We are in an interesting time for the WWE. Stars are being born by the minute, and WWE is looking towards the future. Young guys are being pushed left and right, leaving some older talent on the outside looking in. Over the past year, we've seen talents such as Carlito, MVP, Shelton Benjamin and others get released due to the influx of youngsters getting the push over them.
There were a lot of casualties in 2010, but will the trend continue in 2011? Certainly with the talents I suggested yesterday getting pushed, someone would have to lose steam. More specifically, a few someones.
So who will they be? To clarify, being on the "5 on the decline" list does NOT mean that I am predicting the talent to be released from the WWE. What the list does mean is that these talents are expected to have less exposure, move down the card, or simply have less success than the prior year. Let's look at who these talents might be:
5. Kane - As good as his title run was this year, I feel like it was a "thanks for your years of service" title run. Yes, the story with his brother was intriguing for a while, but after a string of lackluster matches, people lost interest. The same could be said of his feud with Edge. I suppose the conclusion here is that Kane as champion was nice for the fans who have been around a while, but in terms of moving towards the future, Kane won't be a big part of it. He's over 40 and while not showing his age in the ring like Undertaker, certainly isn't putting on a 5 star match anytime soon. I believe he'll still be important in 2011, but in a role of putting over the younger talent again. In either a face or a heel role, Kane will always be intimidating, so keep him on Smackdown and let some young guys get a big win over "the devil's favorite demon" (man do I hate that nickname!)
4. DH Smith - When a tag team splits, there is often one guy pushed over the other. It's already evident that Tyson Kidd is getting the push over his much larger former tag team member, and this could be bad news for hte son of the Bulldog. While he has the size and wrestling ability to make it in the industry, Smith has never shown an ounce of personality. If he could show some, he would be ideal as a midcard babyface, but I'm not sure I see it happening. Thus, he is left with nowhere to go. I might consider putting him in a tag team to salvage his career, but there's a decent chance that we see Smith's name on a future endeavors list in 2011. I like the guy, but this split may have been the end of him.
3. Rey Mysterio - On a personal note, I'm hoping for this one to come true, and I think it already is starting. For the last couple of years, it has been incredibly frustrating to watch the little big man win countless feuds that he had no business winning. As he makes his way towards age 40, he needs to realize that he is NOT the future of the industry. The guy has done a lot in his time, but it's time to start giving back. It has finally started, as Rey has been steadily putting over fellow Mexican Alberto Del Rio. Obviously, Del Rio is about to become huge, so becoming THE Mexican star would be a big rub for him. Now, it's time to put over some people from other countries. As a top babyface, Rey can work with countless young heels like Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Tyler Reks, Nexus members, and more. He can play such an important role in making these guys look good and building the future of the company. I hope he relishes this role, and he will still be important to the WWE, but he no longer has to hog the spotlight. He'll get plenty of PPV matches still, but maybe this year, he'll actually lose a few. One can only hope.
2. Evan Bourne - I love this guy. He is everything I'd hope to be as a WWE superstar, probably because I'm about the same size as him. However, his major push may be over. Keep in mind that WWE was pushing him for two reasons: 1) because Cena recommended they do so, and 2) to get audiences behind a smaller competitor with the inevitable debuts of Kaval and Daniel Bryan coming. Of course, Kaval is already gone, but with Bryan fully entrenched as US champ, where does that leave Bourne. The dude was main eventing shows with Cena before he got hurt and somehow, I doubt that's going to happen again. If I had to predict, I'd say Bourne gets drafted to Smackdown, where he might get a shot at the Intercontinental title. Still, if you aren't on Cena's show and associated with Cena, it has to be seen as a step down and I think Bourne is going to have to build himself back up again. Injuries can derail a career, and Bourne's going to have to bust his ass to avoid that happening to him.
1. Most of the members of the Nexus - It's kind of inevitable. This was a group put together to give Wade Barrett backup since he was the NXT competitor officials wanted to push. It was great for these guys as they got prime TV time every week, but it was at the expense of building unique characters for themselves. That's not to say that none of these guys can succeed on their own, but once Nexus disbands, and I'm pretty sure that is going to happen in 2011, it has to be seen as a step down for all of them to not be associated with the group. I do think every guy still in the group has the chance to succeed on their own, but it won't be easy. Without a group behind you, your succeed is solely based upon YOU. I'm not sure who has shown that ability just yet. It seems that David Otunga will get every chance to succeed right off the bat, and Justin Gabriel seems to be the most polished in the ring. It should be interesting to follow these talents as the year goes on, but either way, when we talk in January of 2012, I think we'd be hard pressed to say that all of the members of Nexus are having just as much success as they had with the group. Need proof? Ask Ted Dibiase how he's doing today......
I tried to stay away from the lower card talent that will probably get released, as they would be easy pickings for a list like this. Then again, is being released when you are doing nothing really a decline? It might not be, as greener pastures may be found on the independent circle. The men mentioned in this article are those that I feel are getting prominent time now and will see a reduced role next year. We are still in the midst of a youth movement, and the WWE will continue to tinker with their roster, just as they always do. I sincerely hope the older talents embrace their roles in working with the younger generation, as next year could really solidify these young talents as the future of the company. We could be on the verge of a real wrestling boom again. The talent is certainly there, now they just need to be showcased.
Come back tomorrow for the "5 that will rise" TNA edition!
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