WWE Looking for new "Top Guy"

[Troy]

Exactly my point in saying why can't it be someone like Ryder? He's well-beloved, good on the mic and actually really good in the ring. He's not like any other top guy but that's what's so great about him in my eyes.

The issue that I think quite a few have with Ryder as the top guy is that he is to gimmicky and goofy. Everyone sees top stars are more serious wrestlers and his current gimmick is quite comical, that is why Santino will never be the top guy with his current gimmick. With Ryder if he did alter his gimmick a little and dropped a bit of the comedy for a slightly more serious side then it could work. He has the main talent a top star needs, the ability to get over with fans so he is halfway there already.

 

[Chriss]

Ryder needs a new gimmick, that's all. First I would turn him heel like they turned Big Show. He would come out and say that people never cared about him, blah, blah, blah. How he is a new man and all of that stuff. He for sure has the ability to be a top guy but not with this gimmick. But if WWE would wanna build him like this, it would took them like 2-3 years so it would be pointless.

 

[Troy]

I wouldn't turn him heel, he is a big merchandise seller so why risk that. He can still be a face he just needs to tweak the gimmick a bit. Keep the catchphrases but act more seriously in the role.

 

[Killz]

Ryder needs to drop that damn goofy grin and quit having promos that last 3 seconds (admittedly not his fault) that consist of 'WOO WOO WOO, you know it' and then he can be taken seriously. Even WITH all that stuff and all the faux injuries the crowds would still pop for his offense against guys like Kane so they obviously like the guy as a sort of underdog. He works because he's "like a fan" and has that innocence about his character but it's way too OTT. If he changes it up you could be looking at a solid mid-card talent.

Imo, without territories, WWE are going to rely on old-timers for a while yet. When the time comes they will rely on the guys in NXT that have exposure (Xavier Woods), that have indy experience (Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins), or that have amateur wrestling experience (Dolph Ziggler?) so those guys would be my picks. Throw in the likes of Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes in the upper midcard and I think you have your next 'top guy' somewhere lost in there.

I still think it will be Dolph. That guy NEEDS the ball. Never before have I seen someone held off from 'the big one' for so long and yet works the ring like he does. As opposed to being the next 'top guy' I think Dolph will be your next Shawn Michaels. Universally respected and endlessly entertaining.

 

[ThatGuyFromNukemHigh]

I wouldn't turn him heel, he is a big merchandise seller so why risk that. He can still be a face he just needs to tweak the gimmick a bit. Keep the catchphrases but act more seriously in the role.

Edge, Triple H, & Jericho managed to sell a damned good amount of merch as the heel. The last Smackdown Live event that was here, I showed up 20 minutes late, and all the NO! shirts were gone, and only a couple Its Not Showing Off shirts remained. Remember those big pure rubber 80's toys? Andre, Savage, & Steamboat were the hardest to track down, and at the time of release only Steamboat was face. I could even go on about how other toy lines the villains sell out first, then the hero, and by the end the only one you can find is the female from the set.

Anywho, If I had to come up with 5 names that would be groomed to become the future, I have to say they are all heavily featured on NXT. Rollins, McGuilicutty, Kidd, Langston, & Steamboat. Rollins although his mic work needs some work, his natural charisma is there and that is the "IT" factor that cannot be taught. Steamboat is looking to be the total package, solid in ring work, solid mic work, and has that look that should go over well with the female viewers. Langston is just huge, look at what Big Show has done. Kidd & McGuilicutty have proven time & time again they put on the best matches in WWE in the last year, even after seeing it for the millionth time I still enjoy their chemestry.

All have something going for them that could take them to the next generation carrying the torch.

 

[Troy]

Edge, Triple H, & Jericho managed to sell a damned good amount of merch as the heel. The last Smackdown Live event that was here, I showed up 20 minutes late, and all the NO! shirts were gone, and only a couple Its Not Showing Off shirts remained. Remember those big pure rubber 80's toys? Andre, Savage, & Steamboat were the hardest to track down, and at the time of release only Steamboat was face. I could even go on about how other toy lines the villains sell out first, then the hero, and by the end the only one you can find is the female from the set.

Anywho, If I had to come up with 5 names that would be groomed to become the future, I have to say they are all heavily featured on NXT. Rollins, McGuilicutty, Kidd, Langston, & Steamboat. Rollins although his mic work needs some work, his natural charisma is there and that is the "IT" factor that cannot be taught. Steamboat is looking to be the total package, solid in ring work, solid mic work, and has that look that should go over well with the female viewers. Langston is just huge, look at what Big Show has done. Kidd & McGuilicutty have proven time & time again they put on the best matches in WWE in the last year, even after seeing it for the millionth time I still enjoy their chemestry.

All have something going for them that could take them to the next generation carrying the torch.

I never said that heels don't sell well, NWO were the biggest heel group and they sold a ton of merchandise. But Zack Ryder himself sells so well as a face even when he is rarely used on television so I don't see why you would risk that just yet. Continue to milk it for all you can before even considering turning him heel. If they turned him now after barely using him in any meaningful stories in television they could risk completely destroying his run and he could completely drop off the radar. Build him up more, keep selling that merchandise and when he is really over and in meaningful feuds then maybe consider turning him.

 

[ThatGuyFromNukemHigh]

I took it wrong then, sounded like "heels cant sell merch, so dont turn him" when I read it, which is an arguement I have had on other sites.

Regardless, I dont see what everyone else thinks they see in Ryder. Do I have to watch some stupid youtube video to get it? because he does not show me anything when he gets on TV. I could probably get a bigger pop saying "SCUTTLEBUTT" than he does saying Woo Woo Woo!

 

[Rated R Superstar]

If I was really pushed to choose someone to take over from John Cena I would pick Kofi Kingston. He is well over with the fans and they love him. His feud with Randy Orton 2-3 years back was decent, I didn't expect to see him putting Orton through a table. It was a surprise to see him being booked to look that strong. If anyone is ready he is. Wrestlers like Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes will never be anything but midcarders, they just live off their parents history. Whoever WWE decide to go with it will be interesting. Whether they make the right decision is another thing.

I fail to see how Cody is living off of his father's history. Sure, they mention it, but Cody is nothing like his father. Right now he has the makings of a top heel. When I look at Cody, I don't see a single hint of his father. Ted also doesn't really look like he does either. That whole Million Dollar son thing they had going certainly didn't help him, but since then, he's been kind of doing his own thing.

 

[Tapout]

God damn, not EVERYONE needs to be freaking heel. I think Ryder going heel would be the finally bullet that kills him. He doesn't need to be heel. He just needs to be booked more seriously. Cena is a goofy and he is still heel. Because he is booked strong. If Ryder turned heel he might get a world title run but it would be like the Miz. He would be booked the whole time as the coward and getting cheap wins. Then when he loses he will fall off the map again. Ryder CAN be the top star, and he can do it while being face, he just needs to be booked a little bit more seriously. Have him get some clean wins over some big names, and start to show a little more aggression and edge. A heel turn would be a flop in my opinion.

 

[chefboyardee]

its gonna be either ryback or seth rollins.if sandow ever turns face he will be huge.remember the top guy usually has to be face unless your michaels or flair and nobody is .

 

[Chriss]

God damn, not EVERYONE needs to be freaking heel. I think Ryder going heel would be the finally bullet that kills him. He doesn't need to be heel. He just needs to be booked more seriously. Cena is a goofy and he is still heel. Because he is booked strong. If Ryder turned heel he might get a world title run but it would be like the Miz. He would be booked the whole time as the coward and getting cheap wins. Then when he loses he will fall off the map again. Ryder CAN be the top star, and he can do it while being face, he just needs to be booked a little bit more seriously. Have him get some clean wins over some big names, and start to show a little more aggression and edge. A heel turn would be a flop in my opinion.

Comparing Ryder to Cena when it comes to goofyness is like comparing Kane and Mark Henry when it comes to fatness.

 

[Kahuna]

WWE fucked themselves by the over exposure and consistency of Cena. They have neglected many guys in the past five years or so who could have been elevated to take the torch but they were all pushed under him or recycled with ridiculousness. Cena isnt going anywhere for a long time, he will outlast everyone simply because there is no one else on the level, and with WWE going in its current direction there is no real chance for someone to break out and say "Im changing the business." because its already been morphed so much by WWE and Cena in so many ways thats its unfathomable to even think they could build up someone to that level

 

[Nevermore Arcanum]

God damn, not EVERYONE needs to be freaking heel. I think Ryder going heel would be the finally bullet that kills him. He doesn't need to be heel. He just needs to be booked more seriously. Cena is a goofy and he is still heel. Because he is booked strong. If Ryder turned heel he might get a world title run but it would be like the Miz. He would be booked the whole time as the coward and getting cheap wins. Then when he loses he will fall off the map again. Ryder CAN be the top star, and he can do it while being face, he just needs to be booked a little bit more seriously. Have him get some clean wins over some big names, and start to show a little more aggression and edge. A heel turn would be a flop in my opinion.

My sentiments exactly. Before turning someone heel, they (usually) make sure that the guy in question can pull off
a heel character, and casting Ryder as a heel would be the equivalent of casting Sandow as a diva.

I don't really think anyone on the roster right now could do it. Not because they haven't been pushing guys, they
could do that anytime they wanted. It's because they don't have too many guys that fit the WWE's "top guy"
formula. 1.Big 2.Baby faced 3.American 4.White (unless transitional) 5. WWE created

 

[Defiant]

Ryder should be booked as an underdog. The driving force behind Zack's popularity in the first place is fans rallying together and making noise to get this young, overlooked kid we like some TV exposure. Once you take that away and push him to the top, how much appeal does he have left?

I think Zack has everything he now needs to become a solid mid carder, but I wouldn't dream of WWE having him headline Wrestlemania, or any PPV for that matter.

 

[chefboyardee]

im not sure how this turned into the zack ryder thread.the iwc eventually needs to face the facts.hes never going to be any more than an upper midcard face at very best.he isnt even at that level yet.right now hes almost the modern equivelent of a jobber.face it iwc hes a midcard talent no more no less.think koko b ware hillbilly jim ,steve blackmon,al snow.thats what ryders career will be like.period.get over it.move on.