We noted before how Dolph Ziggler did not wrestle at this weekend’s live events, despite reportedly being cleared to wrestle. Ziggler started this weekend’s events by cutting a promo and announcing that he still wasn’t cleared to wrestle.
Ziggler also didn’t get physically involved in the Big E Langston vs. Alberto Del Rio main events. No word yet if Ziggler has not been cleared to wrestle but we should know more on tonight’s RAW.
Credit – Wrestling Observer
WWE is going ahead with the Big E Langston babyface turn, in part because Mark Henry is out with a hurt shoulder. There is some kind of heat on Henry for being out hurt. Apparently WWE officials had something big planned for Henry and aren’t happy that he’s taking time off when surgery isn’t needed. Before Extreme Rules, Langston vs. Henry was being planned for this summer.
Credit – F4WOnline
WWE officials are back on the idea of having Dolph Ziggler, AJ Lee and Big E Langston all hold singles titles at the same time.
At RAW, there was talk that the person who sent the mystery gift to WWE Divas Champion Kaitlyn was going to end up being Langston. There’s also talk at RAW that Langston will be going after United States Champion Kofi Kingston.
Credit – Wrestling Observer
We noted before that AJ Lee and Divas Champion Kaitlyn may be added to the Kane and Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston match at WrestleMania 29, making it a six-person match with all titles on the line.
WWE may save AJ and Kaitlyn for RAW but word is that the group of AJ, Ziggler and Langston are scheduled to get a big push coming out of WrestleMania.
On Monday, WWE officials discussed having Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston vs. Kane and Daniel Bryan for the WWE Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 29.
This is why Langston attacked Daniel Bryan.
By what happened at the SmackDown tapings last night, it looks like they are moving forward with this plan.
Credit – PWInsider
Word coming out of RAW is that WWE no longer wants Ric Flair doing anything really physical. While he threw some chops at Big E Langston on RAW, don’t expect him to take any bumps or get into any brawls on WWE TV.
There is some sort of health issue that WWE is concerned about with Flair. The feeling is that they would rather be safe than sorry.
Big E Langston tweeted the following about people calling him RyBlack:
“People, “RyBlack” is unimaginative & dull. On the other hand, “Choc Lesnar” made me audibly laugh.”
Langston then re-tweeted a fan comment that called him “Soulberg.”
Credit – Wrestling Observer
There has been a lot of internal talk about Dolph Ziggler’s future lately.
As noted, officials have discussed breaking Big E Langston away from Ziggler and AJ Lee but it sounds like he might stay with AJ. They are discussing this not because of a possible Langston face turn but because of a Ziggler babyface turn.
Vince McMahon has been changing his mind back and forth on Ziggler as a babyface but it’s more when and not if. A lot of people in the company feel that Ziggler will take off huge as a babyface when the call is made. The fact that Ziggler is already popular in the New York market is said to be influencing Vince’s decision.
Before I get started, I want to thank Jeff Peck for allowing me the opportunity to share my thoughts on the world of professional wrestling with you all. That said, let’s do this.
If anyone has read my previous blogs, you will find that I am a fan of WWE’s developmental territory FCW. So, for my first blog, I’m giving you an all FCW blog. In this blog, I will give my top five prospects currently honing their craft in Tampa. But, this top 5 will not include Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Damien Sandow, Kassius Ohno, Antonio Cesaro, or anyone else who has had a whiff of WWE air. This top 5 will feature the guys who are locked in at FCW and may not be known by the casual WWE fan. Although this is my top 5, I want to be brutally honest about these future WWE superstars. Also, this top 5 is based soley on the FCW work of a given superstar, not their previous work.
5. Big E Langston
While Big E possess the strength to compete at the WWE level, he just didn’t have the “It” factor to command fans to take notice. That is, until now. In his most recent match on FCW television, Langston showed some of his usual strong style impact. But this time it was intertwined with a bit of edginess. After pinning Jiro, Langston laid on his fallen opponent and gave a crazed look that matches his type of power very well. But the best part of the match came when William Regal stated a great idea. Regal stated that Mark Henry should take Big E under his wing. This is a great idea. If tag team wrestling makes a comeback, a team of Henry and Langston could be scary dominant until Henry decides to hang it up. Then Langston can take his new found knowledge to the next level at the WWE level.
4. Leakee
When you look at Leakee, you will see a prototypical WWE superstar. He has the look, the size, and the pedigree. He is an A’noai. So you know he is familiar with how wrestling works. Although his in ring work is on par, the one thing holding him back are his mic skills. He’s rarely given the chance to cut promos on television. He may be able to kill a promo in practice backstage, but in front of a camera, he is a deer in headlights. If the WWE is serious about letting Abraham Washington be a manager, Leakee is one he should add to the stable. If Leakee can have a mouthpiece until he figures out the art of mic work, he will be a nice addition to the WWE roster.
3. James Bronson
Bronson is one of my personal favorites right now. He has the look of Mad Dog Vachon, which automatically grabs my old school attention. After being saddled with a psychiatrist gimmick he has moved away from that, and back to being himself. He has the strong style offense and does the one thing that a heel should do in the ring, interact with the crowd. Be vocal and talk down to his opponent. Unfortunately, to get to WWE right now, it appears that a superstar will need a gimmick. Bronson doesn’t seem to have an over the top gimmick that will get him noticed as of this moment. But, from what I’ve seen of Bronson, he seems more than capable to find a way into WWE.
2. Bo Rotundo
I put Bo at number 2, but I have no idea how this kid fits on the WWE roster. He possesses the talent and charisma to do it. His mic skills are reflective of him being young, but it works for him. He has that quality that female fans and young kids will rally for, ala John Cena. He has held both the FCW heavyweight and tag team championships on multiple occasions. At his age, that is a huge accomplishment. But, Bo seems to need something to make it to WWE. I just can’t put my finger on it. Again, if tag team wrestling were relavent in WWE, he would be there already. Bo has that Bret Hart quality for a tag team. After a period of time with that role in a tag team, Bo could possibly be a Bret Hart type of superstar. No pressure, Bo.
1. Ritchie Steamboat
It’s hard to believe this kid isn’t already on WWE television. But, it’s a good thing. I’m sure Ritchie’s father, WWE Hall of Famer Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat has a lot of say in the path Ritchie takes to the big time. Personally, it’s amazing to see this kid grow. I remember the issue of WWF magazine when he was born. Now I’m watching him grow in the ring. His armdrags are becoming “Dragon-like” and he did something at FCW that his dad never did, be a heel. In my opinion, as a heel, Ritchie was at his best. It’s not because I’m partial to heels, I am. Ritchie really flourished as a heel showing edginess on the mic and in the ring. While heel, he was linked to Aksana. So, if he is brought up to WWE, the armchair booker in me would like to see him get a gimmick as being a cocky, ladies man, son of a Hall of Famer, who is overbearing but backs it up. If he debuts that way, I believe he will be well received by the fans. The fans want to see the next “Dragon”, but you can’t give them that, he will fail, as no one can be Ricky Steamboat, not even his kid. But, Ritchie can slowly transition into being the Son of the Dragon after opening eyes as the first Steamboat heel.
Honorable Mentions
Raquel Diaz is my first honorable mention. She is ready now. I didn’t include her in my top 5 because she is a diva. Sure, call me a sexist, but I’m not putting a Diva in the top 5 because she is aspiring to have, at the most, 5 mins of TV time in WWE. But, Raquel has the talent to command more than 5 minutes of TV. You can tell she is the daughter of Eddie and Vickie Guererro. Her mic skills are top notch. Her in ring skills are ahead of schedule for someone her age. Her finisher is the Gory Bomb which automatically scores bonus points. Look for her on WWE TV in 2012.
Jake Carter and Corey Graves
These two get a mention, because as a tag team, they are commanding attention. The current FCW tag team champions are a very good team. Abraham Washington has become their manager and played a part in their most recent title defense. The way heel tag champs should go over. Graves and Carter have a little ways to go to get there, but as a team, they have stepped up their games and will get attention.
So there it is, my WrestleChat.net debut. Hope you enjoyed. There will be more to come.
The Herald also spoke with WWE Tough Enough Winner Andy Leavine, now known as Kevin Hackman. Andy talked about his progress:
“It has been going good. It’s a daily process. You have to get better every day. I try not to look too far ahead because if you do, you sort of lose track of where you are currently. I am just working hard and getting better. I have a heck of a lot of guys that I look up to and try to model myself, hard work wise, after. There are a lot of hard working guys down here. Leo Kruger, who is a former two-time FCW heavyweight champ, has helped me out a lot. Eli Cottonwood, Husky Harris, Big E Langston and others have helped me out a lot on my road.”
