here’s a brief list and a brief summary.
11. – Samoa Joe : Great brawler, experienced veteran, not afraid to get down and dirty, or technical, versatile, would make a great monster heel.
12. – Sami Zayn : High energy, unlike Jeb Bush, tremendous ring acumen, needs more time on the mic, puts taxi drivers to shame, concerns me with Daniel Bryan like appeal some say he has. Vince isn’t high on those type of guys.
13. – The Miz: Complete career rejuvenation since Maryse returned. Most underrated heel of past two years. Simple heel tactics, but it works.
14. Chris Jericho: Someone wrote an article here a couple days ago saying to appreciate him. Wonder who that was? Putting his body on the line with ladders and thumb tacks ay 46. 2016 has been his best hear since returning. Drink it in man.
15. Bray Wyatt: Physical wrestler, gifted speaker, speaks in a room that resembles the weed room from That 70’s Show, maybe doesn’t have the look of a champion that WWE is looknig for.
16. Rusev: Does his job as a heel well, WrestleMania 31 entrance kicked ass, funniest Twitter, hottest manager, needs to move on from the US Title, because that’s all he’s been doing.
17. Cesaro: Top 3 mat wrestler, horrendous mic skills, needs to diversify. Turns 36 in December, so it’s now or never time.
18. Sheamus: Proven workhorse, hair would make for complimentary Halloween item, probably not suited for main events now.
19. Hideo Itami: Poor man’s Shinsuke Nakamura. Talented wrestler, amazing technical skills, but there isn’t a good track record of those who have injuries that keep them out for over a year. Especially smaller guys.
20. Neville: Great spot monkey, greatly built for a guy his size, but not much reason to care about him. The man WWE Fans Forgot.
21. Dolph Ziggler: Experienced, former world champ, but seems visibly unhappy, his selling skills look cartoonish and looks like his WWE days are numbered.
22. Baron Corbin: Good look, but not interesting, needs to speak up on the mic and he’ll be bald by WrestleMania 33.
23. Apollo Crews: Mini Bobby Lashley. Tremendous athleticism, good ups, but not much else. Experience needed with how to sell and speak.
24. Austin Aries: Gifted in ring talent, but I haven’t been drinking the kool aid on him. Never was. That’s just me. You could have him anywhere from 18-24 to be honest.
25. Titus O’Neil: Great ambassador, captain of WWE Superstars.
There have been reports that WWE is planning to split up some of the prominent tag teams, so I won’t be including the tag team division nor will I be including theWomen’s division, because I’ve heard reports varying from all the Division being on one brand to there being two Women’s titles once again and them being split up. But I will be including NXT talents. So with all that said, here is my scouting report.
10. Shinsuke Nakamura
When I see Shinsuke Nakamura, I instantly think “megastar”. It helps that he has worldwide appeal in various countries, there by stretching out WWE’s global influence. When we talk about what he provides in the ring, it really speaks for itself. He’s astute in the ring, especially utilizing his feet, his charisma is over 9000 (who gets that reference?), his theme music must have been written by a deity, and he has a tremendous feel for the business. I suspect that he’ll get a mid-card feud to get him familiarized with the main roste rstyle, but afterwards, all bets are off. Sure, he won’t be speaking fluent English on the mic, but who really cares? That shouldn’t be a deterrent for wasting his talents, he is a tremendous figure for the business, one of their best free agent signings, and he’ll no doubt be one of the huge players for the future of WWE, in my estimation. Count on it. His value is probably more than 10, but given the experience of the other guys that I have on this list, he drops a bit, but not in terms of value. I’d say he’s worth in the 6-10 range if he’s available. With experience on the main roster, he’ll climb the ranks in no time.
9. Finn Balor
Just like Nakamura, formerly known as Prince Devitt, Balor is well-traveled and he ahs tremendous in ring prowess. If his entrance music and his demonic feel have any indication, it will make for one epic WrestleMania moment. Anyways, Balor’s strengths come from in the ring, where he works a crafty style that can get the crowd involved. He’s also very high energy and doesn’t leave for a dull moment, which is important if you want to keep the crowd immersed into the match. He’s average on the mic, but he has the look of a great superstar. His loss to Nakamura on NXT last week all but confirms that his main roster debut will be imminent at the draft. There’s simply no reason for him to stay in NXT anymore. Even the NXT fans started to grow tired when he kept telling people at live events when he said he’ll be staying in NXT. It’s time for him to move on to bigger and better things. He’ll no doubt be an asset on the main roster, and I think he’d make a fine Intercontinental Champion myself. He’ll definitely get into the world title picture sooner or later as well. As the holder of the NXT Title for the majority of 2015 and the first half of 2016, he won’t have any issues adjusting to the main roster. Definitely worth this slot.
8. Randy Orton
It especially pains me to have Orton this low, because you won’t find a bigger Orton mark than me. When motivated, he’s one of the elite workers in the business. He makes simple moves such as a suplerplex, a powerslam or a dropkick look so simple yet so serene. He has a million dollar look and his third generation bloodline shows that he is meant for this business, not serving in the armed forces. Despite that, however, since losing the WWE Title to Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 30, he just hasn’t looked into it or motivated. His moves have become much more methodical and slower than usual. His body language speaks that of a man who knows he’s going to half-ass everything that he does, and that’s not a good sign from a man who has accomplished as much as Orton. In addition, his mic skills, as it always has been, is sub-par for one of the prominent faces in WWE for the past decade. He also has a bad habit of forgetting his lines on live television. Whatever the case, if Orton is motivated, and he has expressed interest in working with the likes of AJ Styles, Sami Zayn and Finn Balor, he is a top 5 caliber pick. You won’t have to worry about him getting to the World Title picture, because despite his multiple wellness policy violations, he is still one of WWE’s darlings, so he’ll get there in no time if they see fit. His announced match against Brock Lesnar at Summer so am shows he’s still a main event player. He will also provide good veteran experience in any locker room. But a word of caution. He is coming back from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him since October. And that was just from taking out the trash. So he’s high risk.
7. Brock Lesnar
I wanted to leave him off this list so badly. I was saying “Richard you dumbass, Lesnar is only good for one match every six months. Why is he in your top 10?” Yeah, I know. He probably won’t be making consistent appearances on whatever brand he gets drafted to, if he gets drafted at all, but you still can’t leave a guy like this off. No one in the history of the business has had the combination of power, speed, agility, athleticism and prowess that Lesnar has in the history of WWE. The man is a….well, man-beast hybrid. If you were to see him live, you’d know why he’s considered a special attraction, though the theory that he is a huge draw is sort of overblown in a way. Lesnar’s allure since returning in 2012 has lost some of its luster, because since garnering the Suplex City gimmick after his one sided affair against John Cena, it seems that his moveset has been limited to power moves and suplexes. Lesnar just makes it look so brutal. Despite that, he’s good for a big match when called upon, as exhibited against the likes of CM Punk, Undertaker and Roman Reigns. But when he comes to a show, Paul Heyman says 1000 variations of the same thing, he won’t utter a word, he’ll do a gorilla like motion, maybe F-5 a Jobber, and that’s it. His mic skills clearly haven’t hurt him, and his positives outweigh the negatives. Just know that if you are looking for someone full-time, though, you may want to consider looking elsewhere first.
6. AJ Styles
At the Royal Rumble this year, after rumors were swirling that one of the greatest wrestlers on the planet to not wrestle for WWE came into the Rumble at 3, it was one of the best moments of my viewing career. He’s called Phenomenal for a reason. His in-ring prowess is off the charts, he has an astute feel for the ring, and his character is multi-dimensional, for those of you who have watched TNA. His character got much more interesting after his buddies from Japan, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, followed suit. He’s a crafty veteran in the business, and he simply knows what to do. His mic skills are inoffensive, and by that I mean he won’t say something where I have to watch it on YouTube if I missed it, but he won’t say something so egregious that he should be banned from microphones. He has also shown that he can adjust to change, as he has wrestled great WWE main event style matches against WWE’s higher ups in John Cena and Roman Reigns. As the new talent pours in, the possibilities for Styles are endless. I personally think that he’s main event caliber, but if a concern arises about a mid-card title needing some umph, AJ can definitely deliver. He’s certainly a top 10 pick for me, and if he slips to 7-10, you have to consider him as one of the primary choices. There’s just no getting around it. Oh and that music? I bump that hard.
5. Kevin Owens
If we’re being honest, Kevin Owens is probably the best pure heel on the roster. What I like about Owens is that he’s organic. He doesn’t need WWE to tell him what to do, he just does it. What I also like about him is how convincing he is. I’m inclined to believe the way he speaks on the microphone is the way that he speaks outside of a WWE ring. His in-ring antics, the way he consistently destroys Saxton and Cole on the announcer’s table and his entire character makes him one of the top future stars in WWE. I’ll admit, I was skeptical about his in-ring capabilities once he started in WWE because of that extended belly, but boy has he proven me wrong. He should be THE top heel in any brand that he’s on. No lower, than second highest. The man’s talents are endless. Just skip to 2:43 of this video to see why I say, Kevin Owens just “Gets it” as a heel. He is elite at his craft, won’t take no for an answer, and he’s ready to dominate. He’s able to elevate those that he’s in the ring with, his feud against Sami Zayn coming to a close will give him the right momentum that he needs for the draft, and hopefully sooner than later, he’ll get his just treatment as a world champion.
4. John Cena
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know. We all hate him. He shouldn’t be this high. Why is he this high? Am I HIGH? Permit me to explain my reasoning. Cena, as we know, has been the face of the company for the past decade. He’s buried a lot of people, has stuck with the same shtick since he turned face, does a lot of cartoonish antics, and emasculates some of his opponents on the mic. But we can’t ignore his star power. We just can’t. If we need a big match out of Johnny Boy, he’ll give it to you. Yes, he has opponents carry him, but he holds his own when the occasion arises. But one of the things I am still perplexed about him is that he sitll manages to get one of the more consistent reactions in WWE. Whether we cheer him or boo him, he sill gets the crowd to respond to him. That can’t be said for a lot of WWE superstars, even some in the top tier. Now yes, Cena has stated that he’s going to start toning it down on the full-time schedule and at his advanced age, his workload will likely decrease. But Cena is still a top face in the company and for us to ignore it would be ignorant. To be honest, you could interchange Cena and Owens at 4 and 5, but Cena gets the slightest of edges just because he will always be WWE’s golden boy. That goes a long way in a WWE career.
3. Roman Reigns
WWE is missing a huge opportunity with this guy. He’s apparently gotten on Vince’s ugly, pissed off side with his wellness violation fiasco right before the draft. While I think his immediate future isn’t in total jeopardy as a top guy, I think his days as THE guy as he keeps reminding us may be numbered. He’s weak on the mic and he still needs to find a diverse movest, though he has grown in that regard. So why is he 3? I’m really basing this off of his potential as a heel. I remember how much he dismantled Triple H and Sheamus and TLC, and I instantly thought, WOW, imagine now that he’s not trying to garner sympathy from the crowd like he was back then. WWE is going about Roman all wrong. He has the look of a badass Samoan looking for a reason to be pissed off. Imagine him coming every RAW or Smackdown and just looking for someone to beat the living hell out of. I guarantee you many would hop on the bandwagon train if Roman were to turn heel, which I thought they were teasing at Money In The Bank. He’ll still be a top guy on his brand, whether it be RAW or Smackdown and whether it’s as a good or a bad guy. But as for now, he’s not a good guy, he’s not a badd guy, he’s number 3.
2. Dean Ambrose
2016 has been the year of the Lunatic. I remember a couple of months ago I wrote a piece saying that it was time for WWE to stop beating around the bush with Ambrose and just turn him heel. Not in order to salvage his career, but to give his character a new dimension. I remembered his days of The Shield where he oiled up his hair came out with a scowl resembling that of the Joker and being talented on the mic. He lost at WrestleMania, lost his IC Title on RAW in a 5-way match and his feud with Jericho didn’t elevate him so I thought his career was going to go right into a tailspin. But then he won Money In The Bank and cashed in on the same night like Kane did six years ago. He has a great knack for getting the crowd involved, his character s unorthodox, and while his moveset can be cartoony at times, he can adjust with any opponent. He’ll remain a top guy as a face, but my big concern with Ambrose is if he is in WWE’s good graces and if they have enough faith in him to carry the future. His matches on RAW and Battleground in the next week will tell me a lot that I need to know about where WWE stands, because reports are coming out that Ambrose is a placeholder champion and the real money is in Rollins/Reigns, which I’ll only buy if Rollins is a face and Roman is a heel. Ambrose deserves an extended run with the title, just to at least test his metal. If it doesn’t work so be it, but Ambrose has grown immensely, and it’s time I start taking him seriously.
1. Seth Rollins
Surely you weren’t expecting someone else. Bottom line? NO one has the diverse skills that Rollins has at this point in time. It’s funny, because he just screams “babyface” but he still works as a heel just fine. His moves are so precise, combining aerial assaults with mat moves. He has grown tremendously on the mic, has a great look and hasn’t lost a beat since returning from his ugly leg injury. In a lot of ways, he looks better. I addition, he became the first person to beat Roman clean one on one straight up at Money In The Bank, which tells me a lot. It’s no wonder why Vince is high on him. In addition, he’s a CrossFit Deity. Females love Crossfit. Anyways, Rollins’ place as a top guy is set in stone for the forseeable future unless there’s a rash change in plans. He’s the most valuable asset that WWE has to offer at this point in time, and it’d be a travesty if he’s not the number 1 pick. I understand Ambrose apologists may be angry at me because I have him over the WWE Champion, but if we’re being honest, he’s just keeping Rollins’ title warm for him. The money is in Rollins. The future is Rollins, and he’s my number 1 pick. Seth. Freaking. Rollins.
Agree? Disagree? Let me know? I won’t be available for a while, but I’ll definitely read the comments and get back to them and I’ll also have my Battleground predictions and review hopefully sooner than later. Until next time, y’all. Deuces.
