WWE is always looking for the next big thing. This is evidenced not only by the roster in NXT, but also by the Superstars currently being booked on Raw and SmackDown. Every time a new face is used in a main event spot, it’s the company’s attempt at writing a new chapter.
But sometimes that new face is not new to wrestling fans. Kevin Owens and AJ Styles had careers long before WWE, and now they’re finally getting their shot at super-stardom. However, they’re not the only veteran talents that deserve a chance to impress.
Drawing from the pro wrestling talent pool is a move that WWE has used multiple times before, and will likely continue doing so. But as it happens, there are several names that need consideration. Fans know this and surely have their favourites.
But the list of those who can make an immediate impact in WWE is rather short. The talent chosen needs to be prepared not only physically, but mentally as well. That means that veteran stars, who have plenty of experience and can handle the stress, are a must.
WWE is rebuilding its image with new faces and established talents. With that being the case, there is always room to improve and do even more. Triple H is surely not finished yet, and the following list is a great place to look for potential veterans to bring in.
#5 Mil Muertes – The New Undertaker?
Ricky Banderas has been in the business for 19 years. TNA fans will remember him as Judas Mesias, the brother of Abyss, but that shouldn’t be the lasting memory they have of him. After all, that angle wasn’t exactly the greatest that the company had ever booked.
Fans should now know him by the name of Mil Muertes, the character he portrays in Lucha Underground. The masked Mil Muertes is not some odd addition to another promotion’s version of Kane versus The Undertaker. Muertes is a punishing brute of a man, and he destroys everyone that gets in his way.
This is ring psychology at its finest, and it’s exactly what Vince McMahon has always loved about the big man persona. He’s cold, he’s calculating, and more importantly, he’s scary. WWE is in need of some great menacing heels, and that’s what Muertes is.
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WWE’s top heels AJ Styles, Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho have no problem incorporating humour into their characters. Even Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson have become the butt of jokes when the situation calls for it. But this is not Mil Muertes.
Muertes is the old school monster, the kind that WWE used to promote. He’s a throwback to Vader, and The Undertaker. There would be no answer for him in the company right now, with the exception of perhaps Rusev, Kane or Braun Strowman.
The door would be wide open for Muertes to make real waves in WWE. The company would surely change his name, but as long as he kept the look and maintained the same character, Muertes would surely get over in a very big way.
#4 Kota Ibushi
Kota Ibushi wowed WWE fans during the Cruiserweight Classic, and now that popularity should translate to the main roster. Ibushi is too good and too talented to be kept in NXT, or be allowed to go work for another promotion.
WWE needs The Golden Star. Since the cruiserweight division came to Monday Night Raw, the project has stalled somewhat. The fault is not with the talent themselves, as the cruiserweights have delivered both in the ring and on the mic.
But something is missing, and that something is Ibushi. He is the spark that the division needs to fully get over on the main roster. He’s a showman, but he can also back it up in the ring, which means he can do it all. WWE needs more of those kinds of talents, especially now.
In this day and age of the daredevil Superstar, WWE must try to get the talent under control. Guys like Sami Zayn and Neville throw caution to the wind and bring fans to their feet, but it’s done at the expense of selling in the match.
Ibushi is controlled chaos in the ring. For every over the top move he can execute, Ibushi has twice as many offensive manoeuvres on the ground. His mix of the high and low attack makes him a better rounded Superstar than many that WWE has featured in recent months.
205 Live, the new cruiserweight program on the WWE Network, is allowing the company to flesh out the characters of Cruiserweight wrestlers more. However, it needs some more work, and that work can be done by Ibushi. He’s valuable no matter where he’s used, and WWE needs him as soon as possible.
#3 & #2 The Briscoes
The Briscoes are a foul mouthed, backwoods tough-guy tag team that has no business trying to fit into WWE’s kid-friendly machine. But they also happen to be one of the industry’s best duos, and two of the most intriguing characters to ever work a mic.
Jay and Mark have everything it takes to get over in the world’s biggest pro wrestling promotion. Their tag team work puts them on a different level altogether. They bring a believable intensity to every match, and they have the ability to talk fans into the building.
Their promos are legendary, and they are better at their trade than many other teams currently making more money. The Briscoes not only deserve a shot in WWE, they’ve earned it. Jay and Mark have paid their dues, they’ve travelled the world, and now they should be in WWE.
Triple H has revitalised NXT with talent from around the world, including Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe. Surely The Briscoes deserve the same opportunity to come in and take their shot alongside their peers. If anyone can make this signing happen, it’s The Game.
Jay and Mark had an opportunity to impress when John Laurinaitis was calling the shots, but the timing just wasn’t right. But now that the company has proven that it’s not afraid to take chances, Dem Boys should get a phone call and step up to the spot that they’ve earned.
NXT shouldn’t be their last stop, however. The main roster should be their ultimate destination, and that means Monday Night Raw needs to get shaken up like never before. The Briscoes can make it work; they’re built to succeed, and they’ve always exceeded expectations. WWE would be no different.
#1 Broken Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy has reinvented himself like very few have ever been able to do before. He took a typical heel gimmick as TNA world champion and completely revamped it from the ground up. Fans thought they knew what he had to offer, but they could have never predicted this.
Broken Matt Hardy is the epitome of creativity in pro wrestling. Those words usually do not go together, as virtually every gimmick and every idea has already been taken. But when Hardy embarked upon this character, he turned the business upside down.
He took a chance and dared to be different. Now he has the respect and admiration of not only his peers, but the fans alike. Matt has made it fun, he’s made it exciting, and he’s made it crazy. He’s embraced everything that makes pro wrestling great, and he does it all with an insanity of his own.
Whenever fans speculated on a Hardy boy coming back to WWE, it was usually Jeff. But Brother Nero has been overshadowed by Broken Matt. Now it’s all about Matt, and that should be the case when he brings the massively popular character to WWE.
Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Sportskeeda. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here
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