'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
John Cena has been synonymous with WWE for the better part of the last decade. Stone Cold Steve Austin and Rock were the men in charge of being the face of the promotion until the early 2000s and their departure led to John Cena claiming that spot.
Even though he's been a polarising figure at best, Cena has seamlessly performed for WWE for the last 15 years and has given his hundred percent each time he has stepped into the ring.
However, in recent years, John Cena has transitioned into a part-time role. Although he will deny it in his promos, he has his eyes set on a successful Hollywood career. The day when he finally leaves WWE isn't far away and his successor will have big shoes to fill.
Roman Reigns' victory over John Cena at No Mercy 2017 and Cena's subsequent actions have led many to believe that the end is nigh for the Doctor of Thuganomics and that the passing of the torch has finally taken place. However, the Big Dog is still not accepted by a majority of the audience and the company should pinpoint someone else to step up.
With that being said, here are five young Superstars who have the potential to fill the John Cena sized void that is on the way.
_______________________________________________________________________
#5 Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens debuted on the main roster in 2015 and defeated John Cena clean in his first ever main roster match. The Prizefighter has since held the Intercontinental Championship twice, the US Championship thrice and the Universal Championship. He has been a champion for approximately 50% of the total time he has spent on the main roster.
Kevin Owens is a gem on the mic and despite his size possesses unbelievable athletic ability which has resulted in him having fantastic matches with the likes of Ambrose, Rollins, Zayn and Reigns over the past two years.
WWE clearly loves Kevin Owens but has been at times inconsistent with his booking. During his Universal Championship reign, he was booked as a cowardly heel which wasn't appreciated by many.
If WWE decides to pull the trigger on Kevin Owens and push him to the top, he can certainly lead the company for years to come.
#4 Dean Ambrose
Dean Ambrose has been a fan favourite ever since the Shield broke up. He has been a top guy for WWE for years now, hovering around the upper mid-card and the main event scene. His tag team championship win alongside Seth Rollins made him a Grand Slam Champion — a wrestler who has held a World Championship, a Tag Team Championship and both secondary Championships.
Dean Ambrose can also boast of being a part of an Elite Club of wrestlers who outdid John Cena in a promo battle. He has had excellent feuds with Kevin Owens, AJ Styles and Seth Rollins to name a few over the past few years. His Money In The Bank win in 2016 and subsequent cash in led to a thunderous response from the WWE Universe.
Dean Ambrose is an unorthodox superstar and carries all the tools required to become a top guy in the promotion. He has not disappointed when inserted into the main event scene, and he certainly deserves to replace John Cena as WWE's top babyface.
#3 Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre was literally dubbed "The Chosen One" back in 2009 when he first debuted on the main roster. He was presented as Vince McMahon's number one choice and was seen as a future top guy in WWE. He won the Intercontinental Championship soon after debuting on the main roster and went on to have feuds with many top guys.
However, his push ended abruptly and he was made part of jobber stable 3 MB along with Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal — an entertaining role but nothing more than comic relief. A talented wrestler, this was a blatant misuse of his talents; consequently, the Scotsman left WWE in 2014 and chose to pursue a career on the Indies.
He returned to WWE in 2017 as a part of NXT after achieving tons of success on the indie circuit, winning titles in every promotion he was part of and was immediately pushed to the top in NXT.
Drew is just 31 and has several years on the top level left in him. He has the looks, the personality, and the charisma to be the Face of WWE. He defeated Bobby Roode to become the NXT Champion and things are looking bright for Drew Mcintyre.
#2 Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins is one of the best in-ring talents in WWE. Every time he steps in the ring, it is a delight to watch and he delivers consistently. His heel run in 2015 was one of the best in recent times, and it even anded him a Slammy for Superstar of the Year.
Au unfortunate injury caused him to be out of action for several months, which derailed his career a bit. However, his comeback from injury and his subsequent feuds with Kevin Owens and Triple H were thoroughly enjoyable and cemented his place as one of the top guys in the company.
His face run may not have reached the heights of his 2015 championship run, but it still evokes one of the biggest reactions from the WWE Universe.
Seth Rollins has struggled to find his feet ever since returning back in 2016, but if booked correctly, he can surely be the man to take the WWE to new heights.
#1 Braun Strowman
Braun Stromwan a.k.a The Monster Among Men has seen a meteoric rise in WWE ever since debuting in 2015. He originated as a member of the Wyatt Family and broke off from the stable in 2016 during the WWE Draft.
As a singles wrestler, he had a slow start, destroying jobbers week in and week out for months while demanding that Mick Foley provide him with more competent opposition. Finally, Sami Zayn answered his challenge and had a good feud with Strowman
Braun is no Ric Flair in the ring, but his matches have consistently delivered and his feuds have been excellent. Since February, he has had an on-off feud with Roman Reigns, which might be the best professional wrestling rivalry in 2017.
Braun Strowman is what the WWE Universe craves. His return in June was met with a thunderous response from the fans. Braun's performances at Great Balls of Fire and then at Summerslam, where he victimized, brutalized and almost conquered Brock Lesnar have positioned him as a top guy in WWE.
He main evented No Mercy against Brock Lesnar and came close to winning the title. He still has years left in his prime and is exactly the guy WWE should be getting behind. He should be the Monster who leads WWE.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
Do you love to play crosswords, Wordle or other exciting games? We'd like to connect with you. Fill the form here!
