Zack Ryder
I like Ryder. I think his YouTube show is very funny and he's decent in the ring. But to me, his promos are
boring. I watched him on ECW and felt bad hyping up his new gimmick after watching a promo. His mannerisms are great, his character helps his overness, but he's just not that interesting in front of a crowd (or on Colt Cabana's podcast for that matter).
Sin Cara
He's more over with the majority of the crowd than Ryder, and more of a singles star than Bourne. I think the heel turn will actually help the character in the long run, especially if they run with the Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara feud that's been rumored. And he can cut a better promo than both of his opponents here.
Evan Bourne
Just gonna come out and say it: I can't get behind Evan Bourne. His matches are very good and he can work well with a lot of guys, but he completely loses me when he speaks. He's in a good spot right now in the [hopefully almost] revitalized tag division. I don't really care to see him any higher, solely because that would mean more promos.
Mark Henry
Kind of a tough call with R-Truth in there (never thought I'd say that), but definitely ahead of Otunga. He's been on a tear since going to Smackdown! so I think he's the one to get it in his group. R-Truth has been great lately, as in "wow he's really entertaining me right now." Mark Henry has been on a "give him the belt" roll. I never thought I'd see the day when I considered myself a Mark Henry fan.
R-Truth
As I said, R-Truth has been on a roll as well. But when he was in the WWE title match a few months ago I wasn't really hoping he'd win it. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I would like to see him eventually get it, to say he overcame the conspiracy. Those promos would be gold. I'd rather see Henry get it first, though.
David Otunga
I really liked him at first on NXT. Then I realized his matches weren't so great, and his promos left something to be desired. Lately though, he's stepped it up in the ring (can't recall a recent promo, honestly). He seems a lot more comfortable now and I'm a big fan of him teaming with McGillicutty (love their chemistry - that theme though...). Will he ever get there? Long shot, I think. Certainly third in this group to me, but you never know. His wife could end up doing him [even more] favors (
).
Cody Rhodes
This was the easiest choice. Cody has been awesome since the Dashing gimmick and maybe even better with this sinister, tortured character. Plus, his matches have been awesome for some time now. He is a star and will at least be in the title picture by the end of this year, I think.
Kofi Kingston
Kofi's time was against Orton a couple of years ago. Until he gets a gimmick overhaul, he won't get there in my opinion. I know this is the typical solution, but a heel turn could work wonders for him. Maybe not even a turn, but a more serious, physical side like we started to see during the aforementioned Orton feud.
John Morrison
I like Morrison, but I think two major factors work against him: his ties to Melina and his lack of promo ability. Like Bourne, he can have great matches with a number of people. Like Ryder, he has his supporters. But also like both, his inability to really connect via the promo will hurt him. Will he get there? Maybe. Recently it's looking bleak, though I haven't seen RAW yet. He has a shot, but it's going to take some work (and a heel turn
)