Wrestlemania 28....

[jballz]

..... the one where Bryan got squashed in 18 seconds.

So what did everyone think of this years showcase of the immortals?

Bryan going down so quick, good for Sheamus, bad for Bryan? Good or bad for the WWE?

Kane vs Orton, the most boring match in Wrestlemania history?

Big Show vs Cody Rhodes, all that build up just for that? Big things ahead for Rhodes? Time for Big Show to retire?

Divas tag match... just... why?

Team Johnny vs Team Teddy, the new age of Mr. Excitement or would you rather see Teddy back playa?

Triple H vs Undertaker, with special ref Shawn Michaels, an amazing display of old school story telling or just 3 old dudes hogging the limelight?

CM Punk vs Jericho, five star match or three star awkward match??

Rock vs Cena, once in a lifetime dream match or boring slug fest?

Personally Rock winning made the night for me. I just didn't think they'd have the balls to do it, but they did. Congrats to Cena btw for grinning like a fucking remedial through the first five minutes and then fucking up the sell of the first rock bottom, as well as landing on the Rocks head from the top rope. Nice job idiot.

Triple H versus Undertaker was great for my money. I loved every minute of that match and couldn't take my eyes off it.

CM Punk vs Jericho....meh. The fact that me and my friends starting talking among ourselves 5 minutes into it, and one dude fell asleep, while barely a word was spoken during the two above mentioned matches said it all. The crowd was not buying it really either, not until the end.

Oh and Brodus Clay, please fuck off and die.

Divas match was my cigarette break. Was it any good?

Kane vs Orton was boring, couldn't get into it.

Tag match was a bit shit. Glad that Team Johnny won though. Should be a laugh for a few weeks.

Big Show match always brings the boredom.

And wow, Bryan getting dumped just like that? I was pretty shocked. Potential though to develop the A.J. storyline so I'm not all that pissed off.

[jaden]

Great show over all. Was worth all of Obi's money for sure.

[The Sky King]

Bryan-Sheamus was pointless. What pissed me off isn't just that it didn't even last half a minute, but once again it makes the Royal Rumble appear near-worthless. I thought the whole jist of it was "You win the Rumble and you get to main event the biggest show on our calendar!" not "You win the Rumble and you get to curtain-jerk the biggest show on our calendar." But, Sheamus is champ, so..meh. No match should be so short that the match starts, you grab a beer, open it, hear theme music, and you come back and find someones won.

Orton-Kane was...meh. Just nothing special. Felt like a typical RAW match.

Cody-Show was crap. I'm hoping there's a reason for taking the title off of Cody (ie; a push). Giving it to Big Show is fucking pointless, though.

Divas Tag Match was shite. Just another "Here's a celebrity, let her win" match. You could almost hear people saying "Piss break? Piss break." in the stands.

Taker-H was amazing. Watching it was like being 8 years old again, there were times when my heart damn near stopped during these near-falls. Great match, ending was brilliant too. Although it is quite heartbreaking to think of it as the end of an era. Honestly, this match alone made the Sky Box Office fee well worth it.

Punk-Jericho was alright. It was slow to start, but then it got going and was pretty decent, especially when there were just reversals left, right and centre. Probably could've been better, though, especially between those two.

Team Teddy-Team Johnny. Well, at least it wasn't like last years Corre burial, but it still ended in a clusterfuck and was ultimately just another "Meh" match.

Brodus Clay. Love the character (I'm so glad there's now an actual gimmick in WWE as opposed to "CAW #1287") but the whole segment was fucking pointless and made me want to cry. The fact it went on for longer than the WHC match made me want to throttle someone.

Rock-Cena was pretty much what I expected. Rock still had it and really surprised me...but Cena..There were some parts where it seemed like Cena was just cashing it in and not really going the distance. I'm wondering if that People's Elbow at the end was scripted to be like that (It looked so lethargic and weak that I thought Cena would stop mid-run and break down crying), or if it was just Cena spitting his dummy out. Still, seeing Rock beat Cena made me feel like a kid again. Definitely great stuff.

With WM28 in mind (And just to give the board a kick)...*RAW SPOILERS*
























..What does everyone think of Rock saying he'll be going for the WWE Championship? Yay or nay?

Also, while i'm on it: What did everyone think of Lord Tensai/Albert/A-Trains debut and Brock Lesnar's return?

[jballz]

Wrestlemania was definitely worth it just to see Cena lose and the end of an era match. Of course in the UK it was only $23 so that makes it easier to forgive the mistakes And yeah, that faux peoples elbow at the end looked like a dummy spitting moment. The childish prick.

On to RAW, and fuck yeah!

That audience deserves to go into the Hall of Fame for what they did. They were amazing. Albert/Lord Tensai was ok. First match back so not sure how much we could really expect. I have a horrible feeling they're going to use him like they used Kane prior to Wrestlemania, trying to swing people in his favour before he squares off with Lesner.

Rock as champion was... odd? I think I read somewhere that he has two movies to shoot between now and Summerslam, so it's unlikely we're going to see much of him on Raw, and I can't see how you could put the title on someone who will hardly be there to defend it. Still, the story potential for a feud is pretty high. He could give some young guy a huge rub with the right work.

And Brock Lesnar. Fuck man that crowd was hot for Lesnar (but probably more for Bryan). I'm not sure about Lesnar, because I remember him being good in the ring but sucking in Charisma so, we'll see.

Daniel Bryan though. Unintentional babyface of the year? It'll be interesting to see how fans in other arenas react, but if this is just the start then this could do wonders for Bryan. "Yes! Yes!" could be the new "What?". Major credit to Punk and Henry for their match, incorporating the crowd into it and making what should otherwise be a dull match into something that was incredibly entertaining to watch.

[Commissioner Warrior™]

Wrestlemania started off horrible, but I felt it really redeemed itself by the end. First off, FUCK The Rock. Fuck him, because he's so damn good and that match with Cena was one of the best matches I've seen in quite some time.

Second, I would like to thank Daniel Bryan for the 'YES' chants because I REALLY hope they stick.

Overall on Mania in a nutshell though. I'm only okay with Bryan/Sheamus if this turns into something bigger between the two of them, as their match could've been overshadowed by Rock/Cena and Taker/HHH/HBK and Punk/Jericho. Let them build and main event one of the next few PPVs, and it's can be redeemed. I don't know why Kane/Orton was on the card. I just don't.

Show/Rhodes was great because it's Rhodes and everything Rhodes is great. I fully believe that this is to let Rhodes rise up and take his rightful place at the top, because he's seriously the most brilliant person in the company right now.

Divas Tag Match...meh. Team Johnny/Team Teddy. I'm going to be really sad if Teddy is gone, and am so tired of Johnny, but I sort of can see the possibilities with the introduction of Lesnar and depending on where they're going with Punk. Decent match, glad to see Miz stay undefeated, despite it having to be at the expense of Ryder.

HHH/HBK/Taker was gold. Perfectly done, and a perfect way to end it with the shot of the three of them. Punk vs. Jericho was great as I fully expected.

Rock/Cena was pure gold in my opinion. Rock wasn't the right distance when Cena did the top rope leg drop, but Cena made sure not to undershoot and while a little off, still made it work. The first Rock Bottom was off because neither of them got settled and locked in right, Rock didn't get his leg behind Cena so it was awkward, but it looked decent and they made up for it plenty by the end. The amazing thing is that those were the ONLY two mistakes in the whole match, and both were miniscule in my opinion. They had the crowd in the palms of their hands the entire time. It was PURE psychology, actually mixed in with good wrestling. Which is why I say FUCK The Rock for not being around all the time, coming back for one fucking match, proving he's this good and proving how much others could learn from him, and walking his ass back out into a mediocre acting career.


As for Raw, they certainly sold me. I firmly believed Raw was make or break. I came out of Wrestlemania not knowing whether or not I wanted to keep watching consistently and keeping up with everything, and knew Raw would make that decision. Every single match on the card was gold in my opinion, even the shorter ones. I don't know who lit a fire under the roster, but that was all good stuff. The crowd was nuts, and added so much to things. Lord Tensai/A-Train was great. I clicked right before he took everything off as they mentioned former superstar and am really excited to see where this goes. Then Lesnar to top off the whole night, nothing better.

P.S. - Screw you, I fucking love Brodus Clay and every single time I see him is gold.

[jballz]

"Which is why I say FUCK The Rock for not being around all the time, coming back for one fucking match, proving he's this good and proving how much others could learn from him..."

In that case, expect big things from Curt Hawkins and Mike McGillicutty/Joe Hening in the coming years. Apparently they helped the Rock to stay in shape and practice for the match. There's pictures of Hawkins taking a Rock Bottom etc. Maybe some of the magic rubbed off?

I just hope they pounce on this Bryan/Shaemus dynamic. After Raw went off the air Bryan was involved in a 6 man tag and the crowd was loving it (there's video on YouTube). This could be the chance to create a new "Austin/Rock" style anti-hero character who is cheered simply for just being entertaining.

The silver lining of the Jericho/Punk wrestlemania match is that they're keeping the feud going. What that suggests to me is that they knew it before 'mania, and while trying to put on a good match they worked it so it wouldn't be a 30 minute epic encounter that would have just killed the heat there. Maybe they'll get a much longer battle coming in the future?

[Commissioner Warrior™]

Apr 3, 2012 18:06:23 GMT -5 jballz said:

"Which is why I say FUCK The Rock for not being around all the time, coming back for one fucking match, proving he's this good and proving how much others could learn from him..."

In that case, expect big things from Curt Hawkins and Mike McGillicutty/Joe Hening in the coming years. Apparently they helped the Rock to stay in shape and practice for the match. There's pictures of Hawkins taking a Rock Bottom etc. Maybe some of the magic rubbed off?

He understands the impact he has on the business, and has turned the showcase of the immortals into a hobby. So yes, fuck The Rock. You earn Wrestlemania. You don't get bored and realize your movie career is going nowhere, call up your old job and say "I was really good, why don't I get the Main Event at Wrestlemania? It'd be a great ego boost for me." And then reply dangle the crowd on the string saying the WWE is his home, and then leave. Again. When will we see him again? Who knows? My guess is maybe in September, but more than likely in January or February. Just in time to overshadow the people really trying to make their mark and make a life out of the WWE so that he can have a little fun and become the WWE Champion of his hobby.

[Commissioner Warrior™]

I completely agree on D-Bry though, I can see amazing things coming out of this if they'll just run with it.

[jballz]

I've heard that argument against the Rock many a time, and I always do the same thing.

For a second I sit there and think to myself "you know that's a good poi..."

And then I remember the Undertaker.

That stick can just as easily be waved at Undertaker for coming out every year and wrestling one more match. Worse, he doesn't appear till about February-March time, whereas at least the Rock is good for the odd satellite job now and again. But I never see people criticising Taker.

Honestly, Vince knows that guys like The Rock, Lesnar and Taker are good for his business. And really, young guys should realise it too. Raw, and the WWE in general, has not done well in the ratings for a while. When big stars come back and push those ratings up, it should give the younger guys exposure to a wider audience.

And honestly, how many of them have carved careers out for themselves? The Rock and Austin both put themselves in the spotlight, made it such that the WWE brass couldn't over look them. Punk did the same thing, essentially by threatening to go home with all his toys which WWE then worked into an angle. Daniel Bryan has perhaps pulled off his own success with his Yes thing.

But who else has done that? Zack Ryder maybe? He's made himself popular, to a degree. Where are the others though? Who else has done things to get themselves over. The Uso's have kind of tried with their chants, but that's about it.

[Commissioner Warrior™]

Is Taker just as bad? Yes, but I only endure that because he's nearing his end. Taker physically could not be there full time right now, so he is doing what he can to finalize things and end things well. The Rock is entirely capable of being there full time, but he won't be. Lesnar might not be there for every single live show, but he'll certainly make more than six appearances a year.

People who are working and earning their spots? Punk, Bryan, Miz, Ryder, Rhodes, Ziggler, Kofi, Clay, The Usos, these are the future of this industry. Most of these have earned their spots and they've been noticed as they were part of Wrestlemania. But how many options do they have when practically a quarter of the show and the buildup is set aside for a guy who is there maybe a cumulative month out of the year? Sheamus and Bryan earned their spot, but the company sits by and shoves them to the bottom because they might run out of time...with their four hour show and eight matches. And then you have people like Orton, who are sadly already past their prime, sitting around doing nothing.

Rock comes in and enables this cycle. Cena is an example in every sense of the word. This generation can learn from him, and he'll let them. Rock doesn't give a damn.

[jaden]

meh, I liked the show either way. Taker's buttcrack on the back of his head was sexay.

[jballz]

All I know is that if I could be earning millions (and millions!!) of dollars shooting movies, while still coming back every now and again to help out WWE vs being committed to so many appearances for WWE that I couldn't work elsewhere in movies, then I would take the movies.

And I stress that he is helping the WWE. WWE's financials showed that the company made a profit of just over $24 million for their 2011 fiscal year. $24 million for an entire year, despite revenues of nearly a half billion dollars.

Although we wont know the official buy rate for some time, ESPN has a report that pegs the PPV numbers for Wrestlemania at 1.9 million buys. That's more than any WWE or UFC PPV.... ever. In fact, if it is indeed true, then only the '97 rematch between Holyfield and Tyson would top it.

That revenue wasn't generated by Dolph Ziggler (as much as I love that guy), Cody Rhodes, Punk, Bryan or anyone else. Cena vs Rock made that happen.

What Rock is doing is making money for WWE to secure its long term future and to generate interest again in a flagging industry. With him out of the way on TV it gives the younger guys the chance to shine and essentially bask in the reflected light of increased TV ratings (Raw jumped to a 3.5 on Monday).

Daniel Bryans Charisma (three words you never thought you'd see in succession) could potentially earn him a future top spot. But what of the others? Kofi is a high flyer and performs well in the ring, but what has he really done to connect with the fans?

Swagger? Dare I say Ziggler? Rhodes has done well with the time allotted to him.

The only other person I can really think of is someone like Santino Marella, who has taken his character and run with it, putting everything he has into that goofy ass gimmick which has drawn a lot of peoples attention.

I just don't understand what people expect? Would people realistically expect someone like Tom Brady give up playing for the Patriots so he could go and quarterback an amateur team out of love for them?

The fact of the matter is that the Rock earns enough money to not need to go back to the WWE. If wrestlemania really has done the numbers that are being reported then the perception of the Rocks drawing power will only increase, combined with the box office success of that Lost Island shit or whatever it was called, which means he'll need the money less and less. He's essentially doing this as a favour to the fans and a favour to the WWE.

Plus there have been a ton of comments from various wrestlers who have let slip, either by accident or intent, that the Rock has actually been quite ameniable to the rest of the cast backstage, in contrast to the reports of him being tucked away. I imagine during those chats he shares what he can with the other wrestlers?

As for time on the PPV, you're absolutely going to set aside enough time for your marquee matches. You can't advertise the shit out of a match and then have it cut off because the PPV over run.

Maybe if Vince wasn't so obsessed with shit like that Flo-rida and that skinny dick who got booed for calling Cena the true underdog, plus the Funkasauras deal, then maybe there would have been more time for Bryan and Sheamus.

Still, thanks to that 18 second squash we may just have gotten a cult hero for this generation. Every cloud, silver linings and all that.

And that adulation, those Yes! chants, were created by Bryan. His charisma and his character created that. He has gotten himself over just through his ring entrance. If more of the young stars did that for themselves, they would get more shots.

The Uso's are at least trying to make a connection with the crowd. Titus O'Neil can't be far away from a call up either because he's starting to get in with the crowd now.

The most notable wrestlers, the most remembered guys, the main eventers, are the ones who make a connection with audience in spite of everything that creative may do to hold them down.

The cream always rises to the top. One way or another. But you have to be pro-active, shake the carton. There's not many guys right now doing that.

[Commissioner Warrior™]

Largely, I do agree with you. I'm not saying Rock's being there is all bad. It was pure gold. It absolutely helped the industry for the better. Partly, I'm having a ton of fun arguing with you about this.

I still insist though, fuck The Rock. You made a Tom Brady comparison, which makes perfect sense. As long as Tom Brady can still go, he should absolutely still be the quarterback of the Patriots. But would you be okay with him only working the Super Bowl? Some other guy busts his ass all season and earns the Patriots a spot in the Super Bowl or even just the Playoffs, then he comes in and takes advantage of your hard work and wins the Super Bowl. Woo Tom Brady. Woo Patriots. What about the guy who has been working all year long though?

This absolutely helped the industry and generated a shit ton of profit, which is good all around. It peaked the interest of old fans and new alike. Even though the use of Flo-Rida and MGK took up more time than it should've, I even loved that over past Mania performances because at least the performances were good concert quality performances and served a purpose. Contrary to times when people perform, independent of any match or anything, and it's a half-assed performance.

I remain that I am pissed off at him for not staying though. Call me selfish, call me too attached to the product, call me blind. I still hold that against him. I of course still respect him and his ability in the ring and his ability to control the crowd. That does not change my problem with him not staying. Go ahead. Bring it via satellite.

[jballz]

If Brady was making say, $30 million a year in movies and stuff, something the Patriots couldn't compete with, and they were still struggling at the quarterback position during the regular season but managed to make the playoffs, so he offered to come back and quarterback the team through the playoffs and the Super Bowl, and especially if he won, I think Pats fans would take that.

It wouldn't be all that fair on the young quarterback, but if the team wins the big game, especially when there is a lot of scepticism surrounding the ability of the young kid (think like a Colt McCoy or Tim Tebow, someone who could be good one day, just struggling a little now), then I think fans of the team would be happy just to see their team win.

Sometimes, business is just not fair. In 1994 Deion Sanders signed a one year deal with the 49ers. He was a big mouth and something of a rabble rouser, some people weren't happy with him coming in, but he absolutely helped that team to win the Super Bowl. Afterwards he was very ungracious about the role played by his team mates, and certainly it was more than just the Deion Sanders show, but he did help the team to achieve its goals and sometimes that's all that matters.

Personally I think the Rock going away again is a good thing. Now the ball is rolling for WWE. Wrestlemania was huge, the TV ratings have gone up, WWE has momentum. Now the younger talents have been left to take that momentum and see what they can do with it. Now is their time.

If the Rock brings it by satellite that makes a nice addition to a show every now and again, something a little different, something entertaining. And it's only 10-15 minutes on the odd show, so he'd not taking too much time away.

All in all I think it can only be good for WWE.

[jballz]

Sorry to bump this thread, but something interesting caught my eye. That report about Wrestlemania 28 doing 1.9 million buys is starting to look very thin right about now. The guy that posted it from ESPN has done a significant degree of back tracking and ass covering about the figure, and more and more sources are coming to light that put the figure much more in the 1.1 to 1.3 million range, which is less than what WWE had hoped for (1.5).

After all that, maybe Monday's Tv ratings for Raw don't look so oddly low after all.

[Commissioner Warrior™]

Jack, I sincerely missed you. Someone else who is willing to full fledged fight over a topic, but doesn't get butthurt over it, is so nice. As for ratings, I honestly have seen nothing about them. I've completely and utterly ignored all wrestling news for several months and now that I've finally stopped relying on it, things are so much more enjoyable. I had inklings that Brock was coming back, a few words from a friend and several signs and chants. I still had no clue if he'd really show. I was on the edge of my seat when his music hit. I also am so really interested to see where Tensai (Albert) goes. Between that, and the (in my opinion) huge return from injury of Skip Sheffield, honestly THE best talent out of NXT (D-Bry does NOT count as an NXT talent), under his old ringname of RyBack. I can't wait to see where he goes. Maybe it's the post-Wrestlemania buzz, but I'm enjoying things again.

P.S. - And that, I believe, has nothing to do with The Rock. For me at least. Sorry...had to get a last word in.

[jballz]

Haha, it's cool war, war.

I'm not sure about Ryback to be honest. That clothesline last night was pretty sick, so credit to that jobber. But I'm not sure how much legs a character like Ryback has. Lord Tensai to me is... meh. Just trying to figure out what the WWE obsession is right now with putting people in really glossing looking, monotone attire that looks like they made the damn tights at home themselves. I'm just not buying Tensai as this billy badass dude who rocked Japan.

Honestly though, after such a hot RAW last week, this Monday and Tuesday have sucked. The Legends show last night was probably one of the worst episodes of Smackdown I have seen in years. It was hideous.

And as far as Cena, Lesnar, Bryan and Sheamus go, it looks like WWE is sticking to its PG guns. They're determined that Lesnar and Bryan are going to be heel and that means we're going to have to sit through some seriously boring, goody two shoes promos from Sheamus and Cena.

Oh and if you don't follow wrestling news that closely then let me give you an unconfirmed tip... don't get too attached to the Bella Twins in the next month.

[Commissioner Warrior™]

RyBack's debut as RyBack was decent to me. Just a solid squash with a good finish. The reason I'm so into him is because of seeing him as Skip Sheffield. I loved what he did then and really felt for the guy starting to get going and then getting injured. I just hope he takes real advantage of this run.

I'm sort of dreading watching SmackDown now because I DVR'ed it and haven't watched it yet. I do agree that what they're doing with Tensai at the moment is pretty meh. I just see a very different direction for an Albert return, and some good modern recognition of japanese wrestling. Between Lesnar's "legitimacy" angle and Tensai's japanese wrestling recognition, paired with the already existing push of Punk about being a great wrestler, I feel like we're leaning back towards wrestling rather than entertainment. I have no hope it'll ever be like it was once, but I think there's a modern balance that can be reached and I see them looking in that direction.

I'm perfectly good with the way Cena/Lesnar is going. They are billing Brock as heel, but they're doing it in a way that caters to Anti-Cena/Pro-Brock fans, which is making this a really good split in my opinion. I was really saddened with the way Bryan handled his first discussion of the 'yes' chants. On the upside of that, it doesn't look like they're disappearing because I'm still seeing multitudes of 'YES' signs.

Honestly my biggest gripe right now is Jericho. I don't even care about him. It's just so meh. Punk is trying to make this about wrestling, and Jericho is bringing up the family problems thing which got old really fast. Now he's pouring beer and breaking shitty jack daniels bottles in his hand before they even hit Punk. Who sold the shot SO well by wrestling the next week like nothing happened. I just don't buy anything on Jericho's end. It's really boring me.

[jballz]

The only thing cool about Ryback at the minute is seeing him stare into the hard camera and shout "FEED ME MORE!!" ;D That novelty will wear off.

Personally I don't see WWE going back to "rasslin" any time soon. They've turned CM Punk into a - to quote himself - giant toolbox. He's the new corporate guy, just as snug to McMahon as Cena. They've tried to turn him into a sympathetic babyface and I can see it backfiring.

This, coupled with Cena still being the main event guy on RAW despite not holding a title, says to me that they're still going for the entertainment over rassling types. Pushes for Ryback, Marella, the Funkasauras, Sheamus and Kelly Kelly only serve to convince me more of this.

As for the yes chants, don't bank on them. Bryan is a Smackdown talent and Smackdown has become almost as bad for canned heat as the old Nitro was for canned cheers, "Goldberg" being a primary candidate. They'll stamp the Yes chants out, even if it means keeping Bryan well away from Live TV. Eventually it'll lose momentum, especially if that Hampton, VA, crowd was anything to go by for Smackdown. They had plenty of Yes signs, but they were dead as shit.

Jericho..... is funny, In a bad way.

The way he keeps saying "alcohol" instead of just drink, or beer, or booze. It just sounds so ridiculous. Add to that the whole "you're the legal definition of a bastard" (oh shocking!!) and it just makes Jericho look goofy and retarded. I get that they're trying to build sympathy for Punk, but I just don't have any. Maybe I'm just a cunt, but I couldn't give a shit about Punks past or feel any real empathy for him now. It's just boring.

Looking to the future?

Damien Sandow. This guy was awesome in FCW. It looks like they've tweaked his gimmick which could be annoying. Keep an eye out for his 'spotlight' gimmick during his entrances or during interviews. If they do it in WWE it will be awesome. He also wears some proper retro tights that make him look like a slightly leaner version of Hercules.

Dean Ambrose. I'm hoping they'll call him up and run the storyline that he had going in FCW with William Regal. If they do, that story could literally become a show stealer. I was hooked until FCW went off the air and it's easily the most intriguing wrestling angle I've seen in years. Regal is a boss on the microphone and he made me interested in Ambrose whereas I wasn't before.

Dolph Ziggler. One day this dude will be recognised for something other than just making mid-card talents look like amazing workers through his selling. Guy needs some mic time.

Michael McGillicutty (Joe Hennig). If you don't watch NXT, you should. It's easily the most entertaining WWE show right now. Normally someone will post it on YouTube after it airs Wednesday evening. McGillicutty makes regular appearances and the dude is surely going places. He can be a bit to over dramatic at times, but he's a quality wrestler and not a bad talker.

Johnny Curtis. His gimmick is a bit lame, but he works the shit out of it. He's also under rated in the ring. Not the most varied, but he wrestles old school style, picking a body part and working it. Psychology wise, he cleans the floor with the rest of the NXT roster and most of the WWE roster too.

Titus O'Neil. Great talker, incredibly charismatic. Not the greatest wrestler and desperately needs so different ring attire, but he has future main event potential in buckets and spades.

Curt Hawkins. I still haven't figured out what it is about Hawkins, but this guy has "it". Eventually he'll make the main roster and in time he could be a very similar guy to Edge in terms of popularity.

Maxine. If they could only stop dressing her like a whore, she'll be amazing. She knows her character inside and out and plays it brilliantly. Teamed with Johnny Curtis they make comedy gold happen backstage.

Alex Riley. It says a lot about Riley that despite being stuck on NXT he still gets some really impressive reactions from the fans. He also goes all out in the ring.

Tyson Kidd. You already know about Kidd in the ring. He's great. But lately his talking has come a hell of a long way. He did a spot on commentary recently and he was really good. He's starting to round off the rough edges.

Leo Kruger. From FCW, a great talent in the ring, in the same mold as Ziggler. Has a brilliant snap suplex. His talking has come a hell of a long way during his time in development and he's even managed to tone down his South African accent. He'll make a great heel.

Seth Rollins. Talking is a bit rubbish, but his wrestling is really good, and I mean that in the "working the WWE style" sense, not just in the sense of being an Indy darling. His curb stomp is fucking hilarious.

Big E Langston. Is practically begging to be put in a tag team with Ezekiel Jackson to make a modern day kind of powers of pain. He's a legitimate pro power lifter and he looks phenominal. Jim Ross is high as a kite on him as well.

Kenneth Cameron. Mainly working squashes at the start of shows last time FCW was on air, but this guy has a creative intro, a great look and is pretty good in the ring. He has a very Undertaker like mystique surrounding him.

[Diabolik]

YES! YES! YE-awwww...

[jballz]

It's never to late D-ballz