The future

The Problem Solver

I think the new guys are really starting to take shape.

There is so many potential quality matches -

Batista Vs Masters
Batista Vs Carlito
Batista Vs Kennedy
Orton Vs Lashley
Cena Vs Masters
HBK Vs Kennedy

I really like the way they are starting to mix the brands up!

Lets face it TNA is getting better and better and WWE really needs something to stay ahead of the game.

Although the creative side is lacking there is certainly some potential starting to show.

airr233

That Orton Vs Masters short stint at Survivor Series looked interesting and I would like to see one day.

Daredevil

what about Lashley vs. Batista?

These just can't be pushed too hard and too fast. They need time to develop their character, in-ring and mic skills.

3D

That is what will ultimately break or make these guys - booking and angles. Not many would have seen Batista as a successful champ before his feud with HHH

3D. Wrestling Clique, Monksdiner, JimmyVan and KnowYourNews' Crafty Old Veteran.

bigdaddy86

i totally agree, if they rush these things like how they did "randy orton" it will only end up costing them down the road.

3D

I don't know if things were "rushed" with Randy, I just think the fans (Net and casual) didn't like him as a face. He was, and is, an amazing heel. He just oozes arrogance and he knows how to work a crowd as a heel. Booking played an immense role in his descent before his stock again rising on SD! But booking has made his stock begin to rise now to the World Title scene. Personally, I love Randy, just as I love Davey B as champ.

Of course, good booking is all relative. It's got to be done with the respective wrestlers in mind. Like Randy - turning him face was a TERRIBLE idea when he was so over as a heel. Turning Kennedy face would probably be a bad idea. Lashley as a heel would suck, 'cos as of yet, he's barely done any promo work. Carlito is such a good heel that facing him would be bad.

BTW, I think that WWE has plenty of talent that can successfully be turned into main eventers - for me, Masters and Orton are the obvious guys that can stay at the top for years to come.

3D. Wrestling Clique, Monksdiner, JimmyVan and KnowYourNews' Crafty Old Veteran.

K Jay

Thats the problem tho with the current crop. Here's how I mean.

Foley - Great Face - Good Heel
HBK - Great Face - Good Heel
Rock - Great Face - Great Heel
SC316- Great Face - Great Heel
Angle - Good Face - Great Heel
Y2J- Great Face - Great Heel
Benoit-Good Heel - Good Face

Compared to today these guys come up and they're always started as a heel, so when they get over and they turn them face they have no idea how to play it. Orton - terrible Shelton - terrible Haas - Terrible. Batista is only getting away with it by being quiet.

I know Rock is an exception to this but I think waht is really missing is the terrotories. When a wrestler when to another terroroty he was a Heel by default, when he wrestled in his own base he was face. When he went abroad he learned a different style and had to be Heel or Face in a heartbeat, no six weeks of vignettes, no gobbing apple no thousand pound pyro. Ringwork marked out a heel or a face then promo work came second.

Hopefully WWE's decision to utilise two devolpment terrotories and talent swap with the Colon's in peurto rico will mean that future call-ups learn how to work both ways before they work Raw/Smackdown, not have to figure it out when creative turns them.

I had a sig, once.

airr233

That makes sense. It seems like the new guys know how to play the heel role and not a face role.

Knyte

This is accually quite true, if you think about it. When was the last time the WWE brought in somebody new as a face? They start all the rookies out as heels, which is a harder role to play. You can be a face by simply playing by the rules and showing respect to the fans and your opponents. Being a heel, you have to work a lot harder at making the fans hate you.

I think they should gradually turn rookies into heel, so they can adjust to the role better. Like when Rocky Maivia shifted into The Rock.

"The Fire Still Burns!!!"
youtube.com/watch?v=4WXTI20W-ms

Tyler Durden

^^ Whilst I agree that it is easier to be just a generic face than a generic heel, I do think it is far more difficult in this era to be a main event face than to be a main event heel.

When I think of the guys that have been long term succesful faces in the WWE in recent years I can only really think of SCSA, HBK, The Rock, Foley, (alright alright Hogan!!), Eddie, Jericho (I'm sure there are others).

Now if you go back through their wrestling history they were all able to be so over as heels that the crowd demanded they were faces at certain times in their career which subsequently made their face turns (a) that much more succesful and (b) they all had an edge as a face because they carried over some of their heel traits and mannerisms.

Actually bringing a guy into the WWE and saying "this guy is a face - get behind him" is hellishly difficult since the normal things that used to occur to make someone a heel, actually get cheered now.