| loopydate |
07-11-2004 10:34 PM |
Note: These rankings are based on storylines up to before Vengeance. I'm not including Divas or non-wrestlers. Also, I'm writing this in "WWE.com" style.
RAW- Chris Benoit - The defending World Heavyweight Champion. Enough said.
- Triple H - The #1 contender for the World Heavyweight title, and the focus of the program.
- Randy Orton - Like him or not, he's the longest-reigning IC Champion in nearly a decade, and he's had to beat a lot of the guys on this list to get there.
- Kane - After taking out one of the top contenders (Shawn Michaels) and with his high-profile feud with Matt Hardy being a television focal point, Kane is only a copule steps away from the top.
- Edge - The top contender for the most prestigious "secondary" title in the company, Edge appears to be on the verge of World Title contention.
- Chris Jericho - One of the most popular members of the RAW brand, puts on top-notch matches against the best (and some not-so-best) in the business.
- Rob Conway - One-half of the World Tag Team Champions has, in recent weeks obtained pinfall victories over the likes of Edge and the legendary Sgt. Slaughter.
- Sylvan Grenier - Would probably be ranked ahead of his tag team partner if he didn't sing.
- Eugene - Eric Bischoff's "special" nephew has certainly proven to be more than just comic relief in his WWE career.
- Batista - One of the more talented big men on the RAW roster, Batista recently went toe-to-toe with the monster Kane and came out looking stronger than ever.
- Matt Hardy - Since reuniting with girlfriend Lita, Matt Hardy has been on an impressive streak. Could catapult up the rankings with a victory over Kane at Vengeance.
- Ric Flair - Despite being several years past his prime, the Nature Boy is still one of the most entertaining in-ring performers in the business, and could become a Tag Team Champion at Vengeance.
- Shawn Michaels - Would be an easy Top Ten choice, but his future is questionable after his recent encounter with Kane.
- Christian - Like Michaels, Christian would be much higher up the list were it not for injury problems. Upon his return, should be an immediate title contender.
- Rhyno - His future, strangely enough, appears to be in the hands of Eugene and Ric Flair. If they unseat La Resistance at Vengeance, will Rhyno's vendetta against the French Sympathizers continue?
- Tyson Tomko - After impressive showings against Chris Jericho, Tomko has recently seemed to concentrate on helping Trish Stratus retain the Women's Title.
- Shelton Benjamin - Once his broken wrist heals, you can bet that he'll be right back on Randy Orton's heels.
- Val Venis - In a recent (rare) RAW appearance, Venis and Rhyno nearly became World Tag Team Champions. Does this mean we'll be seeing more of The Big Valbowski on Monday nights?
- William Regal - Regal seems to be a Man Without a Country, so to speak. Recently returning from a long series of illnesses and injuries, Regal's relationship with Eugene seems to have utterly dissolved, leaving Regal to fend for himself against a younger, healthier roster.
- Steven Richards - Uh... That isn't...Stevie helping Victoria out...is it?
- Garrison Cade - A recent injury seems to have put a slight hitch in Cade's plans to ascend the WWE ladder, but Cade's future is bright.
- Tajiri - The seventh-place finisher in the contest to determine #1 contender for the Intercontinental Title on RAW this week.
- The Hurricane - Quite simply, one of the most entertaining performers on RAW.
- Rosey - As the kids say, he's the (expletive deleted).
- The Rock - Because you simply can't have a Top 25 list without The Rock.
SmackDown!
- JBL - We'll see where he winds up after meeting Eddie Guerrero in the Steel Cage this Thursday.
- Eddie Guerrero - The once and possibly future champion has his sights set on Mr. Layfield.
- Undertaker - The WWE's conscience could be a WWE Title contender if he were focused on that instead of Paul Heyman.
- John Cena - Again, this Thursday will play a key role in determining where Cena ends up on this list. What does G.M. Kurt Angle have in mind for the United States Title that Cena once held?
- Booker T - Seems to be Mister Angle's hand-picked US Champion.
- Rey Mysterio - The most popular of the WWE Cruiserweights, the division's champion recently picked up an impressive victory over the enigmatic Mordecai, proving that he's a threat to all weight classes.
- Rene Dupree - The French Phenom continues to cement his place as one of the cornerstones of SmackDown's future.
- Rob Van Dam - With a bit more focus, Mister Thursday Night could be sitting in JBL's position right now.
- Mark Jindrak - With an impressive showing against Van Dam this past Thursday night, the "Reflection of Perfection" catapulted himself into the United States Title picture.
- Billy Kidman - After scoring a seemingly-impossible tag team victory over the Dudley Boyz, Billy Kidman has his first taste of non-cruiserweight WWE gold after three years with the company.
- Paul London - A virtual unknown to casual WWE fans, London proved with his championship victory on Thursday what independent fans have known for years. This Shawn Michaels trainee could be the Next Big Thing.
- Jamie Noble - After picking up the victory in the impressive six-man cruiserweight match on Thursday night, Jamie Noble staked his claim as top contender to Mysterio's title.
- Bubba Ray Dudley - No longer a champion, will desperation sink in? And will Bubba be looking over his shoulders for the Undertaker?
- D-Von Dudley - See 13.
- Hardcore Holly - After contending for the WWE Title at the beginning of the year, Holly has slipped back into the "midcard." However, it may not be long before Holly again challenges for Tag Team gold...
- Billy Gunn - ...with "The One." One of the most decorated tag team wrestlers in history, Gunn has to be eyeing Kidman and London's newly-won gold.
- Kenzo Suzuki - This impressive newcomer has picked up a string of victories since his debut, and his promo on Thursday left us all wondering what he's really thinking.
- Charlie Haas - One of the most technically-sound wrestlers in the company (he reminds this writer of a younger Kurt Angle), Haas must be looking to regain the Tag Team Titles he's already held numerous times.
- Chavo Guerrero - A recent Cruiserweight Champion, Chavito has to be itching to reclaim that belt.
- Rico - Entertaining, flamboyant, incredibly talented. If Rico could let the mind games go and concentrate on climbing the ladder, there's no telling where he might wind up.
- Nunzio - Seemingly the cruiserweight division's forgotten man, Nunzio put on a very good match with Rene Dupree on Velocity this weekend.
- Spike Dudley - Though he was pinned by Jamie Noble on SmackDown, Spike has to be considered one of the most popular WWE cruiserweights.
- Mordecai - Hear him. Fear him. After losing to Mysterio, Mordecai seems to have vanished into thin air. What can we expect next from Mordecai?
- Scotty 2 Hotty - Forced to go it alone after an injury to his tag team partner Rikishi, Scotty has been decimated in recent matches by unknown quantities like Mordecai and Kenzo Suzuki.
- Funaki - What would a list of the top SmackDown superstars be without SmackDown's Number One Announcer?
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