Tired
Legend
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2011
- Messages
- 4,768
- Reaction score
- 0
It is fair to say that 2014 was another bad year for professional wrestling. While everyone stood in disarray, a select few managed to reach higher ground. Tired is going to look at some of those who manage to salvage a great year. What do you guys reckon?
Ultimate Warrior
The harshest reality of life is that it ends. We see our friends on social media share hundreds of memes about how we should make the most of every moment while we still have them. Few of us get to go out on our own terms. But the Ultimate Warrior used his final moments to inspire others.
Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the night before WrestleMania. Three days later, he had died from a heart attack. In the months leading up to his death, he managed to make peace with those who hated him most, including the McMahon family. Less than 24 hours before his death, he gave fans one of the most inspiring promos in WWE history.
<blockquote class='quote\\_blockquote'><dl><dt>Ultimate Warrior</dt><dd> </dd></dl><div>
No WWE talent becomes a legend on their own. Every man’s heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe a final breath. And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others and makes them bleed deeper and something larger than life then his essence, his spirit, will be immortalised. By the story tellers, by the loyalty, by the memory of those who honour him and make the running the man did live forever. You, you, you, you, you. You are the legend makers of Ultimate Warrior. In the back I see many potential legends. Some of them with Warrior spirits. And you will do the same for them. You will decide if they lived with the passion and intensity. So much so that you will tell your stories and you will make them legends, as well. Ultimate. You are the Ultimate Warrior fans. And the spirit of the Ultimate Warrior will run forever!
[/quote]
Diamond Dallas Page
Page should have been placed on this list last year. He took both Jake Roberts and Scott Hall into his home to help them recover from their drug and alcohol addictions. He even raised money to pay for essential operations. The reason why he goes on the list now is because we have seen the results of DDP’s efforts. Not only did Page get them back in shape but he got them into the WWE Hall of Fame too. But let’s not understate what DDP did; he saved their lives.
As if DDP needed another reason to be on here, there is one more. The day after Ultimate Warrior’s death, DDP was ambushed on live television. He was led to believe that he was going to be interviewed on the life of Warrior. Instead, Nancy Grace demanded that he answer for the low life-expectancy of wrestlers who use steroids and take drugs. Unlike Grace, Page was calm and professional throughout.
CM Punk
Punk spent most of this year being criticised by smarks for “being a crybaby†and “walking out on the fansâ€. While Stephanie made cheap insults about Punk every other week, Punk kept his comments about WWE to a minimum. He only responded when the WWE withheld money that they owed him. Then in November, he released another pipe-bomb. Punk didn’t quit; he was fired.
For a man who was infamous for “whiningâ€, he kept the mistreatment he received quiet for a very long time. He was repeatedly underpaid and forced to work injured. His illness was not treated for months and he competed with a deadly staph infection that went undetected. Being booked for the main event of almost every single live show, but being kept down the card on Raw or pay-per-views. Being removed from sponsorship and merchandising deals for no particular reason. Then there was being fired on his wedding day.
Despite all the crap he took, he still had a really good year. He has made a lot of television and convention appearances. He signed a comic deal as well as a deal with the UFC. He also remains one of the most popular stars at WWE events, which fans chanting for him at virtually every show.
Bully Ray
I would not call myself a Bully Ray fan, but you cannot deny that he became the biggest star in TNA Wrestling this year. His feud with both Dixie Carter’s and MVP’s stables were the hottest story line in TNA. Even though he lost the majority of his matches this year, his fan support just increased and increased.
He was due to headline House of Hardcore 4, but TNA cancelled his appearance the night before. So Ray responded by offering fans a free meet and great at TNA’s shows in New York City and Ploughskeepie. He reunited with Devon to have a final run as Team 3D. This run included a feud with the Hardys and the Wolves, induction into the TNA Hall of Fame and main-eventing Bound For Glory in Japan.
Alberto El Patrón
If anyone turned a bad year into a great one, it was the former Alberto Del Rio. Alberto started the year having to put over the returning Batista. During an in-character argument on Twitter, Batista forgot that they were in character and posted a tweet that upset the locker room. Even though Batista was on the wrong, Alberto was punished for the incident. Later in the year, another employee made a racist remark about Alberto, and smirked when confronted. Alberto was fired immediately for slapping the man, with an official statement blasting his “unprofessional conductâ€. Because the man was Stephanie McMahon’s friend, it took over a month for him to face any kind of punishment. Del Rio was banned from participating in any wrestling company or interview in the U.S. for a year, and was banned from discussing his dismissal in North America.
Getting fired turned out to be the best thing for Alberto. He became the single hottest free agent, even over-shadowing A.J. Styles. Despite his No Compete Clause, companies around the world got into a bidding war. He has even been offered MMA deals. Alberto accepted a high money contract with AAA in Mexico and recently became their World Champion. Del Rio accepted an interview in the UK and told all about his release. He successfully challenged the clause in court, and is set to debut in Ring Of Honor soon. At the beginning of this year, Alberto was expecting to retire soon. But he has been given a new lease of life. All because he stole his ring name from an OSR member.
Paige
Paige’s inclusion on the main roster has breathed new life into the Divas division. We could discuss the great matches she had with A.J., but Paige has been getting decent matches out of Alicia Fox, Summer Rae and the Bellas. Her main problem is that she may have done too much too soon. She is now a multi-time Divas Champion. There are no other titles in the division for her to win. She is only 22-years-old, so the youngest person on the main roster still has a long career ahead of her.
Davey Richards
Both Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards have dominated the tag team division in TNA as the Wolves. In addition to winning the Tag Team Championship in a handicap match, the Wolves have also had major wins over some of the greatest tag teams to have ever competed in TNA; Beer Money, Team 3D and the Hardys. But why have I picked Davey out in particular? Edwards may have the edge with his repertoire, but he lacks the charisma and acting ability that Richards has. Richards can sell passion in his matches and promos in a way that Edwards doesn’t. And it was also Richards that took some of the sickest bumps of this year, being powerbombed onto ladders and crowd barriers and more. Also, he did three of those matches with the Hardys and Team 3D with a broken bone in his leg.
Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose
The WWE didn’t try to hide the fact that Roman Reigns was due to receive a superhero push once the Shield disbanded. But the lesser members became the breakout stars of this year. Dean’s new lunatic gimmick has fans hooked, and every single one of his matches feels like a fight. Seth Rollins has proven that he can make a great match with just about anyone. Their feud got so hot that they had to insert Cena and Randy Orton into it to keep them on top. The WWE theorised that they didn’t have enough star power to main event a pay-per-view, and so they included Cena in their match. Sales dropped. When Orton was included, sales plummeted. When Cena vs Orton was made the main event, sales stopped. But they picked up rapidly when Ambrose vs Rollins was made the main event. The duo showed their appreciation by putting on one of the best HIAC matches in a year.
Bray Wyatt
There seems to be unwritten rule in the WWE. If you are an up-and-coming star with fan support and momentum, then you must put over John Cena or Randy Orton. This was exactly the case for Wyatt too. Not only was Wyatt buried in a feud with Cena, his whole stable were buried in a single match (while Cena was supposed to be injured). So why is Bray on this list? How many superstars have survived being buried by Cena… not once, but twice… in the same year?
Robbie E
Robbie E spent part of this year as a tag team champion in the BroMans. Then he spent the second half of this year out of action (TNA were keeping him off television until all of his Amazing Race episodes had aired, giving the illusion that it was an ongoing contest). But before he left, have you noticed how DJ Z had been replacing him in tag team matches? TNA have started looking at Robbie E as a possible top-tier singles star, and for good reason. Robbie E has really stepped up this year. He has been putting a lot more effort into his matches and promos. He is making the most of the booking he is given. If he receives some better writing, then Robbie E could be a main-eventer within a year. He is only a World Title away from being the 5th man to win the grand slam.
Daniel Bryan
Bryan started this year as the WWE’s most popular superstar, much to management’s disapproval. They publically told fans that Bryan was not a big draw, even though fans were buying tickets and turning on Raw to see him specifically. He was selling more merchandise than WWE World Champion Randy Orton. Management point blank refused to push Bryan going into WrestleMania XXX. Then it became obvious that the decision to hold back Bryan was hurting WrestleMania. They gave Bryan the main event win because any other result would have been a disaster. Even though Bryan has spent the second half of this year recovering from an injury, he is still the company’s biggest star. He is already a hot favourite among fans to main event WrestleMania once again.
Big Show
For a man who is on a part-time schedule, he works a lot of long matches. This may surprise you, but Big Show has had more matches this year than most of the roster. While some wrestlers work through their injuries, Big Show won’t even mention them and carries on. This man has a reputation for putting off surgeries and holidays by months in order to put over younger talent. Considering his size and the size the ring and his opponents, Big Show has put on a lot of great matches. The main reason why he doesn’t get fan support is because he is Big Show.
The Great Muta
The Japanese icon has not been on American television for well-over a decade. But his 2 appearances on TNA PPVs have blown older wrestling fans away. Even being called the Great Khali by a certain OSR staff member has not phased him. He is arguably the greatest wrestler to have never competed in WWE.
Taryn Tyrell
The former Playboy cover-girl was one of the most overrated stars of 2013. Let’s be honest, she had only one good career match before she went on maternity leave. But since she returned, she has become the myth. She has become technically sound and puts on really good matches.
Stardust
Cody Rhodes’ talent + terrible gimmick idea = Instant success.
Older members will remember that I used to criticise Cody Rhodes a lot for being too generic. I did not believe that he had what it took to become a star. Then in recent years, I have had to acknowledge that whether he is performing in the ring or on the microphone, Cody Rhodes is main-eventer in the making. Cody should be in the top-tier right now. Yet again, he has been given a gimmick that is difficult to get over. But Cody got it over… in one night!
Damien Mizdow
I could just copy and paste what I wrote for Stardust. The difference being that I support Sandow from the introductory promos. Here is another example of how a great talent can get any gimmick over. Mizdow rarely says a word these days, but yet his slapstick comedy frequently steals the scene.
Buff Bagwell
Two years ago, Bagwell suffered a seizure while driving and crashed. He broke several bones including neck vertebrae. This year, he had the strangest comeback possible. While wrestling sporadically, his wife auditioned him for a reality show as a joke. In short, Bagwell became a gigolo. He became a major hit on the show, and the second most popular gigolo with his company. After making a considerable amount of money, he returned to the ring. His in-ring ability has greatly improved, and he even uses the Canadian Destroyer (flipping piledriver) as his finisher. He recently did an interview in the UK where he revealed the real reasons why the WWE’s WCW project flopped. Bagwell was even considered by Ring of Honor for a while. Did I mention that Bagwell is in his mid-40s?
Erick Rowan
Rowan was the only Wyatt Family who was not due to be pushed. He was only kept on television so that it would not look like Bray Wyatt’s tutoring had a 50% fail rate.
However, the silent giant in a sheep mask got fans hooked right away. The WWE took a massive gamble in adding him to Team Cena at Survivor Series, and it paid off. The WWE credits his popularity on the last-minute “genius†story line. In reality, it was the mystery around the character that sucked fans in.
Dixie Carter
WAIT A SECOND! I can justify this. Dixie Carter, as in the TNA President, who has never had a match in her life, allowed herself to be powerbombed through a table. This was not a simple standing powerbomb. This was a full-fledged diving, sitout powerbomb that Bully Ray hadn’t even attempted in years. And no, there was no padding, and Dixie wasn’t wearing thick clothing. She took the full impact. This proved to be a mistake. Ray overshot, and Dixie’s spine hit the edge of the table. Dixie broke her back in the fall and was forced to miss Bound For Glory, the biggest show that TNA has ever put on. Even though she was seriously hurt, she accepted it as part of the cost of entertaining her fans.
Eric Young and Dolph Ziggler
Both men have given so much of themselves to their respective companies. They have endured bad gimmicks and injuries. They rarely have bad matches, no matter who they are against. They may win a lot of lower-tier titles, but they were not getting main events because of they were “prone to concussions†(translation: they can’t take too many stiff kicks to the head). They have been backed by legends and veterans for years. And finally, their employers finally took them seriously.
Bad News Barrett
If you think someone with an attitude like this can be a true heel, I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news. Wade Barrett was terrible on the microphone, but put a gabble in his other hand, he commands attention. Both Rey Mysterio and Dolph Ziggler received massive heel heat for interrupting his taunts. Even though he is occasionally side-lined with injuries, Barrett consistently improves in the ring. It is amazing how much someone can flourish when he isn’t forced to work with Cena.
The Usos
There was something stopping Jey and Jimmy becoming true stars. That something has been superkicked out of the way. This year, we have seen the Wolves, Beer Money, Team 3D, Hardys, the Sheild, The Wyatt Family, The Ascension, New Age Outlaws, British Invasion and the Rhodes Brothers in active competition. The Usos managed to start the year strong and finish the year strong. Not to mention, when Jimmy slapped the Miz to the floor, that moment showed more intensity than most wrestlers have all year.
Bobby Roode
Bobby Roode was always great in the ring. But after his “suspensionâ€, he came back as an even better in-ring performer.
Sting
Sting made a major in WWE this far. And he didn’t even do anything. No, I am not talking about his first actual appearance at Survivor Series. His appearance in a WWE 2K15 trailer blew fans away. The Survivor Series appearance solidified him as one of the greatest superstars in all the major companies.
The Entire NXT Roster
You may have noticed that I did not list a single NXT talent until now. It has been difficult to pick one, or even a few, for special review. So many times this year, episodes of NXT overshadowed Raw and SmackDown. The Woman’s division is considerably better than the Divas. And each of their “free pay-per-views†have been better than most of the actual WWE PPVs. Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Tyler Breeze, The Ascension, The Vaudevillains, Bull Dempsey, Byron Corbin, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Lucha Dragons, Finn Balor, Becky Lynch, Kevin Owens, Hideo Itami and Tyson Kidd are just some of the names that will be carrying the main roster in years to come.
Lucha Underground
If you do not know why these guys made the list, then you must be new to OSR.
Ultimate Warrior
The harshest reality of life is that it ends. We see our friends on social media share hundreds of memes about how we should make the most of every moment while we still have them. Few of us get to go out on our own terms. But the Ultimate Warrior used his final moments to inspire others.
Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the night before WrestleMania. Three days later, he had died from a heart attack. In the months leading up to his death, he managed to make peace with those who hated him most, including the McMahon family. Less than 24 hours before his death, he gave fans one of the most inspiring promos in WWE history.
<blockquote class='quote\\_blockquote'><dl><dt>Ultimate Warrior</dt><dd> </dd></dl><div>
No WWE talent becomes a legend on their own. Every man’s heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe a final breath. And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others and makes them bleed deeper and something larger than life then his essence, his spirit, will be immortalised. By the story tellers, by the loyalty, by the memory of those who honour him and make the running the man did live forever. You, you, you, you, you. You are the legend makers of Ultimate Warrior. In the back I see many potential legends. Some of them with Warrior spirits. And you will do the same for them. You will decide if they lived with the passion and intensity. So much so that you will tell your stories and you will make them legends, as well. Ultimate. You are the Ultimate Warrior fans. And the spirit of the Ultimate Warrior will run forever!
[/quote]
Diamond Dallas Page
Page should have been placed on this list last year. He took both Jake Roberts and Scott Hall into his home to help them recover from their drug and alcohol addictions. He even raised money to pay for essential operations. The reason why he goes on the list now is because we have seen the results of DDP’s efforts. Not only did Page get them back in shape but he got them into the WWE Hall of Fame too. But let’s not understate what DDP did; he saved their lives.
As if DDP needed another reason to be on here, there is one more. The day after Ultimate Warrior’s death, DDP was ambushed on live television. He was led to believe that he was going to be interviewed on the life of Warrior. Instead, Nancy Grace demanded that he answer for the low life-expectancy of wrestlers who use steroids and take drugs. Unlike Grace, Page was calm and professional throughout.
CM Punk
Punk spent most of this year being criticised by smarks for “being a crybaby†and “walking out on the fansâ€. While Stephanie made cheap insults about Punk every other week, Punk kept his comments about WWE to a minimum. He only responded when the WWE withheld money that they owed him. Then in November, he released another pipe-bomb. Punk didn’t quit; he was fired.
For a man who was infamous for “whiningâ€, he kept the mistreatment he received quiet for a very long time. He was repeatedly underpaid and forced to work injured. His illness was not treated for months and he competed with a deadly staph infection that went undetected. Being booked for the main event of almost every single live show, but being kept down the card on Raw or pay-per-views. Being removed from sponsorship and merchandising deals for no particular reason. Then there was being fired on his wedding day.
Despite all the crap he took, he still had a really good year. He has made a lot of television and convention appearances. He signed a comic deal as well as a deal with the UFC. He also remains one of the most popular stars at WWE events, which fans chanting for him at virtually every show.
Bully Ray
I would not call myself a Bully Ray fan, but you cannot deny that he became the biggest star in TNA Wrestling this year. His feud with both Dixie Carter’s and MVP’s stables were the hottest story line in TNA. Even though he lost the majority of his matches this year, his fan support just increased and increased.
He was due to headline House of Hardcore 4, but TNA cancelled his appearance the night before. So Ray responded by offering fans a free meet and great at TNA’s shows in New York City and Ploughskeepie. He reunited with Devon to have a final run as Team 3D. This run included a feud with the Hardys and the Wolves, induction into the TNA Hall of Fame and main-eventing Bound For Glory in Japan.
Alberto El Patrón
If anyone turned a bad year into a great one, it was the former Alberto Del Rio. Alberto started the year having to put over the returning Batista. During an in-character argument on Twitter, Batista forgot that they were in character and posted a tweet that upset the locker room. Even though Batista was on the wrong, Alberto was punished for the incident. Later in the year, another employee made a racist remark about Alberto, and smirked when confronted. Alberto was fired immediately for slapping the man, with an official statement blasting his “unprofessional conductâ€. Because the man was Stephanie McMahon’s friend, it took over a month for him to face any kind of punishment. Del Rio was banned from participating in any wrestling company or interview in the U.S. for a year, and was banned from discussing his dismissal in North America.
Getting fired turned out to be the best thing for Alberto. He became the single hottest free agent, even over-shadowing A.J. Styles. Despite his No Compete Clause, companies around the world got into a bidding war. He has even been offered MMA deals. Alberto accepted a high money contract with AAA in Mexico and recently became their World Champion. Del Rio accepted an interview in the UK and told all about his release. He successfully challenged the clause in court, and is set to debut in Ring Of Honor soon. At the beginning of this year, Alberto was expecting to retire soon. But he has been given a new lease of life. All because he stole his ring name from an OSR member.
Paige
Paige’s inclusion on the main roster has breathed new life into the Divas division. We could discuss the great matches she had with A.J., but Paige has been getting decent matches out of Alicia Fox, Summer Rae and the Bellas. Her main problem is that she may have done too much too soon. She is now a multi-time Divas Champion. There are no other titles in the division for her to win. She is only 22-years-old, so the youngest person on the main roster still has a long career ahead of her.
Davey Richards
Both Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards have dominated the tag team division in TNA as the Wolves. In addition to winning the Tag Team Championship in a handicap match, the Wolves have also had major wins over some of the greatest tag teams to have ever competed in TNA; Beer Money, Team 3D and the Hardys. But why have I picked Davey out in particular? Edwards may have the edge with his repertoire, but he lacks the charisma and acting ability that Richards has. Richards can sell passion in his matches and promos in a way that Edwards doesn’t. And it was also Richards that took some of the sickest bumps of this year, being powerbombed onto ladders and crowd barriers and more. Also, he did three of those matches with the Hardys and Team 3D with a broken bone in his leg.
Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose
The WWE didn’t try to hide the fact that Roman Reigns was due to receive a superhero push once the Shield disbanded. But the lesser members became the breakout stars of this year. Dean’s new lunatic gimmick has fans hooked, and every single one of his matches feels like a fight. Seth Rollins has proven that he can make a great match with just about anyone. Their feud got so hot that they had to insert Cena and Randy Orton into it to keep them on top. The WWE theorised that they didn’t have enough star power to main event a pay-per-view, and so they included Cena in their match. Sales dropped. When Orton was included, sales plummeted. When Cena vs Orton was made the main event, sales stopped. But they picked up rapidly when Ambrose vs Rollins was made the main event. The duo showed their appreciation by putting on one of the best HIAC matches in a year.
Bray Wyatt
There seems to be unwritten rule in the WWE. If you are an up-and-coming star with fan support and momentum, then you must put over John Cena or Randy Orton. This was exactly the case for Wyatt too. Not only was Wyatt buried in a feud with Cena, his whole stable were buried in a single match (while Cena was supposed to be injured). So why is Bray on this list? How many superstars have survived being buried by Cena… not once, but twice… in the same year?
Robbie E
Robbie E spent part of this year as a tag team champion in the BroMans. Then he spent the second half of this year out of action (TNA were keeping him off television until all of his Amazing Race episodes had aired, giving the illusion that it was an ongoing contest). But before he left, have you noticed how DJ Z had been replacing him in tag team matches? TNA have started looking at Robbie E as a possible top-tier singles star, and for good reason. Robbie E has really stepped up this year. He has been putting a lot more effort into his matches and promos. He is making the most of the booking he is given. If he receives some better writing, then Robbie E could be a main-eventer within a year. He is only a World Title away from being the 5th man to win the grand slam.
Daniel Bryan
Bryan started this year as the WWE’s most popular superstar, much to management’s disapproval. They publically told fans that Bryan was not a big draw, even though fans were buying tickets and turning on Raw to see him specifically. He was selling more merchandise than WWE World Champion Randy Orton. Management point blank refused to push Bryan going into WrestleMania XXX. Then it became obvious that the decision to hold back Bryan was hurting WrestleMania. They gave Bryan the main event win because any other result would have been a disaster. Even though Bryan has spent the second half of this year recovering from an injury, he is still the company’s biggest star. He is already a hot favourite among fans to main event WrestleMania once again.
Big Show
For a man who is on a part-time schedule, he works a lot of long matches. This may surprise you, but Big Show has had more matches this year than most of the roster. While some wrestlers work through their injuries, Big Show won’t even mention them and carries on. This man has a reputation for putting off surgeries and holidays by months in order to put over younger talent. Considering his size and the size the ring and his opponents, Big Show has put on a lot of great matches. The main reason why he doesn’t get fan support is because he is Big Show.
The Great Muta
The Japanese icon has not been on American television for well-over a decade. But his 2 appearances on TNA PPVs have blown older wrestling fans away. Even being called the Great Khali by a certain OSR staff member has not phased him. He is arguably the greatest wrestler to have never competed in WWE.
Taryn Tyrell
The former Playboy cover-girl was one of the most overrated stars of 2013. Let’s be honest, she had only one good career match before she went on maternity leave. But since she returned, she has become the myth. She has become technically sound and puts on really good matches.
Stardust
Cody Rhodes’ talent + terrible gimmick idea = Instant success.
Older members will remember that I used to criticise Cody Rhodes a lot for being too generic. I did not believe that he had what it took to become a star. Then in recent years, I have had to acknowledge that whether he is performing in the ring or on the microphone, Cody Rhodes is main-eventer in the making. Cody should be in the top-tier right now. Yet again, he has been given a gimmick that is difficult to get over. But Cody got it over… in one night!
Damien Mizdow
I could just copy and paste what I wrote for Stardust. The difference being that I support Sandow from the introductory promos. Here is another example of how a great talent can get any gimmick over. Mizdow rarely says a word these days, but yet his slapstick comedy frequently steals the scene.
Buff Bagwell
Two years ago, Bagwell suffered a seizure while driving and crashed. He broke several bones including neck vertebrae. This year, he had the strangest comeback possible. While wrestling sporadically, his wife auditioned him for a reality show as a joke. In short, Bagwell became a gigolo. He became a major hit on the show, and the second most popular gigolo with his company. After making a considerable amount of money, he returned to the ring. His in-ring ability has greatly improved, and he even uses the Canadian Destroyer (flipping piledriver) as his finisher. He recently did an interview in the UK where he revealed the real reasons why the WWE’s WCW project flopped. Bagwell was even considered by Ring of Honor for a while. Did I mention that Bagwell is in his mid-40s?
Erick Rowan
Rowan was the only Wyatt Family who was not due to be pushed. He was only kept on television so that it would not look like Bray Wyatt’s tutoring had a 50% fail rate.
However, the silent giant in a sheep mask got fans hooked right away. The WWE took a massive gamble in adding him to Team Cena at Survivor Series, and it paid off. The WWE credits his popularity on the last-minute “genius†story line. In reality, it was the mystery around the character that sucked fans in.
Dixie Carter
WAIT A SECOND! I can justify this. Dixie Carter, as in the TNA President, who has never had a match in her life, allowed herself to be powerbombed through a table. This was not a simple standing powerbomb. This was a full-fledged diving, sitout powerbomb that Bully Ray hadn’t even attempted in years. And no, there was no padding, and Dixie wasn’t wearing thick clothing. She took the full impact. This proved to be a mistake. Ray overshot, and Dixie’s spine hit the edge of the table. Dixie broke her back in the fall and was forced to miss Bound For Glory, the biggest show that TNA has ever put on. Even though she was seriously hurt, she accepted it as part of the cost of entertaining her fans.
Eric Young and Dolph Ziggler
Both men have given so much of themselves to their respective companies. They have endured bad gimmicks and injuries. They rarely have bad matches, no matter who they are against. They may win a lot of lower-tier titles, but they were not getting main events because of they were “prone to concussions†(translation: they can’t take too many stiff kicks to the head). They have been backed by legends and veterans for years. And finally, their employers finally took them seriously.
Bad News Barrett
If you think someone with an attitude like this can be a true heel, I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news. Wade Barrett was terrible on the microphone, but put a gabble in his other hand, he commands attention. Both Rey Mysterio and Dolph Ziggler received massive heel heat for interrupting his taunts. Even though he is occasionally side-lined with injuries, Barrett consistently improves in the ring. It is amazing how much someone can flourish when he isn’t forced to work with Cena.
The Usos
There was something stopping Jey and Jimmy becoming true stars. That something has been superkicked out of the way. This year, we have seen the Wolves, Beer Money, Team 3D, Hardys, the Sheild, The Wyatt Family, The Ascension, New Age Outlaws, British Invasion and the Rhodes Brothers in active competition. The Usos managed to start the year strong and finish the year strong. Not to mention, when Jimmy slapped the Miz to the floor, that moment showed more intensity than most wrestlers have all year.
Bobby Roode
Bobby Roode was always great in the ring. But after his “suspensionâ€, he came back as an even better in-ring performer.
Sting
Sting made a major in WWE this far. And he didn’t even do anything. No, I am not talking about his first actual appearance at Survivor Series. His appearance in a WWE 2K15 trailer blew fans away. The Survivor Series appearance solidified him as one of the greatest superstars in all the major companies.
The Entire NXT Roster
You may have noticed that I did not list a single NXT talent until now. It has been difficult to pick one, or even a few, for special review. So many times this year, episodes of NXT overshadowed Raw and SmackDown. The Woman’s division is considerably better than the Divas. And each of their “free pay-per-views†have been better than most of the actual WWE PPVs. Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Tyler Breeze, The Ascension, The Vaudevillains, Bull Dempsey, Byron Corbin, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Lucha Dragons, Finn Balor, Becky Lynch, Kevin Owens, Hideo Itami and Tyson Kidd are just some of the names that will be carrying the main roster in years to come.
Lucha Underground
If you do not know why these guys made the list, then you must be new to OSR.