Grading the newbies

[Postman Dave]

Ahead of Mr. McMahon's evaluation of John Laurinaitus this week, let's have a look at the newcomers that have swamped WWE TV since Wrestlemania and see who has made the most impact. Also vote for your favourite in the poll up top. Reasons for grades please, don't just give a grade and leave.

Tensai - Bad break for Albert, fans have just not caught on to Tensai despite high profile wins. Relegated to Superstars twice and took his first loss Monday night, rumours continue to circulate surrounding the guys future. F

Ryback - Best of the bunch IMO, destruction and carnage where ever he goes. Recently upgraded to Raw, he continues to use new moves to hurt people with every match. A

Antonio Cesaro - Only two matches on TV so far, has looked good but hasn't been given nearly half the air time some of the others have. Need to see more. C

Damien Sandow - Love this gimmick, Sandow has become instantly hated. hopefully he gets a big feud soon. A

Prime Time Players - Love the gimmick, but the tag division ain't where it's at if you wanna go far. Don't seem to be in line for a tag title shot any time soon, and when the tag division is as shallow as the WWE's, that ain't good. B

A.W. - Looked like he was building a decent stable of undercarders, but hasn't been seen on TV in weeks. Not looking good for A.W. D

 

[Sabretooth]

In alphebetical order.

Antionio Cesaro - He looks dominant but hasn't been featured long enough to think anything yet.
C+

A.W. - His All World stable gimmick has been good so far. But knowing wwe, they'll put a stop to it. But considering the story isn't officially dead yet he doesn't get that bad of a grade.
B-


Damien Sandow - I love his gimmick. He's looked really dominant with his pink trunks. He has great things in his future. However this is the kind of gimmick that gets boring quickly.
A-

Impact Players- They're entertaining but kind of annoying and the fans think they're wierd. They have skill but they just lost to Santino and Ryder in two minutes. They could make a splash but I'm not counting on it
C


Ryback - nothing much to say here. Total domination of everything in his path.
A+


Tensai - Oy Vey. This guys run has been ridiculous. He gets no reaction from the crowd because they cant get over Albert, WWE abandoned his push because of his "poor in ring work" and he's been brought to Superstars despite beating John Cena and CM Punk. This guy can't be around much longer.
F-

 

[Hoss]

Tensai: I won't lose faith in Tensai just yet. He ended up not being what WWE thought he'd be but they've got no one but themselves to blame for that. Putting him over Cena shows they want to do something with him at some point, maybe just now now. D

Ryback: The undisputed cream of the crop, without a doubt. Unmatched intensity, superior entertainment value, and the best catchphrase in wrestling today contribute to his greatness. A

Antonio Cesaro: His look is almost enough for me to believe that WWE will eventually push him. Despite not making any sort of splash upon his debut, thanks to a dead end feud with Teddy Long, his debut match was killer and he's not going away for a while, I believe. C

Damien Sandow: His gimmick is off the chain and I don't even mind that he isn't wrestling yet. I am a bit worried that he's destined to flounder a bit, much like Tensai and Cesaro once he does begin to wrestle, so I can't quite give him an A, though he's a high B. B

Prime Time Players: I'm not a fan of Darren Young and I'm not a fan of Titus O'Neil. I am however a fan of the Prime Time Players. They're just like a black E&C it would seem, only the WWE doesn't have the faith yet to push them against the champs. That devalues them a bit, plus, I'm still not astounded by their in-ring work. They're not bad, but they're not super good either. C

AW: Well the good news is that WWE is giving/gave a stable another shot. The bad news is I have little to no interest in Primo, Epico, or Mason Ryan, so this All World deal isn't going to blow me away no matter which way they spin it. D

Brodus Clay: He wasn't included in the OP and he did appear before 'Mania, but I don't care, he's still a newcomer. And he's a good addition to the roster, imo. He's the new Dusty Rhodes with a twist, imo, and I think he'll serve the WWE well as a gatekeeper that can be used to push guys to the next level. Plus, unlike most, I love seeing him dance still. B

 

[Death Dealer]

I love em all but Sandow is fucking great.

 

[Fuji Vice]

Tensai - He's finally starting to show some signs of life and his match with Cena on Monday was by far the best he's had since he's been back. I don't think creative did him any favours, but I have faith he is salvageable. D

Ryback - Highly entertaining squash matches are super fun, but where is it all going? B

Antonio Cesaro - Based solely on how awesome a wrestler is, I should give him a better grade, but he's really done nothing since debuting, so I'm going middle of the road for him. C

Damien Sandow - Easily the best new guy, Sandow has all the tools to be the breakout star of the year. Everything about this guy works, and if he's given the right people to work with, I see great things for him in the near future. A

Prime Time Players - Millions of dollars should hopefully be able to buy them some actual in-ring skills. I don't love them, but I don't hate them either. C

A.W. - I saw him on television a couple of times and it appears his stable angle may be dropped. Can't say I'm surprised in this bi-polar era of WWE creative. D[/]