Cream of the crop.

[Lilslimshady]

As a pro-wrestling fan, I'm always wondering about the future of this wonderful business. You take a glance at the roster now and you wonder who will really still be around as a top guy in 5 years following in the footsteps of Taker, Cena, Punk, HHH, Jericho, HBK, Rock, Austin, etc. The problem in wrestling a lot of times is when guys aren't pushed correctly or when the creative team lets the fans end the angle before they get a chance to do it the right way. It's never good to be forced to end an angle because it blows. You need to be intentional about booking. And trust me, I don't envy the creative staff at all....as much as we think we know this business, that doesn't mean that we could successfully keep storylines flowing on a weekly basis. We would be driven nuts having to keep up and also it's just the nature of the business to change week to week with different shit occuring throwing off original plans.

Here's my take on it: I look up and down the 70-80 man roster, and I'm only impressed by 5-10 of them. That's what I'd call the cream. Problem is, the majority of them only have at a maximum 5 years left. The guys I'm thinking of are Henry, Bryan, Show, Jericho, Punk, HHH, Taker, Cena.

Yes, you have the likes of Barrett, Miz, Ziggler, Rio, Kidd, Cesaro, Rhodes, Sandow, PTP, Shield who are some of that cream. Thankfully. We have known for a while now that the roster is thin. I see the Miz only getting better. But, he's a guy who has to keep that same drive that his idol Jericho did after many years. Barrett has all the tools; he just needs to be used better. IMO, we haven't even seen his best shit. Because of all the top guys returning, Barrett is always thrown in the middle of the card and he just tries to make the best of it. He can be a big deal in a couple of years. Ziggler goes without saying. What a talent! He just needs to drop AJ and fly solo. Doesn't need to be held back. Rio is miles better as a babyface, but the problem I see with him is he is only good when facing solid talent. He's not the kind of guy that can carry somebody who is green. That's something Jericho and Punk can do. That's something Flair and HBK did consistently. Kidd is a great mid-card guy that needs to be thrown out there more often. One of the best wrestlers on the entire roster. Cesaro, Rhodes, Sandow, PTP, and the Shield are all fascinating and are all coming into their own. Cesaro has the " it " factor. Rhodes/Sandow work so well together. PTP are all kinds of great. I smirk ear to ear when I see them do their thing on the stick, at commentary, and in the ring. Last, but certainly not least, the Shield are the best thing in Pro-Wrestling right now, not named CM Punk and John Cena.

Sadly, if they don't continue building towards the next Cena/Punk, we could see Pro-Wrestling, specifically the WWE, in a bad spot within the next 20 years. So who's rising to the top? Is the future of pro-wrestling in good hands? Why or why not? Could the business we all know and love go extinct, even if it's in 50 more years?

[mattdragn]

I think that if the Shield keep getting pushed the way they are the future is very bright for them, of course this year is critical. I suppose that we'll know in a year. Barrett is a good shout, I've always liked his work he just needs a solid push or a single memorable storyline. I think that is the root of the problem just a lack of good midcard booking. Everyone in the midcard beats everyone else and they always get beat by main eventers. I mean when was the last time there was a good upset win in the WWE?

As far as the future of the business goes I think the indepents will keep going, even if the WWE falls. I'm pretty certain there will be wrestling of some sort going into the future.

[BadNewsFan]

I think the future has a lot more potential now than it has in a long time.

The Shield if pushed correctly have a chance of all breaking out into successful singles stars.

Cesaro is IMO the best wrestler of the rookie class and has a great look which if booked right could translate into Main Event World Championship glory very soon.

Titus Oniel is a future star just begging to be given a chance to shine, he's just brimming with charisma and already has the look of a superstar, push him now.

Wade Barrett has always been good, IMO...he just needs that one great storyline to turn him into one of the top heels in the industry.

I've always felt that the WWE only held back William Regal because he wasn't very marketable with his look, but Barrett while not as technically sound as Regal has all of the great British traits as Regal but with a great image and look as well.

And let's face it British villains are always cool, so there's a lot to work with there.

Those six men are my ideal stars of the future in WWE...here's hoping they get their chance to shine.

[T-Money]

The future is in good hands if it is in the hands of the talent, but its not in their hands really is it. Many fans want these sporadic appearances by legends stopped and full focus given to the guys already on the roster. I cannot wait for AFTER Wrestlemania because that's when the real build begins and guys get given a shot to show what they can do.

The roster has talent everywhere but is not utilized properly.

Ziggler, The Shield, and Daniel Bryan will rule the future IMO. All have shown they are elite class workers.

[Lilslimshady]

My only reason for not mentioning Bryan as part of the future is that he has been a wrestler now for more than 10 years. He had been working the independent circuit long before he came to the WWE. He is pretty much a veteran in the biz. He must be getting tired....I don't see him wrestling in 5 years personally. But, yeah there are definitely 5 or so standouts that can definitely be something huge in 5 years.

[Jack Nichols]

Antonio Cesaro is the future!

[Miss HHH]

Purely wrestling-wise, the main roster and developmental is probably the best it has ever been. Lack of engaging characters and stories for those wrestlers to work with is the real problem. I really hope that this latest creative shake-up can help because at the moment they are severely disappointing. Even the main event feuds which they do put time into, I don't find anywhere near as engaging as they were 10 or so years ago.

Give any of the guys you listed a long-term storied plan and potentially, they could all make it to the top. Unfortunately they just don't have that at the moment.

[LumberJack]

My only reason for not mentioning Bryan as part of the future is that he has been a wrestler now for more than 10 years. He had been working the independent circuit long before he came to the WWE. He is pretty much a veteran in the biz. He must be getting tired....I don't see him wrestling in 5 years personally. But, yeah there are definitely 5 or so standouts that can definitely be something huge in 5 years.

ummm are you forgetting Punk? he comes from the same type background as bryan.

D-Bry is my favorite wrestler on the roster. there's a reason why the fans always say "TAG IN BRYAN" whenever Kane is the legal man.