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DRAFT PICKS - Batch #8: Top picks of Jim Ross, Shawn Michaels, Edge, plus Briscoes, Nigel, Flair, Jacobs, Beautiful People Sep 11, 2008 - 11:38:21 AM
1. Shawn Michaels. Still the most convincing worker in the business and a top draw. Despite all the trends and fads to have past in wrestling, he has managed to stay relevant more than ten years past his prime.
2. Chris Jericho. Currently proving himself to be a valuable commodity in the heel department, no one else can hold a candle to him in terms of promos and heat right now.
3. Triple H. Controversial for sure, but still a draw when booked properly. The man knows how to generate heat no matter what the role, so long as he is not booked to bulldoze over every potential contender.
4. Bryan Danielson. Perhaps he really lives up to the title of "Best in the World." He is the perfect blend of creativity and old school savvy, mixing MMA striking and submissions with NWA-style sensibilities, earning him major appeal.
5. Nigel McGuinness. If Chris Jericho is the top heel in the industry, Nigel deserves second place. He is easily unlikable and has star appeal in the ring and on the mic.
6. Samoa Joe. Every promotion needs a good monster, and when handled properly, Joe is as good as any, especially if he is a heel. His early runs in ROH and TNA prove that.
7 and 8. Jay and Mark Briscoe. Tag team wrestling is a lost art, one that these guys have rediscovered. Not since the glory days of the Hardys-Dudleys-Edge & Christian wars have fans been so emphatic about a single team, and no other tag team has main evented a pay per view.
9. Jeff Hardy. The ultimate underdog and perhaps the titleholder of the biggest cult following in wrestling. His simple variance from the "expected look" is enough to endear him to fans of the unconventional.
10. C.M. Punk. Great charisma, great character. He is incredibly over in WWE as a babyface right now, and his heel days in ROH drew serious heat, making him a money player in either role.
***
Picks by Gerard Creed...
1. Edge: Best heel in business. For me the best way to make money as well as an entertaining product is to put the championship on your top heel and watch everyone tune in every week to see him lose it.
2. Chris Jericho: see Edge. To me Edge and Jericho are 1a and 1b in terms of top heels and entertaining characters who can not only put on a great match but deliver riveting promos.
3. A.J. Styles: Styles natural athletic ability, exciting wrestling style, and charisma make him my top choice for the traditional babyface chasing the heel champ.
4. MVP: Definetely one of the top promo guys, plus his unique look and character make a great heel. Who doesn't love rooting against the cocky rich super athlete who thinks he's better than everyone.
5. Batista: He definetely looks like a wrestler, and "The Animal" has an impressive array of power moves that please the crowd. When used properly he can be a fearsome and intimidating force.
6. Kurt Angle: Granted it was 12 years ago, but an Olympic gold medalist is still a gold medalist, which is something a person who knows nothing about pro wrestling can immediately connect to. Couple that with his outstanding skills in the ring and on the mic and Angle's a no-brainer for any new roster.
7. Christian Cage: Has the ability to play both the face and heel and play them well. Extraordinary versatility as well as excellent mic skills.
8. Shawn Michaels: In my opinion the second best wrestler of all time (behind Ric Flair). He can carry absolutely anybody to an entertaining match and while his career may be on the downside he still has more than enough gas in the tank to be a main eventer for a few more years.
9. John Cena: I may not be the biggest fan but the kids and women do love him, he sells lots of merchandise, and he is a very good worker. You need guys like that on your roster.
10. Big Show: Definetely the best big man in the biz, great athelete for someone his size. Plus people love the David vs Goliath because its easy to root for the everyman against a monster like Show. Not to mention he has enough charisma and personality to play a face, though i think theres more money in having the giant a heel.
Others recieving votes: Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Rey Misterio, Undertaker, JBL
***
Picks by David Hayter of London, England...
1. Jim Ross: May seem like an odd choice for a number one pick but he'd lend instant credibility to my product in the fans eyes. With Good Old J.R telling the fans that my new federation is the real deal they might just sit up and take note.
2. Edge: Seriously do I even have to explain this pick, he's just plain awesome.
3. Shawn Micheals: He might not be the biggest draw anymore but he can have a damn good match and programme with just about anybody. The perfect guy to use to create the stars of the future and a good guy to fall back on as a centre peice if the need be.
4. John Cena: It's a reluctant pick, his promos and acting would have to managed carefully to avoid making my promotion cringe enducing but he would hand me the kiddies audience on a platter. He'd work tirelessly for the company as well which is a bonus.
5. A.J. Styles: He might not be as Phenominal as he used to be but he's still a great performer and an excellent roll player. He can play a wide range of rolls and can appeal to both kids and adults if utilized correctly.
6. Ric Flair: Regardless of whether he can wrestler or not Ric would be a great spokes person for my company. He could play the roll of a General Manager or President and would be a great smilling face for the brand. He can also be utilized as a manager and should help attract an older generation of fans to my product.
7. Jimmy Jacobs: I think Jimmy is a brilliant character who can appeal to a young modern demorgraphic in away that other wrestlers can't and I'm really suprised that his character hasn't been plagerised at any time during its development in either the WWE or TNA.
8. Mark Henry: People may roll their eyes but I think every promotion needs at least one, actually preferably just one monster heel. I love his bad arse "someones gonna git there arse kicked" character. He can be totally brutal and while his matches may be less than stellar if he's made enough of a bad arse he can easily be that heel that men cheers cause he's such an ice cold son of a bitch.
9. The Beautiful People: I don't know if this should count as two but what the hey, I absolutely love there gimmick and characters and I think they pull it of to a tee. If I do have to pick one I'll choose Velvet Sky (I'm not that I'm basing that on talent or charisma or anything like that). I think their characters are very fresh and modern despite being rooted in very traditional stereo types. I'd probably add Leyla to the group because I think she'd be excellent in this roll, as well as being very hot. I'd probably pair them with a heel midcard man too just to give them an excuse to mingle in the men's divisions.
10. MVP: I think MVP has shown a huge amount of promise and out grown his silly initial gimmick, he seems to be determined to better himself and has a bucket load of charisma. I know this sounds like an odd thing to say but I think the Main Event card is lacking a cool black character, and I don't mean one that's a ludicrious stereo type like the abysmal Cryme Tyme. I mean a character who has nothing to do with his race but just happens to be a cool black dude. I'm rambling and explaining this terribly but I think MVP could be top player in years to come.
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