DISCUSSION - Who will be the next breakout star in the WWE?

[Heyman]

DISCUSSION - Who will be the next breakout star in the WWE?

In 2011 - We saw the elevation of CM Punk.

In 2013 - We saw the elevation of Daniel Bryan.


Who, in your opinion, will be the next guy?


Personally, I'm going to go on record as saying that the next breakout star in the WWE will be Cesaro. I haven't included Bray Wyatt in my decision process since I believe that Bray is pretty much on that level anyways.

I think Cesaro will be the next star because the WWE won't try and do too much with him (which will work in his favor). By contrast, I get the feeling that the WWE will try and do too much with Roman Reigns and it will have an adverse effect (think: Randy Orton 2004).

I think when 2014 will be the year that Cesaro's "star" will really rise, and he may even win Superstar of the year.

I think Daniel Bryan's "yes" movement will die down significantly, but Bryan will still receive decent lukewarm face reactions from the crowd (same level as 'Sheamus' receives right now).

Long story short - I think Cesaro will emerge big time over the next 12 months.

Who do you think will be the next break-out star?

[Heyman]

Cesaro and Swagger will very likely split up at some point this year, but I hope that Cesaro is the one that ends up keeping the 'We the People' entrance music that was originally Swagger's.

Cesaro keeps Zeb Colter as his manager, and they keep the whole, "We The People" thing alive and strong with the crowd.

[Bad News Gertner]

Easy: Heath Slater.

[Lock Jaw]

Bray Wyatt is the only name that comes to mind. Can't picture anybody getting up to the level that Punk/Bryan have achieved.

Then again, I couldn't picture Bryan getting to that level.

So I'll say... BO DALLAS!!

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

Immediate next is Bray Wyatt and then Cesaro.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

Cesaro and Swagger will very likely split up at some point this year, but I hope that Cesaro is the one that ends up keeping the 'We the People' entrance music that was originally Swagger's.

Cesaro keeps Zeb Colter as his manager, and they keep the whole, "We The People" thing alive and strong with the crowd.

You don't see Cesaro's popularity as a thing that will make them turn him face?

[Heyman]

You don't see Cesaro's popularity as a thing that will make them turn him face?

Oh no, don't get me wrong.

I hope Cesaro and Colter stay face somehow.

Colter stays on by Cesaro's side and keeps getting the fans to say, "WE THE PEOPLE" before his matches.

[Heyman]

Easy: Heath Slater.

I absolutely love 3MB.

Loved their backstage segment on Smackdown this past Friday, LOL.

I hope they keep winning.

[Wishbone]

If we're not allowing Bray Wyatt then I'm going with either Roman Reigns or Cesaro. I don't think Reigns will have as much of a problem as Orton did so long as WWE doesn't literally shove him down peoples' throats. Just let him progress naturally and he'll do fine. He's got the look and he's not too shabby in the ring either.

Cesaro I see as a bit of a dark horse here. He's amazing, but I'm not sure if he'll translate to the same success as guys like Punk and Bryan. I could be wrong though, I mean if you'd told me Bryan would be doing what he's doing now I'd have laughed a year ago.

I'd say that another possible star in the making, at least on a smaller level, is Luke Harper. The guy is amazing for a big man, and can actually put on good matches. If the Wyatt family ever breaks up I could easily see Rowan flopping, but Harper in my opinion would do fine in the mid-card.

[Lock Jaw]

Cesaro is great in the ring and all, but he will never be a "star" due to his accent. Can get to Sheamus level at best. Can't break through to Punk/Bryan level.

[The Whole F'n Show]

I think Reigns will get the largest push and "IF" creative handles it right (which they have a knack for fucking up with everyone every single time) it will be Reigns without question.

[Swiss Ultimate]

Cody Rhodes

[Lock Jaw]

Thought about saying Cody Rhodes but then didn't. Feel like he has missed his chance now. Been around too long.

[Tazz Dan]

Thought about saying Cody Rhodes but then didn't. Feel like he has missed his chance now. Been around too long.

See: JBL

[Lock Jaw]

That was in a totally different landscape

[Tazz Dan]

Always a fucking excuse as to why people can't get over. Fucking IWC :roll:

[Mr. Nerfect]

Bray Wyatt is pretty much there, but I can see him getting "made" this year. Cesaro seems to be the next logical choice, but I'm curious to see where they are going with him. It seemed that we may be heading towards Cesaro vs. Swagger at WrestleMania, but now we may be getting the split at WrestleMania. Will Cesaro be a face by himself or will he keep Zeb Colter? A lot of questions there.

I can see all three members of The Shield being stars over the coming year, but I see their association with one another kind of keeping them locked down where they are (a very good position, mind you). I also fear that Reigns won't come off as organic if he goes solo, and even if they give him the Money in the Bank briefcase, I can see people crying foul on him by the end of the year.

Something tells me that Dolph Ziggler's success in WWE might not be done just yet either. He seems to be having a bit of a revival lately, and his ring work, as always, has been excellent. The promo work he's been doing has been of an entirely enjoyable standard as well. I don't know if he will "explode," but I can see him getting more and more time to shine in main event situations.

[Mr. Pierre]

Gonna say Rollins. When he gets a chance to work more one-on-one matches as a face, he's going to get over huge.

[Lock Jaw]

Was gonna say Rollins too. He's kind of got a Daniel Bryan "fast paced destroy everybody" thing going on right now.

[#1-norm-fan]

Reigns and Wyatt are the biggest stars of the future I can think of. I think Cesaro's gonna get his face push but never really a huge star or anything.

Of course, the answer should be Johnny Curtis who is the best choice to build up as the face of the company since Cena. But I'm not sure how they could work it now even if they tried at the moment.

[Nowhere Man]

Bray Wyatt is already being catapulted to the top of the card, so the question there is whether he can keep it up or just be a flash in the pan. I love me some Bray, but I can honestly see it going either way.

Cesaro has a nice career ahead of him, I think, but not as one of the "face of the company" top players. He'll get the role they had in mind fr Bryan before he got huge, that "let's have you go put on an awesome match with the guy we really want to push" capacity, with a pat-on-the-back Title run in a couple of years. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as it means he's probably going to be in lots of really good high profile matches, even if he's not the one who goes over.

I definitely see WWE pushing the hell out of Roman Reigns this year, though I don't know if he's got the staying power to cement himself in the main event or if he'll just be another Sheamus.

As for who will be the next blue-chipper that hits it big with the crowd the same way Bryan did, my money is on Sami Zayn, if he makes it up to the main roster.

[Heyman]

Here is what I love about Cesaro:

1) He has the most "over" move in the WWE right now.

2) He has good size and a good look.

3) He has two things which the fans love chanting (I.e. Counting the number of spins, and also, "We The People!")


Unlike a guy like Roman Reigns, I don't think the WWE will try and do too much with Cesaro in terms of altering his character and attempting to make him the face of the company.

Guys like Roman Reigns and Dolph Ziggler may be more obvious choices, but I think Cesaro could be the guy that ends up turning heads.

Keep Cesaro exactly the way he is, and let him keep this current theme song. Give Swagger some other theme when they split.

[Bad News Gertner]

Cesaro needs to show more on the mic.

[VSG]

Sami Zayn

[Emperor Smeat]

Bray. He seems the most likely to have the next "Summer of" movement out of him, Reigns, and Cesaro. Would have included Big E in the list but he's been struck with the IC curse lately.

Cesaro is likely to be the next big star, Bray as the next "Summer of" level break-out star, and Reigns as the heir to Cena's "face of the WWE" star level (assuming the WWE stays fully committed to it).

[whiteyford]

Sami Zayn

Could see him being huge, taking over the masked wrestler bit from Rey by doing a Great Muta type deal with his El Generico bit, guys more than decent on the mic and solid in the ring.

Could also Dean Ambrose getting a sustained heel push, all 3 members of the Shield are solid enough. Would like them to steal Noids idea of having Carlito rise up on par with Cena, to have a storyline foil that can be treated as their respective equal, but with Reigns/Ambrose/Rollins, I hate the idea of splitting the Shield but if they're going too then at least make it more than a 3 week feud most splitting teams seem to get.

[teamXtremist]

Roman reigns .dudes the total package

[The Naitch]

We will see more "elevation" from Triple H

[Curd]

I see Cesaro on 2014 as Dolph Ziggler was in 2012. He'll win the Intercontinental or US Title and then be de-pushed. Double the rate of de-push if he has a brief reign with the World Heavyweight Title.

Mentioning how his partner Jack Swagger already held the World Title could be a sticking point for jealousy that breaks up the Real Americans.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Instead of splitting The Real Americans and The Shield, I hope they keep both groups together for a while yet. If they decide they want to give Cesaro a push, just have him get one with Swagger in his corner. Jack can sustain a storyline injury or just work Superstars and Main Event getting a bit of a winning streak going against enhancement guys if they have nothing for him when they decide to give Cesaro his moment. That way, if things don't work out, they can always just put the Tag Team Titles on the guys randomly and have them keep each other afloat.

[Bobholly138]

If she gets brought up I see Paige breaking out huge. She is one of the best women wrestlers in the WWE currently. And so much better than the vastly over-rated Emma.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I've always seen Paige as the girl who could make the bigger splash. I adore Emma, and she definitely has a major role in the division moving forwards--but I think Paige is the closest thing out of the current pool of female talent they have to a "cash cow."

[Damian Rey]

Roman Reigns. He has the size, the look, and he oozes charisma by just standing around looking bad ass. He is, at the moment, the most over member of the Shield, and they've built him up as a monster to this point. He went over Punk, and looked great in a losing effort against the Wyatts.

I would say he needs more mic time, but the way they have him speak now, which is short, to the point, and in a normal tone, is fine. As long as they keep his character in tact, and only slightly alter his ring gear, I think he's going to be a star in the coming year or so. That "OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH RAAAAAAAAAAAAA war cry of his is over as fuck right now. I love that the crowd starts doing it, and he waits til it dies down to cry it out.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I want all three members of The Shield to be successful, but when they put Roman Reigns against Bray Wyatt one-on-one lately, I felt the thing was sort of a complete disaster. Reigns gets so much by being badass alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. If he broke away from The Shield, I could see him getting a United States Title run and being given a forced run at the top, but I could see people turning on it pretty fast in today's climate.

Keep the good will for Reigns going by having him stick by his little buddies in The Shield. He's still relatively new at what he's doing. Working on getting him up to scratch as a singles competitor should be a primary directive for the company, but they've already got a guy who is ready for a sustained push in that direction in Cesaro.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Cesaro vs. The Undertaker at SummerSlam, by the way. That match would be fucking tremendous.

[theexample]

Depends on the booking. Bray Wyatt could be huge so long as they don't bury him against Cena at Mania.

[James Steele]

Surely, Bray Wyatt wins at Mania.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I think that putting Bray Wyatt over John Cena at WrestleMania XXX would make perfect sense, but I could see Cena beating Wyatt, with the announcers trying to make note of how big this was for Wyatt's first WrestleMania.

I could see the WWE really elongating the feud between Cena and Wyatt too. The WWE have been very careful not to overuse the "guy passes out in the submission hold but never taps" thing, but if they are so certain that Wyatt is going to be a star, at some point, I can see them having Cena choke the fuck out of Wyatt with the STF, but Wyatt never tapping (possibly even grinning as he fades out). I also see this a rivalry that could actually warrant the organic use of Hell in a Cell.

[theexample]

I think that putting Bray Wyatt over John Cena at WrestleMania XXX would make perfect sense, but I could see Cena beating Wyatt, with the announcers trying to make note of how big this was for Wyatt's first WrestleMania.

I could see the WWE really elongating the feud between Cena and Wyatt too. The WWE have been very careful not to overuse the "guy passes out in the submission hold but never taps" thing, but if they are so certain that Wyatt is going to be a star, at some point, I can see them having Cena choke the fuck out of Wyatt with the STF, but Wyatt never tapping (possibly even grinning as he fades out). I also see this a rivalry that could actually warrant the organic use of Hell in a Cell.

I don't think we'll see a clean finish.

[Heyman]

As you guys know, I'm pretty high on Cesaro..............but based on the events of this past month, I'm also feeling extremely confident about Seth Rollins.

In fact, I think if the WWE plays it off right, Rollins could be everything that Jeff Hardy was supposed to be for the WWE. Rollins reminds me a little of a hybrid between Jeff Hardy and CM Punk.

[Heyman]

I think that putting Bray Wyatt over John Cena at WrestleMania XXX would make perfect sense, but I could see Cena beating Wyatt, with the announcers trying to make note of how big this was for Wyatt's first WrestleMania.

I am 95% positive that Cena will go over Bray Wyatt at Mania.'

Bray Wyatt has already successfully established himself as a shoe-in for being one of the company's biggest future stars.

In the meantime, the WWE will make sure to not have John Cena job too often so that when he DOES do jobs, it will make them more meaningful. After letting Bryan and Orton go over him cleanly, I don't see Cena jobbing to Bray just yet.

[#1-norm-fan]

I think that putting Bray Wyatt over John Cena at WrestleMania XXX would make perfect sense, but I could see Cena beating Wyatt, with the announcers trying to make note of how big this was for Wyatt's first WrestleMania.

I could see the WWE really elongating the feud between Cena and Wyatt too. The WWE have been very careful not to overuse the "guy passes out in the submission hold but never taps" thing, but if they are so certain that Wyatt is going to be a star, at some point, I can see them having Cena choke the fuck out of Wyatt with the STF, but Wyatt never tapping (possibly even grinning as he fades out). I also see this a rivalry that could actually warrant the organic use of Hell in a Cell.

I think it was the Daniel Bryan match at the Rumble where Wyatt was in a submission and just started smiling and it looked like he was slowly losing consciousness between random moments of smiling. Would have been incredibly weird and creepy if he passed out from the pain but he went out smiling/laughing maniacally.

I would actually enjoy seeing his match with Cena end like that. Possibly even kinda looking back at Cena while he's locked in the STF and saying creepy things to him just before he passes out. Then once the ref calls for the bell, Cena releases the hold and just kinda stands and gets his arm raised while looking down at Wyatt with an uneasy look on his face as opposed to going into an all out celebration.