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Morgan Ruble of Ottumwa, Iowa...

1. A.J. Styles: For years now, Styles has been the human highlight reel in pro wrestling. In recent months he has proven he can stay in the heavyweight title picture as well as he could in the X-division.

2. Randy Orton: People love to hate Randy Orton, but there is no denying his ability or his charisma. When he gets on his hands and knees and stalks his opponent, it is hard to remember the match is a work sometimes. His attitude inside and outside the ring have had fans buzzing for years, and he is arguably the top heel in the world today.

3. Awesome Kong: Challenging the ideas of what a womens wrestler should be, the imposing and tough Kong is as formidable and scary a force in wrestling as any other right now. If anyone told me a 300 lb woman could make it in the wrestling biz as anything more than a comedy act I wouldn't have believed it a year ago. Its good to see times are changing and an athlete like Kong can be treated like a star, and not just a sideshow.

4. Edge: Edge has bridged the gap between the Attitude era and the current era of pro wrestling better than any other superstar. It is his ability to evolve and sell a storyline that put him on my list. Working as either a face or a heel, Edge's ability to cut promos and his incredible work rate should put him on any top 10 list.

5. Kofi Kingston: The best young star to come down the pike in awhile, Kofi Kingston is an exciting wrestler in the RVD vein. His "gimmick" and even his signiture "whoo's" are kind of silly, but he overcomes them with his talent and his enthusiasm whenever in the ring. Getting over as a newcomer is hard, as a face even harder. Howeverm there is a reason Kofi was drafted to RAW and won IC gold so quickly. The crowd loves him and he is the future of the WWE.

6. Vladamir Kozlov:A throwback to a time in wrestling when wrestlers were known for their toughness and not what their entrance music was, Koslov has impressed me with his ability to stay in character and be the ultimate dominater in the ring.

7. Mickie James: Mickie's spirit is infectious, and it is hard not to smile along with her as she celebrates in the ring. Another womens wrestler who defys the stick-thin bleached blonde mold, James has worked hard to earn her spot under the bright lights. She would be the ultimate opponant for Kong, and a great addition to any company.

8. Umaga: The Samoan Bulldozer is a young star who can one day stand beside Vader and Yokozuna as one of the best big men in wrestling history. He has the ability, not just the size and look, to attract fans and sell out arenas.

9. Evan Bourne: If you are looking for the next Jeff Hardy, look no further than this young star. His work in the ring could be described as artistic, it is so clean and impressive. When Borne takes to the skies, everyone holds their breath.

10. Chris Jericho: Jericho has done it all in this business, and he is the best wrestler of the last 20 years to not be on the list of great's beside Triple H, Steve Austin and others. As a face or a heel, Jericho knows what the fans want and delivers night after night.
Picks by Elvin Takeda...

1) C.M. Punk – Gritty, flawed, underdog that you can't help but root for.

2) Chris Jericho – Consummate professional and incredible locker room general.

3) A.J. Styles – pre Karen/Kurt Angle angle….the flagship.

4) Samoa Joe – pre-TNA championship…unstoppable

5) Shelton Benjamin – Another highly athletic, yet under utilized talent.

6) Paul Burchill – The big man of the group.

7) Christopher Daniels – No explanation needed, could work with anyone on the list.

8) Kofi Kingston – Great up and comer with explosive talent and great gimmick.

9) Edge – The number 1 heel in all of pro-wrestling. Guaranteed lock for ratings.

10) Matt Hardy – The hardest working man in pro-wrestling that never gets his legit shot at a major title.

Announce Team: Michael Cole and Jim Ross – I can't believe it, but M.C. has actually stepped up his game and J.R. is a classic. The two would be the best in the business.

Backstage Interviewer: So Cal Val - if you need an explanation, you're obviously blind or half slow.

GM: Paul Heyman (Is there a better booker... really?)

Picks by Matt Johnson...

1. John Cena - John Cena is the poster boy for this generation of wrestling. He is the Hulk Hogan of this era, in that he is a pure babyface that kids can get behind. He also is guaranteed to generate merchandise revenue for a new company and makes a great spokesperson.

2. Randy Orton - If John Cena is the top babyface of this generation, Randy Orton is the top heel. Orton can generate heat from the crowd and also generate a large underground level of support from women. He can also make new stars. If I am building a wrestling company for the long term, picks 1 and 2 are a must, and there is a huge gap to the next pick.

3. Undertaker - Undertaker can get any promotion jump started. If plans must change due to injury, the Undertaker can always serve as a main event option on a major pay -per -view. He is better in the ring now more than ever, and a great asset.

4. Big Show - This may seem high to some, but I believe strong heels are the key to a promotion. Big Show as a comedy figure or a babyface does not come close to making the list. The heel Big Show who held the ECW championship is who I have in mind. He can rack up a huge winning streak and set up a supercard main event with John Cena.

5. Edge - In keeping with the philosophy of valuing strong heels, Edge is a top 5 pick. Some argue that he is the best in the game right now. I respect that point of view, but think Orton has much more long term potential and draws more interest. With Orton and Big Show as the top heels, I see Edge on the upper end of the card and occasionally visiting main events. He is not a good choice to main event a supercard, however, since it is obvious that he will lose.

6. Goldberg - The only wrestler on the list currently not active. I was looking for a babyface with name recognition to create fresh matchups. Considering my plans for the final 3 picks, this pick was between Goldberg, Triple H, and Batista. Only Goldberg offered fresh matchups. It is intriguing to imagine Goldberg feuding with the likes of Randy Orton, the Big Show, the Undertaker, and John Cena.

7. Evan Bourne - This is a statement about the talent of Evan Bourne. He brings variety and athleticism to a wrestling show. My promotion would prioritize athleticism more than WWE, but would have a lot more sports entertainment than Ring of Honor. I view Evan Bourne as a long term cruiserweight champion, and a heavyweight contender in about 2 years.

8. The Miz - Miz and Morrison are both charismatic heels. Tag team wrestling offers variety to a wrestling card, and these 2 will lead the division. Down the road I see them both as upper card singles wrestlers.

9. John Morrison - See the Miz.

10. Awesome Kong - My women's wrestling formula would be to put the title on Awesome Kong and have some of the better looking Divas chase the title. It is easier to find good looking babyface women than it is to find a dominating heel like Kong.

DRAFT INFO - INVITE TO PARTICIPATE

Since 1997, Pro Wrestling Torch has conducted "Priority Fantasy Drafts" about once a year, usually around this time of year. The concept is simple. If the existing national promotions went out of business and all wrestlers became free agents, and you had the budget to sign ten wrestlers before any other competing start-up company could even compete, which ten currently active wrestlers would you choose? The goal is to make money, not make you in particular happy as a fan or viewer. This is about the wisest business move. This should not be a roster for a vanity promotion that goes out of business or unnecessarily burns through money.

You can build your roster around whatever promoting philosophy you think would draw, though. If you think wrestlers only over 6-8 would draw best, draft them. If you think cruiserweights is the best approach, choose them. Or women. Young. Old. A mix of all of the above. It's up to you.

We invite you to send in your Top 10 Draft Picks this week. We will compile the results, which will be featured on PWTorch.com next week. An expanded list of vote-getters (Top 50) will be part of next week's special Draft Edition of the Pro Wrestling Torch newsletter (#1042), which will also feature a variety of staff articles related to the draft. This week at PWTorch.com we will also look back on previous draft results, so stay tuned.

When you send your top ten draft picks to us, you are invited to include a few sentences explaining each pick, making your case for why they deserve a top ten spot. Please send your picks numbered one through ten to pwtorch@gmail.com (put "Draft Picks" in the subject line, please). Deadline is this Friday (Aug. 29). We will publish select top ten lists this week in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com.



Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.

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