The WWE Youth Movement & The Next 10+ Years

[Schlomey]

The WWE has been said to be in a "youth movement". Seemingly everyone from the Attitude Era and before is gone with the exception of a few. Lets take a look at the crop of "under 30" wrestlers that will lead this movement. Who will become this generations biggest stars? Who is getting pushed that you assume will fall into obscurity? Is there anyone you see replacing the top guys on the roster? Here is the under 30 crew......

Daniel Bryan
Darren Young
DH Smith
Evan Bourne
Heath Slater
The Usos
John Morrison
Randy Orton
Justin Gabriel
Michael Tarver
Primo Colon
Sheamus (he is actually 32)
Ted DiBiase
The Miz
Tyson Kidd
Wade Barrett (he is actually 33)
Yoshi Tatsu
Zack Ryder
Croft & Barretta
Cody Rhodes
Kurt Hawkins
Dolph Ziggler
Jack Swagger
Kaval
Kofi Kingston
Vance Archer (actually 33)


Here is how I see it happeninin the the next 5/10 years:


TOP TIER
Randy Orton
Evan Bourne
John Morrison
Sheamus
Ted DiBiase
The Miz
Wade Barrett
Dolph Ziggler
Jack Swagger
Vance Archer
Cody Rhodes


MID CARD
DH Smith
Justin Gabriel
Zack Ryder
Kaval
Kofi Kingston


LOW CARD/OBSCURITY
Most of the Nexus guys
Usos
Primo
Croft * Baretta
Yoshi Tatsu



Explanations:

With the smaller guys getting better spots (we have seen this in recent years with CM Punk and Jeff Hardy) I can see the youth movement including smaller World Champions. I would recommend the Light Heavyweight Title be brought back in the next year or 2 as more and more smaller guys debut and the other ones take larger roles in the company. Establish the title & then move the guys up accordingly.

Evan Bourne SHOULD be this generations equivalent of Shawn Michaels. No no no he will never be HBK or even close but in regards to a smaller guy who is over with the fans chasing the title. He is an underdog much like HBK was back at WM12 time. He may never win the world title but the guy should get to chase it and get soo close..much like Hardy. Capturing it is a possibility.


I assume Kofi will never be a main eventer. I am probably wrong but I just don't see it.

ok guys your turn.

[Eklipse]

I agree with most of what you have said.
I think Borne will be more for high spots in big matches like MITB and the Royal Rumble...with a possible US or IC title run, but nothing higher.
I would like to see Kofi in main event status...possibly feuding with Morrison.
Logically a Lightheavyweight title woul be a must, providing shows with high-energy matches and high-spots galore.
I dont see the Nexus guys anywhere in the picture, minus Barrett and perhaps Justin Gabriel,(who I can see at mid-card status)

[Eklipse]

I figured this would be a popular topic.

[TheHart]

This will be fun. It'd be even more interesting to keep these lists and look back on them 5-10 years from now and see just how right/wrong we were. Rosters and characters are unpredictable in WWE, especially when someone gets heat and loses steam afterwards. It's impossible to truly judge who will be where in 5 years, but I am going to base my list on the wrestler's current character and abilities.

Main Event
----------
John Morrison
Randy Orton
Sheamus
The Miz
Wade Barrett
Alberto Del Rio
Skip Sheffield


Upper Midcard
--------------
Tyson Kidd
Kaval
Cody Rhodes
Kofi Kingston
Daniel Bryan
Dolph Ziggler
Jack Swagger
Drew McIntyre
Evan Bourne
Justin Gabriel
Ted DiBiase

Lower Midcard
--------------
DH Smith
Heath Slater
Croft & Barretta
The Usos
Michael Tarver
Primo Colon
Zack Ryder


Jobbers/Fired
-------------
Darren Young
Vance Archer
Yoshi Tatsu
Kurt Hawkins

Explanations
------------
The people I chose for Main Event are more or less a shoe in for main eventers if they can stay on track. The only exception being Skip Sheffield, who I see as an Oldschool JBL mixed with Goldberg. He has insane potential!

My upper midcard is rather busy, I will admit. Some of them will more than likely main event, but it's going to take a lucky break or two for these guys to really make that next step. Guys like Cody Rhodes, Kaval, Tyson Kidd, Evan Bourne, Daniel Bryan, Ted Dibiase, and Justin Gabriel all have bright futures. But they aren't quite main event material yet. Guys like Ted Dibiase and Daniel Bryan frustrate me in these situations, cause I feel their potential, but they really lack something. It's hard to really pinpoint what.

Lower Midcard is a collection of guys who have tried countless times to make it to the big leagues and just can't seem to make it. They will never truly make it, and it saddens me to see them fall into obscurity.

The jobbers category are a bunch of guys who are bound to be future endeavored. Sorry, but it's true...

[Next Big Thing]

I believe Kaval has the potential to replace Rey Mysterio as a fan favorite/ Giant killer. If WWE pushes him right, he could be top tier.

I feel like John Morrison is where Edge was before he banged Matt Hardy's girlfriend and got the heat that made the "The Rated R Superstar." He's kind of lingering in a purgatory of sorts where he is capable of being a main eventer, but something's missing. I think he and Melina need to be turned heel again and he should go back to the Johnny Nitro/ Morrison of the M&M and Miz tag team days.

Cody Rhodes is midcard for life. He doesn't have the charisma or mic skills of his father or his brother. It's hard to get into his character for that reason. He's a great wrestler who's kind of bland in terms of conveying his personality. Even the Dashing Cody Rhodes character seems forced when it's not a taped vignette. Same deal with Dibiase. I think he would have gotten over sooner if they gave him his dad's old music and gimmick. The Million Dollar Man gimmick is still relevant today and if Ted had Maryse as arm candy and Virgil as the side kick henchman I think he could get over so much more.

Evan Bourne is another guy who I see hanging around in the upper midcard area. He may get a few shots at the title, but they won't be anything memorable.

Miz will be a star if he sticks with the company and doesn't go Hollywood. His mic skills put him easily in the top three of the Raw roster and he's got a couple of moves right now that are interesting. As long as he continues to improve his ring work, I think he'll be in the main event picture for years to come.

Barrett is another guy who will be a star. The only unfortunate thing is that at 33 I'm not sure how long he has in the business, especially if injuries occur (look at Skip). If WWE is all about the youth, he has to enter the main event picture in the next 2 or 3 years or he will probably be relegated to upper midcard.

Kofi is very popular as a face and the crowd responds well to him when he does his thunderclaps and other shit. I truly believe he got knocked out of the main event picture and sent to Smackdown because of Orton whining like a bitch, which is unfortunate because the guy is talented and decent on the mic. He could be a main eventer and have a couple of decent title runs.

Here's my sleeper pick: I know you put the rest of the Nexus guys at bottom tier, but Skip Sheffield is only 28. He's decent on the mic, has a big build, and plays that intense role well. When he comes back and re- establishes himself, I see him as a mainstay in the main event picture.

[TheHart]

I think the only thing holding Miz back right now is his finisher. If he had a move equal to that of the RKO, he'd be off the charts!

[MoFo]

Miz will be the successor to Jericho.

Skip Sheffield looked pretty good before he got injured, I could believe him as a Batista-ish guy.

Barrett and Sheamus are better big guys than Big Show and Kane.

Kofi is the new kiddies fave replacing Rey.

It looks OK for WWE tbh.

[XL]

Schlomey, dispite being the first on the list and 2nd in your top 5, you didn't put Daniel Bryan anywhere. What do you see of his future?

[Eklipse]

Schlomey, dispite being the first on the list and 2nd in your top 5, you didn't put Daniel Bryan anywhere. What do you see of his future?

lmfao. Things dont look good for Daniel Bryan.:lol:

[Next Big Thing]

Schlomey, dispite being the first on the list and 2nd in your top 5, you didn't put Daniel Bryan anywhere. What do you see of his future?

He's main eventing TNA in a Fatal Fourway for the title against Matt Hardy, Chris Masters, and a 46 year old Kurt Angle.