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A peek into wrestling's future
By
MARK XAMIN - SLAM! Wrestling
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Professional sports teams have scouts sprawled out across the globe searching
for the next Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, Brett Favre, or Nolan Ryan. Professional wrestling works slightly differently, but with many
similarities.
In recent years, with the advent of the internet, independent wrestling
promotions have had the ability to gain popularity through DVD sales and the
ability to promote events with relative ease. Ring of Honor is a shining
example. Like professional sports, most wrestlers who crack into the business
have one goal in mind -- to make it to the WWE. The WWE has several trusted
representatives take in the occasional indy show, watch a DVD here and there,
and take note of any stand out performers that they think would succeed in the
mainstream. ROH has produced such stars as CM Punk, Jamie
Noble, A.J.
Styles, Samoa Joe, Paul
London, Brian
"Spanky" Kendrick, Mickie
James, and a plethora of future stars that most casual fans will come to
know in the years ahead. ROH has, in fact, become something along the lines of
the "new old" ECW -- the same ECW that produced stars like Rob Van Dam, Tazz, The
Dudley Boys, Sabu, Tommy
Dreamer, the late Mike
Awesome, Tajiri, Sandman,
and many others.
So, who are the stars of tomorrow? If you ask me, we have to stick to the ROH
roster to find the best of the best, and right now there are so many terrific
young stars in the making in Gabe Sapolsky's now well-respected promotion that
you can't help but feel optimistic about wrestling's future.
As far as tag team wrestling is concerned -- something of a lost art in the WWE
these days -- you don't need to look any further than The Briscoes. They have
earned such respect and accolades from fans and fellow wrestlers alike that they
actually took over the main event scene in 2007. Think about that. Tag team
titles being contested in the main event rather than the ROH World title. We
haven't seen that since the NWA glory days when the Midnight Express was
headlining.
Canadians Kevin
Steen and El Generico, while not quite ready for the mainstream yet, are
loaded with potential. Incredibly entertaining, the duo is primed to explode in
2008. While both are very gifted singles wrestlers, they are undoubtedly at
their best when they are together.
In the singles department, "American
Dragon" Bryan Danielson is the cream of the crop. If there is any
independent wrestler in the world who is poised for more stardom than Bryan
Danielson, I would love to see him. Trained by Shawn
Michaels, Danielson has carried Ring of Honor on his shoulders since the
departure of CM Punk. In 2006, he wrestled hour-long broadways with a separated
shoulder for some four months, just so he could follow through with the planned
program to drop the title to Homicide
at the end of the year. His mic skills are on par with The Heartbreak Kid
himself, and he can generate so much heat that the he could be considered a fire
hazard. He can make any opponent look like a star. His 2006 bouts with Nigel
McGuinness catapulted the current ROH World Champion into a perennial main
eventer. His hour long match with Colt
Cabana -- the same match that he separated his shoulder five minutes in --
turned Cabana from a mid-card comedy act to a legitimate title contender; that
is, until the WWE scooped him up. Dragon's blood feud with Takeshi Morishima was
featured on ROH pay-per-views and were some of the best matches of the year. His
greatness has been evident since 2002, way back when ROH was running shows out
of the Murphy Rec Center in Philadelphia. I could go on and on about Danielson,
but if TNA or WWE wants the best technician since Bret Hart,
they'll be all over him as soon as his ROH contract expires.
Nigel McGuinness, the current ROH World Champion, is gifted both in the ring and
on the mic. He plays one of the best heels I have seen in years. Not quite as
effective as a babyface, McGuinness is an Englishman who would likely be stuck
in the high mid-card scene in the WWE, but who would be able to play a Jake "The
Snake" Roberts type role, getting wrestlers ready to take on the champion.
At least, that's how I see him at his most effective. McGuiness was to the ROH
Pure Title as Samoa Joe was the ROH World Title. He carried the division and
drew in crowds, and when you can do that, the big boys have to take
notice.
What about women's wrestling, though? The WWE runs the ridiculous diva search
every year. Basically they take models and try to turn them into professional
wrestlers. Sure, they've had a certain amount of success. They discovered Maria
Kanellis, who will be gracing the cover of Playboy this month. Melina,
Michelle McCool, Candice
Michelle, and Christy
Hemme were all products of the diva search. But if the WWE wants to
legitimize the women's division, they need more Mickie James and Beth Phoenix
types. Take a look at the TNA Knockout Division. Amazing Kong is no looker, but
she has more heat than every WWE diva combined. And she can work. ROH's sister
promotion, SHIMMER, has a dazzling array of women wrestlers who are not only
incredibly good looking, but they can work, too. Lacey would be an excellent fit
in the WWE. Her long legs rival that of Stacy
Keibler, and her ring-work is on par with Mickie James. Sara Del Ray is
perhaps the best women's wrestler on the planet right now, and is more than
attractive enough to play a role on WWE television. If the WWE is serious about
its Women's Division, someone should send them a SHIMMER DVD.
If you're looking to see what the next generation of talent in professional
wrestling looks like, pick up an ROH DVD or two and see for yourself. The WWE
has been doing the same, and ROH graduates have a high success rate. CM Punk,
Paul London, Brian Kendrick, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, and most others are living
proof. With Colt Cabana working under a WWE developmental project, you will
probably be able to add him to the list as well.
Indeed, the future looks bright for professional wrestling -- or sports
entertainment, whichever you prefer. The next two or three years should see an
influx of new talent that could very well be the stars of tomorrow.
RELATED LINK
Previous Mat Matters Editorials
Visit the SLAM! Wrestling store!
Shimmer - Women Athletes Vol. 1 DVD
ROH: Chi-Town Struggle DVD
Dangerous Divas - Lacey DVD-R
Mark Xamin is tired of watching stiffs like Snitsky and Khali wasting space
on the roster when so much potential is sitting down in Ring of Honor. He would
also like to give honorable mention to Jimmy Jacobs, who is entertaining as
hell. If you know of any independent wrestler who deserves some recognition,
send him a name and he'll try to get his name out there. He's awesome like that.
You can e-mail him at mark_xamin@canoemail.ca.
