anarchistxx Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 Ok, so I reckon this is a pretty open field at the moment, and I'd be interested to hear what people think about this, and why. Here's my list, keep in mind that I've only seen about 5 hours of 2007 footage, but from what I've seen, as well as the stuff I've watched the last couple of years, these are my top 5... 1. Randy Orton Just a fantastic heel. he has all the mannerisms, great old school offence, not the greatest interview but does his job and pisses the crowd of. The RKO has been built really fucking well, out of nowhere and ends pretty much every match. Should probably take the title at Summerslam, leading to a WM24 chase for Cena. 2. Necro Butcher Absolute fun to watch, I don't think there are many more entertaining wrestlers out there. Believable character, and not afraid to kill himself for my entertainment. 3. William Regal The best promo guy still, and can carry anybody to a watchable match. His matches are more intruiging than exciting, but a lot of the time I find I can't take my eyes off what's going on. Rate him a lot higher than Finlay to be honest. 4. Matt Sydal The best face in the US when he works it, and a great heel as well. Athletic with an awesome moveset, some of the stuff he does defies belief. 5. Cody Rhodes Another great interview, liked some of his older stuff, but the feud with Orton caught my eye. I've watched loads from the Dusty/Cody/Orton feud on Youtube due to loving Dusty, and I've enjoyed it more than anything I've seen in months. Cody/Randy is my MOTY so far. Your thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 I haven't seen any Cody yet, so I can't really say for him one way or the other. I am also a fan of Matt Sydal and think he has a natural underdog charisma that doesn't come across forced at all. I don't like Necro all the time, but I do like him most of the time. I don't want to do anything to bring this thread down at all, but just thinking about this depresses me, because two years ago, I would have had a completely different top five, and of those guys, two are now dead, one is retired, one has been out for a while and is rumored to be having a tough time getting back in shape and the other has been booked so horribly that he's been exposed to maybe not be as good as originally thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchistxx Posted July 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 two are now dead Eddie and Benoit presumably? one is retired ??? one has been out for a while and is rumored to be having a tough time getting back in shape Rey? the other has been booked so horribly that he's been exposed to maybe not be as good as originally thought. Joe? If it is Joe, I kind of agree on that note. He has really lost his aura and freshness, and I'm unsure if he'll ever get it back. Interested in your current list though. he has a natural underdog charisma that doesn't come across forced at all. I've been selling this guy as the best sympathy babyface in the world for the last two years, he's fucking great at it. Takes a great beating so the guys get behind him, is naturally great looking so the girls get behind him, and is spectacular on offence, so everyone else gets behind him. I think he'd do well in WWE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjh Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 Is Paul London doing well in WWE in your opinion anarchistxx? I ask because that's about as successful as Matt Sydal would be in WWE in a best case scenario. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 one is retired ??? JBL? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 Yes, JBL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Evans Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 1. Matt Hardy 2. MVP 3. William Regal 4. John Cena 5. Eddie Kingston with Chris Hero tied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchistxx Posted July 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 Is Paul London doing well in WWE in your opinion anarchistxx? I ask because that's about as successful as Matt Sydal would be in WWE in a best case scenario. London has done alright, he's held the Tag Titles for months at a time and has also been Cruiserweight Champion. Sydal, though, is much, much better than London, a ton more charisma, a better bumper, more flashy and fluid on offence, and a lot more versatile. Sydal could get the crowd into matches a lot more than London. I'd say he could rise to US Champion on SD at least, with the current booking team they seem to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 Sydal also has a better physique than London, and, well, it's WWE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Schneider Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 Matt Sydal is really short, like 5'1 or 5'2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxpower Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 Matt Sydal is really short, like 5'1 or 5'2 I don't think he's that short, Phil. I've stood next to him on a few occasions and he's a legit 5'6 or 5'7 (I'm 6'4 BTW). But that is still short for WWE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 I'm 5'8.5" and once talked to him in the lobby after a show, 5'7" is ridiculous, probably in the middle of the other estimates and something like 5'4" or 5'5". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smkelly Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 1. Edge - Although he's injured now, but up until his injury, he was the best heel in the entertainment side of wrestling. He can talk, and can wrestle. 2. Matt Hardy - Matt Hardy has brought the goods for a long time now. 3. Bryan Danielson - I don't think I really need to explain why he's involved in this list. 4. Nigel McGuinness - He's about to hit stride and become a huge superstar. 5. John Cena - The best main event worker in the last few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 Matt Sydal may do better than someone like London. London has a lot of factors against him, but seems to complain a lot and has a smarmy personality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BilJim2 Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 5. Cody Rhodes Another great interview, liked some of his older stuff, but the feud with Orton caught my eye. I've watched loads from the Dusty/Cody/Orton feud on Youtube due to loving Dusty, and I've enjoyed it more than anything I've seen in months. Cody/Randy is my MOTY so far. Your thoughts? You're not talking about the match they had this past Monday are you? MOTY? Wow. Regardless, that kind of match was done better in places like Smoky Mountain and the Mid Atlantic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 Having not seen any ROH since he returned, has Danielson dropped the "LOL IM A HEEL!" schtick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomk Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 You need to watch FIP where you have a far less smarky audience as the heel stuff is less LOL and more actually pissing off children, women and mentally handicapped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 Ooh. Any specific recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxpower Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 I'm 5'8.5" and once talked to him in the lobby after a show, 5'7" is ridiculous, probably in the middle of the other estimates and something like 5'4" or 5'5".To be fair, 5'6 or 5'7 isn't any more ridiculous than saying he's 5'1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.L.L. Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 1. Finlay - There are a couple of guys fighting for this spot, and it could change any given week. I've been leaning on Cena as best in the world - never mind the US - for a few months now. But honestly, if I had to watch any active US based wrestler RIGHT NOW, it has to be Finlay. He's been delivering really strongly in the last month or so, and his greatness is the most immediate to me, so I chose him. The addition of the Celtic Knot as a finisher is a nice touch. And of course, there's still the stiffness, the selling, the heeling, and the usage of a midget as a foreign object. The only thing he can't do is convincingly claim that there isn't a steroid problem in wrestling. 2. Matt Hardy - Matt's been so consistently good lately that it's amazing. He's busting out high-end matches almost weekly now. Great punches, great babyface fire, great selling, and a well-protected finisher that he's done a great job pulling off as a Diamond Cutter-esque "he can hit it from anywhere" type move. He's done a fine job replacing that dude who iced his family as the guy you can count on you deliver the match of the week pretty much every week. Just a treat to watch. 3. John Cena - For reasons that have been discussed to death. He hasn't delivered big since the Khali matches, but that hasn't been that long, in fairness. The Lashley feud doesn't set my world on fire, and Cena vs. face matches don't really compel me (though the Michaels matches were really, really good), but he's delivered huge in PPV main events this year, and that sticks with me longer than I imagine miscellaneous great Finlay free TV matches will. 4. MVP - Possibly the best heel in wrestling right now. Has done a fine job in building the big boot as the centerpiece of his offense. The Playmaker worked as a finisher when his gimmick was that he sucked, but now that that's no longer the case, it seems a bit out of place, an unseemly reminder that he was once a shitty indy dude. But it's hard for me to complain about him otherwise. 5. The Miz - With MVP gaining internet acceptance, Miz defaults to the deliberately overlooked great American worker. Being pushed as a face in ECW could change this for the worse, but to this point, he's been doing everything right in the ring. Great cocky heel, though that was undercut somewhat by becoming more "serious", but still brought the goods with great offense and selling. I haven't seen enough recent ROH to put any of them up there right now. Nigel seems like the best of that bunch, far as I can tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Spunk Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 1. Finlay - There are a couple of guys fighting for this spot, and it could change any given week. I've been leaning on Cena as best in the world - never mind the US - for a few months now. But honestly, if I had to watch any active US based wrestler RIGHT NOW, it has to be Finlay. He's been delivering really strongly in the last month or so, and his greatness is the most immediate to me, so I chose him. The addition of the Celtic Knot as a finisher is a nice touch. And of course, there's still the stiffness, the selling, the heeling, and the usage of a midget as a foreign object. The only thing he can't do is convincingly claim that there isn't a steroid problem in wrestling. 2. Matt Hardy - Matt's been so consistently good lately that it's amazing. He's busting out high-end matches almost weekly now. Great punches, great babyface fire, great selling, and a well-protected finisher that he's done a great job pulling off as a Diamond Cutter-esque "he can hit it from anywhere" type move. He's done a fine job replacing that dude who iced his family as the guy you can count on you deliver the match of the week pretty much every week. Just a treat to watch. 3. John Cena - For reasons that have been discussed to death. He hasn't delivered big since the Khali matches, but that hasn't been that long, in fairness. The Lashley feud doesn't set my world on fire, and Cena vs. face matches don't really compel me (though the Michaels matches were really, really good), but he's delivered huge in PPV main events this year, and that sticks with me longer than I imagine miscellaneous great Finlay free TV matches will. 4. MVP - Possibly the best heel in wrestling right now. Has done a fine job in building the big boot as the centerpiece of his offense. The Playmaker worked as a finisher when his gimmick was that he sucked, but now that that's no longer the case, it seems a bit out of place, an unseemly reminder that he was once a shitty indy dude. But it's hard for me to complain about him otherwise. 5. The Miz - With MVP gaining internet acceptance, Miz defaults to the deliberately overlooked great American worker. Being pushed as a face in ECW could change this for the worse, but to this point, he's been doing everything right in the ring. Great cocky heel, though that was undercut somewhat by becoming more "serious", but still brought the goods with great offense and selling. I haven't seen enough recent ROH to put any of them up there right now. Nigel seems like the best of that bunch, far as I can tell. This is a fine list. Nigel seems like the current 'it' guy for ROH fans. You ever notice how ROH fans go through this 'X IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD!' phase every once in a while? We had Joe, then Dragon and now Nigel. I'm not saying he isn't good and all, but it is just RATHER SUSPECT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 1) Cena, mainly because the other guys that are contenders have had more to work with and arguably more freedom in the ring. Cena works a limited range, but he works it better and more convincingly than guys who do more stuff. Plus Cena has taken over where Rey left off as a sympathy seller and expert of timing comebacks. 2) Finlay, as it is really not all that easy to have comedy matches with Boogeyman and two midgets that still standout as amongst the best things on tv in a pretty loaded year. Really, he's not any worse than he was last year, he's just getting put in a different role, that hasn't given him as much showcase time. 3) Matt Hardy, still not as high on him as others, but it's very hard to argue with his consistency, really going all the way back to the Greg Helms feud last year. Realy good in tag matches and singles, and is pretty credible looking and solid no matter who he is working against. 4) MVP, I really could make an argument for him higher than this without much effort as the dude gets his characctor over through his work better than anyone other than Cena. 5) Randy Orton, I don't understand people who are saying he's greatly improved, as to me he has been consistently this good for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchistxx Posted July 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 You're not talking about the match they had this past Monday are you? MOTY? Wow. To be fair, I have seen fuck all this year. And also, I rate a match a lot on the atmosphere around it, so I loved the feud and the booking of the match, even if the ring work wasn't the best, although I enjoyed it a whole lot. I have weird taste in matches though. As for Nigel, I loved him as a heel in 2005 and early 2006, but he's become far too samey for me. Plus, whatever match he's in, there have to be a million nearfalls and people kicking out of his finishers. Him as best in the worls is pretty laughable. I had no idea Sydal was that small - the rest of the ROH roster must be complete midgets, since he seems taller than most of them. I figured he was over 6" at least. Matt Hardy I haven't seen enough of lately, though I always thought he was consistently good, while never having any standout singles matches. Finlay, I'm not as big a fan of as most, and I don't like MVP's ring attire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 ring attire? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchistxx Posted July 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 ring attire? It looks ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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