Did the WWE just get a memo? Correct me if I’m wrong, but did the Miz call out John Cena on Raw? Did MVP go toe to toe with Randy Orton? What a difference one night can make, and it seems like the landscape of the WWE is truly shifting; not just on Raw either, Smackdown for me, is the show that is about to turn some heads and truly create stars of the future.
I apologize, I may be getting ahead of myself today but that is only because, since the draft, I like what I’m seeing. Perhaps there has been a shift in the mindsets of the powers that be and now they want to give us fans what we all crave…fresh faces, and more WRESTLING. Today I want to talk about some fresh faces the WWE seems to be ready to push, and how each move can be a very good thing for both the fans and the business.
Starting with Raw, we had someone I never expected come out and challenge “the face” of the company. I’m talking of course about the Miz. This guy has come such a long way since his days on reality tv, and a member of Tough Enough I can’t really picture him outside the WWE anymore. Pairing him with John Morrison to begin his career was a very solid move. It enabled him to develop into his character without standing alone and being buried the minute he didn’t succeed. Although I’m still not 100% sold on the Miz as a singles star, I was very into the fact that he called out John Cena. As the new guy on a roster, you have to make a statement and who better to go after than the number one guy. I am very excited to see just how serious the WWE is on pushing him, and where he can go on his own from here.
Staying on Raw, we have the United States Champion MVP coming out to confront our new WWE Champion Randy Orton. This I enjoyed very much. MVP in my opinion is ready to be a main event guy in the business, and confronting Orton is the way to do it. Let’s face it he’s already had the second longest reign as United States Champion already; he’s defended that title more than Rey Mysterio has defended his I.C. title already; what else does the man have to prove? I also liken his push to the fact that Mr. Ken Kennedy is still recovering from injury. Who’s not to say that his push could have gone to Kennedy instead, but now MVP reaps the rewards. Overall, I like where his character is evolving towards, and a program/fued with Ted Dibiase Jr. may be in the cards as well, which again is very good for us fans.
Over on the Smackdown side of things, there are two men I am very anxious to watch every week just to see how they continuee to develop. One, its no surprise here is John Morrison. This guy is very, very high on my list and I believe is a future main event star. When I saw that he and Miz were being split, I instantly jumped at the thought of another singles push. What I also have enjoyed is what seems to be the slow transistion into a face. I believe Morrison has been a heel his entire career thus far (even as the apprentice of Eric Bishoff) so a brand new face-turn on a whole new brand could be just what he needs.
The other, Dolph Ziggler. Yeah you read that right, I said Dolph Ziggler. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I was never really fond of his in-ring skills early in his career. I have to say, his latest run has left me thouroughly impressed. Some may say his gimmick is to cheesy to ever be taken seriously as a main star, but take a look at Santino Marella; already a two-time I.C. champion. Trust me, I feel that as long as he stays both injury free, and suspension free, Ziggler can become something special.
That brings us to ECW. Not much to say here that hasn’t already been said. Just two words really…Evan Bourne! The sky (no pun intended) is truly the limit for this guy. If the WWE doesn’t ruin his style there is really nothing to hold him down. I’ve heard from many people that bourne is the next Rey Mysterio, no..he’s the first evan Bourne. I would love a program between him and say Chris Jericho down the line.
Which leads me to a guy that I have always been a big fan of, and to see him finally get his due at Backlash was just bittersweet. I’m talking about our new ECW champion Christian. this guy has been on fire since his return and the payoff has finally arrived, as he now has gold strapped around his waist. There is also no denying that the fans are eating it up, as he consistently gets some of the louder pops each and every week. At first (like many) I was angry when he returned on the ECW brand, but I must say, it has worked thusfar and that’s because he’s made it work. Christian has brought out some of the best in Jack Swagger that I have seen. And while some may have complained about him not being drafted over to Smackdown or Raw, I also believe it was the right move.
Think about it, if Christian had been drafted over to Smackdown now, the appeal of an Edge/Christian fued or reunion would have already lost its mystic. This way, the WWE is keeping them apart as long as possible and teasing us longer. Anticipation is key. The interaction they had at Backlash was sweet because it brought them together, but was short enough to make us want more. Had he been drafted to Raw, no doubt he’d be buried.
With all these fresh faces seemingly ready to make the jump into either main event level, or at least the upper-mid card, the WWE seems to be gearing up for the fact that more of their big names may not be around much longer. Guys like HBK, Undertaker, and even Batista and Triple H are on the tale end of their careers. The time is now to establish new stars..new faces for the future.
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