Future Champions: 7 WWE Superstars on the Rise

In WWE, champions aren't made overnight.  Capturing one of the company's prestigious titles requires hard work, dedication, and plenty of political jockeying. 

As 2012 nears, there are a handful of WWE Superstars that have stood out this year and look to be on the verge of breaking through to the next level.  

Some have even held titles before, but their stocks continue to rise, making the chances of a longer, more significant title reign all the more likely.

Bleacher Report is here to analyze seven particular standouts and discuss how bright their futures may be. 

Zack Ryder

Zack Ryder has made a name for himself with his savvy usage of social media, particularly his YouTube series, Z! True Long Island Story.  He was striving to get on to the Raw broadcast for months before finally getting his shot, and sure enough, he was over.  

Ryder's in-ring ability is nothing particularly special, but the greatest factor in his favor is that he's harnessed the power of the Internet and social media, right as WWE finally came around to the idea that social media is a tool that can be used in their favor.

It's a classic case of "right place, right time" as Ryder's almost desperate attempt at getting noticed has paid off big time.  He should rightfully be remembered as a pioneer in bringing social media into professional wrestling's biggest stage.  

The Internet Champion has a belt of his own but is currently working toward taking the United States title off of Dolph Ziggler.  With the help of various WWE Twitter handles and his own, he's currently pushing an online petition to get another shot at Ziggler's title.  

Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler is one of the hottest young heels in the business, but that was not always the case.

He's improved from his time in the Spirit Squad and then being such a poor talker he had to have Vickie Guerrero doing the heavy lifting verbally.

A few weeks ago, Ziggler stepped out on the microphone and cut a mean promo.  It was clear that having Vickie Guerrero in his corner was now just to compliment him, rather than keep his mouth shut. 

He's also no slouch in the ring.  On a recent Raw SuperShow, he faced Randy Orton in the opening match and the two put on the match of the evening.  

Ziggler is already the United States Champion, but at his rate of improvement (and lack of main event heels on Raw) an eventual step up to the top of the card seems inevitable.  Could it be that Ziggler is getting ready to hand off the U.S. title to the previously mentioned Zack Ryder so he can do just that?

Wade Barrett

Wade Barrett has "it".  What he doesn't have, though, is a feud that elevates him to the next level.

After both the Nexus and the Corre disbanded, Barrett's been on his own and struggled to find relevancy.  His current gimmick isn't much of one.  It's simply that he was a legit bare-knuckle boxer and is in this business for the money.  

The love of money seems to be his recurring theme, and typically when these patterns pop up, there's a yet to be seen purpose.  Maybe what Barrett needs is a million dollar feud with Ted DiBiase, who is in need of a purpose of his own.  

Regardless of what happens to Barrett and who he ends up feuding with, I have a hard time seeing a future where he's not a prominent face in the WWE.  

Cody Rhodes

If there was any doubt before, it should be erased after Cody Rhodes' match with Randy Orton on SmackDown this past week.  

His "disfigured" gimmick gives him plenty of wiggle room in feuds, opening up plenty of doors for him as Intercontinental Champion.  His feud with Orton should elevate him even further, and if he continues to perform well, he may find himself in the role of champion for quite some time.

Rhodes brought back the classic WWE Intercontinental Championship and said he'd like to bring back the prestige the title once had.  Will he move up the card to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship, or will he stay on the mid-card and breathe life into the Intercontinental Title once again?

Whichever road WWE takes with Rhodes, I can easily see him growing as a star and holding plenty of gold.  

Sheamus

Out of all the WWE Superstars, you'll be hard pressed to find one that stands out of a crowd as much as Sheamus does.

From his gravity defying red hair, to the loud Irish accent, Sheamus looks like a cartoon character come to life.  His over the top look is a throwback to classic professional wrestling looks and styles.  

Sheamus is larger than life, at least, when he tries to be.  He's already held the WWE Championship, but I feel that his stock will continue to rise, and we'll see him hold plenty of titles for as long as he's with the company.  

One of Sheamus' great strengths is that he's versatile.  He's a big, strong Irishman who won't be pushed around.  He can be booked as a face or a heel and do just fine, although I personally think his look and stature makes him a better heel.  

Currently he's feuding with Christian, which will lead us to Survivor Series and the 5-on-5 Survivor Series match.  From there, I expect Sheamus will find himself getting positioned for a WrestleMania feud to carry him into 2012.  Whether he'll be in the title picture remains to be seen, but sooner or later, there will be gold around his waist again. 

Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan is WWE's resident underdog.  At Money in the Bank 2011, fans were shocked when, after scaling the ladder time and time again, he finally captured the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase.

Since then, he's flown under the radar and been losing more often than winning.  Some would say that this burial points to him NOT being a future champion, but I don't buy that one bit.

Daniel Bryan is an incredibly talented wrestler and the perfect underdog.  He's not the biggest and not the baddest, but with sound technique and determination, he can overcome the odds.

It also doesn't hurt that the owners of the Money in the Bank briefcase have always become champions.  

CM Punk

CM Punk is the Superstar of 2011, and I don't feel like there's much competition.  This was the year that things really began to pick up for the Chicago native.

The thing is, he's yet to truly solidify his position in the upper echelon.  Sure, he's sold his shirt like mad, cut great promos, and put on memorable main event matches since his hot summer angle, but if he slows down here, he may not see an opportunity like this again.

The big rumor is that by the end of the year, Punk will be WWE Champion.  Should this prove true, that will be his chance to prove to the fans, and more importantly the WWE brass themselves that he truly is a champion that belongs on posters, billboards, and the bright lights.  

He's a handful of well placed steps away from hitting his stride and reaching the level that Superstars in the WWE haven't reached in quite a while.  He's reached a place that's familiar to wrestlers young and old, the edge of truly being a "superstar".  

The number of wrestlers who took steps backward rather than forward at that point greatly outweigh the number of those who really "made it."  The one thing that is certain about Punk though, whether he pulls it off or not, is that he's a man who's happy just being able to do what he loves.