WWE No Way Out 2012: Dolph Ziggler and Stars Who Will Reach Next Level at PPV

While much of the focus at No Way Out will be on established stars such as John Cena, CM Punk and Sheamus, there are some wrestlers who will receive a golden opportunity to take that next step toward super-stardom. Obviously not all of them are going to succeed, but with so many injuries and suspensions in the WWE currently, there is some room for new talent to be pushed.

The creative team understandably likes to put the same guys over on a regular basis because those particular wrestlers are without risk. Sometimes it requires a leap of faith in order to establish new main-event players, though, and I suspect that is going to happen at No Way Out to some degree. 

Here are three rising superstars who will reach the next level in their respective careers on Sunday by virtue of either a victory or a fine performance that is sure to get them noticed.

Dolph Ziggler

With Alberto Del Rio ailing, Dolph Ziggler was given the chance to challenge Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship. Ziggler held that title once before, but his reign officially lasted for a mere 11 minutes, so he will be looking to secure his first true run with the world title.

Since Ziggler was a late addition I don't anticipate him winning, but I believe that his showing and what he does after the match will ultimately set him up for big-time success in the near future.

I have to imagine that Vickie Guerrero will somehow inadvertently cost Dolph the match, perhaps by distracting him for long enough that Sheamus beats him with a Brogue Kick. After the loss, Ziggler can go off on Vickie, tell her that he doesn't need her and then storm off. This can mark the beginning of Ziggler going off on his own. There is no doubt that Vickie helps garner heat, but Ziggler can do that on his own and doesn't need her any longer.

Ziggler should look very strong in a losing effort against Sheamus and that will propel him to new heights.

Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan has already won the World Heavyweight Championship, but there is no question that the WWE Championship is the pinnacle of the company. Bryan will have a chance to capture the gold on Sunday as he will face current champion CM Punk and Kane in a triple-threat match.

There is no doubt that Bryan has really gotten over with the crowd since turning heel and that is particularly true since losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Sheamus in 18 seconds at WrestleMania.

If ever there were a good time to put the main belt around Bryan's waist, it is certainly right now. Punk has held the title for an extremely long time by today's standards, and I believe that the fans are ready for a shakeup.

It wouldn't be too difficult to transition the belt from Punk to Bryan without making Punk look bad. AJ is obviously the X-factor and I suspect that she will distract Kane, which will result in Punk hitting him with a GTS. Then Bryan will kick Punk in the head and pin Kane for the win.

Bryan will be the new champ and the AJ saga will continue.

Cody Rhodes

For the past year, Cody Rhodes has either held or chased the Intercontinental Championship. That remains true as he will challenge Christian for the title at No Way Out. Rhodes is great as Intercontinental Champion, but the belt doesn't mean much anymore, and if Rhodes wins it back, then it just means that he will remain relegated to the mid-card.

Rhodes has the wrestling ability and mic skills to be a main-eventer in the very near future and I believe he will come one step closer to that level by losing to Christian.

As with Ziggler, it may seem like a loss wouldn't do Rhodes good, but a win isn't going to help him either. He was one of the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champions over the past decade, so he has already done all he can with the title.

Rhodes and Christian have the potential to put on a fantastic match and I fully expect them to. Rhodes can still look legitimate regardless of whether he wins or loses, and if he does lose, then he can be freed from the chains of the IC title and can embark on the road to the main event.

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