My Favorites
CM Punk - Spoilerish quote ahead, but this quote from this coming Friday's Smackdown epitomizes why Punk is so awesome:
Are you happy Jeff? You come out earlier wearing an eye patch mocking me? I could have been seriously injured because of you! You see this right here? This is Dyhydroxy Sulfate — I have to put it in my eye three times a day. It’s the only foreign substance I’ll allow in my body. Now Jeff, I know you know a lot about prescription medication but, see, to get this legally you have to get it from a doctor. If you want to be like me, with your little eyepatch, instead of doing that, why don’t you try living a clean lifestyle, a straight edge lifestyle? Jeff, you have two strikes, do you know how many I have? ZERO. Do you know how many times I’ve been suspended Jeff? ZERO. Do you know how many times I’ve been to a rehab facility in my life? ZERO. Do you know what your chances are for beating me at Night of Champions Jeff? ZERO.
Edge - I reiterate, although Smackdown won't suffer as bad as people think, it sucks that he got hurt. He's really grown into his own since splitting from Christian and turning heel. IN the tag days, Christian was more entertaining and Edge was just there. Now he's become a real superstar and one of my faves.
Mark Henry - When you get a big guy who's motivated and does what he's supposed to do crisply, cleanly and believably, then it's one of the best things to have on the roster. For the last two-plus years, Henry has been just that, and he's been a revelation from the slow, plodding and uninteresting plop. I get genuinely excited every time he's in the ring and I mark for him like I would for the other favorites. He's come a long way since siring a hand.
Beth Phoenix and Mickie James - When these women were anchoring the RAW Divas division, it was sublime. I mean, Mickie pulls off the plucky underdog so well, and Beth is just aces. The women's division hasn't had stars like this since Lita and Trish, and now that the focus is off both of them and turning more towards some of the other women, the results aren't so great. Don't get me wrong, I like Maryse, but she's no Beth Phoenix.
The Big Show - They've got him going up against smaller smaller guys again, which sucks, but Show is an awesome talent regardless. He just needs to keep his laziness in check and he's one of the great performers. I still wish they'd let him show some of his charisma though. He doesn't have to rehash the "Showkishi" days, but as we know from years and years of Deadpool in comics, everyone likes a smart-ass badass.
Jack SWAGGAH~! - This guy is a blue-chipper, as JR would say. He's a natural in the ring, and he's got a good asshole charisma that makes his pretty boy athlete persona work. I like how he's started his RAW run off avoiding competition, although I thought parts of his promo battle with MVP were a little weak. He's gotta work on that to become a total package, but once he gets that completely right, we're talking WM headliner.
Santino Marella - I really hope he's not lost in the shuffle, because this guy is one of the few guys in the WWE who really gets how to work the mic and one of the few guys in history who can do straight-up comedy. I don't care if they never make him a serious threat in the ring; as long as he keeps coming out, malapropping all over the place with his ridiculous accent and tooling everyone from Vince McMahon down the line, I'll be happy.
The Miz - The worst part about RAW this past week? Other than the blatant wasting of the main event spot and the utter boringness of everything non-Ted DiBiase related until Ted Jr./Orton? No Miz. This guy is the real deal when it comes to being a natural heel. He can do the asshole cockiness so well that I wouldn't be surprised if someone tried to legit attack him. Totally the better part of the Mizorrison tag team and definitely the guy I think should be the heel anchor for this company for years to come. That is, if the idiots in Creative let him.
Undertaker - He's improved so much in the ring, and it's not like he started out like a stiff more than he had a gimmick that impaired him in terms of match quality. I could watch Taker wrestle a crash dummy and it'd be solid. A first ballot HOFer and probably the most understatedly good WWE superstar of all-time.
Christian - All the love for Edge doesn't diminish my fanboyism for Christian. He never turns in a bad performance in the ring, and it's always a treat to hear him on the mic. I still have no idea why they won't let him run with the ball, because he is over and he has good chemistry with most of the guys on Smackdown. Give him a chance, Vince!
Goldust - An old favorite, but a guy who can be an entertaining asset in the midcard until he retires. When he's motivated, Dustin can be a valuable piece to any roster.
Hurricane Helms - He shouldn't be an announcer. He should be in the ring, especially since ECW has now become the official home for Veterans in Limbo.
Matt Striker - The best announcer in wrestling since Jim Ross circa 1997. There, I said it. Striker may not have the booming voice. He may be strapped with the dead weight of Josh Matthews. He may still be learning the nuances of really being able to get something over (although he's almost there), but his passion, his knowledge and his enthusiasm for the matches he calls put him leaps and bounds ahead of everyone that I've heard thus far, be they from the WWE, ROH or TNA. When you watch a wrestling program, you expect to make some of the in-ring talent make you mark out, but when the announcer does it, it's extra special, because you hear the announcer on every segment. When he's that good at exciting the audience, you know you have something special. Why he hasn't been brought up and paired with JR, I'll never know, but he's the future. Bank on it.
Tommy Dreamer - I've always been a mark for Tommy Dreamer, and I'm glad to see him get his moment in the sun. It's long overdue. The guy busts his ass and is loyal almost to a fault. Guys like him need to be rewarded, especially in a business such as this.
Bryan Danielson - Many people say he's the best in the world. I'd be hard-pressed to find more than a handful of people to counter with. He's an absolute treat to watch in the ring. Everything comes naturally to him. Everything. He's like the kid in class who goes out on a whiskey bender the night before a midterm, takes it hungover and still gets higher than everyone else on the exam. Unless it's his own choice, there's no reason why he shouldn't be in the WWE right now. Not TNA, because they'd waste him like they're wasting Joe, Styles, Daniels and everyone else worth a damn not named Kurt Angle.
El Generico - The Generic Luchador is just so fun to watch. He's so kinetic and charismatic, it's impossible to hate him. Plus, he has one of the best moves of all-time in his arsenal, the BRAINBUSTAAAAAAAAHH~!
Claudio Castagnioli - As much as I like him in the ring, his Facebook/Twitter/blog is so funny and cool because he doesn't post like a wrestler at all. Seriously, would I lie?
Ric Flair - He's an all-timer, still great to watch strut around and promo, still a guy who can rile a crowd. Never go away, Ric.
Kurt Angle and Booker T - Yeah, TNA sucks and misuses their entire roster, but I admit, I still have a soft spot for these two, mainly for their work in the WWE this decade. Two all-around great performers.
The Osirian Portal - These guys to me epitomize Chikara. They're both awesome wrestlers/spot machines, and they exude so much charisma without even saying a word. A veritable treat to watch in the ring and out when they're interacting with the fans.
