WWE: Top Face Needed

[big_bluto]

I've been thinking for a while now that WWE needs a top babyface wrestler, and while I'm not putting down any of the guys that are going out there week after week, slogging their guts out, sadly there just isn't a top face guy in the company, with the complete package.

Now then, before I offend all the Cena/Benoit/Guerrero fans, I'm talking about talent of the calibre of The Rock, Steve Austin, or even Mick Foley.
Wrestlers who could just appear and you could feel the atmosphere in an arena lift, or you would know that 'business is about to pick up'.

Currently we've got a few good faces kicking around in WWE, and I'll list my thoughts on them:

Chris Benoit:
GREAT wrestler, intense, talented and probably the hardest worker in the WWE. If you want to read some good words about Benoit, then read The Stone Cold Truth.
Sadly he has little or no charisma, so he's pretty much limited to kicking peoples asses. This is quite a big limitation, regardless of how much the fans love him.

Eddie Guerrero:
Awesomely talented guy, and if I had to pick a main event guy to have a match with anyone and make it good, Eddie would be the guy I would go to. Fairly charismatic, and frankly he's currently carrying Smackdown right now.
BUT, he doesn't quite have the interaction with the crowd worked out. He's hilarious, entertaining and a great wrestler.

Sean Michaels:
This guy was a legend, and since his return he's put on some outstanding matches. I have 2 problem with this guy: (1) when he cuts a promo, he either puts me to sleep, or I have to turn over because his lines are so cheesy, and (2) when are they gonna cut the umbilical chord and remove him from HHH? Needs some refreshing.

UnderTaker:
I love this guy, more so when he was the American Bad-Ass, but he's hardly around now, and when he is, he says bugger all. Not enough to be a top class face.

Cena:
Can't wait to see this guy in a few years time. One of the few who could probably hold his own with Austin, Foley or the Rock when it comes to cutting a promo. Quality mic work, needs a good finisher and a few better moves. Add this to some more ring experience and we could have ourselves a winner.
Sadly he can't and shouldn't make the transition just yet.

Edge:
This guy has charisma, but doesn't get enough mic time. He has talent and can put on a helluva good match, and the extra muscle since his return makes him a bit more believable as a main-event contender, but he needs something to give him that added lift. Don't know if an image change, new music, some huge event, or a heel turn would put him there, but the WWE writers need to do something as this could turn out to be the guy for the next year or two.
However, he's not and I don't think he ever will be, in the same league as the Rock, Austin or Foley. Good, but not great.

Jericho:
What can I say about this guy? He's got all the ingredients and has had them for quite a long time now. If WWE gets behind this guy AGAIN, and doesn't blow it like the last time, then Chris Jericho = THE MAN!
He's got the skills, the charisma, and could probably compete with the Rock at cutting a promo any day of the week.
However, Jericho needs the support of WWE to recover from years of mediocre booking, and he needs to do something to remind the fans that he is above the other midcarders, and above the level of the main eventers.

Matt Hardy:
Got the ingredients but is currently stuck living in number 7, Jobber Hell Road.
Needs to move town right away.

Rob Van Dam:
This guy is a bit of an enigma to me. I'm a huge RVD fan, but he's got a limited moveset and very little personality to speak of. Hiw promo's are occasionally pretty cool, but his character is such that he'll never get to be a top face. So why am I a huge fan then? No idea - the only reason I can come up with is because he's R.......V.......D.

Shelton Benjamin:
Too much too soon. I don't buy into this guy, and I think he needs time to earn the respect and admiration of the fans.
Ironically I think this is the guy who could really liven up Evolution as a heel, so for those reasons and the fact that he hasn't been around long enough, I would say no, you got some more to prove to me yet.

Now it also makes sense to look at the current crop of heels that we have that could make a turn to face and provide the top guy that I reckon is needed.
So who do we have that could make the move:

Triple H:
It would take a marketing masterpiece to make this guy the top face in the company. A few years ago I could have bought into it, but now he's lost a lot of pace and his promos suck. BORING! Alright, I'll agree that a big part of that is his character. But he's not hungry and angry like he used to be. I used to tune in to see what he would do next. This guy could have probably took over the Austin bad-ass role, but with the developments over the last few years, I don't think that's going to be possible.
So no.

Orton:
Totally impressed with this guy, but see my comments above about Cena, and give him extra mic tuition.
Not yet ready.

Batista:
Muscle, muscle, muscle.
Actually the thought of Batista trying to be a face is funnier than I thought.
WWE should do this for sheer novelty value. It's be horrifically complelling viewing, like watching Ozzy Osbourne trying to work the TV controls.....

Kane:
The big red machine. Eats jobbers, THE victim of bad booking.
There is no way in hell this guy could or should ever get over as the top face of the company. Plus his promos are way too slow. I'll happily admit that the stuff he done with RVD was quite funny, but it's just not Kane.

Booker T:
Tell me I didn't just say that!
The bookman could have pulled this off a few years ago, but at the time he didn't get the push, and got buried by HHH (or so the rumours go). Plus at the time he never really struck me as being in top form anyway. He's got some good mic skills, good moves, and plenty charisma, but I think his opportunity has come and gone. Good luck to Booker T - the heel.

JBL:
I'm gonna be kind and stop typing about him now. (useless big fu</>ckwit)

Chavo:
A talented, charismatic guy who IMO should remain forever as a heel.
The only exception I would accept for Chavo to turn face would be to re-team with Eddie and reform Los Guerreros. BUT Chavo shouldn't ever achieve higher than the US/IC title.


I'm sure there are others worthy of a mention, and if you put there names forward I'll happily put down my thoughts on them, but I'm getting as bored typing this as you probably are of reading it.

It's a pity Angle is injured. He could have stepped straight into this role if it wasn't for his injury, and the requirement for a top heel on Smackdown.

Anyway.....
I'll leave you with this thought:

I've seen a lot of people posting that they thought RAW was great on Monday night.
It was.
A lot of this is to do with the presence of The Rock.
His segment with Eugene and The Coach was hilarious. Lost of fun, lots of entertainment, crowd participation, a bit of a fight at the end.
It was FUN.
More importantly it was ENTERTAINING.
It lifted the show, big time.

That's why WWE needs a top guy.
Sometimes I think that it''s the main ingredient that they are missing from the mix.


So let me hear your thoughts on my thoughts: agree, disagree, think I'm an asshole, think I'm gods gift to women (if so, please tell my wife) whatever.....

Thanks for reading :)

[Batsu]

No rumors with Booker T, he was buried with HHH... he had all the workings of being WWE's top face, but they severely dropped the ball at WMXIX in perhaps the end to the worst feud of the past few years, not counting Kane-HHH II. He was at Rock '98 popularity to the point people were finishing his catchphrases...

[big_bluto]

No rumors with Booker T, he was buried with HHH... he had all the workings of being WWE's top face, but they severely dropped the ball at WMXIX in perhaps the end to the worst feud of the past few years, not counting Kane-HHH II. He was at Rock '98 popularity to the point people were finishing his catchphrases...

Absolutely.
It was the same when he was doing the whole tag team thing with Golddust.
Huge audience responses, but the whole Booker T push got killed. AGAIN.

PS Well done for reading all of that!

[Wildcat789]

I think RIGHT NOW, the biggest face reactions go to Undertaker and Eddie Guerrero. So then you have to look between the two guys and realize that Taker couldn't quite cut it as a top face anymore probably because he really can't and more importantly SHOULDN'T talk on the mic. It adds to his aura, and his intensity. Eddie, however, is mainly on the mic. It's a big part of his run.

I'd go with Guerrero, personally, because I think he's the only one in the right spot to be the biggest face. HBK is getting old, none of the heels could possibly deliver in that position, Benoit's ring-work just can't make enough face pops, and Jericho is the man, but the WWE refuses to push him correctly, which brings us full circle.

Or you could just go with JBL :shifty:.

[PureHatred]

You're absolutely right..there are currently no faces that have the same effect that Rock, Austin, and Mick did in their heyday.

But of the possibilities...you said it perfectly. With just a little support form the WWE booking team, Chris Jericho would be the biggest name in the industr. He has all the tools. His ringwork is very good and can be spectacular. His mic work is the best among the WWE's regular workers. And people genuinely want to like him . He's contstantly in mainstream media and even non-wrestling fans seem to like him. He's got the most crossover potential and could easily spent the next three years or so as the WWE's Mega-Star. Everything about him screams Star, and, especially with Kurt Angle injured, the WWE should be doing everything possible to make him the foremost star in the company.

[Corkscrewed]

I really think that Cena can become that Rock-esque face. He gets huge pops, has great mic skills, and is a hard worker. He's perceived as "cool" right now and with time, I truly believe he will become the top face. If you use the formula they had to get the Rock over, Cena fits it perfectly. The only thing different is the gimmick, but in terms of how both are being put over, they match pretty well.

As for now, Eddie rules, and I think he fits the title as much as possible right now.

[uNtOuChAbLe Tim]

the top face in WWE right now is Cena. He gets consistently HUGE pops. People think Eddie does, but it's Cena. And Cena is better at communicating with the fans than anyone on the roster right now. Fans hang on every word he says and every move he makes in the ring. Much like they did with the Rock back in the day. Look in the crowd... They're are FAR more Cena signs than anyone else. Go to shopzone and see that mostly Cena stuff comprises the top 10 best selling item's list. He's the most popular superstar today hands down. Eddie comes close.

[MVP]

I'd rather see Cena be the top heel.

[uNtOuChAbLe Tim]

turning Cena heel would be a bad move. He's so popular right now. It'd be almost like Rock turning heel at Survivor Series 98 . Besides, fans would still cheer him as heel. That's why they turned him face to begin with. It's a double edge sword. A heel turn might come down the road, but not any time soon. His face run is going extremely well. They best not mess with it. They'd regret it.

[The CyNick]

To me Cena, Taker and Eddie are the top faces they have on roster right. I see HBK and Benoit running slightly behind them. All the other guys have no shot right now to be top level faces.

Eddie is great, Cena is maybe the most over right now, and Taker still has tons of fans, despite his shortcomings.

Obviously they dont have a Rock/Austin/Foley type face, but thos eguys dont come along every 6 months. So yeah if you could find one of those guys, contact the WWE I'm sure they'd love to hear about them.

[The Show Off]

Chris Jericho.... Once the guy officiall turned face it took him just 2 weeks to get as much of a pop as Benoit does. He gets the biggest pop on Raw and Raw is stacked with a whose who of wrestling talent.

[Nowhere Man]

Problem, though: Hunter doesn't like Jericho. That's why he keeps getting farked out of big title pushes (so they say). But yeah, in a perfect world, Jericho would already be the official top face in the company. I really could see Jericho being as big as Austin or Rocky, maybe without all the mainstream attention, but still huge in the federation.

Instead, WWE seems intent on skipping over Jericho and the like ('cept for Benoit and Eddie) and feeding them to the new OVW crowd.

[The CyNick]

Yeah I agree with NM, if you look at Jericho he has all the talent ot be one of thos Rocky type top level guys, but certain factors int he company prevent him from ever getting to the top. Poeple always talk about "push Jericho", but it'll never happen, at leats not on RAW. Maybe if he went back to SD, but he'll never be ahead of HHH, but then again nobody ever will, so.

[EazyMack]

Like pretty much everyone else is saying, the first name that comes to mind to take on the "WWE Top Face" role is Chris Jericho. He just has "it."

John Cena isn't far behind as far as "it" goes, but I don't like his gimmick as a Top Face.

[Batsu]

Oh yeah, to answer the question: Chris Jericho is definitely "it", and has been "it" for far too long. For someone who is quite verbose with some of his catchphrases, the fans hang on to his every word...he is an awesome heel (if you discount that travesty his Undisputed Title reign brought), so he can switch roles with ease. I think, his only real competition that's come since he joined the company is probably Kurt Angle, maybe John Cena and Guerrero.

Oh yeah, and .... he doesn't suck in the ring. Heir apparent to HBK, but never really given a chance to truly shine at the top. He probably wouldn't have that crossover popularity, but like the previous torchbearer (HBK) he would be the literal face of the company...and a stellar all-around performer. The HBK-Jericho battles were very much appropriate when they had them. Because like Ric Flair and The Rock, they definitely seem like previous generation-current generation counterparts.

John Cena is definitely a "Rock" to me. He came in on a questionable gimmick that wasn't getting too much over...found his niche and turned it to his advantage. I like him better as a heel but his matches REALLY remind me of The Rock's. He just needs to trim the exposure somehow and fix up his finisher... and he'll be straight.

[big_bluto]

I agree with much of what you guys are saying about Cena, Eddie, Jericho, etc, but it isn't a question of who is the top face.

It's a question of who could fill the void?
That gap between being a good face, and a star face. Being a wrestler who is popular or someone who people tune in specifically to see, and talk about all week.

There are plenty wrestlers on the roster with potential, but there are very, very few that can take that extra step.

Jericho
He has all the qualities, but he really needs to move to Smackdown in order for it to happen.
Of course it won't - they'll want to keep him on RAW. If you had someone that good live every week, wouldn't you want to keep him on RAW?
Plus his booking has been a total nightmare, and it needs improved. Perhaps an image change could help to rebrand him? Jericho needs the fans to know that he is a cut above the rest.

Cena
He has got to be the future of WWE.
However, he needs more time and experience in the ring.
Much as I enjoy Cena, and think he is very talented, there aren't a whole lot of moments that stick out in my head about his matches. If he wants to move up that ladder a few more rungs, then he has to make some lasting memories sooner rather than later.

[John la Rock]

what about Eugene? :shifty:

[SirLoinSteak]

Although I'm not a big fan of his in-ring work, and I find his current gimmick pretty stale. (He was better when he was a heel) I'm going to have to say John Cena. He's the only young/new guy who in the future will be capable of carrying the company.

When I say I preferred Cena as a heel, What I mean is that he seemed more intense, and he also seemed to be more 'over'. Just little things mannerisms and the actual raps he used to do were much better than the current stuff. He seems so watered down since he turned face. That possibly to do with the FCC crack down, so I won't blame that entirely on the face turn. He never puts the mic in the air for the fans to do the last word of his rap anymore. Although not an essential part of the gimmick it was certainly one of the finishing touches.

I think in order for Cena to be 'the one' to carry the company he has to take on an Austinesque attitude. Do what he wants when he wants to do it, Fight for what he believes in, and get back to being much more intense.

[big_bluto]

I think in order for Cena to be 'the one' to carry the company he has to take on an Austinesque attitude. Do what he wants when he wants to do it, Fight for what he believes in, and get back to being much more intense.

Agree! He needs some passion :y:

[LK]

WWE needs a top face - Enter Sting