This next sorting bin is by far the largest one. It's the people that I enjoy enough that they escape my bile most of the time, but that I don't enjoy enough to call a favorite. I'm usually ambivalent towards them, but mostly kind until they do something to piss me off, which isn't often.
Roderick Strong - He'd be a favorite of mine if he'd just learn how to cut a decent promo or kept his mouth shut. Guy can flat out wrestle though. He's the perfect wrestler for feds like ROH and PWG, indies where workrate is valued more highly than at the "next level", and he never fails to entertain me whenever I see him at an ROH taping.
After the jump...John Cena - Yeah, I've been up and down on him this year for various reasons. A lot of it, like with Orton, isn't his fault. He's a very good performer, a veritable total package. He's booked as a superman because that's what the WWE feels will bring in little kids, but really, with the exception of The Miz in two of the three matches they had in the summer, John Cena has made every single opponent he's wrestled look like a million bucks, whether equal to him or below him in stature. Plus, the guy has wowed on promos, even if inconsistently.
Sheamus O'Shaunessy - I said that I was sold on Sheamus as Champion last night, but the truth is that I've always been a fan of the Big Ginger Destroyer, ever since he came up in ECW. His feud with Goldust was one of the shining points in a strong year on third-brand. His brogue makes him distinct but authentic, as does his pale skin, but while those can be easily skewered, his ring presence and stiff style cannnot. Sheamus is no joke, peoples.
John Morrison - While I prefer the Miz in this former tag team combo, I find Morrison very enjoyable as well. Guy has the tools to be the evolution of Jeff Hardy in the ring, which is a good thing. I cringe a bit when he opens his mouth, and sometimes, he looks awkward, but there are worse guys to get the TV time that Morrison gets. Y'know, guys like Scrooge McPoyle.
Rey Mysterio - Is there a guy who has brought it in the ring on a more consistent basis throughout his entire career than Rey Mysterio? There are a few, but the list is short. No matter how pandering he's booked, I can't get enough of him in the ring. My biggest regret of this year was not keeping up with Smackdown more diligently when he was feuding with Jericho for the IC Title. It's a shame that he does get booked panderingly though, except the time when he was World Champion and they booked him like the droppings Jericho had to pick up when he was feuding with Triple H in 2002 leading up to WM.
William Regal - I've never been as high on Regal as most people, but I like him as he is now, the doddering, would-be tyrant. He's like the wrestling equivalent of a cartoon supervillain, always with the best laid plans that always blow up in his face. He wears it well, and ECW is a perfect home for him.
AJ Styles - Yeah, I wish he'd shut the hell up about people ganking moves off him, but he never fails to please in the ring, even with TNA's ridiculous free-TV match time restraints that make RAW matches look like Flair/Steamboat time limit draws. I'd love to see him in another environment. He'd get misused in the WWE most likely, but I think him in ROH would be good just for the sheer excitement factor (I know, he'll never go there because of money, but it's nice to dream).
Jay Lethal - If TNA has mistreated Styles, they've removed Lethal's eye with a melon baller and skull-fucked him. Here's a guy who could be so much more if not saddled with a limiting gimmick and humiliated by getting jobbed to washed-up former WWE wrestlers once a month for his only TV time. Oddly enough, I don't think he'd be as misused in the WWE, mainly because he'd have to be torn all the way back down to be built back up.
Hernandez - TNA really got lucky finding this guy. He's a good combination of everything that I enjoy in a wrestler, although then again, wrestling alongside Matt Morgan will make anyone look like Bret Hart. Still, Hernandez is one of the few reasons to watch TNA.
Homicide - I imagine I would have liked him better if I saw him first in ROH and not TNA. Man, they fucked him good, especially in comparison with how his partner is being made.
Samoa Joe - I've seen some of his good stuff before going to TNA and overseas while in TNA, and it's really good. Not HOLY SHIT BEST IN THE WORLD good like some people gush, but it's good enough for me to realize that the dude deserved better than having a penis painted on his face.
Kevin Steen - He, not Davey Richards, to me is the guy who should inherit Danielson's "Best in the World" moniker. I like DR and all, but Steen to me is the best worker in the indies right now. He's a little dry personality wise, which is why he's not in my favorites, but he could be there if he shows me more in the future (he'll definitely get the chance... looks like ROH is set to put a rocket up his ass with this heel turn).
Necro Butcher - I used to be all "meh" about Necro, but a few things changed my mind on him. One was the most recent round of ROH tapings I went to where he worked an awesome match against Joey Ryan with a rana to boot. Two was his performance in The Wrestler, which was pretty awesome. So yeah, I'm half-a-Necro Butcher fan now, even if I could never stomach his more well-known work in CZW and other garbage feds.
KENTA - He's a great addition to the ROH roster when he's healthy and over here. I also like how he provided inspiration to CM Punk to change his offense around ;)
Colt Cabana - Cabana in the WWE as a third member of CM Punk's current posse, the wise-cracking asshole compared to Punk's preachy leader and Luke Gallows' quiet enforcer, would have been friggin' sweet, but no, they had to call him Scotty Goldman and generic him up. Ah well, Cabana and his Matthew Lesko-inspired singlets are doing just fine entertaining all of us in indieland. I want to see his standup too. I think it's awesome that he's branching out.
The American Wolves - Good, intense tag team wrestlers who get bonus points because they interact with the crowd like any good heels would do. While I don't believe in DR as Indie Jesus, he's still a treat to watch in the ring, and I have to give Eddie Edwards mad warrior props for working a Ladder War the night after breaking his arm.
Chris Hero - While Hero can look awkward and lanky in the ring sometimes, most of the time, he's a treat to watch in the ring, especially when paired with someone capable. While I don't like that he throws more elbows than Bill Laimbeer in every match, I do like his Death Blow finisher. It's pretty sweet, a Rude Awakening neckbreaker clutch into a rolling elbow to the side of the head.
Kenny Omega - I present you the evidence as to Kenny Omega's candidacy for Lord of the Universe
Legacy - Random note that annoys me about the WWE "creative" dept. Rhodes and DiBiase have been with Randy Orton for a year, and in that time, they've either absorbed jobs for him or feuded on their own with DX with no interaction with Orton as he feuded with John Cena. And now they decide to tease a breakup? Why should I be emotionally invested in said breakup? The stable didn't even show a cohesiveness the likes of Evolution let alone the original DX or any other successful stable. Ugh. That's neither here nor there. DiBiase's awesome, and Rhodes while not awesome is getting there. They needed to be in a vibrant tag division though. That's why the WWE sucks sometimes.
Chris Masters - Dancing pecs aside (they are really awesome), Masters has improved in the ring since returning. He never gets a chance to talk, but his facial expressions are gold. I'm fine with the role he's in now. Let him squash Chavo and Santino and make the main eventers look good by letting them throw him around. He's found his niche.
Primo Colon - Much less lazy than his brother, and it's a shame he's not even getting jobber time. Hopefully they have a repackage in store for him.
The Hart Dynasty - Unlike most people, I don't think DH Smith is a festering pile of suck. I think he's a serviceable big guy whose ceiling is as high as his dad's, which wasn't terrible, mind you. But yeah, Tyson Kidd's the reason to watch this team. The best is when he puts a guy in a chinlock and yells at the ref "ASK HIM!"
Cryme Tyme - While the gimmick is possibly racist, they have fun with it and it's over. Both guys are pretty decent workers, and I kinda wish they got more of a run against JeriShow after SummerSlam.
Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov - Leapfrogging off the Legacy point, these guys are like the exact opposite. They were brought together in careful, compelling fashion and were awesome as Regal's henchmen for a month or so until, BAM, they teased and went through with the breakup angle in less than a month. No time to incubate. I mean really, was there that much a demand to turn Kozlov face? There was still mileage, unless the plan was never to strap Regal in the first place. Ugh. But yeah, Jackson can work despite having muscles where muscles don't naturally grow, and sue me, but I like Kozlov's style, although he can be boring if he's in there with the wrong opponent *cough*Triple H*cough*
Hurricane - I've always been a Hurricane booster. I think ECW's the perfect place for him.
Paul Burchill - Burchill deserves better, but at the same time as he's being given the Jericho treatment (again, WWE creative, stop recycling angles at the same time on different programs!), he is being featured a lot on ECW. Maybe they're just waiting for the right time. Also, Katie Lea is pretty delicious, especially since she likes to wear corsets and shit.
Ken Doane - He really impressed me at the DGUSA show in July. I feel like he got a raw deal in the WWE, being saddled with two lousy gimmicks, but if you have attitude problems, you're going to get in trouble, no matter how talented. Just ask Mr. Fuckstick.... err, I mean Anderson. I hope Doane can turn it around, and I'll be interested to see if he can adjust better to indie speed than Brian Kendrick has so far.
Motor City Machine Guns - These guys are a really fun tag team. TNA seems not to know what to do with them. Pity. Hopefully, Hogan's plan involves throwing them out on TV against the Young Bucks in a prolonged feud. That would be pretty sweet.
Scott Steiner - I don't know if he's trying to be funny or not, but he's the most genuinely hilarious member of the TNA roster.
Joey Ryan - Of the two pretty-boy metrosexual wrestlers in ROH, I like Ryan slightly more than Rhett Titus. The best thing about him is his finisher is called the Moustache Ride. Awesome.
Kenny King - Beginning of the year, he was very closely associated with Titus, but they sort of branched him off and made him Austin Aries' right hand man, which I think is a more natural fit. King is like Shelton Benjamin, only better in every conceivable way.
Rhett Titus - He doesn't have an awesomely-named finisher like Joey Ryan, and he's not like Shelton Benjamin, only better in every conceivable way, but I still enjoy Titus.
Bobby Dempsey - It's amazing how a guy who doesn't make it off dark matches on an indie fed's card is so over. It's hard not to feel good about Dempsey going out there and getting a hero's cheer for being a local guy. Plus, us fat guys have to stick together.
Lince Dorado - He suffers from the same things I was complaining about with Equinox and Helios in the last bin, but I met him and he's a really cool dude, so he gets bumped up a notch. Yeah I know, it's shallow, but hey, it's my list, dammit.
Sugar Dunkerton - I haven't seen much of him in the ring, but I like the gimmick and anyone who associates with Dasher Hatfield is alright by me!
Tim "Vökoder" Donst - Donst always worked in the background of Chikara. His American heritage gimmick was always over the top. I dug when he turned heel because let's face it, Hydra was a fan favorite, but he was the Santino of the fed in that no one took him seriously. The turn as Vökoder blew my mind. Donst is a-okay.
Gran Akuma - I like a guy who can do a good, stiff kick. Akuma is among the best at that. He has the perfect look for a dick heel too. It's amazing.
Chuck Taylor - If this doesn't make you a fan of Chuck Taylor, then nothing will, and you're a rotten human being
Eddie Kingston - Us fat guys have to stick together, y'know?
Colin Delaney - His schtick is pretty good. It's funny to see some beanpole bigtime everyone in Chikara because he used to work for the WWE. Great heel stuff.
2.0 - I want to see more of these guys, but the limited amount I saw was good. Chikara has a good nose for sniffing out good acts to bring onto its roster.
Los Ice Creams - Very good silly comedy team, and really, who can go wrong with dairy-based wrestling?
BxB Hulk - He's a great choice to carry the Open the Freedom Gate Championship going forward. He's a very high-energy wrestler and character. His dancing intro at the first DGUSA card was the stuff of legends.
Dragon Kid - Like I said in the DGUSA forecast, this guy is like Rey Mysterio on crack. That's a good thing. Kid and Hulk should have a very entertaining match for the OtFG Title when it happens eventually.
YAMATO - I was surprised at how well he heeled it up American style. He's got great facial expressions which make up for his lack of knowledge of the English language.
Masato Yoshino - I'm a bigger fan of his running buddy, Naruki Doi, but Yoshino brings the goods on a regular basis as well.
Human Tornado - HE WISHED ME A HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON FACEBOOK~! Also, he's one of the better high-flyers in the indies right now. Wish he'd come East more often though... *grumble grumble*
Melina - Although she's a bit of a spotfest queen, I can never rate a woman who has the most epic ring entrance in the history of wrestling lower than this category.
The Bella Twins - They're good at what they do, and that's chew scenery and flirt with the guest hosts on RAW.
Eve Torres - As a wrestler, she's all kinds of meh, but she's shown that she can articulate really well in both those Cryme Tyme segments back when she was on Smackdown and in those commercials she did with Vince. I like her style, and I think she should get a shot as a color commentator.
Kelly Kelly - She's actually improving as a wrestler, but she's also cute as a button and she really seems to be having a good time out there. They've done worse with women doing on-the-spot training in the ring out there.
Maryse Ouellet - Best heel woman mannerisms ever? Yeah, best heel woman mannerisms ever. Plus, she rocks the French maid get-up with style.
The Beautiful People - The gimmick is brilliant, and they've actually gotten better in-character with the departure of Angelina Love (who was kinda fugly), albeit they got worse in the ring (she's a better wrestler than Velvet, Lacey and the other girl combined three times over). Still, I can't rate any group that includes Velvet Sky lower than this tier.
Todd Grisham - Say what you want about him, but he's grown into a fine PBP announcer. I didn't like him as much with JR as I do with Striker. JR and Grisham are both PBP guys; Striker is a natural color commentator. Along with Striker, he helps make Smackdown tolerable.
Tony Chimel - He's an alright ring announcer, and he has a good way of introducing folks. Something about his voice keeps him out of the top category though.
Byron Saxton - He's a really good find, and for whatever reason, he has better chemistry with Dead Weight Matthews than Striker had. Weird. Saxton sounds a little too much like Coachman for my tastes, but he has way more personality and I think he has a bright future.
Don West - After hearing the TNA announce table without him, it's clear I was wrong about Big Blowhard Don. Taz is so whitebread, West at least made lewd cracks about the Knockouts and tried to heel it up when it was needed. He's no Bobby Heenan, but he's way fucking better than Taz is with that zombie Tenay.
Kevin Nash - For as much crap as Nash got for sandbagging WCW at the end and being a terrible wrestler competing while his legs were shot, there's no denying that he's a terrific personality to this day and can help out anyone he's with as long as he's trying to put them over and not himself (still a big risk with Big Sexy). For whatever he's done wrong though, I can forgive him because he seems to genuinely care about his coworkers, which was prevalent when Chris Sabin got his bell rung by Bubba Dudley and Nash was the only one who spoke out against their decision to continue the match.
Leonard F. Chikarason - LFC can be a little dry, but the dude's last name is Chikarason, for Christ's sake. That alone gets him in this bin.
Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography
