Fave Five - TNA (July 2012)

Because deep down, we all want to be Booker T.

Photo from WWE.com via http://bleacherreport.com/articles/784094-wwe-commentary-will-booker-tmichael-cole-become-the-new-jim-rossjerry-lawler

Yeah, so I'll be doing these every now and again, because (a) they're easy; and (b) it's an opinion piece, so nobody can tell me I'm wrong; and (c) I just want to sometimes. The 'fave five' concept shouldn't need any explaining, but in case Eugene is reading, it's basically just me picking the five people I like most. That ought to cover it, so off we go. Well, sort of.

Honourable Mentions

Because five isn't enough, and I'm too lazy to try and rank ten.

Bully Ray has been living up to his name brilliantly, and I look forward to his match with Joseph Park on this week's Impact (to be honest, it should've been on Destination X instead of all the crappy qualifiers).

Eric Young is one of my favourites, and he would've made the list if he'd been on telly recently. Alas, he hasn't, so he's here instead. Similar thoughts apply to ODB, by the way.

Zema Ion has been the only challenger to the X-Division title for months, and now he's finally got hold of the belt we should see him get even better, especially if he ends up feuding with Jesse Sorensen when he makes his return.

Lastly, Samoa Joe is a beast, but he has no direction, so it's hard to really get behind him. Also, I'm never sure whether he's going to be a heel or a face next week.

Anyway, onto my fave five...

5. Brooke Tessmacher

Photo from http://www.wrestling-match.com/tag/knockout-galleries

Brooke, or Miss Tessmacher as she's reverted back to since Brooke Hogan came and stole her first name, has earnt her place in my fave five by being one of the most improved wrestlers of the last year. There was a time not too long ago when she was pretty weak in the ring, but she has made a noticeable improvement during her time in TNA, and has been rewarded for it with a reign as the Knockouts Champion.

She's not yet reached the level of ladies like Beth Phoenix or Mickie James, and she still has the odd dodgy moment, but she's more than capable of putting on a good match, and she should continue to get better for a while, so it would be no surprise to see TNA make her the face of their division over the next few years. Probably doesn't hurt that she's hotter than a thousand suns either.

I think it's safe to say WWE fired the wrong one of the Extreme Expose...

4. AJ Styles

Photo from http://www.ring-rap.com/2010/10/21/tna-impact-live-result-for-102110/

'The Phenomenal' AJ Styles is probably the face of TNA, as well as one of the most talented in-ring competitors on their roster. His high tempo, high flying style has been one of the bright spots of TNA over the years, and it's led him to multiple titles - including being the only man to have won the TNA Triple Crown more than one (at the time of writing, he's actually won it four times) - as well as a shedload of memorable matches. In short, when you watch an AJ Styles match, you can be pretty sure you're going to be entertained.

At the minute he's involved in the companys main storyline, and even though it's already recieved a lot of criticism, it has led to a couple of great matches at the last two PPV's, Slammiversary and Destination X. Styles has more than enough talent to be a star in WWE, but he seems happy to stay at the company that made him, and he deserves a lot of respect for that.

He's recently suggested that he could be coming towards the end of his career, so enjoy his talent while you can, TNA won't be the same without him.

3. Austin Aries

Photo from http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/2012/07/10/cm-punk-nigel-mcguinness-and-colt-cabana-react-to-austin-aries-tna-title-victory-at-destination-x/

Austin Aries won the big one at Destination X on Sunday, having held the X-Division title for ten months before trading it in for a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. During his reign as X-Division champion, Aries established himself as one of the most talented allround workers not just in TNA, but in modern wrestling. He's good on the mat and in the air, he's strong on the mic and he has plenty of charisma - there doesn't seem to be a weakness in his game.

Having only just won the World Heavyweight title, Aries' stock can still rise. He's bound to have a rematch with Roode in the near future (probably at Hardcore Justice), and he could put on great matches with any of the other top guys in TNA (if they weren't all faces, although TNA don't seem to have much probably with people randomly changing between face & heel to suit their needs, so they'll probably be fine in that regard). We've already seen him work excellent matches against Samoa Joe & Bully Ray, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Aries hold the belt for a similar amount of time as Bobby Roode did, if not even longer.

Should TNA manage to keep WWE away from Aries, it's likely that they could have found their top guy for the future, and a man who can take over from AJ Styles and the guaranteed entertainer in TNA, if he hasn't already.

All hail the 'Greatest Man That Ever Lived'.

2. Bobby Roode

Photo from http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/4349265/Bobby-Roode-Im-living-the-dream-wearing-TNA-gold.html

The man who calls himself the 'It Factor of Professional Wrestling' may have just lost his title, but his reign was undoubtedly the most successful of any man that's held the belt. Not only did he become the longest reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion of all time, but he went from tag team superstar to the most hated man in the company in the process. If you want to see how to book a heel champ, you'd be hard pushed to find many better examples that Bobby Roode.

During his time as TNA's world champ he's showed good wrestling skills and done some impressive mic work, but his general attitude is what has impressed me most. He's played the cowardly, yet arrogant heel brilliantly, and it will be interesting to see where he goes now he's dropped the belt.

Whatever happens to Roode now, TNA have shown that they know how to push someone to the top, and I'm confident that they'll continue to get the best out of Bobby for years to come.

1. Christopher Daniels

Photo from http://www.wrestlingforum.com/total-nonstop-action-wrestling/626385-how-awesome-christopher-daniels.html

Topping my first ever TNA Fave Five is the man who I think is one of the most underappreciated guys in the company, Christopher Daniels. He's a fantastic allround performer who's been in some of the greatest matches and rivalries in TNA history, and yet he almost always seems to get looked over when people talk about who the best guys in the company are.

Whether he's working on his own or as part of a tag team, Daniels has proven his ability in the ring time and time again, and he's also one of the best at working the crowd and finding or doing little things to make him stand out, such as the finger tape and the "World Tag Team Champions of the World, and no that's not redundant" line.

I didn't realise he was 41 years old until I started writing this bit on him, but that's just another reason to love him. He's pretty much TNA's version of Chris Jericho - great talker and wrestler, loads of charisma, excellent attention to detail, never really pushed as the top star he could've been, but still going strong towards the end of his career.

So yeah, congratulations Christopher Daniels. Go have yourself another Appletini, you deserve it.

Photo from http://cewshreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/tna-slammiversary-2012.html

Sara Del Rey & How WWE Can Learn From Chikara

Photo from http://illegalforeignobject.tumblr.com

With the recent news that Sara Del Rey has been offered a WWE contract, as well as the impending Chikara Grand Championship match between current champ Eddie Kingston and Miss Del Rey, it seems like the perfect time to discuss how Chikara have proven that women can play a major part in professional wrestling, and how WWE should take note of this when decided where to take the divas in the future.

As anyone who follows womens wrestling, or even independent wrestling in general, will tell you, Sara Del Rey is one of, if not the most talented female wrestler in the country. Some might even go as far as to say she's the best in the world. Wherever she ranks - according to PWI she's the tenth best wrestler in North America last year - she's undoubtedly near the top, and Chikara have been clever in utilising her skills to create what might well be the biggest match in their history, with the possible exceptions of some of the ROH-Chikara clashes that have happened over the years.

Photo from http://idontlikewrestling.tumblr.com/post/11022120823

Chikara.have taken advantage of Sara's excellent in-ring talent by pitting her against male opponents recently. They've also been doing this to a lesser extent with another female on their roster, Saturyne. This isn't something new for Del Rey, as she's worked with the guys for years, even facing off against the likes of Claudio Castagnoli (now Antonio Cesaro in WWE, for those who still don't know) and El Generico (this one actually happened in Chikara fairly recently). By allowing her to compete on an equal footing as the men, and even having her beat her male counterparts, Chikara have arrived at the point where they can book what is, to my knowledge, the first ever time a woman has challenged for the top title in a significant American promotion. Unsurprisingly, the match has attracted a great deal of interest, and it would be no shock if the pay per view event on which the match is taking place, The Great Escape, turns out to be one of their most successful shows ever.

With WWE seemingly set to sign the 'Queen of Wrestling', now might be a good time to look at how she has been utilised on the independent scene, and use this knowledge to help revitalise their womens division.

Should WWE complete the signing of Del Rey, they will have a significant number of female wrestlers on their books - Kharma, Beth Phoenix, Layla, Natalya, AJ, Eve, Alicia Fox, Tamina Snuka & Kaitlyn currently work on the main roster, with Paige, Sofia Cortez, Raquel Diaz, Caylee Turner, Summer Rae & the recently signed Buggy Nova in FCW and Kelly Kelly seemingly still on leave - so there is more than enough talent for a successful womens division, but the main problem is that most of the current divas have very little credibility left anymore. One way of helping to restore this credibility could be to follow Chikara's lead and have some of the top women occasionally compete against the men.

In the likes of Kharma, Beth Phoenix and Del Rey (as well as Sofia Cortez), WWE have talented women who can and have wrestled against men before, so by putting them against male opponents and having them hold their own they can help to re-establish the idea that these women are powerful, talented and (most importantly) worth watching, then when other women compete well against them they will also seem stronger by association. WWE have done something similar before with Chyna, and now seems to be the perfect time for them to repeat the process.

In all likelihood, rebuilding the reputation of the WWE womens division will be a slow process, but allowing some of the top women to compete against male opponents may help to speed it up somewhat, and could help WWE create female stars on a level with Trish Stratus & Lita, something they have been unable to do in the era of brief matches and minimal storylines. With the change to three hour RAW's coming in the next few weeks, and a new show scheduled to start later in the year, there will be plenty of extra time for WWE to fill in the coming months, and I can think of few better uses of this time than to help bring real womens wrestling back to a mainstream audience.

I've been saying it for ages, but I really feel that, with a little time and effort, WWE could produce a womens division as good as we've ever seen, although I never would've expected that one of the quickest and best paths to that goal would have been (re)paved by the little indy gem that is Chikara. Should the current indy inspired shakeup in WWE allow their ladies to finally fulfil their potential, however, I'll be one of the first to thank them...

A Tribute To The King Of The Jobbers

This article is a tribute to a man who gets a lot of hate from the good old IWC, but, more importantly, gets the crap beaten out of him on almost every WWE show. Most of the time it's a beating handed out by a WWE superstar, but sometimes he'll be crushed by a wrestling legend, a rapper, or even Cyndi Lauper. That's right, I'm talking about the "ONE MAN BAAAND BAYBAAYYY!", Heath Slater.

Photo from http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/who-should-be-the-next-slater-hater

I'll admit, I used to be a Slater Hater, but in the last few months I've found myself warming to him, and now he's only of my favourite guys on the main roster. I think that, because of his status as the go-to guy when someone needs to get humiliatingly beaten up, people tend to overlook all the good things he does, and when you start to look a bit closer you realise that he actually has a lot of great qualities, some of which I'm just about to outline. Even though he's the unofficial King of the jobbers now, I reckon he has enough going for him to become a very good addition to the Intercontinental or United States title scene, and here are a few reasons why...

The Way He Performs His Gimmick

His gimmick is stupid, yes, but he embraces the stupidity and does the best he can with it, which is basically just singing badly and doing air guitar. Slater deserves a lot of credit for his work, as it would've been easy for him to have thrown a wobbly, half-arsed it for a few weeks and faded into the background like a lot of people have when they've been given a weak gimmick, but he's gone for it and his charisma shines through, making it entertaining instead of cringeworthy or even just plain boring.

Just watch the segment from RAW a few weeks ago where Cyndi Lauper hit him with her gold disc and tell me he's not giving this gimmick everything he's got. He's clearly the standout performer in that segment too, and it also featured Rowdy Roddy Piper, who came second in WWE's recent 'Top 25 Masters of the Mic' list.

Simply put, the guy makes a bad gimmick enjoyable to watch, so imagine what he could do with a good gimmick.

His Mic Skills

It should be pretty obvious to even the bigger Slater Haters that he can talk on the mic well. He gets more chances to cut a promo than almost anyone else on the roster too, so it's clear that WWE agrees with me. Hell, he nailed the pre-match heel promo so perfectly that WWE have been getting Ryback's victims to copy him before their beatings.

He may not be dropping pipebombs or talking about his strudel. but he comes out almost every week and in a minute or two manages to make you want to see him get beaten up, even though you've already seen it (insert large number here) times before. He's also one of the few heels on the roster that actually manages to get decent heat without resorting to abuse and/or mockery of the crowd and/or city they're in.

Even when he's just coming out and stealing other peoples' catchphrases, he still manages to put his own bit of swagger in there to make it more entertaining and gain some extra heat.

His Look

It's pretty unique, I think we can all admit that. Not only does he stand out because of his hair, but he also wear stuff like this.

Image from http://www.allwrestlingsuperstars.com/heath-slater/heath-slater-wearing-hat

Just look at all that denim. What a hat as well. You won't see anyone else wearing that in the crowd, let alone in the WWE locker room. There's probably a reason for that, but still...unique.

His In Ring Skills

We may not get to see it very often, but Heath Slater is actually a pretty decent wrestler. He can obviously sell convincingly, hence his position as lead jobber, but when he does get to work a proper match he displays good technical skill and timing, as well as a few impressive moves. He's certainly good enough in the ring to be a champion, it's just a question of building him back up to a point where he could believably win a singles title. After all, if Santino can hold the US title for (at the time of writing) almost four months, why can't Slater have a similar run?

In Conclusion

Even though he'll never be a main eventer, or probably even reach the upper-midcard level that the likes of Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes currently occupy, I think that Heath Slater could be a good addition to the midcard title scene, or even the help re-establish the tag team division, considering his pedigree as a tag team competitor (three time champion with Justin Gabriel, for those who don't know).

He's better than many people give him credit for, and he seems to have a great knowledge and passion for wrestling, but ultimately it may be the case that he's too good as a jobber to ever be used any other way.

Either way though, Slaters gonna Slate.

FCW Spotlight 2 - Damien Sandow

LIGHTS!

Spotlight please.

The time has come for part two of my 'FCW Spotlight' series. As those of you who saw him in FCW (or just read the title) will have already realised, this article is on the intellectual saviour of the unwashed masses, Damien Sandow. Like the man in part one, Antonio Cesaro, he has already graduated from FCW to the main roster, and you can currently see him on SmackDown!, but he's new enough for me to count him. Besides, I've already said I was going to do one on him, and I'm a man of my word.

So here, for the benefit of you, the unwashed masses, is my spotlight on Sandow.

Photo from WWE.com via http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1230316-damien-sandow-the-next-breakout-star-does-wwe-know-it

Background

Sandow has a history with WWE, having previously appeared on the main roster as Idol Stevens, one of Michelle McCool's 'Teachers Pets' along with KC James. Ultimately, the duo were taken off television and Sandow was sent back to OVW, at the time WWE's developmental territory. He was later released and returned to the independent circuit, before rejoining OVW and winning the OVW Heavyweight Championship for the second time. He was re-signed by WWE in 2010, and made his debut as Sandow late in the year. In his time at FCW he won the Jack Brisco 15 Championship, and competed against most of the top prospects in the company.

My Take

Sandow has been extremely impressive in his first few appearances on SmackDown!, and he possesses plenty of attributes to suggest that he could be a valuable addition to the WWE roster, and would be able to work at or near main event level.

He's a very solid in the ring, with good technical ability and psychology, but he also brawls well, and he's more agile than many would expect, as we've seen from his rollthrough Russian legsweep and his post-match cartwheel. He also has a good look - from his scarf and gown to his purple and pink ring attire, everything about his appearance is different from the rest of the roster.

It's his mic skills that help him stand out most, though. He's cut numerous live promos in both FCW (where the 'lights, spotlight please' bit comes from) and WWE, and - despite speaking in a far more elaborate manner than anyone else on the roster - I can't remember him ever tripping over his words or losing track of what he was saying. His gimmick - that of a highly educated heel who considers himself better than the fans, and wants to 'help' them reach his level of sophistication - requires an excellent vocabulary and great mic skills, and Sandow has made it look easy so far, whilst also bringing a delightful twist to the gimmick.

When provoked, a switch seems to flip in him, and he turns from a calm, eloquent educator to a crazed, savage brawler, beating down his opponents with frenzied attacks before hitting his straightjacker neckbreaker and transforming back into captain culture, with only his psychotic smile giving away his dark(er) side. This seemingly minor addition gives Sandow some extra depth, and also helps to make him look like a more legitimate threat, whilst also providing a way for smart opponents to gain an advantage on him by making him lose his cool.

Whilst his gimmick may initally seem like one that will only work if Sandow is a heel, I believe that, with a few tweaks, it would work just as well for him as a face. Just drop change the method of helping the fans from educating them to removing the ignoramuses from the WWE, and you can happily have him go after Heath Slater, Jack Swagger or even possibly David Otunga, a Harvard educated ignoramus. At present though, there are more possible fueds for Sandow as a heel. I for one would like to see him, after he's done with Zack Ryder, move on to Santino Marella and rid him of the United States title, but he could concievably be put up against Brodus Clay, Christian, or maybe even Booker T. I would suggest Khali, but then he'd have to 'wrestle', so no.

---

Anyway, at present Sandow appears to be slotting in at around the same midcard level as Cesaro, if not slightly higher. Putting him in a feud and allowing him the chance to showcase his abilities in more detail would be wise, and with the right booking he could easily be considered a legitimate contender for one of the second tier titles in the very near future. Then again, this is something that could be said for a lot of the talent on the WWE roster, so it could still be difficult for Sandow to get a title shot without having to wait a long time.

In the long run, I can see Sandow fitting in comfortably at upper midcard level, having up a few US and Intercontinental title reigns and occasionally moving into main event matches and feuds to help put over current and/or potential main event talent. Despite not having any real flaws, I do feel that he may struggle to truly reach main event status without something being modified in his character, as - whilst he does possess a good deal of charisma - he doesn't scream 'main event star'. I can't quite put my finger on what it is that stops him being main event calibre to me, but he just seems to be missing that little special something that makes a top star. That said, I would be very happy to be proven wrong, as he is a favourite of mine, and I do feel he would do a very good job if pushed that far. In my head, he sits somewhere between Alberto Del Rio and Christian in potential (above ADR and below Christian, that is), which is still pretty damn good, just not quite CM Punk/Daniel Bryan good.

All in all then, Sandow is a very strong allround worker, with outstanding promo skills and an intriguing gimmick, but he ultimately lacks the 'x factor' that would make him an elite level talent. Nonetheless, he should have a great future in WWE, and could well become one of the best and most interesting heels we've seen in a long time. If you want a second opinion, then I suggest you check out Eonizzle's FCW Superstar Spotlight on Damien Sandow, but that's all you're getting from me.

You're welcome.

NXT: Redemption Is Dead, Long Live NXT

Okay, so with NXT: Redemption having finally ended, and the sixth season of NXT kicking off last week, now seems like a pretty good time to summarise my thoughts on season five of the show, and also look ahead to the potential highlights of this series. Whilst Redemption recieved a lot of criticism from those who'd grown weary of the brand after the divas got involved, the fifth series still managed to gain a cult following, and there were many who were very sad to see the show wind down, such as this guy, who I pretty much completely agree with.

From the time I first stumbled across it towards the end of 2011, I was one of the seemingly very small proportion of WWE viewers who watched Redemption every week. At first I found it decent, but not great, but as time went on I got to know the characters and understand their relationships with each other, and what they wanted to get out of their time on the show, and I began to love the show, to the point where I frequently enjoyed Redemption more than that weeks RAW or SmackDown. NXT displayed a level of character development and a complex series of interweaving stories and relationships that we haven't seen on the two flagship shows for a long time, and I think that's part of the reason why people became so fond of it.

We had Maxine's relationship with Derrick Bateman, which broke down as she moved on to Johnny Curtis, but then went back to Bateman after a wedding day revelation, only for him to leave her for her arch-rival Kaitlyn. Maxine & Curtis would be paired together again later in the series, but this time against their will, as Match Co-Ordinator William Regal handcuffed the duo to each other as punishment for their part in the kidnapping of Matt Striker, which was eventually revealed to have been masterminded by Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks, following Curtis' drugging of the long time NXT host in a plot to get Maxine time with Regal so she could try and convince him to grant her the one thing she'd always wanted - a move off the show. Striker was eventually freed by Bateman & Kaitlyn, and the trio discovered Hawkins & Reks involvement, which led to Regal making the two square off in the ring, then firing them. I could continue, but even I know there's such a thing as too much rambling.

Redemption was different to every other show WWE airs, and that was part of the appeal. At a time when RAW & SmackDown were cluttered up with long pre-WrestleMania promos, and subsequent replays of those promos, on NXT there was a small cast of young, talented workers, all of whom were billed equally, and all of whom got the chance to show the WWE universe that they were more than capable of stepping up and becoming interesting WWE superstars with a depth of character only recently seen on the main roster in the utterly stupendous AJ Lee. It was part wrestling show, part soap opera, and thoroughly entertaining.

Make no mistake, even though there was a lot of time given to storyline & character progression, NXT was still above all else a wrestling show, and despite being home to some inexperienced talent we still got to witness some outstanding matches, most notably in the feud between Tyson Kidd & Michael McGillicutty towards the end of the season (this rivalry appeal to be moving over to the new series, as they faced off in the main event of season six's opening show).

Everything about NXT: Redemption was perfectly suited to its roster and its standing within the heirarchy of WWE shows, and it offers plenty of pointers to it's bigger brothers on how to put together a true sports entertainment show without neglecting large parts of the roster, and I hope that the upcoming change to three hour RAW's sees some of the standout NXT talents get their chance to shine on the main roster. It was both a masterpiece in quirky, family friendly sports entertainment, and a throwback to the good old days of balanced rosters, well developed characters and interesting storylines, and I will always look back on the series as the peak of NXT, and the greatest wrestling show nobody watched.

Anyway, I've prattled on about Redemption for long enough, so now it's time to take a look at the new series of NXT and see what's in store, both in terms of the format and the roster.

Season six of NXT sees several changes from the format of Redemption, with the biggest change being that it's no longer filmed out on the road before SmackDown. Instead, we get to witness the next generation of superstars compete in front of crowds who actually came to see them, rather than Randy Orton or Sheamus, on the new set at Full Sail University, Florida.

This venue seems a more appropriate size for a show like NXT, containing only about 500 spectators, and it feels more like an indy show than a WWE program, but it benefits from this downsizing, as the awkward silences of the past are replaced by enthusiastic support from local fans, some of whom may already know the new talent, who have been working at WWE's developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling. Similarly, the venue may be more suitable for FCW talent, as it's only slightly larger than the FCW Arena, so they are not immediately thrown out in front of a crowd of thousands who don't know them at all, and they get the chance to develop a fanbase before moving to larger arenas, to (hopefully) a larger reaction than they would otherwise have recieved.

The other notable change between seasons 5 and 6 of NXT is that the backstage shenanigans of Redemption have been cut back, although not as badly as I first feared. Instead of becoming totally match focused, like Superstars, the first episode of season 6 featured several promo videos introducing the new talent, as well as a backstage segment with Johnny Curtis & Derrick Bateman, setting up their match on episode two of the new season. I'm hopeful that the Curtis/Bateman promo will be the first of many such skits, and that we will still be able to enjoy some of Redemption's backstage madness, but it does seem that the new series will be a mix of the earlier NXT seasons, Redemption, and Supertars. As long as they manage to strike the right balance between the three there shouldn't be any problems there, but if they drift too far towards a bland, match only show with no storylines (like Superstars) then the show, and the talent, could suffer.



In terms of the roster, it appears that some of the stars of Redemption will making the jump to Full Sail, as we've already seen Tyson Kidd, Michael McGillicutty, Derrick Bateman & Johnny Curtis appear in the first show of the series. We have also been promised occasional appearances from members of the main roster, with Damien Sandow appearing last week, and names like Hunico and World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus set to feature in upcoming episodes. It's the FCW talent, however, that will take centre stage this season, and there are plenty of very talented young workers - male and female - for fans to get excited about.

The first show saw Bo Dallas (formerly Bo Rotunda) beat Rick Victor, and Dallas is certainly one of the ones to watch. He's got wrestling in his veins - his father was Mike 'IRS' Rotundo, and his mother was the sister of Barry Windham. Also, his brother is fellow NXT cast member Bray Wyatt, who I'll talk about later. Despite having only turned 22 recently, Bo has already been a three time FCW Heavyweight Champion (the only man ever to have achieved this feat) and he looks set for a bright future in the comapny. His look is slightly unusual to me, possibly because of his scarily straight hair, and his promo skills aren't great, but he's a solid in-ring performer and he still has a lot of time to improve on his negatives.

Bray Wyatt may be familiar to some as Husky Harris, contestant on season 2 of NXT and member of the New Nexus. Since getting SuperCena'd back down to FCW he's changed his gimmick and now works as one of the best heels you're likely to see on the show. Unsettling and fascinating in equal measure, Wyatt has recieved many comparisons to Max Cady, the character played by Robert DeNiro in the film 'Cape Fear', and when his gimmick is put together with his size and wrestling ability, it seems certain that Bray Wyatt will become a top heel on the main roster very soon. He debuts this week, and I expect him to establish himself as one of the brightest stars on the show. Just don't expect Eli Cottonwood to be by his side, as he's been released.

When it comes to working under the shadow of your father though, Richie Steamboat trumps the rest of the FCW roster. The son of Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat, Richie displays the potential to be just as good as his dad, alhough I do feel his moveset needs to be added to before he can be considered ready for the main roster. That issue aside, there's very little holding Richie back. He's improved his look from his early babyfaced appearance, and can cut a good promo. His matches with Damien Sandow, and later Antonio Cesaro, over the Jack Brisco 15 Championship - a mid-level title usually contested in 15min Iron Man matches - showcased his in ring skill, and it would be no surprise to see him competing against the same two superstars on the main roster soon.

Another FCW standout who debuts this week is Seth Rollins. Formerly known as Tyler Black in Ring of Honour, Rollins has been one of the top talents on FCW, having held both the FCW Heavyweight title and the Jack Brisco 15 Championship, something nobody else has done. He's not the greatest promo cutter, but he's solid, has a good look and he brings an energetic yet technicaly sound style that will help to quickly get him over as a face when he hits the main roster. He's put on some excellent matches with other top FCW guys, most notably three excellent matches with Dean Ambrose, the latest of which took place on the FCW show that aired last weekend.

Stepping away from singles competitors briefly, I am compelled to mention The Ascension, who could well be the team that really makes the WWE's tag team division relevant again. They are totally unique in the current (reality) era, as they work under a gimmick that's most comparable to The Undertaker's 'Phenom' persona, even down to the intense entrance and apparent mystical powers. The duo, comprising NXT season 4 veteran Conor O'Brian and Kenneth Cameron, have been almost unbeatable in FCW (as far as I can recall, only FCW tag champs Graves & Carter have beaten them), and they started NXT in similarly dominant fashion, crushing Xavier Woods & CJ Parker after this promo, which is all I can offer up as the match has been blocked on YouTube. I really rate them as a team, and their gimmick is perfect for a quick rise to WWE tag team gold, so much so that WWE could put the belts on them before the year is out without it looking premature.

Returning to singles competitors, Kassius Ohno will no doubt join his former ROH tag partner Antonio Cesaro on the main roster in the near future. His puroresu/strong style influenced approach is different from most competitors in WWE right now, and he couples this with impressive technical skills, a good look, solid promo skills and surprising agility. Whilst it currently looks like he'll be working on his own, a reunion of the Kings of Wrestling is something that would revitalise WWE's tag team division significantly, so look for that somewhere down the line.

I've saved the best of the men for last, however. Dean Ambrose is, simply put, the most gifted allround talent yet to appear on the main roster. He's excellent in the ring, with surprisingly good technical and mat skills, and he cuts a brilliant promo, but the thing that makes him so good is how convincingly he works his gimmick. He always reminds me of Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight, but whatever the influences behind his deranged, sadistic character, he plays it so perfectly, right down to the way he walks, grunts and occasionally SHOUTS FOR NO REASON, that you believe he really is Dean Ambrose, and he really is that fucked up. He's so good, that when CM Punk paid a visit to FCW last year, he ended up squaring off against Ambrose. Expect to see that match on the main roster pretty soon. Oh, and he's also been part of a great love/hate angle with William Regal down in FCW, with a second encounter between the two set to finish off the FCW television shows, following Regal's win in their first meeting. Ambrose has the potential to be one of the greatest characters we've seen in a long time, and the sheer brilliance to be pretty much guaranteed to make it to the top, regardless of how badly he's handled by WWE. Remember the name Dean Ambrose, very soon you'll be hearing it a lot.

I've written far more than I intended to here, so I'll just quickly discuss the women and then call it quits. FCW's roster of women is possibly more talented than a large portion of the current divas, with Paige (formerly Britani Knight) and Sofia Cortez (Ivelisse Velez from the last series of Tough Enough) being the two standout performers, although Raquel Diaz (real name Shaul Guerrero, daughter of Vickie & Eddie) and Audrey Marie (possibly the closest thing to Mickie James you could get without hiring the real thing) could also become very good additions to the main roster in the future. I've not seen enough of Summer Rae (former Lingerie Football League star Danielle Moinet) to be able to judge her in ring skills yet, and Caylee Turner (Christina Crawford from Tough Enough, and sister of Alicia Fox) seems to have switched to ring announcing lately, so I can't really comment on her either.

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To summarise that massive load of text into a 'tl;dr' version...

- I loved NXT: Redemption.
- More WWE shows should try to copy Redemption's roster management and character development as well as its delightful mix of wrestling, comedy and soap opera.
- If you kidnap someone, don't leave your cane in the same room as them.
- If you frame someone to steal their girl, don't do it in front of a camera.
- Never use chloroform on Matt Striker, or hire him to play Elvis at your wedding.
- Michael Cole is actually pretty good sometimes.
- Maxine is amazing.
- If you've never watched an episode of NXT: Redemption, I urge you to do so.
- The stars of Redemption have enough ability and potential to merit a main roster push, and not just to job.

- The new series looks promising, and hasn't changed quite as much as I feared.
- The set is somewhere in between a WWE venue and the FCW Arena in terms of size, and this seems to fit the show better than taking NXT on the road.
- There is a lot of talent to keep an eye on.
- The Ascension will rise.
- Dean Ambrose is amazing. And mental.

So yeah, watch NXT. It's nowhere near as shit as you remember.

FCW Spotlight 1 - Antonio Cesaro

So, a bit later than planned, it's time to kick off my little series looking at some of the talent that has recently emerged in WWE's developmental facility, FCW. There are plenty of great workers to pick from, but I'll be starting with one of the recent additions to the SmackDown roster, and a man with a great reputation amongst fans of independent wrestling, Antonio Cesaro.

Photo from Miami Herald - http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/24/2766361/experienced-cesaro-getting-his.html

Background

Before joining WWE, Cesaro competed under his real name, Claudio Castagnoli, in various promotions across America and Europe, but he is best known for his work in Ring of Honour as part of the 'Kings of Wrestling' tag team with Chris Hero (now Kassius Ohno, someone who will also feature in the series). The duo won the Ring of Honour World Tag Team championship twice, as well as earning the 'Tag Team of the Year' award from Wrestling Observer Newsletter in 2010 amongst their many other accomplishments, which include a grand total of six tag team championships across four different promotions and the longest reign as tag champions in Ring of Honour history (364 days).

Cesaro has also won titles as a singles wreslter, most notably the Pro Wrestling Guerilla World Championship, and placed 44th in the 'Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500' in 2011, but he remains best known for his tag team work, and many fans of indy wrestling hope to see a KoW reunion in WWE in the near future.

My Take

I have already discussed Cesaro in this article, and although many of my opinions remain the same, I do feel that, having seen more of his work in WWE & FCW, I underestimated his mic work slightly in that article. His promos of late have been very good, and he's been backing it up with excellent ring work, including a fantastic match against Tyson Kidd on Superstars. Even though I do think his promos are better than I initially gave him credit for, I still feel he lacks charisma, and that could be the thing that holds him back slightly. His promos have been good, but they're just missing that spark that makes you really interested in a performer.

His European style is (like former partner Ohno's) very different to most of the current WWE roster, as, despite being very technical, it is also based around a lot of powerful strikes and grappling (in a good, William Regal-esque way, not a Zeke/Khali way), with the standout move clearly being the 'Very European Uppercut', formerly known as the 'Swiss Death' - a devastating European uppercut delivered to an opponent who is in midair. Sadly though, it seems like that is merely being used as a setup for his actual finisher, the 'Gotch Style Neutralizer', which looks a lot weaker and less impressive. Nonetheless, his style helps him standout, which is always desirable in WWE, and he undoubtedly has the in-ring ability to work at or near the main event.

In terms of where he currently fits in, that's an area where I think I was pretty close to the mark in my inital assessment. In the article I linked to in the previous paragraph, I suggested that Cesaro would struggle to get out of the midcard if he debuted as a singles competitor (more because of the number of people ahead of him than his actual ability), but he has performed very well and already looks like a credible challenger to the Intercontinental title. Whether he'll get a shot at the belt is another question, considering he's competing with guys like Damien Sandow, Ryback, former champ Cody Rhodes and possibly even a returning Sin Cara, but he certainly merits consideration for a shot at the IC title because of his unusual & interesting style and ability to put on a good match. Cesaro, for me, currently sits at in a good position for someone who has only recently debuted, as a rising member of the midcard, but how much higher will he be able to climb?

Assuming there is no Kings of Wrestling reunion in the pipeline, I think that Antonio Cesaro will find himself as a solid upper-midcarder, competing for the Intercontinental and United States titles, and he may even occasionally find himself sniffing around the main event, but I don't believe he will ever become a true main event WWE superstar.

In a way, though, that's a good thing, because the midcard will benefit greatly from having such an accomplished wrestler in its midst - Cesaro's in-ring skill and ability to craft a match will make him invaluable when it comes to helping other talent break into contention for main event status, and he will help to bring back prestige to a couple of titles that have been devalued almost to the point of irrelevance in recent years. I can see him holding both the IC and US titles at least two or three times, and developing into a vital part of the upper-midcard, but let's be honest...we all want a Kings reunion somewhere down the line, don't we?

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As previously mentioned, there is a similar series to this on YouTube, which inspired me to do my own version here, so if you wish to compare my opinions to those of someone else I encurage you to click on this link and listen to Eonizzle's 'FCW Superstar Spotlight' for Antonio Cesaro.

Part two of my series will look at Damien Sandow. It'll be up...somewhen.

An Introduction To FCW Spotlight - The Greatest WWE Contracted Wrestlers The WWE Universe Has Never Heard Of

Okay, so this is a little feature I'm going to try and do a few of over the next few weeks, in which I will pick out some of the best talent that is (or has been) on the FCW roster in the last few months. This was an idea I had a few months ago, and one that someone else also had around the same time, but that I've only just got around to starting on. As with the series I've just linked to, I will be giving my own opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of the selected wrestlers, but unlike in that series I won't be offering up detailed ideas regarding the booking of their debut, or giving out scores. I'll just be giving a brief bit of background for the person in question, doing some (probably shoddy) analysis and giving a prediction for where they could fit in the WWE heirarchy upon their debut, as well as where I see them slotting in long term.

There are plenty of superstars (and divas) I could write about, but for the moment I'll start with the guys who have just appeared on WWE televison - Antonio Cesaro and Damien Sandow. For those who can't wait for my efforts, and want to hear opinions on these guys RIGHT NOW!!, I heartily recommend listening to Eonizzle's take on both men, which can be found here (Sandow) and here (Cesaro).