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The 411 Wrestling Top 5 5.30.12: Week 173 – The Next Face of the WWE

May 30, 2012 | Posted by Larry Csonka

Hello everyone and welcome to 411 Wrestling’s Top 5 List. What we are going to is take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 wrestling will have the ability to give us their Top 5 on said topic, plus up to three honorable mentions.

So, on to this week’s topic…

TOP 5 POTENTIAL FACES OF THE WWE (a.k.a the Next John Cena)

What, too soon?

Gavin Napier
5. Dolph Ziggler – 40 to 1. I’ll stick with my Handicapping the News gimmick here. Ziggler is talented, charismatic, and young. He’s also born to be a heel, and typically, heels aren’t the face of the company. There’s a much better chance that Ziggler assumes the Savage role, where he’s the company’s unquestioned number one heel.

4. Sheamus – 25 to 1. Sheamus has a few things working for him. First he already has plenty of main event experience. Second, he has a unique, marketable look. Finally, he has the HHH seal of approval. Sheamus continues to improve in the ring and on the microphone, and is in a position to have a long run as one of the top dogs in WWE. Can he transition to THE top dog? It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

3. Cody Rhodes – 15 to 1. Don’t forget that once upon a time, Dusty Rhodes was one half of one of the most reviled tag teams in the sport. After cutting his teeth as a heel, Dusty went on to become one of the greatest promo men in history, with the ability to talk people in as a baby face. Whether feuding with Flair, Tully, The Horsemen, Luger, Nikita, Windham, Savage, or DiBiase, Dusty was golden. Cody has an opportunity to play the heel and cut his teeth for a while, but certainly has the chops to eventually try a face run like his dad. I expect nothing but success from that.

2. CM Punk – 8 to 1. He’s the obvious choice, should Cena lose favor with the fans. He’s already at the top of the card, has proven to have at least moderate crossover appeal, is a fantastic worker, and is a pretty safe bet to avoid all wellness issues. The one thing working against Punk is that he’s roughly the same age as Cena, so he’ll need a little luck to break through to the next level. Out of the current roster, though, he’s still the safest bet.

1. A Yet To Be Discovered Talent – 5 to 3. Prior to 1984, Hulk Hogan was a guy that shaved a bull’s head into his chest hair. Prior to 1996, Steve Austin was “Stunning”, not “Stone Cold.” Prior to 2002, John Cena was The Prototype and had a questionable flat top. Triple H was a blue blood and fans wanted The Rock to die, Rocky, die. At the time, none of them would have been pegged as the “face of the WWF”. Will it be Dean Ambrose? Brody Lee? Kevin Steen? A guy that’s in TNA? Somebody that’s just now breaking in to the business? This isn’t intended to be a cop out answer, it’s just that historically speaking the answer is probably going to be somebody we never see coming.

Chad Nevett
5. Matt Morgan – I’ve enjoyed Morgan’s work in TNA from time to time and could definitely see him being someone the WWE would be high on if they signed him. What he has working against him are weaker mic skills (though always improving), less than stellar matches, and the fact that the WWE threw him away and he made his name in TNA. But, I think he’s got a shot.

4. Cody Rhodes – Good look, good skills in the ring and on the mic, good pedigree… he even started in the company as a face and did a decent job of it as the guy who feuded with Hardcore Holly before earning his respect and teaming with him. He seems to shift characters every nine or so months these days, so a face turn doesn’t seem too out of line.

3. Jack Swagger – It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Swagger and I’ve wondered for a while why they haven’t tried turning him face. When he had the US Title, a feud with stablemate Dolph Ziggler and his ‘All American American’ gimmick could have set up him for a solid turn. He’s got the right look for a face, the right size, and I think that general ‘it’ factor. If we’d seen him work as a face, he might have placed higher, but, for all I know, he sucks in that role. I’d love to see him get a shot, though.

2. Sheamus – There’s only one thing holding me back from putting Sheamus in the number one spot. Looking at him right now, he’s the perfect guy to be the next top face of the company: he’s big, he’s over, while he started as heel, he’s managed to be even better as a face, and he can deliver in the ring. There’s only one downside: he’s less than a year younger than John Cena. Signed to the WWE further into his career, he’s hitting his stride later than a lot of guys. And, if the WWE is looking for Cena’s replacement because of his age, a guy who’s barely younger doesn’t make any sense. But, he’s definitely primed for a ‘number two face’ position, holding the top spot on Smackdown — more Batista’s replacement than Cena’s, I guess.

1. Richie Steamboat – The most likely contender is one that’s coming from within the WWE’s own developmental system. That’s the way the company works, now more than ever. Everything I’ve seen and heard about Richie Steamboat suggests that he’s got a good chance of being the guy the WWE would look to as its top face in the future. He’s a second-generation talent, he’s good in the ring, and he got a good clean-cut look. And, this shouldn’t work in his favor but probably does, he’s not an indie/internet darling. He’s someone that the WWE can spin as someone they made, which is something they place a high value on.

Jake St-Pierre
5. Seth Rollins – The former Tyler Black doesn’t have the retardedly big amount of charisma that Cena does, but his wrestling style is something you can get behind. You bring him in and book him as a world-beater and when you’re fully ready to pull the trigger, have him get a big, clean victory over a top heel. It’s a slow burn, but I have faith that Seth Rollins could pull it off.

4. Dean Ambrose – The reason Mr. Ambrose isn’t higher is because he’s a lot better as a heel, methinks. His heel mannerisms are unique and his promos are some of the best, but he could be one hell of an anti-hero type. He’s too unique to be a CM Punk clone and you could sure as hell get the crowd behind someone like Ambrose if you just let him go out there and do his thing, unscripted like Punk seems to do it. He’s gonna be huge.

3. Adam Cole – Here comes my Indy pick. Adam Cole is 22 years old. He’s a big star in CZW and just broke out in ROH. He can talk, he’s a hell of a worker for his young age, and even if the guy has bigger flaws on the mic than I know about, he has a LOT of time to improve. These are all upsides and while you’d have to book Cole different than your John Cena type, he could certainly be a good replacement in 5-7 years.

2. CM Punk – This seems like an obvious choice, but it has to be said. Punk is one of the best talkers of all time and has been ever since he started tearing people to shreds in IWA-MS all those years ago. He’s proved that through pure hard work that he’s one of the best in the world, and WWE finally realizes that. Of course, being the ‘E they’ve mishandled a lot of his stuff, but he’s over, he has a huge amount of charisma, and (I hate to be this guy since I’m a fan of John Cena) he’s a better wrestler than Cena is. All the seeds are there.

1. Anyone – Gavin Napier nailed it right on the head with his number one answer. No one really knows who will step up and make the business theirs. The next John Cena could be hiding in the most low-rent, obscure indy fed right now. You never truly know, especially considering where the top stars of past years have come from. The Rock was one of the first reviled faces of all time as Rocky Maivia, but now the guy’s a famous actor. History has proven you can’t truly groom (or predict) a wrestler for a spot like this. You just have to wait and see who steps up.

SCOTT RUTHERFORD
5. Samoa Joe – This is more pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking but I still think Joe has a big upside and that aura of a beast that could come in and destroy, get over and be a big star. He seemed on track for that (at least on the TNA level) and after Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan came in it all seemed to go off the rails. He’s completely dead in the water and completely unmotivated right now but given a new lease on life in the WWE and the faith of those in charge that he can get the job done (which happened to Daniel Bryan and repaid in spades in the last 8 months) he could recapture the lightning in the bottle.

4. Windham Rotunda – Don’t need to call him Husky Harris these days as he’s going by the handle Brett Wyatt channeling the old Waylon Mercy gimmick. So far he’s been hitting it out of the park and getting the right sort of response from crowds and seems ready to come back to the main roster. If this character is a starting point for something bigger then I see this heading in the right direction. Personally I would like to seem him morph into a current Steve Corino-like “old school” wrestler. You know, something like JBL was trying for except with talent and in-ring ability. He has oodles of potential and only poor booking and a loss of confidence from those in charge stand in his way.

3. Dean Ambrose – In the Wrestling Sandwich I have already professed my fandom of Ambrose/Jon Moxley. I’ve made the comparison to Brian Pillman during his “loose cannon” phase and I stand by that still. He gives GREAT promo that gets under the skin and make you feel uneasy. The main difference was Pillman seemed out of his mind where as Ambrose gives the impression that he’s unhinged but channels that insanity into sharp focus. As with smaller guys he’ll find it hard to overcome the inbuilt bias of not being over six foot and 250lbs however his in-ring skills are there and works a believable style for his size. Daniel Bryan and Rey Mysterio have shown you can be small and still a viable main eventer if used the right way.

2. Dolph Ziggler – Dolph is a wrestling natural. Most of the trainers in OVW have gone on record about how this cocky kid with zero indy experience, walked in the door and showed a Kurt Angle like aptitude for pro-wrestling. He managed to get past the Spirit Squad and subsequently has shown drastic improvement and managed to get to the top of the card in the past twelve months. Mind you he’s not managed to hold that spot but ultimately very few have been able in the last 10-15 due to the changes on how you book talent. The guy has the chance to be the next great heel in the WWE if given the right sort of push…which means winning and not losing.

1. James Storm – I’ve gone on record a few times stating my belief that James Storm has all the tools required to be a huge star. He can talk, has a great look, serviceable in the ring, has charisma and a wicked catch phrase. Do I see him leaving TNA in a time where he could still come to the WWE and make a difference? Doubtful. He’s seems married to TNA and sits at the top of the card, most likely a locker room leader and earning a good living on a fraction of the schedule of his WWE counterparts. Even if by some chance he got out of TNA in the next year or so and got to the WWE it’s highly unlikely he would be brought in as the same character and given the same chance to shine.

James Wright
HM: Kevin Steen – I’ve never seen another man with a better ability to get under people’s skin. It works as an antagonistic heel and it works as a face fighting against ‘The Man’. Kevin Steen is everything that John Cena was and should still be, but his body disqualifies him from ever making it in the WWE.
HM: Dean Ambrose – See above only add a more Pillman & Austin fused together to make the ultimate trash-talking loose cannon. Ambrose lands in the HM because I see him being the face of the company after several years, so possibly not the next face, but certainly the one after that, unless Cena lasts longer than we think he will.
HM: AJ Styles – With his Christian values and high-flying ability I could have seen AJ Styles taking the WWE by storm. While the fans appreciate a progressive man like Punk there will always be a place for the ‘white bread’ guy who is simple and conservative. I say ‘could have’ though since I think AJ has missed the boat now staying in TNA too long and he is just a little too old to become the next new face of the company.

5. Randy Orton – In some ways a safe pick and in some ways really not. As a third generation superstar the business is in his blood. He has also acted as the number two face in the WWE for a few years now. Orton would be the next natural choice for the WWE to put forward after John Cena. However the problem is that while the Viper can have moments of brilliance, he is mostly boring as a face, especially in this PG climate where he can’t even be all that unhinged. However if WWE ever decides to turn more PG-13 again then Orton could get enough of a rebirth to carry the company, for at least a few years.

4. Daniel Bryan – Maybe this is jumping the gun a bit and it’s quite possible that the whole ‘Yes!’ thing is just a short lived phenomena. However you should never underestimate the WWE’s ability to try to capitalize on a passing fad. And if marketed right Bryan’s next face turn could see him skyrocket past C.M. Punk and take position as the face of the WWE. He would have the skill and work-rate of C.M. Punk, and the Underdog appeal of Rey Mysterio. Imagine all the times that Cena went into a match as the ‘Underdog’, except now it actually might be believable. Also you would have the great new dynamic of the audience knowing that a face Bryan could easily own a heel in the ring, but the heel using underhanded tactics to keep away from him. It would also work when he went against a technically skilled heel because it would be an even contest but the heel could use cheap tricks to get the upper hand. Basically you would just have a more believable dominant face whose credibility made you want to root for him and even if he lost you’d know that he technically shouldn’t have. It could work, but it probably won’t.

3. C.M. Punk – The guys in the back seem pretty high on Punk right now. He has been tested in the main event spot over the past year and he has performed pretty well. He hasn’t taken the WWE by storm to the extent where he could usurp Cena from his spot at the top, however slowly but surely he is winning over the audience as a whole, has a large core fanbase anyway, and his outspoken antics on Twitter have garnered him a lot of main stream media attention, all he needs now is to hook up with a Hollywood actress and he could be the next big thing, and he certainly has the potential to fill in for Cena if he is ever taken away for an extended period of time. The only question is whether the WWE is truly ready to embrace a tattoo covered alt. guy as their face, Bryan might be a vegan and of small stature for the WWE, but his picture would be a dream to market to middle America compared to Punk.

2. Sheamus – This is an interesting one, but Sheamus has certainly already come quite far in his short time in the WWE. He also has the full backing of Triple H, which can’t hurt. The only problem is that the basis of this question is that Vince McMahon will be looking to name his last ‘face’ of the WWE before he perhaps steps away from any leadership role in the company as his age progresses. So you have to ask whether or not McMahon is as high on Sheamus as Triple H is enough to make him the next face of the WWE. He certainly has the size and his unique look makes him stand out against the crowd. But is his look too unique, once again I’m not sure if America is ready for a pale, ginger, and more importantly non-American face of the world’s largest promotion in professional wrestling?

1. Cody Rhodes – This leads me to my top pick and the guy who has been top of the rolling chart on my Heel Report (terrible plug there) for months. The son of the American Dream certainly has the lineage, and his dad probably has a little bit of stroke backstage. He is also a good talker, in great shape, and not too small so as to be seen as ‘too small’ if called up to represent the company. I’m also sure that if need be he could gain a bit of muscle as his career progresses and he tones down his high-flying offence. Cody may be young but so was Cena when he took over and while there was a learning period, which some feel he never recovered from, many others consider the Cena experiment to be a success. I think that the best thing that Rhodes has going for him, apart from his charisma, in-ring abilities, family connections, and all-around good looks, is his ability to take a character and fully embrace it. Over the past couple of years he has gone from self-preening pretty boy, to ‘scarred’ freak, and now has a much more rounded personality, but through it all he was true to the gimmick and he made it his own. Now all he needs is to discover in himself that ‘every-man’ character that has always helped the face of the WWE connect with the audience. For Hogan it was the All-American 80s muscle machine who promoted clean living and a healthy lifestyle. For Austin it was the blue-collar SOB who didn’t take any sh*t from the man and encapsulated the perfect rebel. And for Cena it has been the ‘white-bread’ patriot from a lower class background, sticking to the ‘street’ values of Hustle, Loyalty and Respect to get by whilst always maintaining the optimism to Rise Above Hate. The question is what can Cody do to connect with the audience to such an extent? Following the pattern of appealing to the fans who grew up with Cena I would suggest a more edgy character in a couple of years since all those screaming ten year olds will soon become yelling teenagers and when they either lose respect for their hero Cena, or he abandons them for quieter pastures, they will need a new role model to turn to, and he will need to at least to a point go against most of what Cena stood for, such is life.