Which WWE Superstars Will Carry the WWE Through the Reality Era?

The WWE is moving into a new era. The Reality Era

There has been a lot of excitement with this, but let's just hope it isn't just a name. Raw has been better over the last couple weeks, but let's hope that in continues to improve. Let's see some blood, some more violence, but most importantly LETS SEE SOME CURSING! I can no longer listen to these huge violent guys say the word "butt." It's embarrassing for the product. Get these guys talking to each other like men and have them beat the hell out of each other. But that's another story.

As we head into this new era, there is a plethora of young talent that could be headlining matches in the coming years. This will be the top 20 superstars (in order from least to most important) that will be the cornerstone of the new Reality Era.

Honorable Mentions

The first couple guys are honorable mentions. This doesn't mean they aren't good and this doesn't mean that they won't eventually play large roles in the Reality Era, it just means that they will be on the back burner or will be in the main event spotlight too inconsistently to be high up in this list.

Honorable Mention: Ezikiel Jackson

He is the Intercontinental Champion, but other than that there might not be much else in his future. He has the strength and power but not many other tangibles. If I had to compare him to someone, he would be the future Mark Henry of the WWE. Just like Mark Henry started in the Nation of Domination, he started in the Corre.

Mark got slight pushes every now and then (like he is getting now) but these types always burn out and go back to mid card status. EZ Jackson will be very similar to Henry. He will be a great addition to the Reality Era, but it could survive without him.

Honorable Mention: Jinder Mahal and Great Khali

These two were recently paired together, which has gotten them some heat, but it won't do anything for their careers.

The Great Khali moves less in the ring than the turnbuckles do, and he already got his shots at the title and did not get a good reception from the fans.

Jinder Mahal has the look of a WWE Superstar, and his character is getting him a lot of heat, but unfortunately the word on the street is that his in ring performance isn't getting it done. He might be released in the near future.

That's unfortunate because the WWE always profits from an anti-American heel. When he grabs the mic and speaks ZERO English, the crowd lets him hear it, and he gets some of the biggest boos on Smackdown. But his wrestling also gets the biggest boos, and that is not a good thing.

Honorable Mention: Jack Swagger

Jack Swagger had his run a couple years ago and just couldn't capitalize on being the World Heavyweight champion. The fans just don't seem to connect with this guy. His wrestling is good but his mic skills are less than sub par and it has hurt him in his first few years with the WWE. I see him as a mid-carder for the rest of his career.

Honorable Mention: Mason Ryan

This one is hard to say. The only reason he is even an honorable mention is because he has missed too much time since his debut. He gets a lot of comparisons to Batista.

There are rumors that he will come back and be a bodyguard for someone like The Miz or Dolph Ziggler, but I just hope that isn't it and that he gets his chance.

If he returns from injury and improves on his skills then the sky is the limit for this guy, but we haven't seen him enough to put him in the list.

Honorable Mentions: Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne

This one will take a lot of heat, but honestly do you see these two carrying the program any time soon?

The problem with Evan Bourne is that he is just too small (without a light heavyweight championship anymore guys like him just get stuck) and his mic skills are sub par.

Kofi Kingston is a great in ring performer, but his greatest moments seem to be in the MITB ladder matches. He is a present day Shelton Benjamin. He's one of the most athletic guys in the business but probably won't be climbing the ladder anytime soon. He'll be around for a long time but won't really be anything to remember.

20: Justin Gabriel

#20 is Gabriel, and this is based on two things: his time in Nexus, and the recent work he did on the Australian Tour.

When he was in Nexus you could see this sinister side of him. The way he stands on the turnbuckle and stared at his opponent before he dropped his 450 splash was intoxicating. The people will be drawn to him when he gets a good singles push, but he will also make a great heel in the coming years.

On the recent WWE Australian Tour, they put him in the main events for his hometown crowd and the word is that he delivered. He not only hung around with the big boys, but pulled his own weight and made those matches something special.

Look for him to make a big splash in the coming months, and it should start with a solid match at Wrestlemania.

#19 Drew McIntyre

The former intercontinental champion has had brief moments where it looks like he will be the next big thing. In reality, I think he does have what it takes to be the next big thing.

Unfortunately, there are so many young athletes the crowd seems to connect with more, so McIntyre is waiting in the shadows for the right time. The Scottish athlete has a good following, and a great on screen character and he will play a big role in the  coming years.

#18 Ted Dibiase, Jr.

At number 18 comes a guy who can't seem to stick around.

Joining Legacy put Ted on the map, but after that the people just didn't seem to connect with him. He spent some time being accompanied by Maryse but that died out without a hint of why. The Million Dollar Championship came back and was placed on his shoulder, but again it didn't stick.

Now he is back with Cody Rhodes and the people are responding to him again. Maybe the WWE needs to put these two together for a while, and when they do go back to singles wrestling, make them fight each other!

When Legacy died, it just ended with a triple threat match at Mania, but it should have continued in a feud with Cody and Ted. It didn't and it hurt both guys. Give them a match together and people will respond.

#17 Alberto Del Rio

Mr. Money in the Bank has supposedly been in line to win the WWE Championship twice, but because of the success of a certain someone, those plans were scrapped...twice.

Alberto's character is gold. He doesn't get all the heat in the world as a main event heel should, but it's because he hasn't really had much competition. His matches against Edge and Christian put Del Rio on the map as one of the biggest heels, but once he moved on...he didn't move on to much at all.

Giving him the MITB briefcase almost guarantees Del Rio a championship reign in the future months, and let's hope he takes the ball and runs with it. WWE is seriously missing out on some top quality heels right now. Del Rio could be the next one.

#16 Daniel Bryan

This one will draw a lot of heat. Daniel Bryan, the man who seems to be everyone's favorite wrestler right now, is only number 16 on this list. Here's why.

The man can wrestle, there is no doubt about it, but other than that, there is not much to him. Well, this is a wrestling company, right? No. As much as we want it to be, it is an entertainment company, and Daniel Bryan can't do a lot of entertaining.

Bryan was brought into Summerslam to be the mystery opponent against Nexus last year, and he didn't get the reaction they thought he would (probably cause people wanted it to be HHH). Then they gave him the Bella Twins because people thought this little guy could be a ladies man out of every other stud in the WWE. Finally they gave him MITB and there are already rumors that Wade Barrett is all but set to take that off his hands in an upcoming match.

While he can wrestle, he can't talk, and he really won't be able to hold his own in any story. Imagine Daniel Bryan on the mic talking smack with CM Punk, The Miz, or John Cena right now...the man would get embarrassed.

#15: Skip Sheffield

This will draw even more heat. Having a guy who hasn't even wrestled in a singles match ahead of Daniel Bryan? Yes. If you read anything about the WWE, then you know more about this guy than you should. The man means business and when you haven't wrestled a full month's schedule and you draw comparisons to Stone Cold Steve Austin, then you must have some raw talent.

Skip Sheffield will draw hugely for the WWE and when he gets back from injury the WWE Universe will get rocked. This guy is the real deal, and if this list were to come out a year from now, he would probably be in the top 5.

#14 John Morrison

Let's face it, John Morrison is entertaining to watch. He might not be the most technical wrestler, and his mic skills are sub par, but the man is improving on a daily basis.

He just returned for his feud with R-Truth. I expect a five-star match between the two at Summerslam (if WWE is smart and books it)

John Morrison's attitude on the mic it is very similar to a former WWE Champion when he started in the WWE... Edge. The joking, quiet toned voice that Morrison has is very similar to the goofiness of Christian and Edge when they tag teamed in the late 90's. John Morrison is improving and if he would just stay on the good side of the WWE officials, he would probably already have a WWE Championship reign under his belt.

#13 Zack Ryder

This guy needs no explanation at all. The people are constantly asking for him. And thanks to his Youtube videos, the Long Island Iced Z is finally appearing on Television.

That's all.

Woo Woo Woo, You Know it!

(Gosh it's even fun to type!)

#12 Cody Rhodes

This one actually hurts, because Cody Rhodes could probably be a lot higher but I'm worried that he won't get the push he deserves. I never thought when Legacy was born that Rhodes would be better than DiBiase. But he is. Ever since WWE put the mask on him he has improved week by week.

The only reason Cody is at 10 and not lower is because I'm not sure how long he can go on with this character. It will become stale very quickly and hopefully they don't drop the ball on a talent like this.

#11 Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler comes in at number #11 and he would be top ten material if it weren't for a couple things...

1. Vikki has been a manager for a couple people now, and it's the same old story. She did great things for Edge when they were together, but I truly feel she is hurting Dolph's character, especially because she does all the talking. This guy, who came in with tons of personality, is slowing losing it because of Vikki. Once they drop her then he will shoot straight to the top for a second reign as champion.

2. The second thing is his finisher. I know it is getting difficult for the WWE to create new finishers, but the Zig Zag has to go. The Zig Zag is a backwards Pay Dirt (Shelton Benjamin finisher). It's got to go. I see this kid using some sort of variation of an Angle slam. But have him do anything else. It just looks like he tries to jump so high, but has to keep his body level with the other guys, and it just looks like an awkward mid-air hiccup.

Give him something new, rid him of Vikki, and this guy will be the real deal.

#10 Alex Riley

It's a matter of time before A-Ry is a champion, and it could be sooner than later with the potential feud with U.S. Champion Dolph Ziggler. And the reason A-Ry is so high on this list is because of the reaction he has gotten from the WWE Universe. I am not sold on this kid. His matches with the Miz were entertaining at best, but for some reason the people are drawn to him.

His mic work isn't the best, but for a character that he is showing, it's not a bad fit. He's young and it seems the people are going to be watching this kid for a long time.

#9 R-Truth

On to the the single digits and first, at nine, is arguably the most entertaining guy in the last couple of months. Last year R-Truth would have been at the bottom of the honorable mentions list, but his new heel character has revived his career.

His battle against the Little Jimmys has been fun and entertaining. Over the years, the WWE has tried to get us to laugh by performing stupid gimmicks and performances that were just a waste of time. R-Truth is bringing the comedy back to promos. He makes people laugh almost as easily as The Rock does during his promos.

R-Truth is one of the older guys on this list and his time could be coming to an end, so give him a WWE Championship reign and just imagine the humor that would come out of him when he throws his championship in all the faces of the Jimmys.

#8 Christian

The current World Champion should be higher, right? Nah. Christian has been around a long time, and is one of the last full time wrestlers (Kane and Big Show) that has carried over from the Attitude era and the only reason he is on this list is because the WWE smartened up and gave him the World Championship.

Hopefully, Christian will get a long run with the title. I hope it will last the rest of the year and he can main event WrestleMania. But after that I don't see this guy going too much longer. He's got a couple of years left in him, but I'm not sure how many more chances he'll get at the top.

The WWE gives deserving guys title runs just a little bit too late (Jeff Hardy, RVD) and then after they lose it they sink quickly and leave the WWE. Lets hope that doesn't happen with Christian because he is great in the ring and fantastic on the mic. He'll be a great veteran for the young guys in this list to look up to.

#7 the Miz

#7 is simple, he is the most must-see WWE Champion in the history of the WWE. Well, he probably isn't, but when he was champion things were fresh, new, and exciting, and after years of torment from the others, the guy has proven that he can hang with the big dogs.

Love him or hate him, the Miz is a Main Event Superstar in the WWE and will be for years to come. I've been saying this for a while now: when the Miz is turned face, you will all love him.

I mean come on, he's the Miz and he's awesome!

#6 Sheamus

A week ago I would have put Sheamus outside the top ten. That's not saying he isn't good, because he is great, but there are certain guys that when they don't have a championship they are still watchable and I didn't feel that this guy was.

But two things convinced me otherwise.

1. Sheamus confronting Mark Henry was epic and it was a match that I wanted to see. I wanted to see Sheamus stick it to Mark.

2. I wrote http://bleacherreport.com/articles/783207-wrestlemania-28-what-we-need-to-see and put Sheamus in the United States Championship picture and received countless comments saying Sheamus is the future and should be fighting for the WWE Championship.

#5 Randy Orton

I would like to put Randy Orton at #1, I'm that kind of fan, but to be impartial, he belongs here. Orton is a fantastic character and draws big money for the WWE, but there is one problem with him.

Randy Orton is not a good guy, so stop making him a good guy. He should be the top heel in the company for the next five years. When this guy makes you hate him, you really hate him. Something about him just makes you want to punch him in the face. He's cocky, he's arrogant, and he is just too psycho for anyone's liking, and that is all true backstage too. So when Randy Orton plays the villain, he is the most must-see guy in the business. But unfortunately for Randy and for us, the WWE refuses to keep him that way.

Orton is so good when he is hated that he starts getting cheered for all the cowardly stuff he does. That is the reason that he is always a face. It's not just because it's time, but it's because the WWE thinks we are asking for it when we cheer for the bad guy. We are not. He is cheered because of how crazy he really is. Keep this guy a heel and he draws.

People boo John Cena out of the arena on any given night, but that doesn't mean the WWE is going to turn him heel, so don't do the same to Randy Orton. Let those who cheer, cheer, but Randy Orton was born to be hated, so let us hate him.

#4 Wade Barrett

Number four is Wade Barrett. Just like Randy Orton, this guy can be one of the best heels in the history of the WWE. When Nexus debuted, there was no doubt who should be running them, and it was unfortunate that WWE gave Nexus to CM Punk. It didn't really help either character at the time.

Wade Barrett proved he could be a leader in that group and proved he could be a main event guy in his matches against Cena and Orton.

This guy can draw and when he finally gets his shot at a championship (Royal Rumble Winner?), he will be a great champion.

#3 the Boss HHH

HHH will be a huge driving force in the years to come. Not like he has been before, but in a way no one has ever seen. Monday Night Raw's confrontation between CM Punk and HHH was fantastic and it was a small dose of what we will get with HHH being the man in charge.

HHH may be a better Vince McMahon than Vince McMahon was. It's cool to think of the journey that HHH went on to get here, and it will be cool to see that played out on TV in future storylines (CM Punk "Do you need to ask your wife" stuff).

HHH will not only do great things for the Reality Era, but he will do great things off TV as well. Love him or hate him, the WWE is in good hands for the future.

Straight forward: this guy knows wrestling.

#2 John Cena

Some people probably don't want to see John Cena this high, but he deserves to be here, and if it wasn't for the last couple weeks, he would be number one.

The PG Era didn't hurt anyone as much as it hurt John Cena. Don't forget that people loved this guy when he was known as the Dr. of Thuganomics. No one could touch him on the mic, no one! That was proved when he reverted to his old ways and rapped on The People's Champ leading up to Wrestlemania.

John Cena was ruthless, he was violent, he was fun and entertaining during his rise to the top, but because he is the new poster child, he has to be on his best behavior and has to be more PG than anyone else in the business.

This could be the best thing for him. I honestly thought he was going to come out on Monday Night Raw and rap on HHH, and John Laurinaitis. A new era will help John Cena to the point we may actually see a Chain Gang return. Because this guy is gold, he just got stuck in the wrong era.

#1 CM Punk

Who else? There's not much to say here.

CM Punk started this craze and he is the guy that is going to run with the ball. His promos? Perfect. His wrestling? Perfect.

The guy can't miss right now. His promos have been so good that I was actually getting mad at him for the things he was saying to HHH. Everything this guy does seems so real, that I'm shocked guys like H and Cena don't lose it and pop him in the face right in the middle of the ring.

The only concern I have is that when he isn't in the title picture, will he still carry this much weight? Only time will tell.