Pros And Cons For The Current Roster

[Just John]

Yeah, Ive heard mixed opinoins of WWE recently, so I wanna know whats the roster like?

[loopydate]

Because I'm monumentally bored and I don't have enough time to start working on another match before Survivor comes on...

RAW Roster

Ashley - The winner of the second Diva Search. Rather than being seasoned in OVW, she was immediately thrust into a wrestling role on TV, and it shows. She's sloppy to the point of being dangerous, which we found out when she got injured being thrown out of a battle royal last week, breaking her leg.

Big Show - One of those guys who can do it all character-wise. Really underrated, but valuable member of the roster. Can do comedy or serious, face or heel, main-eventer or midcard jobber. And no matter what happens, he'll always be credible because he's big and can move.

Candice - A lot of people seem to really like her, but I just can't stand her. She's the girl from the "GoDaddy.com" commercials, and that's really the extent of her gimmick. "Hey, I'm a model and Vince McMahon ogles me on a practically weekly basis!"

Carlito - One of a handful of guys who I seriously think is the "future" of the industry. Has one of those gimmicks that, when you see it on paper, looks absolutely ridiculous, but he's so much fun to watch. Spitting apple in people's faces is the best physical taunt since Razor Ramon flicked toothpicks at people. One of my favorites.

Chavo Guerrero - WWE has no idea what to do with this guy. Ignore for a second that he's on RAW, despite the fact that the Cruiserweight Title is exclusive to SmackDown. Up until his uncle's death, he was a heel, betraying his heritage. Now he's having a minor sympathy push, but he still gets beat by Triple H and Shelton Benjamin.

Chloe - Yes, WWE.com lists Torrie Wilson's dog on their roster page. NEXT!

Chris Masters - He's starting to grow on me. After breaking Stevie Richards' face in his debut match, I thought I'd hate him forever, but he has gotten a lot less sloppy over the last year. He's still really slow and has a lame finisher, but he seems to want to learn. Pairing him with Carlito was a great idea, since Carlito's such a fantastic talker and Masters...isn't.

Danny Basham - The guy is really talented but, again, WWE doesn't know what to do with him. He was brought in with his "brother" as a tag team on SmackDown. They had good chemistry, but they wound up doing the job an awful lot. Danny going to RAW seemed like a good idea, except it's nine months later, and he's probably only been on RAW, what, twice?

Edge - One of WWE's great recent failures. They had potential gold when he won the Money In The Bank match at last year's WM. Then they stuck him in the midcard for nine months before having him win the title out of the blue at NYR. Good idea in principle...until they made him job the belt back to Cena three weeks later. And people wonder why WWE fans tend to not react much to him?

Eugene - Totally torn on this gimmick. On one hand, it's a whole lot better than I thought it would be. It's a funny character, and pretty much the ultimate sympathetic babyface. On the other, Nick Dinsmore is such a phenomenal in-ring competitor, I really don't want to see him as a "wrestling retard" for the rest of his career.

Gene Snitsky - He's slow and has a limited moveset, but there's something really watchable about him. It could just be that he's so freaking ugly. Or that "It wasn't my fault" is one of the best current catchphrases in wrestling. Now, though, he's pretty much been relegated to being The World's Second-Biggest Jobber.

Goldust - So glad they brought him back. So maybe they do "still remember" after all? Hasn't done much since returning at the Royal Rumble, but Dustin Runnels plays that character to the hilt. Even if he does nothing but appear in comedy skits for the rest of his career, it will be worth it.

Hulk Hogan - I have no idea why he's still on the roster page, considering he hasn't been on WWE TV since August.

Jerry Lawler - Bores. Me. To. Tears. The ultimate one-note joke (pervy old man), he insists on hitting that joke as many times as he can in a two-hour show. And don't get me started on the fact that every time they try to get a hotshot young heel over, they do so by...jobbing him to Lawler.

Joey Styles - The Antilawler. The best play-by-play man in the business was such a great acquisition for WWE. I don't have to mute my TV anymore for risk of hearing about government mules and bahgawdstunners. Now, I get Joey's (slightly awkward) move-by-move account of the matches with very little of the side crap that made me hate JR.

John Cena - Had so much potential as the hard-ass heel rapper on SmackDown, but WWE dropped that ball, picked it up, then dropped it again when they turned him face, started writing his "freestyles" for him, and took away anything resembling an edge. He's starting to get "Rocky Sucks" heat, but WWE is totally ignoring it because the kids still seem to love him.

Johnny Parisi - Did they sign him just so that TNA couldn't have him? I seriously don't think I've ever actually seen him on RAW, and his jobbing appearances on Heat are becoming rarer as well. Too bad, because he's above average in the ring and could make a good heel "stooge" character like Vito on SmackDown.

Jonathan Coachman - Has improved greatly over the years, but I'm still not totally sold on him as the third man on the RAW announce team. I guess if I had my 'druthers, I'd take Lawler out and see what Styles & Coach could do as a tandem. Coach plays the obnoxious heel role well, but I'd really rather him have fewer in-ring moments and just concentrate on commentary.

Kane - Another monumental WWE failure. When Kane was unmasked a couple of years ago, he was more interesting than he'd been maybe ever. The whole "psychological scars" thing seemed really interesting. And then they made Shane McMahon into a physical threat to him. Years later, he's still trying to recover from that.

Lance Cade - A ton of potential. Probably still a little green, which is why I'm glad he seems to be spending more time in OVW than on RAW lately. Trained at Shawn Michaels' school, so you know he was taught by the best. His partnership with Murdoch was promising, so naturally they dropped the team without any explanation.

Lillian Garcia - Uh... She's still the ring announcer. And she's kinda pretty. Guess that's it.

Lita - Ugh. All I'll say is, at least she's not wrestling anymore.

Maria - Probably my favorite diva right now. She plays the idiot bimbo interviewer so well, I wonder how close it is to reality. She's such a great set up to any comedic promoer's punchlines. And the best part is that they didn't try to make her into a wrestler. She's been in a couple of matches, but she's almost always protected by people with a ton more experience so she doesn't end up looking like Ashley in the ring. What a novel concept!

Matt Striker - One of the best characters on RAW right now, it's a pity he hasn't actually been on RAW in months. Think Dean Douglas done right. His promos are always a highlight on Heat or Unlimited (whichever web show they decide to stick him on in a given week). He's good in the ring, too, but I can't remember the last time they let him show it.

Mick Foley - While I still contend that he's a bit overrated, I'm thrilled to see him back and feuding with Edge. If anybody can get people interested in Edge again after WWE's monumental cock-up, it's Mick. The master of psychology, even if he's not in ring shape anymore (was he ever, really?). A hardcore match will help cover any rust and should help get Edge over as a brutal heel.

Mickie James - Okay, if Maria isn't my favorite diva, it's Mickie. She's really the only worker among the divas who can even come close to Trish and Victoria, and you could probably argue that she may be better than them. Her "Single White Female" gimmick is good, even though WWE still isn't entirely sure whether they want to make her a full-blown lesbian heel or not.

Mr. McMahon - I'm tired of him. I've always thought he was more interesting as a deus ex machina, the authority figure who descends from on high to make the big feud-ending gimmick match. But as a weekly on-camera character taking TV time away from the Matt Strikers of the world, I'm really really tired of him.

Rene Dupree - Glad he's back in OVW for the time being, because he really is a very good worker, they just didn't have a spot for him on RAW. The beauty is that American people will always hate the French for some reason, so he's a guaranteed cheap heat heel whenever they want to bring him back.

Ric Flair - Possibly the greatest of all time. But he's 57 years old now. Do we really want to see him in a ladder match at WrestleMania? His back is shot so he can't take a lot of bumps properly, and he just looks older and older every week. I would love to see him lose a straight-up one-on-one match to someone like Carlito at Mania and pass the torch. Then have him retire and work as a manager or put him back as GM.

Rob Conway - "Just look at me." I would if WWE would let me. The "Conman" has a great workrate and a gimmick with potential, so naturally WWE jobbed him out in his first couple of matches, then made him completely disappear. Seriously, do the people who work for WWE even watch WWE?

Rob Van Dam - After a year off with an injury, RVD looks as good as ever. He's still incredibly crisp in the ring, and has even added a couple of moves (or, more likely, Vince let him go back to using moves he used to use long ago) to his repertoire. I would have marked out if he'd won the Road To Wrestlemania tournament, but that was a foregone conclusion that HHH would main event.

Rosey - Now that Gregory Helms isn't a superhero anymore and is on SmackDown, there is absolutely nothing for him. I hope the rumors of a Three Minute Warning reunion are true. Rosey is a good tag team worker in a company that has almost completely killed off its tag division.

Shawn Michaels - My favorite wrestler of all time. But even I'm wondering if he might be better served retiring. He still puts on phenomenal matches, but given the choice between HBK/Vince at Mania and no HBK at all, I think I'd go with no HBK at all.

Shelton Benjamin - This time last year, I thought Shelton would be main eventing by this point this year. Probably stole WrestleMania 21. And now, we're building up to WM22 and...his "momma" has to come in to help him win the Intercontinental Title? Another example of ball-droppage on WWE's part.

Spirit Squad - My absolute favorite thing on RAW right now. Johnny, Kenny, Mikey, Nicky, and Mitch are all quite good in the ring, and play their gimmick so well. Their handicap match against HBK on RAW a couple of weeks ago is hopefully an indication that Vince will let these guys be more than a joke stable. Probably not, though.

Stacy Keibler - Maybe now that she's done dancing with the stars, we'll see her back on RAW. But doing what? I seriously can't think of anything for her to do. We really don't need another non-wrestler fighting for the Women's Title, but there aren't really any guys I can think of that would benefit greatly from having a valet.

Stone Cold - Again, why is he on the roster? Didn't they learn their lesson when they tried to book him for Taboo Tuesday and he backed out? The guy's unreliable, uninteresting, and unwelcome on my TV.

The Rock - Couldn't tell you the last time he was on RAW doing anything other than hyping his latest movie. Has he wrestled since that WrestleMania tag match two years ago?

Todd Grisham - Really don't have an opinion on Todd. He's an interviewer.

Torrie Wilson - Yeah, she was on the cover of Playboy, but...what has she done lately? Now she seems to be the third wheel in the heel diva trifecta on RAW, overshadowed by a vastly superior worker (Victoria) and this month's Playboy cover girl (Candice). Just there for the T&A factor.

Trevor Murdoch - Was pretty entertaining with Cade. As a singles worker, though, I'm just not digging him. How many angry, ornery, Texans have there been over the decades? Seriously, they couldn't come up with a more original gimmick for him?

Triple H - Pretty much stayed the same since 2001. Superglued to the top of the card, politicking to keep the young guys (CM Punk, most recently) down, utilizing his "married to the family" status to get what he wants when he wants. Including another WrestleMania main event.

Trish Stratus - Probably the total package when it comes to divas. Beautiful, athletic, and totally over with the crowd. I just wish she had a stronger gimmick than just being the object of Mickie's obsession, though. Was awesome as a heel paired with Christian. Is an excellent face, too, just lacking a little something.

Tyson Tomko - Pretty much see also: Gene Snitsky. Just take away the thing about "It wasn't my fault" and add that he looks vaguely like a goat.

Val Venis - Really talented, but I seriously can't remember the last time he won a one-on-one match on RAW. He's won a few on Heat lately, and has one a bunch of tag matches with Viscera. But he's been buried so badly I don't think he'll ever be taken seriously again.

Victoria - Possibly the best heel diva of the last decade. Now she's, what, Candice's sort-of girlfriend? Pretty much the most exciting thing they've had Vickie do in the last year was a tiny kiss before a tag match. Other than that, she's usually just fodder for Trish or Mickie. A real pity, because she's so talented. I really miss her initial psycho diva incarnation (with the T.A.T.U. theme).

Viscera - If possible, he's slower now than he was as King Mabel. His "500-Pound Love Machine" gimmick was pretty funny, so naturally now he's jobbing in tag matches. He's the World's Biggest Jobber. Unlike Show, he'll never have credibility because, unlike show, he's never won anything other than the worst King Of The Ring tournament ever.

*Whew* That's the RAW roster. I'll do SmackDown when I actually get motivated to spend this kind of time at the computer again.

And, looking back, I sincerely hope this is what you had in mind for this thread. Otherwise, I just wasted a ton of time.

[Londoner]

Good post loopydate, I find it amazing the number of times i found myself reading something like 'this guys a jobber' though.Shows how good WWE are at using talent eh.

[Skippord]

Problems with RAW Roster:Lack of Chris Sabin

Problems with SmackDown Roster:Lack of Chris Sabin

Problems with TNA Roster:Lack of pushing Chris Sabin

Ok so it was dumb nothings gonna beat Loopy's post though

[V]

great post loopy, most of what you said i'll agree with

besides what you said about stone cold :mad: [/austin mark forever]

mcmahon isn't as terrible as you said either, and hbk really shouldn't retire, it really shows that the roster is lacking good main eventers, and loosing hbk would be terrible.

also, when did stacey go back to raw?

[Sting Fan]

The loss of Michaels would be good as it would force Raw into a corner and make them create new stars.

As I have said in a previous post (I forget where) WWE needs to be in a create or die position and they are getting closer every day. And quite frankly it is a good thing because I dont think Vince is dumb enough to let WWE die and wrestling should boom (or at least be entertaining) again if they are forced to create.

[Nervous Ferret]

I just realized Shawn Micheals hasn't been in the title picture since maybe 2 months after WMXX, when HHH made a run in to win it for Bentoit.

But then I remembered hes been injured half that time so it's actually not really that amazing.

[loopydate]

great post loopy, most of what you said i'll agree with

besides what you said about stone cold :mad: [/austin mark forever]

Sorry. I calls 'em like I sees 'em. The Taboo Tuesday thing wasn't an isolated incident, and I think WWE's better off without him.

mcmahon isn't as terrible as you said either, and hbk really shouldn't retire, it really shows that the roster is lacking good main eventers, and loosing hbk would be terrible.

Unfortunately, HBK isn't being used as a good main eventer right now, he's "Good guy hunted by evil boss," which is something we've been seeing for about a decade now. I'd love to see HBK working with real wrestlers and putting over guys like Carlito and Shelton (like he was up until this Vince business started), but for the foreseeable future, it's going to be Vince vs. Shawn, and that bores the crap out of me. The Marty thing was an interesting twist...but now he's gone too.

also, when did stacey go back to raw?

Probably when DWTS started. I thought she was still on SD too, but she's on the RAW page on WWE.com.

[Kane Knight]

The loss of Michaels would be good as it would force Raw into a corner and make them create new stars.

Right. Like the loss of Eddie and (More Short Term) Batista has forced Smackdown to create new stars.

[NeanderCarl]

Ok well in response to loopydate's post, I too am bored so here's MY take on the Raw roster, for what it's worth! It's a bit of an essay!

RAW Roster

Ashley - The winner of the second Diva Search. Despite being thrown into the ring far too early, she has not looked TOO bad considering her lack of training. She is also one of the best looking divas, if not THE best looking, and she hasn't suffered from audience resentment the way other pushed-too-soon wrestlers have in the past. She has also proven herself surprisingly handy at the mic in segments with Trish and Mickie.

Big Show - Was one of the most promising rookies ever in the business but seemed to lose interest as rapidly as his weight piled on, and now he is a shadow of the performer he once was (I heard he was once able to perform a moonsault, and he used to throw a good dropkick in WCW, believe it or not). Will never be a bona fide main eventer but I like the way WWE has managed to salvage his reputation over the last 2 or 3 years. Has shortcomings but is a solid upper mid-card guy.

Candice - She is attractive and can nearly hold her own in basic wrestling matches. Just one the "bland Divas" who are there as eye candy as has no real character. Naturally, she will compete at WrestleMania.

Carlito - Great character, steadily improving wrestler, but I doubt the mainstream audience will ever accept him as a main eventer due to his slim build and comical character. People of a similar style have proved that theory wrong in the past, but I don't see Carlito ever rising above I-C Champ or possibly, at a push, transitional WWE Champion status.

Chavo Guerrero - Might sound harsh, but needs to stop with the Eddie Guerrero references and just prove he can still go in the ring as he once could. He may well be Eddie's successor one day as WWE's main latino star, but ironically it is his relationship with Eddie that is currently holding him back. A worthy I-C championship contender.

Chloe - Yeah... I echo loopydate's sentiments.... NEXT!

Chris Masters - Despite shortcomings in the ring, I have a sneaking feeling that Masters will make a great face down the line. He has been built up very well by the WWE so far.

Danny Basham - Held back by a lack of charisma so far in his WWE run. Will not recover from his days in the Boring Bashams tag team unless he changes his persona (and especially his ring name) pronto.

Edge - For 8 years, ever since his debut, I could never EVER understand what the WWE saw that was so special in Edge. He had always been touted as a future Champ but I just didn't buy into it. In fact, in the ring there was something about him that just bored the hell out of me, and it was only during his "comedy year" of 2000 that I saw any entertainment value in him AT ALL. But WHAT A TURNAROUND. Almost as soon as he changed his look to his current style, which is more contemporary than his previous 1980s rock star look, and took the WWE title, I saw that I had been wrong about him in the past. He IS a main event worthy wrestler, and he did carry the belt well (for a couple weeks anyway). I never thought I'd be saying this, but put the belt back on him and let him run with it!

Eugene - I think that Eugene has gone as far as he can possibly go, but I also think that not only will Nick Dinsmore struggle to shake off the character now, but also he will struggle to entertain in the way Eugene does, being very old school and, frankly, a bit boring to modern audiences IMO. One of those characters that it would be very hard to turn heel without explaining that it was all a work from the get go. WWE might get some flak if they go that route, but if Eugene were to come out and say "it was all an act, I fooled you all" then it might prove very successful. But in his current role he's gone as far as he can really, and he isn't getting quite the audience response he used to in 2004.

Gene Snitsky - I kind of agree with loopydate. I don't know WHY but I like Gene Snitsky, in the way I liked Nailz before him. He's ugly, he's insane and he's quite scary. Looked like they were gonna turn him into a comedic character but that went out the window. Wrestling-wise, very basic and boring, but the character has potential still.

Goldust - How many chances is this character going to get? Flopped miserably every time they've resurrected it, except for his alliance with Booker T. The only hope of Runnels ever making it above the opening match spot nowadays would be to go back to his Dustin Rhodes gimmick as a face and play off his quest to emulate his father and be a world champion, or to give him a total gimmick overhaul. Even a heel run, feuding with his father, would be better than ANOTHER Goldust return.

Hulk Hogan - Shows up a couple of times a year to pick up a win or two over the younger guys. Love him or hate him, he is a legend and he does deserve his spotlight in WWE from time to time... and he's still a draw. But he really should be putting guys over now rather then beating them (and no, I don't mean HBK because he's already a star, The Hulkster should be giving new guys the rub and putting THEM over as the next big star, the way he did with Lesnar a few years back.)

Jerry Lawler - In desperate need of an overhaul because he is very stale. A great heel in his day, and his feud with Bret Hart just proved that. If you wanna make him useful, turn him heel and set him up with in extended feuds with young, up and coming babyfaces (something the Raw roster is SEVERELY lacking, from looking at loopydates list... does RVD count? I can't find anyone else!). Let Lawler do the talking, and let his opponent do the winning! Otherwise, if nothing else, turn his commentator character heel, or make him a backstage interviewer, or even the G.M. Anything different!

Joey Styles - Needs to find more of a balance between simple play-by-play, and emphasis on storyline, but he has been a breath of fresh air on Raw. Should be the voice of WWE for many years ahead.

John Cena - The kiddy merchandise machine has suffered ever since fans turned on him during his crappy rap performance on Raw last summer. His matches usually suck, which was controlable until he moved to the live show during the draft. I always heard that he was a great heel in OVW. A turn should really be on the cards, and probably a draft back to SmackDown after Mania.

Johnny Parisi - Second generation guy, you'd think he'd be treated better by WWE. His father Tony was once WWF World tag team champion. I think they're making him pay his dues and then he will either be given his chance or he'll be given the heave-ho. I'd like to see him brought up to Raw as one of those young babyfaces that I mentioned they were lacking.

Jonathan Coachman - Apparently he dislikes commentating, so make him an old-school style manager. He can talk the talk for those guys who suck on the mic and he fans already dislike him as an effective heel. Not the best colour man but better than Tazz.

Kane - Can't ever count him out for another WWE championship run, but then you could have said the same thing about him 7 years ago. He has unfortunately gone stale again and there isn't much more you can do with him now, as he's been heel and face many times, and in many styles. Maybe he could form a GENUINE tag team combo (not like his casual one with Big Show) and rule the tag team scene, giving the rub to an up-and-coming partner for a few years before falling out and feuding.

Lance Cade - Had a few chances to succeed now and hasn't really shown a lot. I know there are only a limited number of main event slots, but I think that EVERYONE in the company should always have the potential to one day be champion, even if you know they'll never get the chance. I think even if given the chance, Cade wouldn't make it, so why have him on the roster? Perhaps he will prove me totally wrong and good luck to him, but I just don't see that potential.

Lillian Garcia - What happened to the Fink??

Lita - The fans chant SLUT at her and she does look like one. Was a very exciting Diva... 6 years ago. Her first run as a heel has been pretty successful but only because the fans realise she is reprehensible anyway.

Maria - See loopydates list. Pretty much sums up my feelings too.

Matt Striker - I firstly don't understand why Striker, one of those promising young good guys I keep going on about, was turned heel. I secondly don't understand why, upon proving his worth as a great heel who gets tons of heat from the crowd, he isn't competing on Raw every week and gunning for the I-C gold. Wasted competitor at the moment but he is a very strong gimmick.

Mick Foley - I don't understand why Mick will work so many indy shows (up until his new WWE contract that is) and yet only wrestle 2 or 3 matches a year in WWE, where the money is. Okay, I guess he's a fan, but then if he wants to spend so much time in the business then comin in full-time for a while and try to rebuild the company back to it's lates 90s/early 00s heights, when Foley was an extremely popular performer. His casual status has led to audience apathy as evidenced in his ice-cold match against Carlito at Taboo Tuesday when the crowd was silent for his first match as Mankind since 1999.

Mickie James - I've been amazed at the performances of Mickie and Trish (and Ashley!) and their complex storyline recently. It's a huge turn of fortunes for the women's division as it may be the first GOOD storyline in years for the girls. And the performances have all been top-notch. I especially liked James' performance in the Trish Stratus Appreciation segment a few weeks back.

Mr. McMahon - Needs to realise that without a foil as good as Steve Austin, he will never be the despised and successful heel of 1998 ever again. As such he should retreat into the background as the modern day version of Jack Tunney (but with an attitude!) who only comes out when a big situation needs an authority figure to resolve it. And he should also decide whether he is a heel or a face and then bloody stick to it for more than a week at a time.

Rene Dupree - Boring! Cut your losses, WWE, and get rid of him because he is not championship material, he is not a great talker and he is still inexperienced in the ring. Let him earn his stripes elsewhere and then if he improves give him another shot 5 years down the line. As for now, he's worthless, plus he looks ridiculous with that awful facial hair and jet black hair.

Ric Flair - Storyline idea: Ric should set himself a date to retire, maybe next years WrestleMania, and make the big announcement that his final match will take place at that show. Let him talk about how he wants one final World/WWE title run before he retires. Then, around November time, put the belt back on him. Then let him talk about what an honour it would be to be the only guy ever to retire as champion. Really get the storyline across that Ric is desperate to retire as champion, so that the fans will second-guess the WrestleMania title match results right up til the last second as so much emphasis has been put on Flair wanting to be the first guy to retire as the beltholder. Then have him lose the belt and pass the torch in his retirement match at WrestleMania 23. Keep him around, but never let him wrestle again. It is a fitting end for the greatest perhaps of all time, certainly of the 80s, but it is definitely time to hang up the trunks.

Rob Conway - I see him with a lengthy I-C title run and maybe even a top contender for the main belt, but I don't know whether he'll ever be a Rock/Austin style "Superstar". But WWE has to show a bit of faith in him first. As it is, he's on a road to nowhere.

Rob Van Dam - Now that the WWE will let him speak as well as wrestle, this could very well be RVD's year. I'd love to see a title run and a feud with Edge over the gold later in the year but that's not likely. It is possible he will get a feud with HHH tho, for the WWE title. This is the sink or swim year for Van Dam in my opinion.

Rosey - Three Minute Warning have reformed in dark matches as of late, and some rumours suggest Bischoff will manage them when they return. Not too sure how that could work, but if 3MW emerge as a top team and defeat Show/Kane for the gold then we might see a better run for them than the last time when they flopped big time. Hopefully WWE won't just wheel them out with the same characters as before; but then again, when does WWE learn from their mistakes?

Shawn Michaels - Still a great superstar but no longer the "Show Stopper" on every occasion. Again, I'd love to see an extended WWE title run, and then Shawn can ease himself out of the main event scene and start helping build the WWE's next generation of "Show Stoppers" by putting guys like Conway over. Even though the jackass HBK of old is apparently gone, I still find it hard to imagine that happening though.

Shelton Benjamin - Shelton goes into WrestleMania in EXACTLY the same position he was in last year, as the Intercontinental champion entering a Money In The Bank ladder match. The only difference though is his character: the gutsy face is now replaced by a heel momma's boy. However, I quite like the change. One thing Shelton never had was that hook, that notable mention about his persona. Now with Momma, I forsee a higher position and maybe the MITB victory.

Spirit Squad - One day in the future, people will probably look back at Spirit Squad in the same way they look back at the Ringmaster, Rocky Maivia, Justin Hawk Bradshaw, Kerwin White and the likes. These guys will probably recover and some of them may become stars in the WWE. But it won't be in the Spirit Squad persona. It has a shelf life of less than a year IMO.

Stacy Keibler - Again, a good looking Diva who is charismatic and can perform in the skits and segments but not in the ring. She may be cut out for better things than the token "veteran Diva" in the WWE anyway.... mainstream stardom and occasional Rock-style pop-ins may be her future.

[NeanderCarl]

Stone Cold - One of the greatest success stories of all time and was priceless from 1996 until 2002. Now however, he has exhausted his non-wrestler options and can only feasibly contribute to the WWE by wrestling again or by making surprise appearances here and there. However, trying to job him out to the Coach was a pathetic move by the WWE. It would have been the biggest drawing wrestler of ALL-TIME's big comeback match after 3 years of retirement (closer to 4 years really when you consider he barely wrestled for most of 2002) and they throw him into a mid-card match with Coach and expect him to lose?? And people say Vince McMahon is a genius who could sell sand to the Arabs??? He really screwed up there if he thought THAT was the best way to bring STEVE FREAKIN' AUSTIN back into the ring, and he underestimated Austin if he figured ol' Stone Cold would be fine with that. When Austin finally returns to the ring (which I think he will) he should either be given a fitting opponent to put over or should just get a good squash win over a mid card guy to remind people who he is and build himself up further for an eventual passing of the torch.

The Rock - Basically a non-factor in wrestling nowadays. I think he is a novelty act with a time limit in Hollywood though and I do think "The Great One" will be back in WWE full-time within 5 years.

Todd Grisham - "Really don't have an opinion on Todd. He's an interviewer" And a bland one at that that. Certainly no substitue for Mean Gene, J.R. or Todd Pettengill. At least Pettengill was enthusiastic and witty. They lost a good one when they let Pettengill go. (Although they were paying him a FORTUNE!)

Torrie Wilson - The barbie doll of the WWE is still doing the same thing as she was 5 years ago, except this time as a heel. Not half as much fun as it used to be.

Trevor Murdoch - Are we meant to think he's related to Dick Murdoch? Or maybe the bastard lovechild of Murdoch and Stan Hansen? He hasn't got much in the way of a good physique but then I don't think that particularly matters if you can deliver the goods in the ring. Murdoch hasn't proven he can. I'm surprised WWE are so high on him they were originally going to feud him with Flair over the I-C belt. Perplexing.

Triple H - What are you Trips? Are you a rebel fun-loving degenerate? Or a super-serious heel? Are you a rough and tumble, Motorhead loving dude in your leather jacket and denim? Or are you a smooth businessman type? So who IS your idol then? Flair or Harley??? You've got Harley's beard and you're about as washed up as he was when he was "The King" in the WWE. But of course, YOU are the "King of Kings" so that's totally different. Right?

Trouble with this guy is he's pretty omnipotent but he just doesn't know what he wants out of his character. So we are just left to figure it out for ourselves. Lack of respect for the future of the company and lack of respect for the opinions of the fans certainly doesn't befit his alleged "Student of the game" reputation and if HHH is one day left in charge of WWE I feel the company could be doomed.

He hasn't been a consistantly great wrestler since 2000. That's 6 years ago. He hasn't been a spectacularly over superstar since 2002. Shall I do the math? Okay, that's 4 years ago. So WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY is he the only man who has consistantly been in the main event scene and consistantly held the top belts for 7 years now? Anybody other than the boss' son-in-law would have been put back in his place at the midcard by now (look at JBL!) yet Trips is still desperately clinging to "his" spot, all the while trying to beat Flair's 16 time World champion record, but in the space of a couple of years rather than Flair's 20 years, devaluing the belt and the company in the process.

But the problem is he presents himself so strongly on TV that the mainstream fans and those still in marks-ville DO perceive him for what he believes he truly is, even though the majority see right through it to the paranoid and inconsistant wrestler he is. I do respect that he has been better at putting people over in the last few years, as long as you count his friends or people he can instantly get his win back from. I also respect that he has had a few good matches in the last few years, although they have been against the likes of HBK and Benoit, who could have a great match with anyone.

We will all see his limitations, as a headliner and as a wrestler, when he faces Cena at WM22. Oh, I don't doubt the event will draw a strong buyrate. It's WrestleMania! And it's the return of Bret Hart! But I can't wait to see how brutal his match with Cena will be, and how the fans react as the whole HHH myth disappears in front of their eyes, possibly for good.

All my opinion, of course!

[NeanderCarl]

Trish Stratus - See Ashley/Mickie. Probably coming to the latter part of a very strong WWE run over the last 6 years but every character has a shelf life. Will probably disappear within the next few years and return down the line better than ever. IMO.

Tyson Tomko - Doesn't really do much. Would like to see his team with Snitsky pushed seriously just to see how they would do, but probably won't happen. Probably in a weak position at the moment and could well be for the chop soon, but did show promise as a comedic "straight man" to Christian in the past, could maybe utilise this role with somebody else in the future (Striker? He could be Classroom Security or something)

Val Venis - I'm going to copy and paste what I wrote about Val Venis in another thread, about what I would do the get him over as a major heel in WWE....

The original inspiration for the Val Venis gimmick was, of course, the legendary Ravishing Rick Rude... a natural and brilliant heel. Just have Val Venis boast about his porn conquests and how the audience could only dream of having the kind of women he's had... and remember VENIS ENVY?

I think it would be real amusing if Venis were to extract heat from the guys in the audience by, much in the same way Rude would boast that he had a better body than the crowd, if Val rubbed it in that he had a BIGGER COCK than anyone in the crowd. PMSL. Awesome.

Val Venis, by the very nature of his gimmick, could be the greatest heel in the WWE if only he was utilised the right way. He can wrestle like a 2006 model Ted DiBiase, and he has a character that, if presented properly, it is only posssible to loathe. Even the women won't like him as he's a boastful, womanizing, cheating sleazeball.

The only amendment he'd have to make is he'd have to cut out a lot of the tongue-in-cheek cheesiness that made him popular on his debut in 1998 otherwise he'll be in the dreaded too-entertaining-to-boo category, which means they'd turn him face and he'd just bomb again

Victoria - Agree with loopydate about Victoria's run as a psycho being the best part of her WWE run so far (and certainly better than her debut as a "ho") They can only recycle her so often though.

Viscera - In the last year, Viscera has achieved what I only dreamt was possible since he debuted in 1993... he was entertaining as the smooth "love machine". Problem is the gimmick never really had legs because it has already been done. Has improved in the ring, in that he no longers injures everybody he ever wrestles. Has slimmed down a little too I believe but his days in WWE title match scene are a decade removed and definitely never coming back.

Also, additional

Shane McMahon - Shane is the most likeable of the McMahons and the most naturally gifted in the ring. A Shane McMahon match promises you both a great and gutsy match usually, plus a big stunt of some variety. I don't like to see him no-selling his beatings and big bumps the very next day on Raw as he has in the past, but if I were to choose only one McMahon to appear on TV from now on then I'd pick Shane for definite. If Shane ever decided to wrestle on a full-time basis then I would see Championship belts in his future and unlike his first one back in 1999, this time he'd deserve them.

Jim Ross - I expect J.R. to return in the General Manager role. He is a beloved and respected figure in wrestling so I don't disagree with his presence in the company, although they were right to take him off the headset. As Saturday Night's Main Event is a neutral show maybe we will see Jim Ross at the booth (hopefully with Jesse Ventura!)

[NeanderCarl]

My God that took me ages. I'd love to hear any feedback but I doubt anyone here's got the patience to read the whole thing!! LOL

[Kane Knight]

Goldust - How many chances is this character going to get? Flopped miserably every time they've resurrected it, except for his alliance with Booker T. The only hope of Runnels ever making it above the opening match spot nowadays would be to go back to his Dustin Rhodes gimmick as a face and play off his quest to emulate his father and be a world champion, or to give him a total gimmick overhaul. Even a heel run, feuding with his father, would be better than ANOTHER Goldust return.

To be fair, how many of those were actually pushed. They seem to bring Goldy in, then OMGADDFIT! He's forgotten, and released.

[loopydate]

My God that took me ages. I'd love to hear any feedback but I doubt anyone here's got the patience to read the whole thing!! LOL

Au contraire. A good read, NC. But, I should point something out about your entry on Austin.

However, trying to job him out to the Coach was a pathetic move by the WWE. It would have been the biggest drawing wrestler of ALL-TIME's big comeback match after 3 years of retirement (closer to 4 years really when you consider he barely wrestled for most of 2002) and they throw him into a mid-card match with Coach and expect him to lose??

The thing about that is the storyline surrounding the match was that if Austin won, JR would get his job at the announce table back. That obviously wasn't going to happen, because JR was having surgery done on his colon. So, naturally, the only way that match could possibly have happened would be for Austin to lose (a screwjob ending involving Mark Henry, I believe was the plan), and Austin's an idiot if he didn't realize it from the beginning. On paper Austin losing to Coach looks bad, but it was the only way that match was ever going to go down.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Here are my thoughts on the RAW roster:

Ashley Massaro- She belongs in the WWE I have no doubts about that. I would move her to SmackDown! somehow. Maybe some kind of huge draft? Stick her with Matt Hardy as a valet, while she trains with Finlay before shows. When she is more polished in the ring, move her back to RAW as a legit Women's Title contender.

Big Show - I like Big Show, but it seems the more he stays still, the more he is forgotten. He is really a performer who benefits from being in motion. Keep him on RAW, just have him snap and beat some guys up one day. I really liked him during the beginning on his run with Kane. They seemed to bring out viciousness in each other. Now they tap each other on the ass. Have Show dismantle some guys in the future.

Candice Michelle - I have a feeling Victoria is training her. I don't know why, it's just a feeling. Michelle is serviceable in the ring, but she should avoid competition until then. I like her little alliance with Victoria. Keep those two together.

Carlito - Carlito has potential. He will one day be either their top face or top heel. I will bet money on it. He's not currently involved in anything but the MITB storyline, which I like, but I don't think he should win the match. I like the way he plays a smart character that hides behind a slow facade. He will go places.

Chavo Guerrero - He should be getting a push, but the WWE has yet to find a storyline for him. Put him in the IC Title scene, or even put him above that. I'd slap him in the MITB Ladder Match at WrestleMania. At Summerslam, I'd have him face Randy Orton. If they revive the King of the Ring Tournament (for some reason, I can see them doing this), Chavo G. should be on their shortlist to win.

Chloe - She's listed as a Superstar, she may as well be treated as one. I'd have her used in storylines to get Torrie Wilson close to Rene Dupree. Rene Dupree coming to the ring with Fifi, while Torrie Wilson follows with Chloe? Instant heel heat.

Chris Masters - He has a huge future in the WWE. I think they are starting to realise just how young he is, though, and he's workign less and less. I'd have him continue that part-time schedule where he only works an offical match every few weeks. Like on RAW, he looked like a major player against Marty Jannetty, and he didn't have to work a match to do it. Have Masters get attention from the more seasoned guys on the roster to keep him improving (which he seems to be doing very well).

Danny Basham - Call him "The Damaja" and have him kill people with steel chairs. This guy could combine the presence of Kane and Stone Cold Steve Austin extremely effectively, IMO.

Edge - His character is hot at the moment. When he defeats Mick Foley, have hm scrap Lita and go to the top on his own merits. Lita can help other guys get over.

Eugene - I really think Nick Dinsmore should have returned without the gimmick. Now that he's back as Eugene, I think they need to work out how they're going to get him away from it. My vote is either A) He reveals he too is also a "Conman", and teams up with Rob Conway, who previously deceived us into thinking he cared about the French, or B) He gets help from a manager who slowly molds his potential to how they see fit.

Gene Snitsky - He's not bad. He serves a purpose, and although I wouldn't like to see him get too much of a push, he makes a good challenge for smaller guys to face. Take is matches with Val Venis, for example. I LOVED them. They were well done, with Venis looking like a million bucks for taking Snitsky down and almost putting him out. If Venis had won those matches, I think he would be in a better position to climb the roster as a singles competitor.

Goldust - This guy is gold (I didn't originally mean the pun, but now it's here it may as well stay). I think he is on the wrong brand, though. On SmackDown! they are having Booker T feud with The Boogeyman heading into WrestleMania. No! They should have had Goldust feud with Booker. Hopefully they have Goldust move over to SmackDown! after Mania. Oh, and give him his robe back. He looks washed-up without it.

Hulk Hogan - He's only listed on the roster incase someone stumbles onto the website, sees Hulk Hogan's name and goes "OMFG! HULJ HOGAN! Must watch RAW!".

Jerry Lawler - Lawler is good, but I think it is time to try something new for him. My idea: Manager. Give him Carlito, Victoria & maybe Snitsky & Tomko to manage, and I think he would make a fine heel voice.

Joey Styles - Great commentator. God forbid he actually call wrestling matches. I know wrestling is staged, so I don't want to be told how real something is. I want what I am seeing explained to me so I can immerse myself in it. Styles does that well. There is an underlying passion to the way Styles calls matches. In simply calling something an "arm drag" he fills it with a kind of artistic license. Please let him call matches Vince, and have the colour guy fill us in on storylines.

John Cena - He needs to get some edge back. His storyline with Triple H is the way to do it. At Saturday Night's Main Event, have him smack Triple H with his chain, costing his team the match against Angle, Orton & Mysterio. Have some kind of prize instituted into the match. Maybe have the winning team go on last at Mania? When Triple H asks Cena why he forfeited that glory, have Cena say he doesn't care about that epic bullshit, he just wants to be WWE Champion.

Johnny Parisi - The WWE has no clue what to do with this guy, so they had him lose a few matches. Now I thinkt hey've forgotten they're paying him a salary. Parisi is good, especially when he's in tag matches. I don't know why, but I see a team between Johnny Parisi & Lance Cade working out.

Jonathan Coachman - Like him as a commentator, keep him next to Styles.

Kane - I think he will get a chance to main event again soon. It looked like they were doing some good with him late last year and the start of this year. Keep giving him wins here and there, have him beat Big Show when they split, then have him kill bitches. People mark out for Chokeslam happy Kane.

Lance Cade - This guy is good. I'm sure of it. I would stick him in a team with Parisi. They'd have a kind of quasi-chemistry, I think.

Lilian Garcia - She's hot, she's hot, and she's got a good voice. I really think she should be a valet to some guy, though. Maybe Parisi & Cade?

Lita - She's OK all round. I'd have her move away from Edge and be stuck with some other guy she's banging for heat.

Maria Kanellis - Love her. Not just because she's hot, but because she's cute. She plays her role so well, it is impossible to complain when the WWE sticks her into meaningly matches and segments. I would stick her with a guy while she trains to get some face heat flowing. By the way, she should eventually turn smart. Maria as a heel manager = :drool:

Matt Striker - He was injured for a bit, but he should be back soon. I would have him become a manager for a while. Stick him with Eugene, slowly teaching him to "evolve". Eventually we get Nick Dinsmore back, with Striker helping him win the IC Title, then Striker turns on Dinsmore, setting up a feud between the two heading into Summerslam.

Mick Foley - I like his occasional appearances. He should do them on SmackDown! as well, though.

Mickie James - She's one of the few women in the WWE who can wrestle. Have her work her ass off with Trish and help these women learn some more. She should an icon of the Women's Division.

Vince McMahon - Why does he only appear on RAW? Have him show up on SmackDown! occasionally to bully Paul London & Brian Kendrick. His feud with HBK doesn't interest me.

Rene Dupree - Give him Fifi back, stick Torrie Wilson & Chloe by his side, and you have a good heel for the IC Division. Dupree has potential, all he needs if for someone from above to reach down and help him to the level Chris Masters & Carlito are at.

Ric Flair - Have him become a full-time manager. Have him manage Charlie Haas. That would be awesome.

Rob Conway - Conway is one of the most talented men to come out of OVW, and the WWE continually fucks it up. Have him pick up wins, give him the original version of "The Ego Trip" back, and fine-tune his gimmick so that he is so full of himself because of his phenominal wrestling talent instead of his physique. He reminds a lot of people of Buff Bagwell with his recent stint. In OVW he reminded people of Shawn Michaels. What does that tell you about the WWE's booking of him? I'd hyave him move to SmackDown! after WrestleMania.

Rob Van Dam - I'd have him work in the main event after WrestleMania, feuding with whoever is WWE Champion. RVD is probably one of the few guys the WWE can push that the fans won't turn on if he wins the belt.

Rosey - I was thinking about this, and while having 3 Minute Warning back would be cool and all, why not have Rosey & Jamal play seperate roles? Not as singles competitors, but as members of opposing teams. Have Rosey return with the S.H.I.T., with whom he competes in the World Tag Team Division with. Jamal then comes in as a supervillain, and has his own Villian Attending Guidence In Narcissistic Activities (V.A.G.I.N.A for short). They feud, and bingo. Indead of one new team, you have two.

Shawn Michaels - Shawn Michaels is great, but with his reduced schedule, I'd have him move over to SmackDown! after WrestleMania.

Shelton Benjamin - I'd keep the Intercontinental Title on Shelton Benjamin until Nick Dinsmore has shed the "Eugene" gimmick and wins it from him. Then have Shelton Benjamin leave his Mama, and start a babyface run to the top.

Spirit Squad - These guys have limited time on the shelf, but this is a great way to get them exposure while not completely going all out with them. What I fear is the WWE turning them into 2D caricatures.

Ken Doane & Johnny Jeter ("Kenny" & "Johnny") could probably break away from the group at any given time. Nick Nemeth and Nick Mitchell ("Nick" and "Mitch" respectively) could probably use some more work in OVW, so keeping them in the stable is probably a good idea.

I'm split on Mike Mondo ("Mikey"). He's good in the ring apparently, and he does some nice flips. Part of me wants to see him in the Cruiserweight Division on SmackDown!. The other part of me wants to see him as a third base member for The Spirit Squad if/when Ken Doane & Johnny Jeter leave. I'd personally have Jeter & Doane leave the stable altogether, have Mikey take over as the leader, and Nick & Mitch team together. The SS is good for establishing a certain guy, but the thing is you have so many to establish, it's hard to focus on one.

Stacy Keibler - If she comes back, I see her doing nothing but being a valet. Nothing wrong with that.

Stone Cold Steve Austin - See Hulk Hogan.

The Rock - See Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Todd Grisham - He's a good talker. That's all he's employed to do.

Torrie Wilson - Stick her with some guy while she trains to become a wrestler.

Trevor Murdoch - He's surprisingly ductile for a man with his build. I get sick of him on RAW, though. Move him to SmackDown! after WrestleMania and have him turn quasi-face, trying to beat the "rich boy" out of JBL, etc. while playing the dumb redneck character and getting into trouble with Tatanka.

Triple H - Meh.

Trish Stratus - Should be working wit the other ladies before shows, while being a focal point of the Women's Division on TV.

Tyson Tomko - He's pretty young, so he's still got some time to develop. He's surprisingly charismatic, so I'd keep him around. I see him working well as someone's hitman. I also (believe it or not) see an effective face turn for him down the road.

Val Venis - Push him to the WWE Champion. 'Nuff said.

Victoria - Why the WWE has not even tried doing a hot lesbian angle with two female characters is beyond me. I would pay to see Victoria & Mickie James come out with their true emotions. Apart from her effective pairing with Candice Michelle, I see Victoria being an icon of the Women's Division, while helping Candice Michelle, Torrie Wilson & Maria Kanellis get a feel for the ring.

Viscera - I like Viscera, but I think his gimmick is too close to Val Venis'. It seems like the WWE loves the Val Venis character enough to keep reviving it, to keep a talented Sean Morley playing it and to use his music over Viscera's when they team together, but whenever it is time for one member to attempt to qualify for a big match, or when only one member can be including in the Royal Rumble, Viscera's name gets drawn. I'd have Viscera go back to his gothic ways, turning on Val Venis, helping Venis get a deserving push to the top, while Viscera can maybe be the vehicle of destruction for Manager Jerry Lawler.

So here are the talent I would move from RAW to SmackDown!:

1. Ashley Massaro
2. Goldust
3. Rob Conway
4. Shawn Michaels
5. Trevor Murdoch
6. Vince McMahon (have him featured on both RAW & SmackDown!)
7. Mick Foley (have him featured on both RAW & SmackDown!)

So if the WWE does a post-Mania draft (which I hope they do), you have my list of changes. Shawn Michaels for the World Heavyweight Division, Goldust for the US Division, Rob Conway for the US Division, Trevor Murdoch for the US Division and Ashley Massaro as a valet.

[NeanderCarl]

I like how everybodys has started giving their opinions on the entire roster (Raw anyway)... if more people do the same we will have a pretty good cross-section of opinion on the WWE as a whole in this thread!! Should somebody from WWE (doubtfully) stumble upon it then maybe they will begin to realise how their audience really feels about some of the people they shove down our throats.

Or am I just being too optimistic about WWE's capacity to listen to its own feedback?

[loopydate]

SmackDown! Roster

Batista - It just seems like nothing is going according to plan for Dave Batista lately. Back in November, it looked like he was going to drop the World Title to Eddie Guerrero, dissolving their friendship and building to a huge feud between the two of them. Then, tragically, Eddie passes away. Looks like Dave has his next big opponent lined up in Mark Henry...who injures him. Who knows what would have happened if either of those stories had been allowed to play out? I sincerely hope that upon his return, Batista gets back to the top babyface he was three months ago.

Boogeyman - As a quote-unquote "smart" wrestling fan, I know I should hate this guy. But I just can't. Yeah, WWE has sort of forgotten the point of this character (failed TV star "lives the gimmick" on the network's flagship show), but he's still pretty fun to watch. Could use a new schtick now, though. When he first debuted, it seemed like he added something new every week: first the clock, then the worms, then the dance, then the smoking stick. Now it's the same thing all the time.

Booker T - If he could just stay healthy, I still think Booker has the potential to be one of WWE's top guys. WWE blew a huge chance when Triple H buried him a few years back, but he's still great at drawing a reaction, either positive or negative. He's lost a step or two over the years (mostly due to the aforementioned injuries), but he's still probably one of the top ten overall performers on the roster.

Brian Kendrick - I'm so happy he's getting a third opportunity, because he really is phenomenally talented. But if either of his first two WWE runs are any indication (first as the guy Sean O'Haire toyed with, then his first run in the cruiserweight division), I won't hold my breath on a big push. His tag team with London is very exciting, but I'd love to see them given a real tag team name and a real tag team finisher and packaged as top threats to MNM.

Chris Benoit - What can you say about Benoit that hasn't already been said? Aside from Kurt Angle, there may not be a better pure wrestler on the roster. And, despite the fact that he hasn't even gotten a whiff of the main event since Randy Orton beat him a year and a half ago, he's still one of the most over guys on the roster, and the fans still see him as a viable contender. If Orton does end up taking the title at Mania, I'd love to see Benoit step up and challenge him.

Daivari - Even though he reminds me of WWE caving in to the Political Correctness Police last year, Daivari is, quite simply, the best old-school manager in the business today. He's a great talker, and he uses his mic skills to offset his client's utter lack thereof. He's managed to make Mark Henry watchable, and that's no small feat.

Doug Basham - From what I've seen and heard of him from OVW, Basham is one of the better wrestlers in the company. Apparently, he put on a dynamite ironman match with Chris Benoit a few years back. But for some reason, he'll probably never be booked as such and will likely be one of the next few guys released. Sad, really.

Eddie Guerrero - I loved the guy, too. One of my favorites. But I think it's time to let it go. I won't mind if Rey wears an "EG" armband for the rest of his career (heck, Charlie Haas still writes "Russ" on his tape), but it's been almost four months. Let the Hall Of Fame ceremony be the end of WWE's exploitation of his death. No more "Eddie's in Hell" promos. No more dedicating matches to his memory. No more lowriders. He was a legend. Let's let him be remembered for that, and not as the reason for the Rey Mysterio/Randy Orton feud of 2006. Please remove him from the roster page.

Finlay - For a guy who has basically been retired for more than half a decade, Dave Finlay still impresses me in the ring. He's definitely not a technical master, but there's nothing wrong with a bruiser as long as he's entertaining. I think the shillelagh is a bit much, but I love that they're booking him as a guy that you have no idea what he's going to do. He's even using the ring apron as a weapon!

Funaki - I guess it's about time for his annual half-assed push, isn't it? Have him win one of the octo-annual cruiserweight clusterfucks, then have him drop it to their newest signee two weeks later? It's a pity, because Shoichi Funaki is really quite talented and the crowd really wants to love him. But they'll never take him seriously, because WWE won't let us.

Gregory Helms - I am so happy that WWE is letting him run with the Cruiserweight Title. When they unmasked him, then jobbed him to Jerry Lawler, I feared the worst. But having him as the cocky fighting champion on SmackDown is the best thing to happen to him since Mighty Molly. I just hope they haven't already forgotten about him.

Gymini - Are they still on SmackDown? I think they only made two appearances. I don't even really have an opinion of these guys, I've seen so little of them.

Hardcore Holly - Ugh. Where to start? Okay, a) he was never very entertaining except maybe the early days of the Hardcore Title when he feuded with Al Snow; b) since there hasn't been a Hardcore Title in three years, maybe we can go back to calling him "Bob?"; c) the guy has a sense of entitlement despite never having amounted to anything; d) as a result of "c," he's taken it upon himself to stiff and injure any up-and-comer unfortunate enough to be booked against him. Elaborating on that last point, Holly is the reason that we were subjected to Jacqueline as Cruiserweight Champion (Matt Cappotelli was supposed to answer Chavo's open challenge until Bob injured himi). He's also put Carlito and Rene Dupree on the shelf for long periods of time. Plus, he tried to make Brock Lesnar look bad by deadweighting that powerbomb. Unfortunately for Bob, Brock can shoot too, and was strong enough to pick him up and drop him on his head.

Jamie Noble - I really love this guy. Even though I never cared much for Nidia, I liked their trailer-trash gimmick and think it's the kind of thing the cruiser division needs. Gimmicks. He's a great technician (as his ROH work shows) and he can fly (as his WCW work shows). Plus, he's good on the mic. So, why isn't he in the mix for the Cruiserweight Title?

JBL - I can't believe I'm saying this but JBL is one of the highlights of SmackDown. I can't stand John Layfield as a person and I still think he's bad in the ring, but he plays his character so well that you can't not watch him. Possibly the best heel in WWE right now (discounting Randy "cheat heat" Orton who has the potential to-- I'll get to that later).

Jillian - As stupid as the mole thing was, it definitely made her stand out. Now, she's just another blond valet. Maybe if we saw her actually "fixing" things for JBL like she was hired to do, then I'd be more interested in her.

Joey Mercury - Still not entirely sure why he couldn't be "Joey Matthews." Were they worried we'd confuse him with Josh Mathews? They needn't have worried. Anyway, on his own, I don't know that Mercury would have amounted to much in WWE. But as part of MNM, the sky's the limit. It's such a novelty to have a legitimate tag team wearing the Tag Team Titles, I'm waiting for WWE to drop the ball by splitting them up.

Johnny Nitro - Nitro, on the other hand, I think could take off as a singles worker if MNM ever split. He's showed that he's a gifted athlete (and an acrobatic one). He showed a great deal of charisma as Eric Bischoff's sidekick a couple of years back. We all saw his dedication as we watched him train on Tough Enough. But I'll be happy to see MNM stay together a while longer.

Josh Mathews - See: Grisham, Todd. Came in third among the first-season men on Tough Enough. Makes Rey Mysterio look like Akebono. Watches people kill themselves.

Ken Kennedy - ...






























































Kennedy - Another guy derailed by an injury. Looked to be on the fast track to the US Title when he debuted and looked like a main eventer in the making. A classic obnoxious heel who may be doing his career a great service by staying on-camera throughout his injury as a network representative. The guy is an above-average worker with a unique finisher and an unusual mic style. Another guy who I wouldn't be surprised to see as "the future" of WWE.

...and I've lost interest. I'll pick up the rest of the SD roster sometime soon.

[NeanderCarl]

I would do a SmackDown roster one but it's 6am here in Wales, I haven't been to sleep yet, and the Raw one took me fucking ages. You'll be getting my 2 cents (or rather 2p) later!!! :D

[Blitz]

Since everyone's already done the Raw roster, I'll take a shot at Smackdown first.


Batista-He's grown on me. Still only alright in the ring, but has charisma radiating from him. He's come along nicely on the mic.

Boogeyman-Eh. The gimmick was entertaining to me at first, but it is quickly going stale. I doubt he'll ever wrestle a real match in this gimmick, and I suppose that's for the best, since he's subpar in the ring.

Booker T-Solid is the first word that comes to mind. Good in the ring, good on the mic.

Brian Kendrick-So talented, yet so misused. I like Kendrick and London as a tag team (despite the bizarre mask gimmick), but I'd rather see them as singles. A break up followed by a feud would be lovely, although I heavily doubt it'd would be seen by anyone who doesn't watch Velocity.

Chris Benoit-Awesome. Great in ring, above average mic, way overdue for a looooooong world title reign.

Daivari-Loved to see him pushed as a wrestler. Love his mic work, and he's just fine in the ring.

Doug Basham-according to everyone who's seen him in OVW, he's massively talented. I've never seen him OVW, so I can't comment. What I've seen from him in WWE is the standard WWE workstyle, and no promos.

Finlay-I like the fact that they're pushing him as legitimately tough. The whole "I like to hurt people" gimmick works well. I would like to see him really destroy someone who isn't a midget to get him over more. Good in ring, fine mic skills from what I've seen.

Funaki-God , I don't know. Who cares? The whole "Numba 1 announcer" gimmick has run it's course. Nothing to write home about in the ring.

Gregory Helms-I was overjoyed when he dropped the incredibly stale Hurricane gimmick. Wish they'd let him talk more. Enjoy him in the ring, despite the fact that he doesn't deviate much from the standard WWE workstyle norm.

Gymini-Useless.

Hardcore Holly-Boring. Finlay does the whole "I'm tough" thing much better than Holly.

Jaimie Noble-Never thought much of Noble in his first WWE run. He was fine in Jung Dragons, but I just didn't care much for him. Then I saw some of his work in ROH. Massive in ring talent. Needs a little more work on the mic. A feud with Helms would be awesome.

JBL-Thank God for his mic skills. I can't stand him in the ring.

Jillian Hall-Thank God WWE came to their senses about the mole. Fine as eye candy, dunno much about her ring work.

MNM-Glad to see an actual tag team. Mercury and Nitro are talented in the ring, and Melina is a great valet. She's not bad in the ring either.

Josh Matthews-I seem to like him more than a lot of people. I like him fine as an interviewer.

Ken Kennedy-Blessed with the type of charisma not seen since the Rock, He's a joy to watch. Above average in ring, and phenomenal on the mic.

Kid Kash-an acquired taste that I haven't really acquired. Hot and cold in the ring, I strongly dislike his promos.

Kristal- :|

Kurt Angle-Do I need to say anything? Bow down before your God, peasants.

Lashley-WWE needs to get serious if they really want to push him as a monster. He's green, but he's got a great look.

Mark Henry- :nono: has made little progress since he was first signed. Passable as a comedy character, atrocious as an actual wrestler. Wish he'd just go away.

Matt Hardy-Fine in ring, alright promos. The real question is how much deeper will he be buried?

Michael Cole-Possibly the worst commentator since Tony Schiavone. I'd rather listen to a nails on a chalkboard.

Nunzio-Another massively misused talent. I long for a new FBI that would be portrayed as a real threat.

Orlando Jordan-Might be interesting if he showed anything like a personality. Barely average in ring, subpar mic work.

Paul Burchill-Another big talent. The pirate gimmick is weirdly entertaining, but I can see it getting stale quickly. Love him in the ring and on the mic.

Paul London-See Brian Kendrick. Would like to see him turn into a cocky heel.

Psicosis-Again, hot and cold in the ring. No mic skills to speak of.

Randy Orton-He's got some charisma, but he still comes off as a little bland to me. Fine in the ring, but there is room for improvement. Same for his mic skills.

Rey Mysterio-After watching some of his old ECW/WCW stuff, it shocks me how different (Re: watered down) his style has become. He's still pretty good in the ring. He still needs work on the mic.

Road Warrior Animal-I'll be gentle and suggest he's past his prime.

Scotty 2 Hotty-I'm shocked he's still around. A program with internet phenomenon Lee Hotti could be perversely entertaining.

Sharmell-Eh, don't really care for her. Booker doesn't need a manager, IMO.

Simon Dean-I cen't believe he used to be Nova. Fine mic work, but the fitness gimmick ran it's course ages ago. When he was Nova, he was hot and cold in the ring, but thanks to WWE style, the cold side is predominant.

Steve Romero-average commentator.

Steven Richards-I'm seeing a pattern of misused talent here. Still good in ring on the rare occasion when he gets to show it. Love to see him turn into an absolutely psychotic heel.

Super Crazy-Tremendously fun to watch in the ring. Needs a mouthpiece if he's going to go anywhere above Cruiserweight level, tho.

Sylvan-Never really liked him. The gimmick's been done to death. and he isn't good enough in the ring to make up for it.

Tatanka-See Road Warrior Animal.

Tazz-Eh, I like him better than the King, I suppose.

Teddy Long-Rather see him as a heel manager.

Undertaker-Torn, tbh. Haven't seen his apparently phenomenal match with Angle, but I believe he still has it in him. He needs to either retire or come back full time.

Vito-Can't comment, as I can't remember the last time I saw him.

William Regal-Great talker, great in ring technician. A feud with Benoit or Angle would make my year.


Whew.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

You have to remember, Rey slowed down after having knee surgery. A lot of the stuff you saw was probably pre-knee surgery.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Here's my take of the SmackDown! roster:

Batista - SmackDown!'s top superstar. I expect him to get the World Heavyweight Championship back at Summerslam. When he's done as SmackDown!'s top babyface, I would love to see a heel turn.

Boogeyman - He started off as a good whackjob character, has since turned into a 2D one. I admire Marty Wright's passion for the business and all, but I'd have him team up with some new guy in the mid-card as himself, and move Goldust over to SmackDown!.

Booker T - This man still has potential. His pairing with Sharmell has breathed heel life into his character, he just needs to win matches and get some gold. I would love to see him feud with a face Batista over the World Heavyweight Championship.

Brian Kendrick - This man is seriously misused by the WWE. He's skinny, but the guy more than makes up with it in insane ring ability. He and Paul London should be the top babyface team on SmackDown!.

Chris Benoit - Why this man is only US Champion is beyond me, but then I realised this is good, because it means elevation for the title and programs with the misused guys in SmackDown! (of which there are a lot). Benoit is fine in his current role as quasi-main eventer. SmackDown! needs a guy to step up, he can do it. It won't be needed until next year, though.

Daivari - Why this man is not competing in the Cruiserweight Division is beyond me. He's a heat machine, a good worker and a great talker. What else needs to be said?

Doug Basham - Great worker, can't get a break. Have him face Chris Benoit, take him to the limit, then give him the Bobby Lashley/Chris Masters/Carlito treatment and have him consistently compete at main event level. This guy would make a great stable leader.

Finlay - A good extra to have around. He works well, and he's a slid competitor. When SmackDown! gets its US Division in place, Finlay will be a solid addition to it.

Funaki - All I think Funaki needs to do to be taken seriously is to change his colour scheme. He has worn blue & white for so many years now. Switch him to, I dunno, red & black. Let him be a smart face who wins his matches with well placed guerrilla maneuvers. I wouldn't rule him off as a solid addition to the Cruiserweight Division.

Gregory Helms - Has anyone else noticed that Helms has worn his red attire ever since he joined SmackDown!? That is a subtle hint he is still an outsider. Nice work by Helms. He is the total package. Talented and can talk. He should have gone over Jerry Lawler at New Year's Revolution, but oh well, all is good now. He needs to be allowed more time to talk and wrestle. Bringing back the Vertebreaker on occasion could boost ratings as well.

Gymini - I think seperating them from Simon Dean and turning them face is the way to go. What I have seen has potential, but they are nothing too special. Nothing which takes priority over Paul London & Brian Kendrick. I'd say move them to RAW, but I think they need smaller guys to bump for them. I would have them train with the seasoned guys on the roster before shows to help them get a feel for the ring a bit more.

Hardcore Holly - He's not bad, but he's nothing fantastic as to take time away from the younger guys. He should probably take a backstage role or move to RAW in the next draft.

Jamie Noble - Needs to get on TV and needs to start wrestling and cutting promos immediately. The WWE are fools if they waste this man's talent.

JBL - He's a great heel. Not much to say about him other than that. He should probably work with a cruiserweight or two, to help build them up. Reforming a heel stable around him wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

Jillian Hall - Why she is not on RAW with the Women's Division is beyond me. Send her over there next draft. Or trade her for Ashley Massaro. Either way, she could really help the division over there.

Joey Mercury - Great talent. Being used in a good role. All MNM need are more teams to compete with and you have yourself a tag team revival.

Johnny Nitro - This is a young guy who has been brought in correctly. He hasn't gone over the other talent like some kind of prodigy, he hasn't been given too much to do, too early. He has been brought up with a hot chick to get attention on him, and he has been given an experienced partner who can guide him in the ring. Nitro is now quite polished himself. I see no reason why the WWE would want to break up MNM.

Josh Mathews - I like him as a commentator. This guy will one day be the voice of either RAW or SmackDown!. I wouldn't mind it if they let him wrestle, though. He and Funaki could team up as "The Announcers" or something.

Ken Kennedy - This man has "it". I'm sorry, but he does. He should be managing some guy until he's able to return from injury, or be serving as temporary GM on RAW. Kennedy has a great future in this business.

Kid Kash - A talented guy whichever way you cut the cheese. There is something that is so charismatic about the guy. I love the way he walks to the ring. It just screams perfect to me. A solid competitor in the Cruiserweight Division. Could use a manager, say Ken Kennedy, not to do the talking for him, but just to make him seem sought after.

Kristal Marshall - I don't mind her, but I don't find her that attractive. If she's not training to be a wrestler (which I'm pretty sure she is), she won't last long. I hope she's been working with Finlay in her spare time.

Kurt Angle - Angle is best when he moves shows, in my opinion. He's probably SmackDown!'s best asset at the moment, but he could really use more time to talk and wrestle. They haven't even had one Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit match since he's been back on SmackDown!. He should hold the World Heavyweight Championship until Summerslam where he can drop it to a returning Batista.

Bobby Lashley - He's got so much potential, and his match with No Way Out was good. He could be a similiar case to Brock Lesnar, but he needs a mouthpiece, I think. Someone to basically get across how epic he is. I'm thinking maybe Paul Heyman if they want to bring him back in some capacity.

Mark Henry - Gets more shit than he deserves, but he's not exactly a highlight of the roster. I'd send him down to OVW, let him train there until his contract expires, and then give him the "yay" or "nay".

Matt Hardy - All he needs is a character. His current "Emo" thing isn't working. He's still over, but he needs to capitalise on that. Bring over Ashley and give him a hot chick to bang. Have him win matches, then bang the chick. And please bring some colour back to him. What happened to those awesome shiny pants he used to wear? Revive Mattitude.

Melina - I love her with MNM. She's actually a part of MNM, which might be why she fits so perfectly. Sometimes I wish she would show a bit more skin, but she's fine in her current role. When she's done a bit more training, I wouldn't mind seeing her lead MNM over to RAW.

Michael Cole - Good announcer. Not too much else to say.

Nunzio - Misused. Should be wrestling great matches with both the heavyweights and the cruiserweights. What upsets me is that he has the backing by management, the writers are just too lazy. I wouldn't mind seeing them remind us that Nunzio & Jamie Noble are "cousins", and have some Jamie Noble & Nunzio vs. Paul London & Brian Kendrick matches. Why not throw in The Mexicools?

Orlando Jordan - Better than what people say he is. He works much better as a face, in my opinion. He should break all his ties officially with JBL, feuding with him post-Mania. Much like MNM, in 2007 I see a move over to RAW being good for him.

Paul Burchill - Good talent, but it's wasted if he doesn't wrestle with this pirate gimmick. If they let him move like a cruiserweight, wrestler like a technical mastermind, win matches and get a solid push out of this pirate character, all is good. If not, I hope they have him hit with a steel chair and wake up as William Regal's partner again.

Paul London - Why the WWE doesn't use this guy is beyond me. He and Brian Kendrick have a better chemisty together than anyone in the WWE. Yes, even more than MNM. Let him do the London Calling again. That move will get over. Funny thing is, though, with Brian Kendrick he doesn't need to use high-risk moves. He just does "Get Well Soon" and all these fancy kicks. Please WWE, push these guys.

Psicosis - This guy can still go. Great in the tag team division with Super Crazy.

Randy Orton - He's the future of the business. He shouldn't hold the World Heavyweight Championship until next year, though.

Rey Mysterio - Getting a push with the wrong methods at the current time. I'd have him drop down to mid-card level after his main event program is over. Much like Benoit, he is a guy who doesn't need to be in the main event to have a constuctive purpose. I kind of like the way he often wins the Tag Team Championship every so often with different partners, as well. Mysterio has feuded with nearly everyone on SmackDown!. Move someone over from RAW (like Shawn Michaels) to feud with him heading into Summerslam.

Road Warrior Animal - The guy has been solid since returning. He hasn't hurt anyone, and he's been kind of fun. That being said, here is my Marty Jannetty philosophy:

When Marty Jannetty faced Kurt Angle on SmackDown! a few months back, he had a great match. People cried for Jannetty to be offered a contract because it was a great match. I was one of those few, until I realised something. They could have gotten someone from their current misuded talent pool, and put them in the same match with Kurt Angle and got the same result.

Marty Jannetty was singled out by Angle because he was an ally of Shawn Michaels. Paul London is also an ally on Shawn Michaels, and with little to no explaining a match between Angle & London could have been done with arguably better results. Yet, the WWE rarely gives these guys a chance.

Road Warrior Animal's spot on the roster could be used for another guy.

Scotty 2 Hotty
I would mark out if he turned heel and joined JBL's Cabinet. This guy is good on the mic and good in the ring. Treat him seriously and he would make a great heel.

Sharmell
I like the image she creates for Booker T, and she does a nice job on commentary sounding like a bitch. She keeps Booker T grounded as a heel. Worth keeping her around.

Simon Dean
I would love for either one of two things to happen. 1) Simon Dean turns face, ridiculing JBL for his body mass, then feuding with him, or 2) Simon Dean becomes Nova, and runs around in the Cruiserweight Division. Either one of those would greatly benefit SmackDown!, in my opinion.

Steve Romero - He's a good announcer.

Steven Richards - I actually think he should become a manager. It just seems like something Richards would be good at. He has an interesting voice. A face tag team with Nova wouldn't be too bad either.

Super Crazy
I liek The Mexicools. I hope they stay together. If Paul London & Brian Kendrick get a push, some teams turn face, and more teams are created, I can see them splitting ways for solo careers in the Cruiserweight Division.

Sylvan - I loved this guy when he first debuted the gimmick on SmackDown!, but since then it has faded off my radar. I honestly think he should be a face. Think of Rico's days with Charlie Haas. Just a fun guy who looks good with enough talent to be in the ring.

Tatanka
See Road Warrior Animal.

Tazz - He's a good announcer. Not much else needs to be said.

Theodore Long - I think sometimes his face actions defy logic, but that's not really his fault. With a little more thinking involved with his face movements, Teddy Long could be one of the better "boss characters" the WWE has had in a long time.

The Undertaker - I personally hate the way they play him out, but he's still got osme spring left. I'm glad he shows up on SmackDown! not RAW.

Vito - He seems pretty agile for a man his size. He worked a good match with Val Venis on Heat before he became an employee of the WWE. I would bring Guido up from the developmental territories and have them team together under Nunzio & Jamie Noble.

William Regal - For some reason I don't think the WWE is very high on him at the moment, probably due to his comments steering away young talent from the WWE. Regal has talent, though, and should work some great matches with guys like Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Paul Burchill, Paul London, Brian Kendrick, Jamie Noble, Nunzio, etc.

[Kane Knight]

The thing about that is the storyline surrounding the match was that if Austin won, JR would get his job at the announce table back. That obviously wasn't going to happen, because JR was having surgery done on his colon. So, naturally, the only way that match could possibly have happened would be for Austin to lose (a screwjob ending involving Mark Henry, I believe was the plan), and Austin's an idiot if he didn't realize it from the beginning. On paper Austin losing to Coach looks bad, but it was the only way that match was ever going to go down.

Except Austin was kind of wrangled into it in the first place. He wasn't particularly happy to have his return be the reason behind JR's "firing."

The problem with both of your arguments is that your arguments are about this time, more or less treating this shit as an isolated incident. I'm far from an Austin lover, but he had a very real, very legitimate reason in this case (Right or wrong), and while he he shouldn't have walked, had this been the only time, a lot more people would have given him the benefit of the doubt. However comma, it's not. So whether justified or not as a single incident, this pattern of "take my ball and go home" is totally unacceptable.

[NeanderCarl]

Austin has explained that the reason he walked out of the WWE in 2002 (twice) was due to concerns about his health which he did not want to address at the time, and which led to his eventual retirement. Whether he said this in hindsight as a n excuse to justify his actions or not, I don't know. And until you've been in his shoes, with his serious neck injury, then you can't really criticize him for his actions on those occasions, whether you personally think he went the right or wrong way about them.

I'm only focusing on the most recent incident. I believe Austin was suffering from a legit injury suffered a few weeks prior to the show, but was prepared to work through it for WWE's sake. However, when he realised the WWE's plans for him had no benefit for him or the company whatsoever, he decided it simply wasn't worth wrestling injured at a PPV no one really cared about, against a non-wrestler no-one cared about, with a stipulation that was moot from the second they conjured it up.

I'm not a huge Austin fan by any means, but I totally agree with his decision on this count. He didn't "take his ball and go home". He was injured and decided the storyline being presented to him just wasn't worth getting back into the ring for with his health situation. And I think he was spot-on.

[Kane Knight]

Austin has explained that the reason he walked out of the WWE in 2002 (twice) was due to concerns about his health which he did not want to address at the time, and which led to his eventual retirement. Whether he said this in hindsight as a n excuse to justify his actions or not, I don't know. And until you've been in his shoes, with his serious neck injury, then you can't really criticize him for his actions on those occasions, whether you personally think he went the right or wrong way about them.

Again, if you look at this as an isolated incident, yes, but clearly the pattern is one that goes beyond any ex-post-facto excuse.

[NeanderCarl]

I see where you're coming from, don't get me wrong, and I know we're kind of going off topic now by extending the Austin debate, but all I'm saying is Austin has (whether his justification is true or not) given a forgivable explaination for those previous "walk-out" incidents in 2002. And this latest scenario is not the same thing: this time he had an injury and informed the WWE so. It isn't like he just no-showed or even flat out refused to do the job... that's just an assumption. The official line is that Austin could not perform at Taboo Tuesday due to injury. Anything more is speculation and hearsay.

[Kane Knight]

All's I'm saying is, lacing that beer with Kryptonite was a cheap way to make Superman sell the Stunner.