WWE is without a best wrestler. With CM Punk now gone, with Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels retired, there is a gaping hole in WWE where the man who can cut promos, have great matches, and make the fans care usually is. Heck, there are generally any number of guys who can fill that spot… but now, there simply aren’t any, although there are contenders, and by the end of the column, I will pick one as current best.
Let’s begin by listing the contenders, then we’ll discuss each. They are as follows: Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, the Miz, Sheamus, John Morrison, Christian, the Miz, Dolph Ziggler, John Cena, Alberto Del Rio and Cody Rhodes. All have their strengths and flaws, and none are yet as good as the three that opened the column, but one, or more, will rise to the occasion.
John Cena and Randy Orton are the faces of Raw and Smackdown respectively, regardless of who’s champion on either show. Both are undeniably special in the fans eyes, but neither really has the consistent match or promo quality to be the very best. That isn’t to say they aren’t skilled. Cena is usually a very strong promo, but has maybe 1-3 memorable matches per year. Since he’s pretty much always on top, that won’t do it. Cena is best when played off against another top level guy who can really work, but rarely elevates anyone in ring or in promos. Orton is a stronger worker than Cena, but his promos are often reminiscent of Triple H’s where they just drag on interminably. He’s also still inconsistent in the ring, although his recent series with Christian and excellent Smackdown match with Kane make it seem he might be putting that drawback behind him. If he does, he’ll vault to the top of the list, but he isn’t quite there yet.
Miz and Alberto Del Rio are the two top heels on Raw and one of them will hold the title, likely, after tomorrow. They are both incredible talkers and good workers who the crowd buys as top guys, but neither has had the match quality to vault them into the rarified air of Jericho, HBK and Punk. You can safely miss their matches, knowing nothing will be special there. Their work is good, but really needs to step up another level.
Where Miz and Del Rio are strong on the mic, Dolph Ziggler and John Morrison are money in the ring. Unfortunately for both, not only has the crowd not fully bought into them, the reason for it is pretty clear – both are mediocre on the mic. They aren’t bad, much the way Miz and Del Rio are actually quite good in the ring, but there’s been nothing special there to really elevate them in the fans eyes.
Many would put Daniel Bryan in the above category, but he simply doesn’t fit there. His promos, when given time, have been very strong, and most crowds respond strongly to him. His push has been lacking, but since he’s doing the boyhood dream angle for Wrestlemania… that seems less concerning, as the office should likely be backing him into more response. His matches remain the best in WWE when given any kind of time, and he is easily the most likely to make the leap within the next year. Still, he needs to actually make the leap in the fans eyes to be #1 and he just hasn’t.
Sheamus is the darkhorse of this list, especially if he turns face. The big badass is an excellent brawler and very good promo. Simply put, when he’s in big matches, he delivers memorable results. His promos are hard to understand at times, but very effective in storytelling, and he’s pretty clearly a top guy… but do the fans fully buy that? He’s seemingly slid below too many others on the heel depth chart, but as a face… opportunities abound and he could become more versatile both as a workers and a character to make the leap.
Christian might be the very best in WWE right now. He’s a great worker, having the best matches of anyone in the company for the past 6-months or so. He’s likewise a good promo, but he has sadly taken a step back in consistency, humor and intensity. That, and the crowd not entirely sure if he’s a heel or a face, have cost him the top spot for now, although it is close.
Finally, we have the guy who’s probably the best wrestler in WWE right now – Cody Rhodes. Is he as good as the 3 who recently left? No. He’s not the promo or worker on that elite level, but he is the best that’s left. His matches have been great on Smackdown and Pay Per View. He’ hasn’t had a defining performance yet, but the sheer speed of his improvement in the ring and his understanding of how to work make that seem far more a question of opportunity than talent. His promos are second to none, and, again, still improving thanks to a unique character mixing the freak heel and the pretty boy. Finally, the fans seem to have fully bought into Cody as a heel, and he can be elevated, essentially at will. He isn’t the best by much, Sheamus, Orton, Bryan and Christian could leap above him any time, but given how fast Rhodes has come on as a top talent, is Rhodes really someone to bet against?
