|
|
|
|
|
Submitted by Hustle on Friday, September 26, 2008 at 4:56 AM EST
 Good lookin out for the graphics work, Noc "And I'm grindin til I'm tired.. cause they said you ain't grindin til you tired.. so I'm grindin with my eyes wide, lookin to find a way through the day.. a light for the night.. Dear Lord, you done took so many of my people, I'm just wonderin why you haven't taken my life?.. like, what the hell am I doin right?.." This week's opener comes, once again, from Weezy F Baby (no abortion). It's just the way I find myself thinking sometimes. No real reasoning behind any of it. Another week, another column.. welcome, everyone, to another edition of the hood's favorite wrestling column, Hustle Is Posting Right Now. I am your host for this shindig.. the man who is not the same, because he's a martian.. the man who is thuggish ruggish and way too strong.. you guessed it, folks.. ya boy, Hustle, is back in the building. Once again, I want to take this time to say "thank you" to those that have been sending me feedback on my most recent column. You guys are real quick with the "What if..?" questions, and I applaud you for that. Just to let everyone know.. if I do go ahead with another installment of "What if..?", it won't be for a few months, at the very least. I want to bring you folks something different, and it's a tad difficult to bring you something different when I'm bringing you the same thing. I'm going to take it easy on you folks this week. Nothing too deep or complex. Let's ride, damnit.. shall I proceed? (Yes, indeed.) Less dew eet!! In recent months, it appears as if Vince McMahon has come to the realization that he needs to start working the next batch of WWE superstars into the mix, instead of trying to get by on nothing but the same old group of people. The future is already starting, ladies and gentlemen, and it's up to me.. your ballin-ass pal, Hustle.. to take a look at said future. These are the people we'll be watching (and writing columns about, perhaps) a few years from now, so it's always good to check and make sure that your future isn't looking bleak. I'm going to do this in no particular order, just to keep things a bit more lively..  Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase: These guys seem to have a really nice future ahead of them. They already appear to be headed for big things, what with 2 World Tag Team Championship reigns (including a victory over the team of John Cena & Batista) and a reported faction with Randy Orton on the way. DiBiase seems to be the guy that most people see as the one that will go further as a singles competitor, and I agree with that 100 percent. Cody has occasional flashes of that charisma that he got from his father, but Ted just seems to have that natural Orton-like "assholishness" (yes, you read that right) that will make him a hated heel for years to come. Numerous others have said it, so I apologize if you've heard this one before, but I think DiBiase is a main event star in the making, and he's someone who will probably be headlining WrestleMania before he retires. There's probably some good money to be made in an eventual feud between both guys, as well, but that would need to come down the line a few years.  Santino Marella: Santino is another guy who the company seems to be really high on. His sense of comedic timing is amazing, and it's easily the best that wrestling has seen since The Rock graced our television sets every week. I'm still not a huge fan of his in-ring work, but if he's placed in positions that can accentuate his positives while hiding his deficiencies, he should be fine. His pairing with Beth Phoenix has been an absolute joy to watch in recent weeks, and this mini-program he's working with Batista at the moment is showing that the company may have bigger plans for the guy down the line. Some people that are fans of the guy's mic work but not fans of his in-ring work have said he could make a good commentator, but I have to strongly disagree with that. If he was calling a match, nobody would be able to pay attention to the match itself, as they'd be too busy listening and laughing to whatever Santino was saying. With that said, though, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up as some sort of a manager/wrestler combination down the road somewhere.  Carlito & Primo Colon: These guys are going to be interesting to keep tabs on in the future. For those who keep up with the news and rumors, Carlito has (supposedly) been very unhappy with the direction his character was heading in and the way he was being used. It wasn't even the first time he's been unhappy about that. Hell, it wasn't even the second time he's been unhappy about it. He's always had the ability to succeed, but he just appeared to sulk a lot, making people believe the rumors of his unhappiness even more than they already were buying into them. However, during his brief stint teaming with his little brother, Carlito seems refreshed and motivated for the first time in a while. Primo is still incredibly "green", so it was a good move placing him in a team with his "veteran" brother for a while. If Carlito can remain happy and focused, he's going to remain at the upper-midcard level for years to come, and it wouldn't shock me if he went beyond that eventually. Primo, on the other hand, hasn't had enough of a catalog to judge off of, but he could be a solid addition to the tag ranks (with or without Carlito), at the very least.  Randy Orton: He's already one of the biggest names in the business, and he's only 28 years old, so, barring injury, he's got a whole decade or so ahead of him still. Before his collarbone injury, he was really hitting on all cylinders with his heel work. He's been a good heel for a while, but 2006 into 2007 is where he took it to the next level. He didn't get named as the #1 wrestler in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's PWI500 for nothing. His future isn't exactly difficult to figure out. It's not like he'll suddenly become a midcarder or anything. He'll be one of the cornerstones of the company until he retires, basically. Good news for LoPForums' own T.O., without a doubt.  The Miz & John Morrison: When people ask me about these guys, I always tell them the same thing.. they're perfect as a tag team. Morrison is the better in-ring competitor, but he has some serious flaws when it comes to how he performs on the mic. Miz, while not terrible, has a lot of work to do still when it comes to his wrestling, but he's an absolute natural on the mic, with charisma that lasts for days. Don't get me wrong.. Miz has improved drastically since making his debut, but he's still not at Morrison's level yet. At this point in their careers, it would be a wise move to keep them together, so that they can continue working off of each other like they have been. Morrison, as he's been called by Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler on commentary, is similar to a younger Shawn Michaels. Michaels was more of a natural on the mic, but they share similar looks, and they have the same cocky charisma. It's because of that comparison that I can say Morrison will be a main event star (not just on ECW) in the future, as long as he continues working on his vocal delivery. Miz can, and will, be a solid addition to the midcard, and he'll be in the mix for the IC or US title before too long, I guarantee it. By the way, I realize the picture is a tad dated. You'll live.  Kofi Kingston: One of the bigger surprises of the 2007 calendar year, in my opinion. When Kofi debuted on ECW, I don't know a single person that predicted his rise to become one of the top young stars in WWE. He began winning crowds over right away, however, with his ultra-athletic ring work and his endless enthusiasm. When he was drafted to Raw, people took all of 0.6 seconds to start mentioning how he was going to be lost in the shuffle on the "A" show, and how his push would be going to waste. Winning the IC Title during his Raw debut put those fears to rest. While he's been in a bit of a holding pattern recently, he's still one of the most over guys on the Raw roster, and he's plenty young enough (27) to continue growing as a wrestler. With his happy attitude and smiling face, I think that a heel turn down the road could be really good for him as a change-of-pace. Perhaps with a haircut or something to go along with the heel turn. I dunno.. just thinking out loud here.  Mike Knox: When I first saw this guy, I have to admit that I wasn't impressed. That feeling lasted a while, actually. However, in recent weeks, my opinion on the guy has changed quite a bit. Hell, just watching his match with Chase Stevens on this week's edition of ECW changed my mind. In case you didn't get to see ECW this week, it was an incredibly impressive squash match. Don't let the guy's "Hobo Harry" look fool you. He's deceptively athletic, has nice power, and has a finisher that is just brutal on his opponents. Jim Ross predicted that Knox will become ECW Champion before 2008 is over, and I honestly don't see that being too far off. I'd probably give him a little more time, though, and say he'll be holding the title somewhere around the Royal Rumble or so. He's got a bright future ahead of him. Now, if only he'd do something about that beard..  Jack Swagger: Sure, he hasn't been on WWE television for all that long, but he appears to have "it", and wrestlers that have "it" usually do pretty well for themselves in the wrestling business. As Jake Hager, he was the FCW (WWE developmental territory) Heavyweight Champion for just over 7 months, until losing the belt just last week, in a move that signals his official stay on the "main roster". The fact that he was given the FCW Heavyweight Title proves that the company sees something special in him. He's another in a long line of accomplished amateur wrestlers employed by WWE, being a collegiate All-American at the University of Oklahoma, so he isn't just the normal "hoss" wrestler. His smile has a bit of a "psychopath" look to it, and it should be fun to see if they capitalize on that a bit. Don't be surprised to see him in contention for the ECW Title sometime in the first few months of 2009.  Jesse & Festus: These guys started off slowly, but became more over than I would've expected them to be. Well, more Festus than Jesse, but the point remains. Lost in the silliness of his character, Festus is an impressive big-man wrestler. Not quite impressive enough to make any sort of a legit singles run in the future, but he's a respectable performer that won't stink up the joint during those tag team feuds where a member of each team faces each other in a singles match. Jesse hasn't done much of anything to impress me yet, and he'd probably be gone from the company if not for Festus, but he plays a decent "straight man" to Festus' comedy. They'd both be lost without each other, now that I think about it. It's an "either or" with these guys. Either they remain a tag team for years to come, or they'll be members of the Future Endeavors Club.  Lance Cade: A lot of people were surprised when Cade's former tag team partner, Trevor Murdoch, was released a while back. They figured that Cade was too "bland", and that Murdoch had more going for him, as far as charisma and having "the look" goes. They were right, actually. Cade isn't terrible or anything, but there isn't a whole lot about him that sets him apart from the rest of the roster, which is a huge problem. Sure, they're trying to give him the "rub" by pairing him up with Chris Jericho, and by having him work with main event guys, but in no way, shape, or form should he be considered a main event guy himself. The fans just haven't had any real reason to react towards the guy. This week on Raw, when he pinned Shawn Michaels (which was an incredibly stupid move, by the way), the crowd just sat there. They seem intent on pushing the guy, though, so I wouldn't expect him to go anywhere.  CM Punk: The man who "shocked the world" to become the World Heavyweight Champion in late June appears to be set for a while on Raw. People have had very mixed reactions towards his title reign, and what it means for his future. Personally, I'm in the category of people that think it's a positive thing that they even gave him the title in the first place, and looking any deeper into it than that is just taking so much fun out of watching. Sure, the way they took the title off of him was a little iffy, but they appear to be moving him right into a feud with Randy Orton, once Orton returns from injury, and that'll be another high-profile feud for Punk to continue growing in. Look for Punk to be in the Chris Jericho (in his first few years with the company) role, where he'll be an upper-midcarder and own a few IC Title reigns, but he'll remain over enough where he can be plugged into a main event feud from time-to-time without the crowd not believing it.  Shelton Benjamin: The company has tried to push him on numerous occasions, with results that vary. If he had more natural sounding mic work, he would've been a world champion by now. He's just that talented, but it's not like I needed to tell any of you that. There are some guys that are just meant to be IC/US Title contenders for most of their careers, and I think Shelton is one of those guys. He's able to put on watchable matches with all types of wrestlers, and he's a solid boost for the midcard tier in WWE. I think I'm starting to notice that the company should be just fine when it comes to midcarders and upper midcarders for the future. That's usually the backbone of wrestling promotions, anyway, with the guys who generally work the best/most exciting matches being there.  Ricky Ortiz: There's just something about this guy that I don't like, and honestly, I can't quite figure out what it is. He's got plenty of enthusiasm, and he seems genuinely excited to be performing every week. I'll give him that much. He just seems TOO enthusiastic sometimes, and it messes with his promos and in-ring work. He needs to learn when to slow down, take a deep breath, and take things easy. It'll do wonders for the guy. Until he learns to start doing that, and working on the pacing of everything he does on-camera, I just don't see him lasting all that long with the company. Sorry, Ortiz fans, but all the rally towel waving in the world isn't going to change my mind.  Evan Bourne: The man with the prettiest Shooting Star Press (and roll-up) of all-time has been enjoying a rise towards the top that nobody could've predicted when he made his debut. Most said he was too small (5'9", 185 pounds) to really make it, but his breathtaking aerial acrobatics made people stop paying attention to those minor details. When I think of his future with WWE, I can only think of one thing.. him at WrestleMania, competing in Money In The Bank. If that doesn't make you giddy, then I don't know what the hell to say to you. Expect him to be in the match, and expect him to have a good showing, but I don't see him winning it. He's not quite ready yet, in my opinion. He'll be wrestling for the ECW Title before too long, though, so don't worry, Bourne fans.  Cryme Tyme: Shad & JTG have had a very interesting stay with the company thus far. As over as they were when they debuted, they went weeks at a time without making it on TV, and then were released right when they were in the middle of their biggest feud. Upon their return, they were still over, but once again, they weren't being used at any sort of a frequent rate. Then they joined up with John Cena in his battle against JBL, Cody Rhodes, & Ted DiBiase, and it's been looking good ever since. These guys work really well together, as the "big man/little man" tag team formula is kid-tested and mother-approved. It would be a shame to break them up, now or later, so I'd expect them to remain a tag team for years to come, and hopefully with a couple tag title reigns to go with it.  The Brian Kendrick & Ezekiel Jackson: Kendrick's recent push has been one of the bigger surprises in recent memory. He went from being in a tag team (with Paul London) that never got any TV time at all, to being an upper-midcarder on the Smackdown brand without any real notice at all. Zeke is more of a mystery, obviously, as there aren't too many of us that have actually seen what he has to offer in the ring. Wrestling Storyline Rehash #181326 states that any heel wrestler/bodyguard combination will eventually have a falling out, with the bodyguard turning face. I definitely see that happening here with these two, but not for a while. After that, it's really anybody's guess with Zeke, but Kendrick should.. you guessed it.. bolster the midcard ranks of the company.  Vladimir Kozlov: Like with Mike Knox, I wasn't a fan of this guy in the beginning, but he's started to win me over in recent weeks. He's just a no-nonsense bruiser. I don't see him putting on five-star classics or anything like that, but he serves his role very well. With his beatings of Jeff Hardy and Triple H in consecutive weeks, it's becoming obvious that a decent push is coming his way. Not just anybody gets to go out and dominate the two top names on Smackdown like that. It'll be interesting to see the direction his character goes in over the next several weeks, especially considering the fact that he can't exactly come out and cut a 20-minute promo on anybody to help himself. It goes back to my column about managers, and how pro wrestling needs more of them. With a manager to serve as his mouthpiece, Kozlov could just focus more on going out there and doing his thing, and the fans would still be able to connect more with the character, and boo/cheer him as they see fit. Or he could always go back to loving the "Double Double E".  Paul Burchill: Burchill's a tough one for me to even add here, as there may not even BE a WWE future for him. There's a buzz floating around that he might be next on the chopping block when the company starts releasing talent. That's a shame, too, because the guy can go. He's been given some odd gimmicks during his time with the company, and none have really worked out for him. Sure, "Pirate Paul" had its moments, but for the most part, it wasn't much of anything. Right when it looked as if his storyline with Katie Lea would take off, it seemed to hit a wall and just fall over completely. It was almost as if the company put them on TV without actually knowing what they wanted to do with their characters. Shocking, isn't it? I do think he'll be released soon, which is a bad move, as he can really wrestle.  Manu: He's the "thunder" to Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase's "lightning", I suppose. I really like this guy. He may not look like it at first glance, but he's got really good athleticism, which seems to be a theme for the Samoan wrestling bloodline. There's no telling if the company will allow him to showcase some of that athleticism, or if they'll just use him in a power role and tone down his move set. He's not as menacing as Umaga is, so I can't picture him being on the brink of main event status, but then again, I didn't really think that Batista would reach that level, either, when he was first placed into a stable as the "muscle" of the group. Hmm..  Scotty Goldman: This one upsets me a bit, as the man formerly known as Colt Cabana appears to be nothing more than a jobber during his time on the Smackdown roster. For those who haven't been exposed to the guy pre-Goldman, allow me to just say that the guy is.. well.. "different". He mixes old school, European-style wrestling with new school comedy. He'd never be a World Title contender, in my opinion, but he could be a really solid addition to the WWE midcard if he was used to his potential. It really doesn't appear that he'll be used that way, though. Not for a while, at least. I wouldn't be shocked if he was no longer with the company at this time next year, and that really hurts me to say. By the way, I just wanted an excuse to post that picture. Yes, that's really him, in case you didn't already know.  John Cena: Hi Haters. Just to let you know, John Cena isn't going anywhere. I know how much you hate to hear that, but it's the truth. You'll bitch, whine, moan, and complain.. but you'll also continue to watch, in true Hater fashion. He'll continue to win matches, hold titles, and bring in tons of money for the company. I'll continue defending the guy, trying to convert some of you haters, while laughing at the idiocy of the rest of you. It just kills some of you that Cena isn't 45 years old and nearing retirement, doesn't it? Damn, for as angry as some of you get, that's gotta be some tough news to swallow. On the bright side, some of you should be used to swallowing, anyway. In other news, the world continues to spin. Oh, that reminds me..  Mr Kennedy: He has no future with the company. He'll either retire due to constantly being injured, or he'll be released when Vince McMahon realizes he can't even trust this guy to get a cup of coffee without pulling, tearing, or breaking something. It's time to give it a rest already, Kennedy fans. Oh, and those of you who are tired of me mentioning my dislike of the guy.. especially those of you that follow me around LoPForums.com like a lost puppy.. tough break for you, as I'll continue to mention it, and mention it often. It's what I do. Thank you to the following for helping me create ideas for this column: - Miss Cleo - "Take It Easy" by The Eagles - General curiousity - My balls. Crystal balls, that is. Thank you to the following for helping me get through this column: - Killah Priest & Chief Kamachi's "Beautiful Minds" album - Cassidy's "Return Of The Hustler" mixtape - Charles Hamilton's "Crash Landed" mixtape - Termanology's "Politics As Usual" album A little shorter than usual this week, but I wanted to give you folks a bit of a break from reading the epic columns I usually post. I'm sure I'll be back to normal next week, but for now, enjoy. Thanks for riding with me during yet another edition of Hustle Is Posting Right Now. It's been fun. I already know this column may not have been up to par with my usual work, but I've had a busier week than usual, and that meant less time to actually sit and formulate my flows. It's all good, though. I'm already working on a couple different columns for you fine folks, and the next one will be dropping a week from now. Well, actually, it'll be dropping 6 days from now. In case you hadn't noticed, this column is out a day late. If you go back to LordsOfPain.net and click on "Pnk's Thnks 8: The Pnk Is Thnking Right Now Edition", you'll understand a little more as to why that is. So.. 6 days from now.. same Hustle time, same Hustle page.. be there. Until then, I'm ghost like ridin whips on the West Coast, nah'mean? Be easy, folks. From Lakeside, I bid you farewell. Aloha and Mahalo Nui Loa. "Life can change ya directions, even when you ain't planned it.. all you can do is handle it.. worst thing you can do is panic.. use it to your advantage.. avoid insanity.. manage to conquer every obstacle.. make impossible possible.. even when winning's illogical, losing's still far from optional.." Hustle HIPRNFeedback@gmail.com 
|
|