Hello there, boys and girls! Welcome to the 25th edition of ‘Under the Spotlight’, and my final article of the year!
I know I’ve been keeping this special 25th edition from you for a couple of weeks, but it’s finally here, and what better time to bring it to you than just 2 days before the end of 2013? And what a year it’s been, eh? I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, and I hope you’re all enjoying this glorious season. So let’s get down to business.
I was working on something for George (SLTD Wrestling’s equivalent of Triple H) a few weeks ago, and it got me thinking about which WWE Superstars shined the brightest and made the biggest impacts in 2013, so low and behold, here’s an article. Only instead of doing what a lot of other people are doing and looking back at the year that we’ve had, I’ve decided to look towards the future.
Today, as if the title didn’t give it away, I’ll be counting down the top 15 WWE Superstars and Divas who I believe will have the biggest impacts on the company in 2014.
Just as a heads up, there will be a heavy focus on WrestleMania XXX, the Royal Rumble and the first half of 2014, so be warned that the word ‘WrestleMania’ (and a shitload of synonyms for it) will appear throughout this piece.
Also, I decided to refrain from talking too much about talents from WWE’s developmental territory, NXT, because as we saw with Chris Hero’s release just a month or two ago, nobody down there is guaranteed a spot on the main roster. There will be mention of it, but keep in mind that this article isn’t based solely around the young performers of the WWE.
Okay! Now that the formalities are out of the way, let’s get started with Number 15!
15. Sami Zayn
This prospective developmental wrestler was only signed by the WWE this year, so it’s unlikely that he’ll make his debut on the main roster in 2014, unless it’s in the latter half. However, this independent wrestling phenomenon has been turning heads his entire career, including this year in NXT.
I’d heard of El Generico before he was signed to WWE, but unfortunately I didn’t really look into the guy’s details or matches. But from what I’ve seen from him on NXT in 2013, he is an absolutely fantastic wrestler.
His matches with Antonio Cesaro were awe-inspiring, and the guy can do things that I’ve never seen before in my 10+ years as a wrestling fan. So although he may not be introduced to us on Raw or SmackDown just yet, I’d be genuinely surprised if Sami Zayn didn’t win the NXT Championship in 2014. If Bo Dallas can win it, anyone can, and Sami Zayn would be the perfect choice.
So I implore you, if you don’t watch NXT, you should start. I have to get back into watching it regularly myself, but I try to keep updated with some of the action that goes on weekly. They do have some great matches from time to time, so do yourself a favour and check it out.
Sami Zayn has made a big impact on NXT (and the WWE) in his first year, and I have no doubt that it will continue in 2014.
14. Big E Langston
I’ve really grown to like Big E Langston. He’s not your average ‘big guy’ wrestler. He’s very versatile in the ring. He’s agile, which you wouldn’t expect given the size of his muscles. He may have been somewhat overshadowed by AJ Lee and Dolph Ziggler for the most part of 2013, but his in-ring debut was at WrestleMania. What more could you ask for?!?!
He improved a lot over the year and after everything ended with AJ and Ziggler, and Big E started becoming independent, you could see a significant improvement. His mic skills have grown too. They were atrocious, but now things seem to come to him a lot more naturally and he doesn’t seem nervous anymore.
He’s started to make a big statement in the mid-card scene as of late, recently defeating Curtis Axel to win his first title, the Intercontinental Championship. He seems to be making friends with Mark Henry too, so I presume the long-term goal for this is for Henry to possibly turn heel, with a desire for the title, then they can have a match on PPV.
If Langston could lift Henry up for the Big Ending, that would be incredible. He may be strong as hell, but he’s shorter than a lot of his opponents, including Henry, so it would be awesome to see that. That’s how you make an impact.
I see big things (no pun intended) in Langston’s future, so hopefully he finds success in 2014. Although I can see that Big E is far more talented than Ryback, I don’t want him to be pushed too fast too soon because of the same thing that happened to WWE’s resident Goldberg clone.
Keep him in the mid-card for now. Maybe even a feud over the Intercontinental Championship with Ryback would be good for the both of them. And no, not because we’d get Ryback vs Ryblack, but because I think it would be an interesting fight! It would by no means be a masterpiece of a match, but it’d be intriguing to see 2 similar guys go head-to-head. Maybe that could happen in 2014? I’d be an advocate for it anyway.
Either way, Langston will be heading into the New Year holding the Intercontinental Championship, and if you ask me, that’s already going to make an impact on the state of the mid-card scene in the New Year.
13. Paige
When you’re looking for the best talent on NXT, look no further than Paige. She’s perhaps the brightest prospect down there, and that’s including the men.
Paige is everything that both the fans and WWE management want in a female wrestler. She’s beautiful, she can talk and most importantly, she can really go in the ring. In an era where Talent Relations seem more interested in looks than talent in a WWE Diva (cough, Eva Marie, cough), Paige is presented as somewhat of a medium between the two.
Athletically, she’s on par with the great wrestlers in the division, and let’s face it, she looks better than most of the wannabe models in the place. We’ve been wanting Paige to debut for what feels like forever, and with everything that’s happening in the Divas division right now, there’s no time like the present.
How fitting would it be for the Total Divas to finally make the acquaintance of WWE’s resident ‘Anti-Diva’, Paige? She could be a tweener, like AJ Lee, and together they could try to take down the reality TV stars.
She became the first ever NXT Women’s Champion in 2013 (talk about making an impact), so imagine what kind of effect she would have on the state of the Divas division if she debuted over the next year.
I personally think that women’s wrestling within the ranks of the WWE is on the rise again, and Paige debuting will be a major contributing factor. Wrestling is literally in her blood, for God’s sake! Her parents are Ricky Knight and Sweet Saraya! I just love the woman, so is it really too much to ask for her to debut already?
If things went my way, Paige would be facing AJ Lee for the Divas Championship at WrestleMania XXX (and the Divas Title would be replaced by the Women’s Championship). It’s not going to happen, but if the WWE knows what’s “Best for Business”, Paige will be making one hell of an impact in 2014.
12. Rey Mysterio
When Rey Mysterio made his return a week before Survivor Series, I wrote an article about how it’s just a matter of time before he retires. I still stand by that statement, which is why I think Mysterio is going to be of huge importance in 2014.
If Rey Mysterio continues to wrestle full-time despite his obvious injuries, he’ll be forced out of the industry with a potentially life-shortening disability. That may seem a bit drastic, but it’s no secret that Rey’s knees have been bothering him for a number of years, and no matter how many times they’re operated on, it never seems to do the trick.
Even now, after returning just a few weeks ago, you still see him limping around the place. Any more unnecessary damage to his knees, and he’ll likely regret it. But for now, he seems to have a bit left in the tank, so where better to finish off a legendary career than at WrestleMania?
I don’t know if Rey will be the kind of guy to pack in it before he’s forced to, but I hope he is. The guy is a legend, a bonafide Hall of Famer, and the first wrestler I ever met. I love Rey Mysterio. I don’t want him to retire, but I do want him to go out on his own terms. And if that happens in 2014, it will be huge.
There’s no doubt that Mysterio’s entire life and career have been fantastic, so when he finally decides to hang up his boots, it’ll be a sad day. But it’ll put a real dampener on his career if he doesn’t get to retire of his own free will.
Personally, I think he is going to finish up in 2014. One last WrestleMania match with a young superstar like Seth Rollins or Damien Sandow would be the perfect way to end his career and kick-start another. Let’s hope it happens that way.
11. Cody Rhodes & Goldust
The latter half of 2013 has been fantastic for Cody Rhodes and Goldust.
Sure, Goldust was only around for the Royal Rumble before September, but you can clearly see that he’s in the best shape of his life right now. As for Cody, we’ve seen a significant improvement with everything he does.
Turning face in July was the best thing to ever happen to Cody in the WWE. The Rhodes Brothers are the Tag-Team Champions right now, and together, they’re one of the most exciting things to look forward to on Raw and SmackDown every week. They capture the attention of crowds wherever they go, and seeing them wrestle together live in November was very cool for me.
So where do we go from here? The obvious choice would be for them to lose the Championships, one of them to turn heel (probably Cody) and they could square off at WrestleMania. Although, looking back, that’s exactly what I said this time last year about Team Hell No. And I could not have been more wrong!
I initially thought that bringing Cody and Goldust together would be a good way to get Cody a nice WrestleMania moment, a victory over his brother on “the Grandest Stage of Them All”, but looking at Goldust right now makes me second guess myself.
The guy is in top form, so there’s no point in taking him out of the game until he’s good and ready, especially if it’s just to benefit Cody. The way I see it, Goldust could be around for a lot longer than WrestleMania season, so why break them up so soon?
Cody isn’t going to be getting a push any time soon, especially considering the World Heavyweight Championship is out of independent circulation now, and the main-event scene is going to be occupied for at least the next 6 months.
This run with the Tag-Team Championships is the best thing that Cody can hope for right now. But trust me, late 2014 will be his time to shine. I reckon that Cody and Goldust will square off at some stage in the coming year. If not at WrestleMania, then maybe SummerSlam. But until then, we can enjoy them continuing to take the tag-team division by storm.
10. Bray Wyatt
The ‘Eater of Worlds’ debuted in a big way this past summer, and I’ve been nothing but impressed at how far he’s come since Husky Harris.
Listening to Bray speak, I’d consider him one of the best talkers in the company, possibly even up there with CM Punk. The way he links his words is hypnotising. He never stutters. It’s like you’re being brain-washed when you listen to him, but in a good way.
And his style in the ring is unique and effective. Imagine this huge dude flinging you around the ring, or crawling (upside down!) towards you from one corner to another! It’s creepy and matches his character to perfection.
That’s another thing. Bray Wyatt has captured the essence of his gimmick in the best way I could’ve imagined. I don’t look at him and see a character. I look at him and see this deranged psychopath, who wants to save the world from something or another.
And the Wyatt Family are equally fantastic. Erick Rowan and Luke Harper play their parts the way they should. They’re just big, eerie dudes who want to rip your head off. And if I said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: Luke Harper’s big boot could easily decapitate a small child.
Bray Wyatt and his band of not-so-merry men just decimated Daniel Bryan at TLC, and that will be just the start. Bray Wyatt will own 2014. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in a feud with Big E Langston for the Intercontinental Championship in a few months’ time.
And of course there is a special dream match of sorts between the Wyatt Family and another group of men in the WWE, but we’ll get to that later…
Needless to say, Bray Wyatt is an impressive individual, and no matter what role he’s in, he’s going to be perfect for it, which is why I think 2014 will be a fantastic year for him and the rest of the family.
9. AJ Lee
I don’t have the words to accurately describe this woman. She’s unbelievable. She’s perhaps the coolest woman to ever lace up a pair of Chuck Taylor’s in a WWE ring, although that’s probably not saying much, but you get the idea.
No matter what your thoughts on the Divas are, AJ is making female wrestling in the company much better, and I look forward to her matches every single week.
Much like I said about Paige earlier, AJ has the complete package to make herself the perfect example of what a WWE Diva should be – she’s so beautiful, she’s charming, she can talk up a storm and she wrestles like a pro. Plus, she’s a nerd!
Alright, I may be smitten, but seriously, she has some insane amount of talent. And her love for the business inspires me. She has the date that she won the Divas Championship tattooed on the back of her neck.
She has wanted this for her entire life, unlike some of the other girls on the roster. She went through hardship to train to be a wrestler, and it paid off. If you want an inspirational story to make you chase your dreams, seriously, look no further than AJ Lee.
This year, AJ captured her first title in the WWE, and despite the odds, she has overcome the Total Divas every step of the way. Ever since calling them out on their bullshit in the latter half of the year, AJ has proven why she has the Championship belt, and they have their reality show.
While I know that AJ won’t hold onto the title forever, I also don’t think that losing will be the end of her run as the top Diva. She’s too good to just dump to the side, and there’s nobody other AJ on the main roster that’s capable of being the top female heel. They can bring up Paige, but even then, AJ is still the best. And the best should be booked as such.
My main concern is that AJ holds onto the Championship until WrestleMania at least, because defending the title at that event will be the highlight of her entire career, and maybe even her life. That’s what I want – for her to be happy and to get exactly what she deserves, which is a match at WrestleMania XXX.
There’s no point in AJ not getting the match, because it’s not like she’s any less of a draw than Brie or Nikki Bella, or any other Diva for that matter. The best Diva deserves to compete at the Showcase of the Immortals. That’s what WrestleMania’s all about, right?
8. Shawn Michaels
I never thought I’d say this, but it seems to me like the Heartbreak Kid is gearing up for one more match.
Based on his encounter with CM Punk the night after TLC, and his many run-ins with Daniel Bryan, Shawn Michaels has been appearing on WWE programming a lot lately. In big ways. And the fact that he’s practically a heel now really makes things interesting.
They wouldn’t have given Michaels such a drastic change in character if he was just coming back for one or two segments with Daniel Bryan and CM Punk. They’ve got big plans for the Show Stopper, and they’ll likely happen in N’awlins for WrestleMania XXX.
A return match with either Bryan or Punk (or anyone else for that matter) would be an absolutely huge drawing factor for any PPV event, never mind the biggest show of the year! I still consider Shawn Michaels to be the greatest of all-time, and although I’d be reluctant, I’d love to see the Icon in a ring once again.
Do I want Shawn Michaels to wrestle again? It’s a tough question. Part of me says no, because his retirement at WrestleMania 26 was so fantastic that I think having at least one more match would ruin that. On the other hand, Michaels probably retired so he could live out the rest of his days without any life-threatening injuries, so how could one match change that?
If you’re good at something, do it. I’m not saying he should come back full-time, but if he gets an inkling that he wants to get back in the ring and tear it up, then he should be allowed to do that. He’s the best wrestler of all-time, for crying out loud!
Personally, I think any potential return match should be handled with extreme caution by WWE, because if they’re going to do it, they have to do it right. There’s no reason to bring HBK back for a mid-card, B+ match, when you know he’s capable of much more.
It has to be perfect and it has to make sense, and it has to be against Bryan or Punk. The match doesn’t have to be about Michaels putting anyone over or burying someone, it should just be about 2 amazing wrestlers going out there and having a great match. There’s no need to overthink it.
Whether or not Shawn Michaels gets back in the ring in the New Year, I feel like he’ll have a big part to play. When Triple H is running things, H-B-Shizzle is never too far away, and we’re going to see that in 2014. But I do think we’ll get one more match, and I would rather it be against CM Punk than Daniel Bryan.
I don’t know why. Bryan would make more sense, but I feel like I would be more entertained by a match with CM Punk. The mic work between them after TLC felt a lot more personal, and Punk sounds like he wants to rip Michaels’ head off a lot more than Bryan does.
Either way, Shawn Michaels is going to be a huge factor in the WWE in 2014.
7. Randy Orton
Randy Orton has everything going for him right now. He’s been the WWE Champion on and off since SummerSlam, and now, after beating John Cena at TLC, he finds himself as the 1st-ever WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
He’ll be heading into January as the top guy in the company, and since we’ll be on the Road to WrestleMania very shortly, what are the odds that the Apex Predator will be defending the title at the Show of Shows? As far as I’m concerned? Very high. Unless of course, Triple H actually does “win” the belts at some stage between now and ‘Mania.
None of us will be surprised when John Cena gets his rematch at the Royal Rumble, but with the possible inclusion of Daniel Bryan, the match won’t be nearly as boring as you’d first expect.
I reckon that Orton will be walking out as champion that night, and since the Elimination Chamber PPV is usually safe for the current main-event title holder, I doubt that Orton has anything to worry about until WrestleMania.
It’s already a fantastic start to Orton’s year. He’s almost guaranteed to be in one of the main-events at WrestleMania, which is as good as you can get. Much like he has been in recent months, Orton is going to be featured atop the card every week. It may not be the way we wanted 2014 to start, but provided it’s not John Cena, it will be interesting to see who Randy Orton feuds with over the Championship heading into WrestleMania in April.
6. Steve Austin and Goldberg
I’ve linked these two guys together because it’s not 100% confirmed that either of them will come back to the WWE in the New Year, but it’s pretty damn likely. If either (or both, for that matter) of these men do happen to set foot in the ring in 2014, it will shake the foundation of the WWE as we know it to its very core.
Let’s start with ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. The Texas Rattlesnake is one of the greatest personalities to ever grace the world of sports-entertainment. He personified the Attitude Era, and still remains one of the most recognisable names in the history of the business, probably third after Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker.
A few ideas about Austin’s potential return have been discussed, but in my mind, there are only 2 that truly stand out.
The first is a potential bout against Triple H at WrestleMania, where Austin would represent Vince McMahon and the winner gains full control of the WWE.
While I’m sure the story (and the match itself) would be splendid, I feel like there are better uses for Austin’s imminent return to the ring. He shouldn’t just be tossed into any old match and be successful just because his name is Steve Austin.
His return needs to mean something and go down in history, which is why I think he’d be better off facing the second possibility, CM Punk.
These guys are two huge stars, two legends in separate eras. They are exactly the same, yet completely different. They both pride themselves on being the anti-hero, with a history of trying to bring down ‘the man’.
While many would expect Punk to be the heel in this match, I’d much prefer it to be a face vs face bout. Let the fans decide who to cheer for. They’d most likely be going insane for Austin, but at least they’d have the choice.
Based on current affairs, if Austin does happen to come back to the WWE for WrestleMania, I don’t think he’ll be facing Punk. But it’s too big of a dream match not to include it here. That match would be bigger than John Cena vs The Rock, and the ‘E’ would be stupid to pass it up.
Regardless of who Austin faces if he returns (or even if he just hosts WrestleMania or something), just the idea of Stone Cold coming back to the WWE would be huge for professional wrestling. Austin always makes an impact wherever he goes, and coming back to the WWE would be no different.
I’m not going to lie. If Goldberg returns to the WWE, I will mark out like a motherfucker.
We’ve not seen him on WWE TV since WrestleMania 20 (it’ll be 10 years by the time the next Show of Shows comes around), so how fitting would it be for him to come back now?
If you read the dirt sheets, you’ll have heard rumours about Goldberg having almost reached an agreement with the WWE for a return match at WrestleManiah. Apparently, the only things stopping this from becoming a done deal are whether Bill Goldberg plays the role of the face or the heel, and the small matter of who he faces.
The WWE want him to play the heel, which makes absolutely no sense, so Goldberg is hesitant. Hopefully they’ll eventually realise that Goldberg would sell a ton of merchandise if he returned as a face, and he’d get some of the biggest pops in WWE history.
It was originally thought that Goldberg would face Ryback if he ever returned, but those thoughts have seemingly winded down. Why would Bill face (or better yet, put over) a no-mark like Ryback, who’s been in the WWE doghouse more often than not, when he could face someone like Roman Reigns, who actually might have a future in the WWE?
I’ll get into the possibility of Goldberg facing Reigns a little more soon, but all I’ll say for now is that he’s a much more suitable opponent for Goldberg than Ryback is. He’s talented, he can also hit a wicked spear, and let’s face it, the only reason we want to see Goldberg vs Ryback is because they look alike.
It would be an interesting match, don’t get me wrong. But that’s only because Ryback’s move set and appearance are very similar to that of Bill Goldberg’s. There’s not much else there.
We can all agree that if either (or both) of Austin and Goldberg return to the WWE in 2014, it would be phenomenal. The potential draw for WrestleMania would be higher than ever before, and we would see some unforgettable moments. Hopefully contract terms can be agreed on and both men are signed to Legends deals.
5. The Shield
It seems obvious at this stage that Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns will be going their separate ways soon enough, which is sad. They make a spectacular faction, and I’ll miss seeing all 3 of them make their way through the crowd together.
However, when they’ll break up is still a mystery, so even though they’ve been hinting at breaking up for weeks now, they might still be together for a while yet.
The one thing we all want from The Shield before they break up is that dream match with the Wyatt Family.
We got a taste of what that match would be like a week or two before Survivor Series, and it was awesome. Hopefully we get one more encounter between these teams before either of them break up. I don’t think The Shield will make it to WrestleMania without disbanding, so here’s how I can see a face-off happening between them and the Wyatts.
During the Royal Rumble Match, each member of each team comes in separately and minds his own business, but when everyone else gets eliminated, it’s just the six of them standing in the ring. Then we’ll see who the best faction is.
I’m not sure when/how The Shield will break up, but it’s pretty clear to me that Roman Reigns is going to get the first push. They’re all incredibly talented and Dean has a God-given ability to cut promos, but Roman’s sheer size and strength are what Vince McMahon likes, so although each of them will make it big in the industry, I believe Roman will get the first opportunity.
And it could all start at Wrestlemania. Like I said, there’s talk of having Reigns break away from The Shield to face Goldberg on the Grandest Stage of Them All. That would be a huge start for Roman’s singles career, so I hope he does get that huge match. Win or lose, it’s a great opportunity, facing a legend that hasn’t been seen in the WWE for 10 years.
I still think the match could happen, even if The Shield don’t break up. Hell, it’d be cool to see Goldberg return only to get jumped by Ambrose, Rollins and Roman Reigns. But I don’t see them lasting that long.
If the Goldberg thing doesn’t pan out, it’d be interesting to see The Shield face off in a triple-threat match. That would be incredible, so maybe it could happen. It’s likely that The Shield will feud with each other when they do break up, so it would be cool for them to face off against one another at the Showcase of the Immortals. Again, Roman Reigns would probably walk away the victor, but despite its predictability, the match would be fantastic.
No matter what happens, together or separately, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns will all make a big impact in the New Year. Keep an eye out for these talented individuals.
4. Brock Lesnar
Now that The Beast, Brock Lesnar, is presumably finished with CM Punk, one has to wonder who’s next on his hit-list, or better yet, Paul Heyman’s hit-list.
A couple of weeks ago, Heyman sent out an interesting Tweet, which read “I had a fascinating conversation today w/@BROCKLESNAR regarding the NEW @WWE World Champion @RandyOrton”.
Is it possible that, almost 10 years since he last held the WWE Championship, Brock Lesnar is finally setting sights on becoming the champion once again?
I remember earlier this year, during the build towards Lesnar’s Steel Cage Match with Triple H, that Lesnar and Heyman “trashed The Game’s office” at WWE HQ. The most intriguing part of that segment was when the anomaly sat down at Hunter’s desk with the World Heavyweight Championship over his shoulder. It looked right.
I don’t condone legends coming back and taking the championship when the younger stars deserve it more (I’m looking at you, Dwayne!), but you have to admit that Brock Lesnar looked good with the title.
So with that, and Heyman’s somewhat cryptic Tweet, should we expect to see Brock Lesnar as WWE World Champion in 2014? If he was around full-time for his reign, and wrestled every now and again, I don’t think I’d have much of a problem with it.
The thing I hated about The Rock’s reign was that he was barely ever there, only wrestled 3 matches and rarely brought the championship to his interviews or spoke about the WWE. Sure, he was doing a shitload of media stuff, but how does it benefit WWE to have him as their champion if he doesn’t talk about the company?
If Lesnar happens to get the belt at some stage down the line, then that’s a mistake they need to rectify. Make sure that the guy is actually the champion, instead of just the guy who carries the belt around for the next champion.
While I’d be willing to see how a potential run with the WWE World Championship would go for Brock Lesnar, I can see him in a much better role this spring – Match Number 22.
That’s right, I think Brock Lesnar should be the next man to take on The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania. I’d fear for the Deadman’s health, but this match would be overflowing with brutality, excitement and electricity.
Their rivalry would be so personal, both going back to the past when Lesnar and Undertaker originally feuded in 2002, and delving into the deep hostility that Lesnar and Undertaker supposedly have for each other today.
It would be doubly special for me, because the build-up to Undertaker and Lesnar’s Hell in a Cell Match at No Mercy in 2002 is my oldest memory as a wrestling fan. That match and storyline started it all, so to see these 2 titans square off again 12 years later, and 10 years after my favourite WrestleMania (the first that I watched live as a child), would be so symbolic of how far my childhood favourites have come, and even how far I’ve come as a wrestling fan.
Brock Lesnar has taken on John Cena, Triple H and CM Punk since returning to the WWE in 2012, so he has to keep up his habit of fighting huge names. In that light, you cannot get any bigger than wrestling The Undertaker at WrestleMania, so I believe that role would be perfect for Brock Lesnar. As long as ‘Taker is 100% ready for competition, that is, because he’ll need to be when he squares off against the Beast.
With this potentially huge match looming at ‘Mania, and even the possibility of winning the Royal Rumble, Brock Lesnar is bound to have a huge year in 2014, and will surely make his mark on the face of the WWE.
3. Triple H
You may not want it, I may not want it, but there’s no denying that it’s going to happen. If you thought Triple H (and Stephanie McMahon) took up a lot of the spotlight on Raw over the last 6 months, then just wait until the Road to WrestleMania kicks off!
Still going on the basis that Triple H could be facing a representative of Vince McMahon for “Control of the WWE” at ‘Mania, if that happens, then it’s going to be treated as the main feature of WrestleMania.
Forget the Streak, forget the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, it’s all about what’s “Best for Business”. Not necessarily to us, but to Vinnie and Trips, it is.
The strange thing about The Authority is that they always seem to forget whether they’re good guys or bad guys. One week they hate Daniel Bryan and John Cena, the next week they’re forcing Randy Orton to defend the championship against Bryan because Cena told them to.
There’s such a lack of continuity there that it’s getting really confusing. Is Triple H going to be the babyface at ‘Mania in New Orleans? Not bloody likely. So why bother trying to play Mr Nice Guy, when we all know he’s an asshole? Regardless, nothing’s going to stop ‘The Game’ from being one of the top guys in 2014, even if he only wrestles twice a year…
And considering his possible match at WrestleMania could have the “control of the WWE” at stake, what happens if/when he wins? Will his reign of terror never cease? It’s starting to get really frustrating, so I don’t know what to think about it continuing after the Showcase of the Immortals.
If Steve Austin does happen to represent Triple H in that match, there’s a good chance that Trips won’t win, but otherwise, I don’t know what to think. Nevertheless, if I know Triple H (and I think I do), we’re going to find out soon enough.
2. CM Punk
While my #1 choice might be the best wrestler in the WWE, CM Punk is not far off from that at all. And if second place in the ring isn’t good enough for Punk, he makes up for it by being the best talker in the wrestling industry today.
After a phenomenal 2013 where Punk stood toe-to-toe with The Rock, The Undertaker and Paul Heyman on the microphone, CM Punk will hopefully find himself back in the championship scene in the New Year.
434 fantastic days came to an end last January, but I have a good feeling that Punk will be back where he belongs sooner rather than later. And I’m not talking about mid-to-late 2014. It’s no secret that WWE is testing the waters of another rivalry between Punk and Triple H, and if that goes into full swing, we’re going to get the Punk that took the company by storm in 2011 back, and soon.
It’s been a while since a pipe bomb went off in the WWE, and quite frankly it’s been a long time coming, so if a feud breaks out between Punk and ‘The Game’, there’s no doubt that we’ll get to see some vintage Punk.
There are many possibilities for Punk on the Road to WrestleMania, like winning the Royal Rumble Match, representing Vince McMahon against Triple H at WrestleMania or feuding with Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship after the Rumble event in January.
Although Punk’s feud with Paul Heyman featured some extraordinary promos, it did get stale after a while, especially when they brought Ryback in. So after being stuck in somewhat of a limbo between September and November, hopefully he gets what he deserves now – and that’s a run in the main-event.
I still get goosebumps when Cult of Personality starts playing, because I know one of the most captivating wrestlers of all-time is about to come to the ring. So with all of that said, no matter what his role is, Punk will surely make a huge impact on the WWE in 2014.
1. Daniel Bryan
I understand that a lot of people think Daniel Bryan’s run at the top has come to a definitive end, but I strongly disagree.
If there are legendary Hall of Famers like Bret Hart, Mick Foley and Shawn Michaels in the ring, not to mention future HOF’ers like Triple H, CM Punk, Randy Orton, John Cena, Big Show and Mark Henry, and the entire arena is bursting with “Daniel Bryan” and “Yes!” chants, you know where fan interest lies.
The WWE have a history of ignoring who the crowd is gravitating towards, but you can certainly make an exception for Daniel Bryan. After all, it was the fans who convinced management to give Daniel Bryan a shot at the WWE Championship, and what happened? He beat John Cena clean at SummerSlam, and main-evented the next 3 PPVs with the title on the line.
In 2012, a group of people that I was a part of innovated a particular chant the night after WrestleMania 28, and what happened then? Daniel Bryan was in WWE Championship matches with CM Punk, live on PPV, that very summer. And finally, when the crowd was chanting for Daniel Bryan on the last episode of Raw before TLC, one week later we saw Bryan take on Randy Orton in his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship defence. They know that Bryan is the best thing going.
We don’t chant “Yes! Yes! Yes!” because Bryan’s big, strong and tough. Not even because he has a fantastic beard. We chant it because we know that Daniel Bryan is the best wrestler in the world today, and the guys in the back completely understand that, which is why I believe that Daniel Bryan is going to make the biggest impact in 2014.
Once this Authority thing begins to wind down after WrestleMania, Bryan is going to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. There’s no doubt about it.
The way it’s going right now though, it looks like Bryan will be gearing up for a triple-threat match against Randy Orton and John Cena for the WWE World Championship at the Royal Rumble, and although his chances of winning might be slim, at least he’ll still be in the picture.
He may not be in the Rumble match because of it, but his involvement in the title picture is nothing to be laughed at. At least it’ll make Cena’s rematch a little bit more interesting.
Daniel Bryan is the best thing that the WWE have, and he’s the best possible wrestler to represent the company as its champion. If the fans were interested in guys that had the chiselled physique of a Michelangelo sculpture, they’d be endlessly cheering for Ryback or David Otunga. But they’re not.
We’re looking for someone who can captivate an audience better than anybody else. Whether he’s landing a diving headbutt from the top rope, honouring the legendary Gene LeBell with his signature Yes Lock, or screaming “Yes! Yes! Yes!” at the top of his voice, Daniel Bryan is that guy. Plus, he gets to go home with Brie Bella every week. What a man!
Loved by children and adults all over the globe, Daniel Bryan is the biggest thing in pro-wrestling right now, and I guarantee that 2014 will be the year of the American Dragon. Daniel Bryan will get a lengthy WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign, and you can take that to the bank.
And that wraps up 2013 for me and ‘Under the Spotlight’, folks.
Based on this article, I realise that WrestleMania XXX looks like it will have a heavy focus on legends as opposed to newer stars, but I can forgive that. It’s the 30th anniversary of WWE’s biggest annual event, so you’d expect nothing less than a bunch of legends coming in and celebrating it with some huge matches.
SLTD Wrestling has been a fantastic opportunity for me this year, but don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. 2014 is going to be a very important year for good ol’ AOB, considering I’ll finally be graduating in May and my exams are taking place in June.
With that said, there will be a good few weeks between now and July when I won’t be able to write, so be warned. But trust me, I’ll be around. I already have some articles planned for spring and summer, so it’s pretty likely that I’ll make it to 2 years with the site in August.
So, for the last time in 2013, if you happened to enjoy this article, please like it on Facebook, tweet or re-tweet the links to it or feel free to leave any comments below. Also, if you’d like to speak to me about wrestling, my writing, ‘Under the Spotlight’ or anything at all, be sure to follow me on Twitter @AdamOB_SLTD.
Thanks for reading, and have a Happy New Year!
Self-Professed Conversational Wizard.
Admin, Editor and Writer for SLTD Wrestling.
Creator of 'Under the Spotlight'.
Studying Computing in Games Development.
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