Hidden Gems: The Top 20 Best Hidden Talents on the WWE and TNA Rosters

While this may seem like a stretch, the top two professional wrestling companies in North America are World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (not this Impact Wrestling bull that they've been trying to pull on us).  These two companies both have national television deals, WWE with the USA Network and SyFy, TNA with Spike TV.  Both are very deep with very good wrestling talents on their rosters; however, they both feel the need to shove the same talents down our throats for the last couple of years.

For months, we've been force-fed main event and championship feuds with John Cena, Randy Orton, Sting, Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy and Mr. Anderson from both companies.  While none of these guys are really bad (like the Great Khali bad), the same old same old main events are getting really boring in these days.  This, in my opinion, is due to the laziness of both companies' creative teams when it comes to pushing and the building up of young stars as future main event talents, which is a damn shame because both rosters have tons of future main event stars that are more than capable of carrying the load for both companies.  Guys like Alberto Del Rio, Matt Morgan, Christian, John Morrison and the Miz are talented young stars who can carry both companies towards the future.

But this slideshow is about the guys that are hidden talents, diamonds in the rough if you will.  So sit back and enjoy.

NOTE: These are my personal opinions and my personal opinions only! If you don't agree, then don't continue reading and don't post a comment!

20. Sin Cara

Sin Cara on the left, Mistico

First man on the list, the high-flying Sin Cara.  It seems to be obvious that WWE has big plans for the former Mistico, the man who's an international superstar, the man who's made a name for himself in Mexico.  He started on Monday Night Raw, but due to the number of botches he originally had with his entrance and in his debut match with Primo, he was moved over to Friday Night Smackdown (at the request of Triple H), where his botches and miscues can be edited.  He apparently has some backstage heat on him because of his immediate push to the main roster (skipping the developmental territory), among other things. 

Does this hinder Sin Cara? Probably not.  Cara has been on a roll ever since his debut, defeating stars like Primo, Tyson Kidd and Daniel Bryan, pinning a former World Heavyweight Champion in Jack Swagge, and teaming up with the face of the WWE, current WWE Champion (though not at the time) John Cena, to defeat the Miz and Alex Riley.  Sin Cara's first storyline is with Chavo Guerrero, another under appreciated talent who's nearing the end of his rope, but who still is able to put on good matches.  It's only a matter of time for Sin Cara, who made his pay-per-view debut at Over the Limit against Chavo and who can only go up from there.

19. "Cowboy" James Storm

james storm as apart of the tna tag team champions with beer money

Up next on the list, one half of the current TNA World Tag team Champions, "the Tennessee Cowboy" James Storm.  Storm has been one of the better tag team wrestlers this decade, having been in the successful tag team of America's Most Wanted with "Wildcat" Chris Harris (Braden Walker), before a mildly successful singles run, before being placed in another very successful tag team in Beer Money Inc with Robert Roode. 

Storm has very good in-ring skills, and he can play both the part of a heel or a babyface.  Maybe it's just me, but his mic skills aren't that bad.  Whenever he gets on the microphone, he always makes me crack the hell up.  I think he proved that he could handle the load of being a singles star after the break up of America's Most Wanted at the end of 2006.  He had successful feuds with guys like Eric Young, Rhino, "Wildcat" Chris Harris and Sting.  I think that re-forming America's Most Wanted after the break-up of Beer Money would be a major mistake because I think that Storm can be an asset to TNA.  TNA has two very accomplished stars in both Storm and Robert Roode, and I think that these two can be two future main event stars in TNA.

18. Tyler Reks

tyler reks at a wwe event in glasgow

Ahhhh, the curious case of Tyler Reks.  Reks is a wonderful example of how a superstar can be given a really crappy gimmick, sent back down to developmental, brought back up with a better gimmick, but still go nowhere.  Reks re-invented himself from the stupid Venice Beach surfer dude to the now bad ass intense "psycho," with dreadlocks.  His finishing move, the Burning Hammer, sent shock waves throughout the Internet Wrestling Community as being a breath of fresh air.  He was on the Smackdown Bragging Rights team at Bragging Rights 2010, where he had the first elimination of the match. 

Ever since then, he has faded into obscurity, where the casual fan has already forgotten about him.  Apparently, he was undefeated on WWE Superstars for quite some time, but no one noticed because nobody really paid attention to WWE Superstars.  He had a lengthy feud with former top contender, "the Masterpiece" Chris Masters, with Masters ending Reks' "undefeated" streak.  Reks definitely has a lot of potential and has a great look.  His ring skills are pretty damn good for someone his size; however, he lacks mic skills.  But with a gimmick like his, Reks is one of those superstars who could use a manager, someone to speak on his behalf.  If WWE goes this route, they could really hit a home run with Tyler Reks.

For those of you wondering, here is Reks' finishing move: the Burning Hammer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URylXhH76qE

17. Alex Shelley

one-half of the Motor City Machine Guns

Alex Shelley is quite an innovative and talented superstar.  Ever since re-signing with TNA in 2005, Shelley has been slowly building himself up, from a low card tag team with Michael Shane, to a mini-feud with Austin Aries, to the "Shelley-cam," to being Kevin Nash's buddy and Paparazzi Productions, to now, where he is one-half of the tag team the Motor City Machine Guns with Chris Sabin.  The Machine Guns are arguably one of the top tag teams in professional wrestling today, and their tag team matches with teams like Beer Money, Generation Me and Team 3D have been heavily praised.  The Guns finally got what the fans wanted for them in July of 2010, when they defeated Beer Money for their first TNA World Tag team Championship. 

As a member of the Motor City Machine Guns, Shelley is a former TNA World Tag team Champion and also a former X Division Champion, winning the title in 2009 from tag team partner Sabin. 

The Machine Guns are one of the few teams today where I believe both members could have successful singles runs.  Obviously, his first singles run didn't work too well for Shelley, but after showing what he could do in the Machine Guns, he proved that he has the mic skills, the in-ring talent and the charisma to be a bright star in TNA.  The only strike against him is that he may be a bit undersized, but then again, so were Rey Mysterio and AJ Styles, and they turned out just fine, right?

16. Heath Slater

Slater is a 3 time WWE Tag team Champion

The first controversial pick of the article is "the One-Man-Rock Band" and Corre member, Heath Slater.  I like Heath Slater a lot.  I don't know why; there's just something about him that makes me interested in how he does and makes me want him to be a future world champion. 

He's really evolved himself from the overly-happy, Yoshi Tatsu-esque guy from NXT, to a solid in-ring competitor and a staple in the WWE's (nonexistent) tag team division.  Slater has been on the main roster (and by main roster, I mean Raw and Smackdown, not NXT) for under a year, and already, he is a three-time WWE Tag team Champion with Justin Gabriel. He was in the main event of Summerslam 2010, where he eliminated future HOFers Edge and Chris Jericho from the Team WWE vs Nexus match.  I like Slater; he has good wrestling skills, his mic skills have improved drastically since NXT and he has charisma, but that was shown in NXT. 

A lot of people give Slater crap for some reason, but I think that people don't give him enough credit.  Once the Corre breaks up (let's be honest, they will break up), I think Slater should take the Miz route and slowly build himself up, eventually being a mid-card champion like the United States Champion or the Intercontinental Champion, and then he could be a fresh new main eventer that the WWE so desperately needs.

15. Kazarian

a founding member of Fortune is Kazarian

TNA's loss is WWE's gain...is WWE's loss...is TNA's gain?  That is what the wrestling career of Kazarian has been like. 

After two X Division Championship reigns from 2003-2005, Kazarian left TNA to join WWE, where he became "the Future" Frankie Kazarian.  He went undefeated in three months on Velocity, defeated stars like Nunzio, Scotty 2 Hotty, Funaki and Paul London.  However, he left mid-August when he figured out that WWE had no plans to revamp its cruiserweight division. 

He returned to TNA in 2006, joining the stable Serotonin, led by former World Champion Raven.  Kazarian would then become Kaz and break free, defeating Raven, before gaining praise in high-profile matches with Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Christian Cage, Robert Roode and Black Reign.  He won the TNA Tag team Championship with Eric Young/Super Eric before being stripped of the titles.  He had multiple shots at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship and was the captain of team TNA in the World X Cup before "leaving" TNA. 

After a two year run as the character Suicide (where he would win the TNA X Division Championship one more time), Kazarian returned as himself in early 2010, where he would win the TNA X Division Championship for a fourth time.  He would then turn heel and align himself with Ric Flair and become a member of Fortune, where he would win the TNA X Division Championship for the fifth time. 

I believe Kazarian has all the tools to become a world champion, he has the look, the in-ring skills, the mic skills and his confidence is that of a champion.  I feel that the more time he stays with Fortune, the more his stock will rise; he's almost 34 years old and in his prime.  I think we'll see more of Kazarian in "the Future" (no pun intended).

No. 14: Joe Hennig (aka Michael McGuillicutty)

McGuillicutty as a member of the Nexus

He is Michael McGuillicutty.  Now let's be honest; this man is Joe Hennig, the grandson of Larry "the Ax" Hennig, the son of WWE Hall of Famer "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig.  Wrestling is in his blood, and he is certain to break out from the pack of young stars and be a major player. 

He got his start in developmental, where he won multiple championships, including the FCW Heavyweight Championship and the FCW Tag team Championship three times with Heath Miller (the future Heath Slater), Brett DiBiase, and Kaval.  He was apart of WWE NXT Season Two, where he finished in second place behind former tag team partner Kaval.  Hennig would disappear for awhile before helping Wade Barrett defeat John Cena at Hell in a Cell 2010, then went on to join the Nexus.  There, he would remain as there he is now, as apart of the New Nexus led by CM Punk. 

I feel that Hennig needs to break away from the New Nexus, jump over to Smackdown, ditch the generic name and just be himself.  Be the son of Mr. Perfect, be Joe Hennig.  He has the pedigree, the ring skills and the look. If he improves on his mic skills, he could be a future contender.

13. Jesse Neal

one half of the tag team Ink Inc

No. 13 on the list is the younger member of the tag team Ink Inc, the former Navy Seal Jesse Neal.  Neal joined TNA to train with Rhino to "become a professional wrestler."  Neal's mistakes would eventually cause Rhino to get frustrated, which led to Rhino turning heel.  Neal was then offered by Team 3D to train with them.  He would return sporting a mohawk, lip piercings and lots of tattoos as a heel, siding with Team 3D and Rhino against Matt Morgan, Hernandez, "the Pope" D'Angelo Dinero and Suicide. 

When Team 3D turned face to feud with the Nasty Boyz, Neal turned face with them.  Eventually, while being attacked by Matt Morgan, Shannon Moore ran down to make the save and thus, Ink Inc was born.  Moore and Neal would receive multiple shots at the TNA World Tag team Championships over the next year.  It's only a matter of time before Neal and Moore become TNA World Tag team Champions.  Neal definitely has a bright future ahead of him. He has all of the tools to be a future success; he just needs to rise above everyone else and prove it.

12. Trent Baretta

with Croft gone, Baretta's on his own

This is another controversial pick, but they're my opinions. If you don't like them, stop reading. 

Personally, I like Trent Baretta.  I think he's one opportunity away from becoming a superstar and a great upper card wrestler. 

Baretta is one of the more curious cases in the company. He doesn't really have a gimmick, but he has managed to get over with the fans due to his high-flying maneuvers.  I think that when given the time, Baretta will shine as one of the top young stars in the company.  If he needs to be sent back down to FCW for repackaging, let it be, because right now, without a gimmick, Baretta is regulated to winning the occasional match on WWE Superstars or jobbing to a bigger star on Smackdown.  There have been a lot of rumors going around the IWC that Baretta is one of the guys that will be released from his contract, and I feel that if it does happen, the WWE, the IWC, everybody will miss out on what could be a future star.

11. Robert Roode

Roode is one half of the tag team Beer Money with #19 James Storm

In every tag team, there is one guy who seems like he is poised for singles success.  While I really don't like admitting it, in Beer Money, that guy is Robert Roode. 

I like Robert Roode, but I like James Storm more.  It's the same reason why I'm not as big of a Miz fan as everyone else; I liked John Morrison more. 

Personal feelings aside, Robert Roode is one hell of a talent.  He really proved a lot of people wrong when both Beer Money and Fortune turned face.  I honestly didn't think he would be able to pull of being a face character, but the promos that he's cut against Hulk Hogan the last couple of months really sold me the fact that he could be a future world champion, whether he's a face or a heel.  He's got the ring skills, the look, the charisma, the mic skills, he has it all.  Once Beer Money breaks up, Roode is going to shine as a singles star.  There are a lot of people in the IWC that are saying that Roode is going end up leaving TNA and go to WWE, where he will become a star.  It really doesn't matter, because no matter what happens, Robert Roode will be one hell of a singles star.

10. Tyler Black (Seth Rollins)

Black is a former ROH World Champion

The only developmental wrestler on this list is the former ROH World Champion, IWC Darling, current FCW talent Seth Rollins, formerly Tyler Black.  After a very successful run in ROH, where he won the 2009 Survival of the Fittest tournament, was a two-time ROH World Tag team Champion with Jimmy Jacobs and a former ROH World Champion, Black was a highly sought-after talent.  In fact, he received offers from both the WWE and TNA while he was also re-negotiating with ROH. 

But after talking with current Raw Superstar Evan Bourne, Black would end up signing a developmental deal with the WWE.  Currently, he resides in FCW, where he is wrestling under the name Seth Rollins.  So far in FCW, Black is a former FCW Tag team Champion with Richie Steamboat and is the current FCW 15 Champion after defeating Hunico in the finals of the Jack Brisco Classic tournament.  Black is 6'2" and weighs about 222 pounds, so he is roughly the same height and size as current Raw superstar John Morrison.  Black has all of the tools to become successful in the WWE like he became a successful star in ROH.  With the IWC behind him, I believe that once he is brought up to the main roster, Black will win over the casual WWE fans easily and become the third former ROH superstar to make it big in the WWE (behind CM Punk and Daniel Bryan.)

9. Gunner

he's gone a long way from a security guard

Remember when this guy used to be a security guard?  The man known as Gunner has come along way from then. The man is a former TNA Television Champion after losing the TNA Television Championship last Impact to Eric Young, and has had numerous TNA World Tag team Championship matches with his former tag team partner Murphy. 

However, it's obvious that between the two former members of TNA security, TNA has bigger plans for Gunner, and why wouldn't they?  The man has tons of potential, he has a great look, his ring skills are pretty damn good, I'd say his mic skills could use some work, but with the intense gimmick he has, he never really has to speak.  Gunner definitely has a lot of skill, and when given the time in the quagmire that is TNA wrestling, I think that Gunner could become a major player in time.

8. Justin Gabriel

a former 3 time WWE Tag team Champion with #16 Heath Slater

Like Beer Money with Robert Roode and James Storm, I believe, despite how much I like Heath Slater, that Justin Gabriel is the more talented of the two men. 

Gabriel has come a long way from being the guy he was on the first season of NXT.  His WWE Pro was current TNA superstar Matt Hardy, where he ended up in third place due to his subpar mic skills.  Once he joined the Nexus, Gabriel showed that he is definitely for real, and that would continue with the Corre.  Gabriel is a three-time WWE Tag team Champion with Heath Slater and will move on to bigger and better things once the final split occurs. 

Justin Gabriel's one problem is this: He needs to turn babyface.  His entire look, his move set, is all that of a babyface. Surprisingly, at least to me, he hasn't been a bad heel, especially since he plays the silent finisher of both the Nexus and the Corre.  But once he's out on his own, he's going to need to turn babyface if he ever plans on being a world champion.  But once that happens, I believe Justin Gabriel will be a name that we will hear a lot more in the upcoming years.

7. Chris Sabin

Sabin is a former TNA World Tag team Champion with #17 Alex Shelley

Chris Sabin is without a doubt one of the most athletically-gifted superstars on the TNA roster, and, in my opinion, the better Motor City Machine Gun.  What's interesting about Sabin is that he had a pretty good singles career before being paired with Alex Shelley.  Before teaming with Shelley, Sabin was a four-time TNA X Division Champion, he won the 2003 Super X Cup, he was on both winning teams of the 2004 and 2006 World X Cups, of which he was the captain in 2006.  Pro Wrestling Illustrated listed Sabin as No. 28 on their annual PWI 500 in 2009. 

Then in 2007, Sabin formed the tag team the Motor City Machine Guns with Alex Shelley, and while the team was highly praised, besides a five-star feud with Team 3D, the team floated through obscurity until 2010, when they finally won their first TNA World Tag team Championship.  Sabin has been with TNA since April of 2003, and since then, he's proven that he is capable of working as both a babyface or a heel (personally, I like babyface better), he has the ring skills, the charisma and he's only 29 years old, so he has his best years ahead of him.  While Sabin may be a bit undersized like Shelley, his skills have shown that he is above the X Division and the tag team division. He needs to be given the opportunity to step up to the world championship circle.  I think Sabin has the talent to do so.

6. R-Truth

r-truth lit up a smoke after his heel turn on john morrison

Ahhh yes, R-Truth.  Two months ago, he wouldn't even be on this countdown.  But like the rest of the IWC, I became an R-Truth fan once he turned heel.  In an instant, R-Truth went from being an annoying boring rapper to an angry intense lunatic who pushed the envelope any chance he gets (ex. "when the angry black man is speaking, ya'll better listen!")

Truth was supposed to feud with John Morrison, but due to a pinched nerve in his neck, Morrison was put on the shelf, and instead, Truth defeated former World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio at Over the Limit.  As a boring old rapping face, Truth is a former WWE United States Champion, but once he turned heel, people have been calling for him to be pushed to the main event.  With his new-found aggression, expect Truth to go over Mysterio and to feud with Morrison when he returns from injury.  No matter what happens in the next few months, we can expect to see much more of R-Truth, a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion with TNA.  I expect big things from the new R-Truth.

5. "the Phenomenal" AJ Styles

AJ is a former TNA World Heavyweight Champion

This one really pisses me off.  For the love of all that is good, please everyone, stop saying that AJ Styles is the "future of TNA."  AJ is not the future; he is the past and the present.  AJ Styles should not be on this list, but the only reason he is is because he is always misused by TNA.  AJ should be the John Cena of TNA after all of the blood, sweat and tears that he's put into the company, AJ Styles should be the face of TNA. 

But for some reason, from the moment he joined the company at the beginning in 2002, he was pushed aside by Jeff Jarrett (during Jarrett's personally designed mega push) and now, he's getting pushed aside by older wrestlers like Sting and Bully Ray, as well as former WWE cast-offs like Rob Van Dam, Mr. Anderson and Kurt Angle.  AJ Styles is better than that, and he deserves to be in the main event slot as much as those guys. 

AJ Styles was the first TNA Triple Crown Champion and Grand Slam Champion.  He is a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, a former TNA World Heavyweight Champion, a two-time TNA Legends/Global/Television Champion a four-time NWA World Tag team Champion with Daniels (two), Abyss (one) and Jerry Lynn (one).  AJ's also a former TNA World Tag team Champion with Tomko and a six time TNA X Division Champion and someone who has the ring skills, the mic skills, the charisma and the fan following that AJ has deserves his spot as the top guy in the company.

4. Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan was an indy sensation before joining the WWE full-time in 2010

Is there a better example of a wrestler being misused in WWE than that of Daniel Bryan?  This man has been on a roller coaster ever since signing a contract with WWE in August of 2009.  Bryan, more commonly known to the IWC as Bryan Danielson, is widely considered by fans and his peers as the best wrestler in the world today.  He has made a name for himself of the independent scene, more prominently in Ring of Honor, where he was a former ROH Pure Champion, a former ROH World Champion, and where he won the 2004 Survival of the Fittest Tournament.  He has developed somewhat of a cult following and has been credited as being the first official IWC Darling due to his outstanding wrestling skills. 

He debuted in WWE as a part of NXT season one and an eventual member of the Nexus.  Bryan was released, however, due to the tiegate scandal with Justin Roberts, but would make his return at Summerslam 2010 as apart of Team WWE.  After returning, he would feud with future WWE Champion the Miz, where he would defeat the Miz to win the WWE United States Championship, the first former NXT rookie, to win a championship.  Bryan would lose the title to Sheamus near Wrestlemania time and has since been used sparingly. 

WWE made a good move in moving Bryan from Raw (the more entertainment-oriented show) to Smackdown (the more wrestling-oriented show), where Bryan can showcase his wrestling skills more often.  His match with Sin Cara was highly praised by many.  Bryan is a breakout superstar waiting to happen.  He may be undersized, but his ring skills are flawless and his mic skills are good. He just needs his opportunity to shine.  With a US title reign already under his belt, I'd say that the WWE fans are going to see a lot more of Daniel Bryan on Smackdown.

3. "the Pope" D'Angelo Dinero

Pope is pimpin'

Very rarely, TNA does something right that WWE did wrong.  "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero is an example of that.  Pope was in WWE originally, debuting as the mixed martial arts corner man Elijah Burke (his real name) for Sylvester Terkay (remember him?).  The duo would be moved to ECW, where Terkay was eventually released, but Burke went on to have marginal success, engaging in feuds with notable superstars like Chris Benoit (before his death), future World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk and former WWE Champion Batista. 

Burke would be released by WWE in November of 2008 after being off of television for six months prior.  He would then resurface after signing a contract with TNA in July 2009.  He would debut as "the Pope" as a heel, immediately feuding with Suicide.  After months of floating around, he would turn face and side with Matt Morgan, Hernandez and former rival Suicide against Team 3D, Rhino and Jesse Neal.  This was where Pope would have his first taste of success in TNA, winning the 8 Card Stud Tournament at Against All Odds 2010, defeating Mr. Anderson in the main event, thus earning a TNA World Heavyweight Championship match against AJ Styles at Lockdown. 

Pope would lose at Lockdown, suffering ligament damage in his shoulder in the process.  This would sideline him for over two months.  Pope would float around the upper midcard since then, having feuds with Samoa Joe, Mr. Anderson and Kurt Angle in the process.  Pope is better suited as a face in my opinion.  His charisma, his mic skills and his ring skills are more suited towards being a face, but either face or heel, Pope has proven that he can be a success in TNA.

2. Zack Ryder

Woo Woo Woo! You Know It!

Whether you want to admit it or not, Zack Ryder has done the unthinkable.  Ryder has somehow made a name for himself without help from the WWE creative team.  No one would've expected this from the guy who popped up in ECW and started acting like a total tool, but Ryder has proved all of us wrong. 

I've always been a fan of Ryder, from the Major Brothers tag team in ECW, to becoming an Edgehead with Curt Hawkins, to the first signs of being Long Island Iced Z, Ryder has always entertained me.  I was actually pulling for him to be the one to end Christian's long ECW title reign, but it wasn't meant to be. 

Ryder was then shipped over to Raw after ECW folded, where he floated in obscurity ever since.  His top three moments on Raw have been a Money in the Bank qualifying match with MVP, losing a WWE Championship match to Sheamus in under 30 seconds and having a bounty taken out on him by former guest host Ashton Kutcher.  He's mostly been a mainstay on WWE Superstars, winning some and losing some, which is not somewhere you want to be post-Wrestlemania. 

Then, Ryder created the Youtube show, Z True Long Island Story, and things just took off from there.  Within weeks, Zack Ryder became the latest Youtube sensation and the newest IWC Darling.  He used Z True Long Island Story to get himself over and show off his strengths, and the fans took notice.  More and more, Zack Ryder signs have been on Raw, Smackdown, and even on pay per view, and the WWE creative team has been taking notice, pairing Ryder up in some backstage segments with another Zack Ryder fan, current WWE Champion John Cena.  The Ryder Revolution is spreading thanks to Z True Long Island Story, and his little backstage segments with Cena can only be the start of something big for the former WWE Tag team Champion. 

I'm assuming that many of you readers thought that Ryder would be No. 1 on the list, but unfortunately, you were wrong.  Because No. 1 on my list is...

1. The Great Khali

HA! HA HA HA HA HA HA! GOTCHA!!!! If any of you thought that the Great Khali is the greatest hidden talent in wrestling today, then you are sadly mistaken. The real No. 1 hidden talent in all of wrestling is...

1. "the Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels

Quite possibly right now, the greatest superstar to have never held a world championship

Yes, No. 1 on the list is the gem of "the Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. 

Daniels joined TNA shortly after the company was founded in 2002, where he formed the stable Triple X with Low-Ki and Elix Skipper.  Daniels was associated with Triple X until they were forced to disband in 2003 as a stable and then again in 2004 at Turning Point after losing to America's Most Wanted.  As a part of Triple X, Daniels was a three-time NWA World Tag team Champion and soon after, became a mainstay in TNA's X Division, where he held the TNA X Division Championship three times. 

Daniels has had memorable singles feuds with his best friend, AJ Styles, and Samoa Joe, as well as great tag team feuds with America's Most Wanted (with Triple X and AJ as his partner) and LAX with AJ as his partner.  He was a part of the winning team in the 2004 World X Cup as well and won the NWA World Tag team Championship three more times, once with James Storm and twice with AJ Styles.  Then, in 2007, Daniels was "fired" from TNA due to the "Feast or Fired" stipulation and was soon brought back as his other character Curry Man.  Curry Man mostly stayed in the X Division and was used mostly for comedy bits, a complete waste of Daniels' talents in my opinion. 

Curry Man was "fired" in 2008, again by the "Feast or Fired" stipulation, and Daniels quickly was brought back to play the masked character Suicide while Kazarian was down with an injury, where he won the TNA X Division Championship once more. 

Daniels returned as "Christopher Daniels" in 2009 and had great feuds with Shane Douglas and AJ Styles (this time for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship) before being legitimately released by the company in early 2010 after eight years with TNA.  He would resurface in Ring of Honor, where he is the current ROH Television Champion (as well as a two-time ROH World Tag team Champion in years prior). 

Daniels returned to TNA in 2011 as a part of Fortune, where he stands today fighting against the stable Immortal.  Christopher Daniels is one of those guys who should've been a world champion years ago.  He has all the tools to be a successful world champion, but for some reason, he flies under the radar to some wrestling fans.  I hope that being in the middle of the feud between Fortune and Immortal means big things for him in the future, because after being loyal to TNA for almost nine years, "the Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels is the one person in the company who is most deserving of holding the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

Honorable Mentions

Dolph Ziggler - He is a former World Heavyweight Champion, which is the reason why he isn't on the list.  Obviously his future is bright after being paired with Vickie Guerrero for so long.

Drew McIntyre - After a promising start on Smackdown, the former Intercontinental Champion is seeing himself getting "Ted DiBiase Treatment" on Raw and is currently in a divorce with Tiffany, which is a damn shame.

Evan Bourne - Him being buried on Raw is the reason why he isn't on the list, but things can change after that kick to Jack Swagger.

John Morrison - One of my all-time favorites is currently in the middle of a major push due to Edge's retirement, so he isn't really a "hidden talent" anymore; he's a main-event player now.

"Un-Dashing" Cody Rhodes - The man is a future main-eventer, so he is better than this list.  Good luck to you, Cody.

Tyson Kidd - It appears the WWE has plans for him, but pairing him up with two different managers in three weeks doesn't look too good (Whose idea was it to pair him with Armando Estrada? Bad move).

Brian Kendrick - He should've been TNA X Division Champion by now; love his new "prophet" gimmick.

Crimson - In the middle of a major push, the future's bright for this young star.

Max Buck - He is definitely the better Buck in Generation Me; his match with Kazarian at Sacrifice was fantastic.

Eric Young - The TNA version of Santino Marella, he proved he could be a serious contender when he was the leader of World Elite. Too bad he plays the funny guy card so well.

The End...R.I.P Macho Man Randy Savage

future Hall of Famer

I hope you enjoyed my article, feel free to comment on the guys on the list and if you want to, say who you think should be on the list as well.

-Ochs has spoken-