I don’t know about you, but 2014 has been one of the strangest years. Wrestlers who we thought would main event turned out to be jobbers, injuries killed momentum for some, while vacancies became opportunities. We take a look at 30 wrestlers and wonder what 2015 will have in store for them.
Adam Rose
Michael: The only way he won’t be demoted back to NXT is if they completely repackage him. At the end of 2014, the guy snapped, turning on Bunny and his Rosebuds. People cared about the gimmick for all of a week and then forgot about him faster than Fandangoing. Unless Leo Kruger shows up, consider this party… Over.
Bill: The heel turn has started, but it’ll mean absolutely nothing. He’ll either end up turning face by summer and become the new Zack Ryder or remain heel and end up teaming with Fandango. Either way his future is as mediocre as when he started out this year.
Big Show
Michael: The guy is a WWE mainstay. Whether face or heel, Show is always on screen because he simply loves his job.
Bill: See his 2014 run – constant flip-flopping between heel and face with 2015 being the beginning of the end of The World’s Largest Athlete’s career.
Bray Wyatt
Michael: Unfortunately, I don’t see anything major in 2015 for Wyatt. I have a feeling a new family will form, but once he is done with his feud with Dean Ambrose, I just can’t see him going anywhere else. He will play mind-games for most of the year, then a possible face-turn once his gimmick starts to run stale.
Bill: His feud with Dean is great, but he needs a meaty feud to move into next. He needs to be kept strong and hopefully this can happen. A possible title run is in his future.
Brock Lesnar
Michael: Lesnar will obviously walk into 2015 as champion, I highly doubt he will go past WrestleMania with the WWE Championship. He is there to lose to someone big, someone who WWE wants to heavily push, or at least make for a big main event. Lesnar is always a winner, with the big fat paycheck he will receive.
Bill: His contract ends after ‘Mania so he’ll be dropping the belt and then heading back to UFC for another big money deal or he’ll be putting Vince over a barrel for another lucrative deal with little-to-no-appearances.
Cesaro
Michael: In the past, for guys like Alberto del Rio, Dolph Ziggler, even Daniel Bryan, there are lulls and downward spirals during their careers which give wonder to whether they have any future at all, and then suddenly they strike it big. This will be the case for Cesaro. Let’s be honest, he had a craptacular 2014. Started off great with some mid-tier titles, but ended with a wussy wimper by jobbing to everyone, even Tyson Kidd. 2015 will see an upswing for the King of Swing, with mid-tier titles returning around his waist.
Bill: His union with Tyson Kidd is going to turn into a completely cult fan favorite and the WWE won’t be able to deny them a title run. It’ll be brief, but these two are on a potentially awesome trajectory.
CM Punk
Michael: He is going to UFC, and will likely have his ass handed to him. Unless he beefs up and seriously trains, I don’t see this going well. Then again, we all have our bucket lists now, don’t we?
Bill: No way he’s back in WWE. If he returns to wrestling it’ll be as an announcer. His MMA career will be so-so.
Damien Sandow
Michael: 2014 saw Miz’s stunt-double win the WWE Tag Team Championships. He is hot right now, and 2015 will see a continued rise for the Intellectual Savior of the Masses.
Bill: 2015 could really, really suck for Sandow. His Damien Mizdow character is amazing, but how long can he keep it going? You know the division between he and Miz is coming and will likely lead to a ‘Mania match – but after that what happens? He could be victim of a booking shoulder shrug.
Daniel Bryan
Michael: Very doubtful WWE will pull the trigger to give him a belt to play with. It will be a slow, long build, hopefully one which will pay off by 2016. No folks, he will not win the Royal Rumble this year.
Bill: I’m going to be a downer here – 2014 may have been the last time we ever see Daniel Bryan wrestle. Those injuries seem to severe and who knows if he’ll ever be able to make it back to the ring.
Dean Ambrose
Michael: Title or not, Ambrose is going to continue being the go-to-guy for WWE when they need a show-stealer. They won’t demote him being saddled with a mid-tier championship, but the also won’t bank on the big one since it is in the hands of someone like Brock Lesnar, who can only lose to another big guy such as Cena or Reigns. Ambrose will continue his crazy ways in 2015.
Bill: If the wrestling gods are kind, Dean has the strap by year’s end.
Dolph Ziggler
Michael: He’s walking into 2015 as Intercontinental Champion, and don’t be surprised if he has the title all year long. He might trade it a few times, but money is on Ziggler keeping the title, and staying that way until WWE is ready to take the jump, again, and give Ziggles the big one.
Bill: Ziggler turns heel to feud with John Cena, wins the feud and finally is put into the main event full-time…or he stays exactly where he is. #2 is the more likely option.
Erick Rowan
Michael: The “idiot savant” gimmick is going to kill Rowan’s career. Focus more on idiot than savant. I don’t know what WWE was thinking, or if at all.
Bill: He’ll be the new generation Big Show/Mark Henry with his constant stop-start pushes and heel-face turns.
Gold & Star Dust
Michael: Unless another reign as Tag Team Champions is in the cards, expect them to split up and go solo for a while before reuniting. The biggest problem is without Goldust, there is no Stardust.
Bill: Very easily could see Goldust future endeavored because the WWE seems to like to fire him every few years. Stardust will remain a weird character who’ll grab some singles gold at some point.
Jack Swagger
Michael: It’s over. “We the People” was a great tag-line and all that, but he lost his chance. He’ll never amount to anything in WWE, ever. This year he will get one last bid, and before the end of 2015 Swagger will be hitting the unemployment line, or TNA.
Bill: Swagger will keep swimming in a sea of whatever till he does something stupid and gets fired.
John Cena
Michael: I really would prefer to see him Future Endeavored, but unless he murders someone and has a dozen witnesses, it is not happening. I fear this year Cena will tie Ric Flair for record number of title reigns.
Bill: He will remain atop the WWE until he cannot wrestle anymore.
Kane
Michael: He’s there to beat people up, but won’t amount to anything. Even if he puts the mask back on.
Bill: Like Big Show, 2015 could be one of Kane’s final years in the ring.
Luke Harper
Michael: It is possible another run with the Intercontinental Championship may happen, but overall I see Harper mowing down opponents and eventually pairing with someone else. The big issue is the overcrowded roster, and where Harper will fit in. Don’t get me wrong, he will have some great matches, but for now, he is going nowhere.
Bill: Harper will have at least one PPV main event match with John Cena, probably after his ‘Mania win over Rowan.
Mark Henry
Michael: See Kane and Big Show
Bill: I don’t see Henry staying active past 2015.
Randy Orton
Michael: He’s Randy Orton. WWE treats him as if he is covered in gold. Except it’s really a gold wrapper concealing the crap inside.
Bill: Orton will do his heel/face flip flop twice, pick up one world title run and never capitalize on the RKO Outtanowhere movement.
Roman Reigns
Michael: WWE wants Reigns to be the “man” in 2015. Most likely to win the Royal Rumble. They will push, push hard. The crowd will go for it, but by SummerSlam the crowd will be sick of him.
Bill: He’ll have the belt at some point this year and will definitely win the Royal Rumble.
Ryback
Michael: He has his push right now, and he might dethrone Rusev for the United States Championship. Whether he does or not will not make a difference. There are too many wrestlers in the main event title-chasing scene right now, Ryback is not ready.
Bill: He’ll feud with Rusev, turn heel to feud with the baby face champion and maybe grab a singles title run.
Rusev
Michael: If WWE is smart, they will keep the United States Championship on him as long as possible. Ryback should lose (although I have a bad feeling I’m wrong), and Rusev should hold it until Daniel Bryan or perhaps someone unexpected upsets him for the title.
Bill: Will continue his undefeated streak till he runs into the Cena Express, then goes on the total schnide for 2014.
Seth Rollins
Michael: I couldn’t tell you which title, but you don’t push the crap out of a guy for half-a-year and then send him down to Heath Slater level. Rollins will at least claim a mid-tier title, continuing to put on the high-caliber matches we have come to expect from him.
Bill: Cashes in (probably on Reigns) and wins the world title. Then drops it to Cena one-two PPVs later.
Sheamus
Michael: He’ll be back, and he will have great matches against other main eventers who will likely not see a title this year.
Bill: Returns by Summerslarm, continues his vanilla face run.
Sting
Michael: Sting will get his WrestleMania match, possibly against Triple H. It will suck. He’ll get his Hall of Fame induction and that will be the last we ever see of him. Ever.
Bill: Will be inducted in the Hall of Fame, have a Mania match and will be in the wind by Survivor Series.
The Ascension
Michael: Easily becoming WWE Tag Team Champions this year. Miz and Mizdow will drop to Usos once Damien Sandow goes solo, and then the Usos will drop right to The Ascension. I just hope not too quickly, otherwise the novelty of their gimmick will be lost too fast.
Bill: Wrestlemania tag title win over The Usos as ‘Mania. Will be irrelevant by Survivor Series.
The Miz
Michael: Yeah, don’t see hope for this guy. Considering his “stunt-double” is more popular, I really don’t see Miz amounting to much in 2015.
Bill: Jobs to Mizdow at Mania, leaves for a movie, comes back for a terrible face run.
The New Day
Michael: This is a terrible idea. Sure, let’s take three black guys, group them together in some sort of church-themed stable, and people will LOVE them. Sorry, but this is not going to work, and we will watch it fail miserably until Big E. Langston turns heel. Future endeavored anyone?
Bill: One of these guys, likely Xavier Woods, is cut. Kofi and Big E turn heel and become a middling team.
The Usos
Michael: There is a chance at another title reign, but it will only be transitional to the newcoming Ascension. Usos are great, but they’ve been forced on television so much they have become the new Hardy Boyz. You know, spot spot spot spot spot spot.
Bill: They win the belts a number of times through the year.
Titus O’Neal
Michael: 2014 was an up-and-down year for the big guy, unfortunately the overcrowded roster forced him into hiding out by NXT for a while, but I have hope we will still see him on television, even if it means the return of Rufus “Pancake” Patterson.
Bill: Despite all his upside, Titus will likely find himself on the wrong side of a future endeavor message on WWE.com.
Tyson Kidd
Michael: Kidd has gotten some airtime, likely thanks to Natalya for being on Total Divas. Still, Kidd can have a great match and while I do not expect any miracles, he will remain fairly active. At least I hope so.
Bill: See Cesaro.
Wade Barrett
Michael: He might be the guy to dethrone Rusev for the U.S. Championship! Or perhaps engage in a lengthy feud with Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship! He might pair up with Luke Harper and win the Tag Team Championships for a week! Perhaps Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas will return and form Team Barrett! Just kidding about that last part. Wade Barrett was forced to relinquish the IC Title due to injury, and I believe he will return and reclaim said gold or perhaps be 2015’s Mr. Money in the Bank?!
Bill: Thanks to Jack Swagger all his momentum died and his return, as evidenced by the lackluster response he got at Survivor Series, will be one few care about.
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