WWE: Power Ranking the FCW Wrestlers in This Year's PWI 500

Late last week, Pro Wrestling Illustrated announced their annual list of the top 500 male professional wrestlers in the world. Among those listed, according to my count, 72 of the men listed are currently employed by WWE.

This number does not include recently released talent Chris Masters or Vladimir Kozlov, as well as Chris Hero and Colt Cabana, who are rumored to joining an official roster soon.

What is most impressive to me is the large amount of respect for wrestlers seen in Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE's developmental territory. Considering that there may be more names that are listed on the PWI 500 under different ring names, FCW had an impressive 22 names on it that were featured all throughout the list. FCW very nearly had two men within the top 100 of the list, which is incredibly impressive for a developmental territory.

Considering that some releases were made last week and the fear of more is expected, the focus turns to FCW for multiple reasons. Not only will some of those releases be put on prospective superstars that never made it, but any open spots on the main roster could mean a chance for a call to the main roster. Here is a power ranking of the 22 men listed, who are not necessarily ranked in the way that PWI ranked them.

Note: Eliminated members of NXT Redemption are on this list, but those still on the show are not since they still have a chance to win the season and have remained on WWE programming.

22) Abraham Washington

PWI 500 Rank: #474 (22nd among FCW superstars)

Abraham Washington entered a few of our living rooms as a member of the ECW roster prior to the show going off the air. Anyone who has ever caught an episode of FCW on television in Florida or on the Internet anywhere else has seen Washington doing a mutlitude of things. From managing to commentating and even being an authority figure at one time, Abraham Washington has done it all. This includes wrestling matches, believe it or not.

Washington seemed to do enough for the PWI people to have him barely crack the top 500 at number 474. Washington returned to in-ring competition in November 2010 after not wrestling a match in over a year and a half. Originally used as a presidential gimmick, Washington became a late night talk show host up in ECW, but never wrestled a match in his stint there. He has seemed to improve in his abilities down in FCW and it might be a chance to either use him or lose him. As Washington gets more experience in the ring, bring him up to the roster as a manager and have him as an eventual in-ring competitor. If it doesn't work, then get rid of him.

21) DeSean Bishop

PWI 500 Rank: #332 (18th among FCW superstars)

I'll be perfectly honest. I don't know much about this guy. I haven't seen him wrestle and I can't find out a lot about him. With that said, it is impressive to see him float under my radar and be this high in the rankings. He's down this low simply because I can't gauge him fairly and don't want to put him higher or lower without knowing what DeSean Bishop is all about. He's a guy to watch, though, for being this highly ranked this year. Bishop is four spots above Jinder Mahal, who is on the Smackdown roster right now.

20) Eli Cottonwood

PWI 500 Rank: #330 (17th among FCW superstars)

DeSean Bishop is two spots behind this man, Eli Cottonwood. Fans got to see Cottonwood during the second season of NXT, but his impact wasn't that great. All that I can recall from him really is that he looked too skinny for the rest of his frame and he told us all how he doesn't have a mustache, even though he did.

I can't see a need for him on the main roster and, while his gimmick is pretty decent, he doesn't do enough to really merit a spot anymore. Cottonwood wasn't put on NXT Redemption for a reason and the time could be over for Eli Cottonwood.

19) Conor O'Brian

PWI 500 Rank: #244 (12th among FCW superstars)

Conor O'Brian's ranking of 244 is pretty impressive for a guy that we had never seen on WWE programming until a few months ago. However, O'Brian has had difficulty getting over in each of the last two seasons of NXT and may be floating in the purgatory of FCW for a while longer. An interesting fact is that O'Brian is five spots ahead of Titus O'Neil, who is still in the running for this season of NXT.

I have written in the past about O'Brian and his difficult personal life, which likely cost him a call-up years ago, when him and his girlfriend both retired to deal with family issues. It may be a simple case of O'Brian being off with timing. It might be just as fair to watch O'Brian walk away and let him try for successes elsewhere. With as big as WWE is, his potential will go wasted in developments after giving him chances in the last few months.

18) Donny Marlow

PWI 500 Rank: #337 (19th among FCW superstars)

Donny Marlow is notable name for an avid FCW viewer. To the rest of us, we may be seeing Marlow sooner rather than later. Rumors have circled for what seems like months now that the next season of NXT will feature superstars who have WWE alumni in their bloodlines. This would be a way for NXT to try and bring in more viewers since fans love legends and love seeing the next generation get a chance.

Marlow is the son of former WWE superstar Haku. We have seen second-generation superstars released while in developmental deals and there have also been sons of superstars that have been brought up too early. It nearly cost The Usos their jobs, but they have turned it around and look to be safe for now. Marlow could attach himself to that and the resurgence of Samoans in WWE.

17) Hunico

PWI 500 Rank: #296 (16th among FCW superstars)

Hunico is a great masked wrestler down in FCW. There have been rumors of Hunico showing up on WWE programming this week dressed as Sin Cara. Whether those rumors may or may not be true, Hunico would make a nice addition to the WWE roster down the line. Hunico and Sin Cara could even be a tag team of some kind and really turn the tag team division on its side.

16) Damien Sandow

PWI 500 Rank: #277 (14th among FCW superstars)

I'm pretty sure that some of you have seen him wrestle before. Damien Sandow might not be a notable name to many of you, but Idol Stevens could be. Stevens teamed with KC James and were accompanied by Michelle McCool. McCool dressed like a teacher and referred to the duo as her "Teacher's Pets". The tag team was short-lived and Sandow would float in OVW some more before being released and brought back in July 2010.

Sandow, as Idol Stevens, was in OVW back when CM Punk was still there, but did not stick around on the main roster like Punk did. Now, Sandow, is a little older, even though he just turned 29, and is wiser. I would like to see Sandow get one more shot in the main roster, especially because he didn't do anything wrong to get the initial demotion.

15) Roman Leakee

PWI 500 Rank: #371 (21st among FCW superstars)

I like Roman Leakee, who is simply going by Leakee nowadays. He is raw talent that is being smoothed out and formed into a force to be reckoned with. At 6'3" and 265 lbs., Leakee is an ex-football player that is trying his hand in pro wrestling. At only 26 years old, Leakee is very promising down in FCW right now.

Also, Leakee has wrestling bloodlines as well. Leakee is the son of Sika of The Wild Samoans and his brother is known to many as Rosey, formerly of 3 Minute Warning and a tag team with The Hurricane.

14) Tito Colon

PWI 500 Rank: #287 (15th among FCW superstars)

Tito Colon looks just like his cousin, Primo, and wrestles just like him as well. Tito's rank on this list is just more than double Primo's. Tito is 29, which is actually a year older than Primo. Assuming that Primo survives cuts, the chances for the futures for either of the Colon cousins could depend on one another as a tag team, just like how they brought Primo into the main roster.

13) Peter Orlov

PWI 500 Rank: #225 (10th among FCW superstars)

Peter Orlov is ranked pretty high with the PWI as the tenth highest man in FCW right now. However, I have him ranked a little bit lower. It isn't because of skill, since Orlov is very technically sound. It isn't for lack of experience since Orlov has wrestled all over the world and even popped up on TNA programming before. As much as it pains me to say it, it is for lack of size.

It isn't something I'm proud of feeling for Orlov, but he is a lot smaller than many of the other Russian characters that we have seen in WWE over the years. While I would love for such an athletic guy to get his due and get a chance, there just aren't many fits for him right now. Without a cruiserweight division and the loss of Vladimir Kozlov, who would have been the Great Khali to his Jinder Mahal, Orlov will have to sit and rot in FCW for some more time.

12) Alexander Rusev

PWI 500 Rank: #338 (20th among FCW superstars)

Alexander Rusev is ranked lower than many of the other people on this list according to PWI, but I might as well be a card-carrying member of his fan club. He stands 6'3" and weighs over 300 lbs, all while being the most intimidating thing I have ever seen from the country of Bulgaria. Rusev is not terrible on the microphone as he doesn't have a thick accent.

His powerful moves make me excited to see what character development he goes through. He is virtually unknown because he is a lot newer than others. This will change in time. While Rusev might not be ready just yet, he is a name to watch with the developments out of FCW.

11) Percy Watson

PWI 500 Rank: #240 (11th among FCW superstars)

Percy Watson entertained us on the second season of NXT, but fell short of winning the season. When NXT Redemption occurred, some questioned where Watson was. Watson was making headlines for doing dark matches before tapings on Smackdown, but never made it onto television. Now, Watson has to call FCW his home and you have to wonder if Watson's time with WWE has run out.

Watson had charisma. In fact, he might have had too much for his own good. He was more impressive in the ring than it seemed like he would be. When you have a guy who was tag partners in FCW with Darren Young and showed as much charisma as David Otunga, not much is expected in the matches themselves. Regardless, Watson earned every bit of the ranking he got. What will it take for Watson to get onto the main roster? Who knows.

10) Big E. Langston

PWI 500 Rank: #215 (7th among FCW superstars)

Big E. Langston comes in a little bit lower on my list than he probably would have hoped to be, but I don't like him as much as PWI does. I have seen some footage of Langston in the ring and his physique does most of the talking for his reputation. There are times that he looks confused in a match and when they put him on commentary, Langston almost sounded afraid of the microphone.

It's hard to ask for everything from a superstar, especially one with the daunting look of Langston. Is it so much to ask, however, for Langston stick out in one specific area? He just seems to be average all the way around and seeing him in FCW makes you glad that he is still in development. His ranking from PWI is wishful thinking, but putting him two spots behind Derrick Bateman and 34 spots ahead of Titus O'Neil is very questionable.

9) Xavier Woods

PWI 500 Rank: #208 (6th among FCW superstars)

He may be known as Consequences Creed to some reading this who saw Woods in his TNA days. Now with WWE in development, Woods is using his previous work in other companies, which likely helped his ranking, to get noticed.

Two years ago, PWI had Woods in the top 100 of their list, only to see him outside of the top 200 two years later. Woods turns 25 this September, so there is a lot of talent to work with there. Fans have been calling for him to show up on NXT, but he needs just a little bit more time before the argument can truly be made.

8) Calvin Raines

PWI 500 Rank: #219 (8th among FCW superstars)

Calvin Haines has made a killing in the independent scene in Maryland, being one of the top names to come out of Maryland Championship Wrestling. Raines joined FCW in 2008, but was shockingly released in March 2009. Raines would return to the independents in Maryland, but was signed back by WWE in August 2010.

WWE better not make the same mistake twice by letting this guy go. Raines has the look and skill for the main roster and seeing him in the next twelve months isn't exactly a long shot. Put it this way; Raines is two spots ahead of Jerry Lawler in the PWI 500 this year. I would much rather see Raines challenge for the WWE Championship than Lawler.

7) Byron Saxton

PWI 500 Rank: #223 (9th among FCW superstars)

I love Byron Saxton, but I think WWE has to figure out what they want from him. Saxton was first seen by many as a commentator for ECW, which he did until the brand ceased operation. Saxton has now been eliminated on consecutive seasons of NXT, but shows that something special that he deserves to stay in WWE on the main roster. Do you make him a backstage interviewer? Does he take Todd Grisham's job on commentary for NXT? Does he take Matt Striker's job hosting NXT? There are many things you can do with Byron Saxton, but one of them has to be chosen.

6) Lucky Cannon

PWI 500 Rank: #260 (13th among FCW superstars)

Lucky Cannon annoyed me during his first stint on NXT. His gimmick was stale and it brought down the rest of his impressions. Going back to FCW for a little fine tuning was the best medicine for Cannon, who came back cocky and arrogant for NXT Redemption. It wasn't his season to win, but Cannon showed growth and potential. The gimmick can be straightened out and made to be a good one, especially because his in-ring ability has improved as well. Giving Cannon the Florida Heavyweight Championship is proof enough of that, especially since many of the title's recipients are still on the WWE roster.

5) Bo Rotundo

PWI 500 Rank: #191 (4th among FCW superstars)

The current Florida Heavyweight Champion might look familiar to some of you. He is the brother of Husky Harris, who you will see later in this list. Bo is yet to debut on the main roster, yet is already ranked higher than Jey Uso and Darren Young. Don't ask why Jimmy Uso is better but not Jey Uso.

Bo is probably one of the best FCW superstars yet to debut on WWE programming that did not have a strong indy following. Bo has been doing it in FCW since 2008 and just turned 21 years old in May. Bo is a building block for the future and one that WWE is purposely being careful with. Bo's time is coming.

4) Richie Steamboat

PWI 500 Rank: #206 (5th among FCW superstars)

Speaking of the time coming, Richie Steamboat is also going to have a big impact in WWE pretty soon. Not only is it because he is the son of Hall of Famer Ricky Steamboat, but also because he wrestles just like his father did.

Steamboat was one half of the FCW tag team champions earlier this year before losing the titles nearly seven weeks later. Steamboat is one of the names that helped spearhead the idea of a father-son season of NXT whenever NXT Redemption wraps up. NXT Redemption may be sticking it out even longer just to get everything gathered for that father-son NXT season, which may include more seasoning for the young Steamboat.

3) Dean Ambrose

PWI 500 Rank: #102 (2nd among FCW superstars)

Dean Ambrose is just outside of the top 100 this year, yet many may be unfamiliar with the name. That is because Ambrose only signed with WWE this past April and was previously known by the name of Jon Moxley in the independents. At just 25 years of age, Moxley won gold in six different independent promotions and became a rising star in wrestling circles. WWE gobbled him up earlier this year, but I was fortunate to see him in one of his last appearances as Moxley. Without knowing that it was him, I could tell that this guy was ready for WWE.

At 102, Ambrose is already ranked higher than former world champion The Great Khali, Mason Ryan, and former NXT rookies Alex Riley, Johnny Curtis and Michael McGillicutty.

Don't expect Ambrose immediately, despite his huge amount of potential. He needs to adapt to the WWE way of life, which can be harder for some indy stars compared to others. Moxley is young and incredibly impressive. Moxley could be worth the price of admission alone to a FCW taping.

2) Husky Harris

PWI 500 Rank: #129 (3rd among FCW superstars)

What can I say? I love Husky Harris. Harris grew on many of us in NXT before falling short in the second season. Hopes of it not being the last we saw of Husky Harris were answered when he joined Nexus along with Michael McGillicutty. Harris looked comfortable with the colors on, which made me question why Harris wasn't a part of the original season in the first place. I firmly believe that Harris would have taken some momentum away from other rookies and may not have gotten his rightful time to impress us had he debuted in season one.

Nowadays, Harris is back in FCW to be repackaged. Husky is impressive like his brother, Bo, and the two do a great job of making their father, Irwin R. Schyster, proud, as well as honoring their grandfather, Blackjack Mulligan. Harris sits as the third-highest FCW guy on the PWI 500, higher than the likes of Zack Ryder, Tyler Reks, Brodus Clay and the recently released Chris Masters.

1) Seth Rollins

PWI 500 Rank: #53 (1st among FCW superstars)

It has been speculated by those who follow FCW or know about him from his days as Tyler Black in Ring of Honor; Seth Rollins is ready for the main roster in WWE. Rollins has brought many similarities to CM Punk from those who watch him, but Rollins is in a class all his own. His growing legend from the independent promotions, coupled with his dominance in FCW, has shown fans for months that Rollins is a future cog in the WWE machine. The PWI 500 is simply further validation for that.

Rollins barely missed the top 50 overall, sitting right behind R-Truth and Drew McIntyre on the rankings as all three were just outside of the top 50. Among those that Rollins is ahead of are Mark Henry, Ezekiel Jackson, Evan Bourne, Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater.