WWE: 10 Superstars Who Can Possibly Take Edge's Spot Atop WWE

While the news of Edge's shocking retirement is still fresh in many people's minds, the WWE must still be able to go on. Adam Copeland is able to walk away from WWE with his head held high, knowing that he climbed the ranks over the course of many years to retire an 11-time world champion.

Wrestling fans are caught up in the business of the now vacant World Heavyweight Championship, but the gap that Edge filled in the company is a more vacant and more important spot to fill. While he could never be truly replaced, who could be the next Edge?

This is a list of 10 of the young WWE superstars who will look to fill the void left by The Ultimate Opportunist. Perhaps this will help springboard them and be their chance to start on the road to being a big star.

Some of the men on this list are closer to being a top guy of an era than others. However, they are all young, all hungry, and all could very well become one of the faces of this time in wrestling history when all is said and done.

No. 10: Ted DiBiase

Some of you may be asking me what merits DiBiase to even be on this list. To be honest, he has wasted every opportunity that the fans have given him and has probably wasted a few chances of others as well. DiBiase has all the makings of a second-generation bust, but not quite at the level of David Flair.

I just can't seem to shake the notion that DiBiase still has something to show us all. It may just be confused with the fact that DiBiase leaves something to be desired, but I could see Ted turning on the jets once he releases himself from his gimmick as The Fortunate Son.

The secret of any other wrestling legacy is to leave the legacy in the dust. Look at Randy Orton, The Rock and Goldust, just to name a few. None of them lived on the credentials of who their daddy was. If DiBiase looks to make his own name, if they give him the chance, Ted could gain some new life into his career and take off like we all wished he would.

No. 9: Michael McGillicutty

The son of the late Mr. Perfect tried to be his father's son on his season of NXT. It led to him as the runner-up, which eventually led to a stint with Nexus. McGillicutty and Nexus reappeared on television tonight, costing Randy Orton his chance at a WWE Championship match at Extreme Rules.

I look at McGillicutty and I see a guy that could be just like his father if he worked hard enough at it. I think that his name is a little too much for anyone to take him too seriously. His moveset needs work, but I don't have any concern about that. Moves will develop over time for McGillicutty.

His involvement in Nexus doesn't annoy me either. Remember that Edge was once a member of The Brood and the Ministry of Darkness. Sometimes, unusual factions are a nice way to get yourself through the door.

The main concern of mine is his microphone skills. I am still haunted by his farewell promo on NXT, so I can only imagine how he still feels about it. These things will come with time, but McGillicutty could very well be out on his own and exciting audiences in no time.

No. 8: Skip Sheffield

I really like this guy and I cannot wait for him to return. Skip Sheffield has been through both Tough Enough and NXT to make it to the WWE main roster. He is a very big man capable of fitting right in. His lack of skills on the microphone is something that some may see as a big weakness, but that didn't stop a guy like Batista from going into the main event and sticking there.

Sheffield has had an injury for a very long time now, which Edge can share his pain with, literally. Just from watching the desire of this guy, he will take what is his if he gets his fair shake once he returns from injury. I can only hope that he gets that much because Skip Sheffield has endured a lot over the past few years in WWE.

No. 7: Curt Hawkins

I'll be thought of as nuts for having Curt Hawkins on this list, but if you have seen him wrestle, you have to believe that Hawkins does give you some good pieces to work with. On the now-defunct WWE Superstars, Hawkins was not just a regular but a shining star. His moves were very special and he often reminded me of The Rated-R Superstar in the matches.

It also doesn't hurt that Hawkins was once aligned with Edge in La Familia. Should he survive the cuts expected in a few weeks, Hawkins can hopefully make his time count in WWE. Curt Hawkins is talented enough to be a somebody in this company; many of you just don't know about him yet.

No. 6: Mason Ryan

I look at a guy like Mason Ryan and can't help but be impressed. Not only is he a physical specimen that makes you want to do a milliion sit-ups, but he just looks like a bad dude. Ryan was the FCW champion and was left out of NXT on purpose. Nearly every champion out of FCW has made it to the main roster and a lot of them are still with the company.

Ryan draws a lot of similarities to Dave Batista, so much so that he is often mocked for looking just like him at times. Batista's journey started late in life, but had him begin as a deacon to Reverend D-Von before his break in Evolution.

Ryan just turned 29 earlier this year and it is difficult to believe that the Wales-born wrestler can't climb to the top of the mountain in a few years.

Some question his size and wish to see how artificial he might be. If he stays away from steroids and the penalties that come with them, Mason Ryan may be one of the first names to be spoken when naming WWE superstars in a few years.

No. 5: Zack Ryder

Go ahead, call me a Zack Ryder mark. Tell me that I am on a bandwagon of a hopeless jobber with a lame gimmick that won't make it anywhere.

While Ryder looks like the poster boy for future endeavors, I would love to believe that all of those beliefs about him are wrong. Ryder has built a cult following with the fans. His YouTube channel sees a lot of traffic and the humor he can bring to himself only builds his gimmick that much stronger. His moves and mic skills are better than many would like you to believe.

Maybe I am nuts, but I see a change in Ryder on his YouTube channel suggesting, dare I say it, a push for him coming up. He will either be released or pushed in a few weeks and I can't wait to find out which one he gets.

Ryder was also linked with Edge a few years ago. With Ryder's relationship with top superstars, such as John Cena, The Miz and Edge, I find it hard to imagine that Ryder won't get his chance.

His gimmick may seem stupid at first, but Goldust seemed like it wouldn't work initially either. Ryder has made a believer out of me and I think that this guy could really take it to the next level if he got the right situation handed to him.

No. 4: Heath Slater

My opinion about Heath Slater changes about as often as The Corre's theme, which is often.

Slater has become a shell of his former self. He has already progressed a lot from his NXT days. The man that I often referred to as "Wendy's," thanks to John Cena's promo about him, is now aligned with Ezekiel Jackson, Justin Gabriel and Wade Barrett.

Those three names are all of good superstars but it has been Slater that has improved the most of any of them. One could even argue that he is the most improved man to come out of NXT.

Slater has already worked hard since coming up to the main roster. Christian worked alongside of him in NXT and you can see a little of that rubbing off on Slater. Should he branch off on his own and get a tweak of his gimmick, I could see Heath Slater being put through the same road that Edge used to get to the top.

No. 3: Alex Riley

If Alex Riley were a Fortune 500 company, I would invest my life savings in him. That is how much I can see this kid being a somebody in a few years.

On season two of NXT, which had two rookies with wrestling family trees and a popular guy from the indies, Riley stuck out. He was just a kid that was ready to claw his way to the top. From the very get-go, his mat skills and voice during promos were stronger than some who are already given consistent spots on pay-per-views.

While he has the talent to be getting competitive matches on the lower part of the card, Riley has been aligned with The Miz instead. This has given him the chance to get beaten up by the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, just to name a few.

He has made a few dumb mistakes and he's lucky he's still here, but Riley, at just 29, can be that driving force that will be needed when more top guys are gone in a few years. In just a few years, The Undertaker, Triple H, Kane, Big Show and Rey Mysterio, just to name a few, will likely be gone. Riley can be there to pick up where they left off.

No. 2: Dolph Ziggler

Edge knows a lot about a guy like Dolph Ziggler. They wrestled almost weekly on television for a few months this year. Ziggler was one of the last men that Edge put over and I don't think Ziggler will let that go to waste.

Ziggler has already been through a few bad gimmicks. He was the caddy to Kerwin White, Chavo Guerrero's "I dont want to be Hispanic anymore" gimmick, which was stopped before it really began with Eddie's death. He was then a male cheerleader named "Nicky" in the Spirit Squad.

The third time was the charm for Ziggler. While his name is a little bit out there, he has been telling us who he is for a few years now. When Michael McGillicutty wasn't ready for the promotion, Ziggler swooped in to take his theme and Ziggler ran with it. He is on his way to the big-time.

While it is true that he was World Heavyweight Champion for a few minutes just weeks ago, Ziggler is still very much behind those he is wrestling now.

Ziggler had a great victory over Randy Orton last night in the gauntlet. I can definitely see Ziggler growing and learning with his gimmick and using Vickie Guerrero as a manager, something that did help Edge a few years back.

No. 1: Cody Rhodes

This kid is going to be a star sooner than you think.

He has been handpicked from the very beginning. He was brought up for being the son of Dusty Rhodes. He was chosen by Rey Mysterio specifically for this past WrestleMania.

Cody's victory was very impressive and on Smackdown, where top-tier talent is at a premium, Rhodes can gobble up Edge's spot at the top. While Alberto Del Rio and Christian, as well as the mainstays of Kane and Big Show, will be seen as potential replacements as World Heavyweight Champion, I will bet anyone on this site that Cody Rhodes will hold singles gold before the next WrestleMania.

I give him a few years before he is a world title contender, and that may be generous on my part.