The very first article I ever wrote for this site was about star power. Not so much about who had it and who doesn’t, more so aimed at what and why the wrestling industry as a whole survives. To what ever extent you like or dislike the amount of theatrics that accompany professional wrestling these days, one thing you cannot dispute is regardless of how much actual wrestling goes on, it is vital for a company to be successful they must have and maybe more importantly utilize their star power.
Seeing as how I am such a big WWE fan, as those of you like to point out from time to time, I am gonna start initially with just their company. I may take a look at TNA shortly after but for now I ll start with the brand I watch more often.
Who Has It: there are some people who just have unquestioned star power, John Cena is one. Regardless of wrestling ability the guy is a star and when he isn’t being shoved down our throats…(oh wait) he brings a lot to the show and helps ratings. Randy Orton is another one. He has more wrestling ability than Cena and is over with the majority of the crowd but bottom line is he has a presence about himself that fans pay to see. Sadly aside from these two there are not too many absolute locks for people with that type of obvious star power but I do wanna take a look at a few who are not that far off.
CM Punk: now while I see it and you may see it, for some reason I am not so sure the entire WWE Universe, (as they are apparently called) really sees what a big star Punk is. He has the charisma, the in ring ability and a unique look, I just don’t know when the average fan sees or hears about him they see star. It may be a booking issue I am not sure but whatever the casual fan does think of Punk, I am glad to see him being utilized even while he is on the injured list. He is announcing gold. When he does come back, he will certainly be a welcome addition to the current roster.
Alberto Del Rio: now this guy has some serious potential. If he is not a star yet he certainly seems to be on his way. Something about the way this guy speaks slightly bothers me, maybe his timing is just slightly off in his delivery now and then but he has the look and charisma to be a star. People just naturally hate him and that’s not a bad thing, that’s a good thing. With a little more time and the right push, I think we all know that is coming, this guy is on the verge of being the next star in the WWE.
Rey Mysterio: this one I am unsure about. If you ask me is Rey Mysterio a star, my answer is yes. From his mask to his wrestling style to his popularity with kids, he is an absolute name and star. The only thing hindering Rey slightly is his ability to deliver a great promo. I have watched him for years and maybe there has been one or two but IMO if Mysterio had the chops to match some of the greats, he might be the biggest star in WWE right now. Well except for Super Cena because…well we all know.
John Morrison: has a good look, wrestling ability that is out of this world and he is know where near a star, at least yet. Someone please give this man the ability to deliver on the mic and he is a superstar. If not at least put with him with a manager or valet who can deliver a sentence and you’ve got an instant hit to the show. BTW that is gonna be an upcoming article, whatever happened to the Manager. So if anyone rips it off, you heard it here first.
Sheamus: to me this guy is right there. He obviously has a unique look that is to his benefit, to me his ring work is at the least very solid and right now people absolutely hate him. It is a rare thing in this industry to have a person who commands instant natural hate, and Sheamus is just about there. Add to that the ability to really carry a promo and deliver it well and IMO this guy is on the verge of being a top level star, if not already there.
The Miz: NO I Didnt Forget! And if you have to ask, YES he has it. Absolutely 100 percent. Say what you will about him as champ, I love it personally, this guy is an absolute star. He has a presence about him that just screams star, most of it which he delivers in his promos. The fact he was on a reality show adds to it slightly and there is nothing very unique about his look, other than maybe his hair. But this guy is a star because of what he brings to the table, almost solely on what he can deliver on the mic. His in ring work has improved and is certainly passable for that of a WWE champ IMO. But bottom line Miz is the next, strike that, a current star. It is just a matter of everyone realizing it.
Next time, perhaps a look at more of the WWE roster, including those not currently on TV.
