While I could write a piece like this and say guys like Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes are the future of wrestling then give myself a pat on the back in a year or two when they both become world champions, I prefer not to take an easy route. Instead, here is a prediction of five guys who are low down the ladder right now - five guys I believe could be the future of wrestling.
5. Curt Hawkins
Already you're questioning my judgment I can sense - of the two former Major Brothers, why would I choose Curt Hawkins over Zack Ryder? First off, Curt Hawkins has untapped potential and though he is not as funny as Ryder is, he has a little more star presence, is better on the microphone and is a decent wrestler. While Zack Ryder may be getting weekly appearances on television right now, he will peak as a wrestler in his comedy act and become typecast in that role. Hawkins has not suffered this same fate. The NXT regular is being kept around by WWE because he has the right tools to be a decent wrestler sometime in the future. At a young age of 26, he has barely reached his limit.
4. Gunner
When Gunner beat two world champions in a row on Impact last year, in the form of Mr. Anderson and Sting, eyes were opened to the potential of this TNA rookie. Gunner has the intense presence to pull of being a credible main event heel and he is one of the main beneficiaries coming out of the Immortal era, currently enjoying being managed by two legends of the game - Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff. Though it remains to be seen if the new TNA creative writing team gets behind younger guys as much as Vince Russo did, Gunner has everything to take it to the next level if given the opportunity.
3. Magnus
You have to give credit to Magnus for doing something nobody has been able to do for about two years - help get Samoa Joe over and reinvigorate him. When Magnus and Joe were paired together as a wild-card tag team just over a month ago, many thought it was just a case of giving Joe something to do in the mid-card again. But the tag team has proved a succesful act and Magnus is a large part of that success. When he took the microphone in front of 8000 fans at Wembley Arena on the UK Impact show, he displayed the confidence and skills of a veteran. His ring work is also great for a guy so young and he throws a mean elbow drop from the top rope. All of this and he is only in his mid-twenties. Surely with another 15-20 years left on his career, Magnus could be one of the next big things.
2. Jinder Mahal
With the success of the TNA-backed Ring Ka King promotion in recent weeks on Indian television (It pulls in 14million viewers a week, 10million more than Raw does in the U.S.), Indian wrestling is having a boom period right now. WWE's Great Khali is also already a major star in his homeland India - a force of nature, but without the wrestling skills. Now WWE have an Indian wrestler who does have the wrestling skills, the image and the star presence. A similar size to the likes of Randy Orton, Jinder Mahal is a decent wrestler who could be a huge act given the right push. He isn't technically from India as he is Canadian, but he has Indian parents and speaks hindi - which he does on TV in his heel persona. If WWE is branching in to new markets and want to capitalise on the success of Indian wrestling at the moment, Jinder Mahal could be one of their next top acts. He is only in his mid-twenties and has plenty of time left to blossom in to becoming a major star.
1. Percy Watson
I have put Percy Watson at number one for a reason, and that reason is because I believe about five years down the line he could be the next huge star in wrestling, at the level of a John Cena or The Rock. Watson has everything it takes to be a WrestleMania headlining wrestler - the star presence, the charisma, the looks, the in-ring ability, the mic work. At the moment he is an unpolished diamond, but with a few years of experience and working his way up the card he could be the next big thing. Anybody who watches NXT on a weekly basis will testify that he definitely has something, though all may not be convinced he has the potential to be the next face of the WWE.
When I compare Percy Watson to The Rock, I say it for a reason. He truly reminds me of a young Dwayne Johnson - mainly for his image, which closely resembles that of his Rocky Maivia persona as he made his debut in the mid-nineties. Like Rock, he stands tall at around 6'6 and has the gift of athleticism that few men his size have. His reverse body splash is a unique and fun move and it is the type of dynamic move that will help him get over with the fans. It is a big bet from me to say an NXT rookie could be the next face of wrestling, but who would have thought that about a young "Stunning" Steve Austin or Rocky Maivia in the early days of their careers?
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