CM Punk let slip in an interview last week that he is now retired, which means all the CM Punk fans are now beginning to realise WWE is continuing without him and they need to either like it or leave it.
Even though CM Punk has gone, there is always an outspoken character in every generation that needs to stand up and be counted, Steve Austin was the Attitude Era’s bad ass and CM Punk was the PG Era’s but now as WWE stands in an era of uncertainty, who will rise to be its saviour and become the “next CM Punk”?
Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan has attempted to be the saviour everyone wanted after Punk left and fought his way to the title like the true underdog he is. I think the injury is his body’s way of telling him to slow down though, Dolph Ziggler was given the same treatment when he was an injured world champion but WWE took the title away and he has slowly dropped from grace.
This to me looks like Daniel Bryan will have to alter his fighting style or be happy being a mid-card wrestler. He is good at what he does but if his body can’t take the on-going abuse then he can’t be the superstar to guide them through, regardless of his mic and ring work.
Dean Ambrose
We all remember when WWE first signed the infamous Jon Moxley, social media went insane. They couldn’t wait to see one of the greatest indie wrestlers at the top of his game but for me under his Ambrose cloak he has been a disappointment.
He was the longest reigning United States Champion of the modern era but there were blemishes all over his reign after he refused to defend the title and when he did, Roman and Seth continually had to save him. This could be a starting point for Dean, he could turn against the company for what they have turned him into and he could turn back into the psycho we all know and love.
He has the mic skill and if given the chance, he has the in-ring talent as well. It just depends what direction WWE want to take him post Shield.
Dolph Ziggler
As I mentioned above, Dolph’s fall from World Heavyweight Champion last year to butt of everyone’s joke this year has probably been as embarrassing to be a part of as it has been for us to watch. Dolph has a reason to be mad at the world and he is more than capable of turning the WWE Universe the way he wants them.
As a heel last year he gained one of the biggest crowd reactions of the PG era when he cashed in his money in the bank briefcase to win the title and since he lost it and has slowly become a sensational jobber to the stars. That said the Universe has been 100% behind him, begging WWE to give him something to latch onto.
He has the reasoning and he has the skills, will he be the new Punk or will he continue to put others over ahead of him?
Seth Rollins
People refer to the Architect of The Shield as a cross between CM Punk and Jeff Hardy. He has the skills in the ring and his mic work is only second to Dean Ambrose in his current stable.
Seth is without a doubt one of the guys who have a bright future in WWE. He stole the show at Extreme Rules and is always the stand out performer in The Shield’s six man tag matches, but he is always overlooked because of Roman Reigns.
That being said, if Seth was to turn heel and come out of The Shield with Dean he would rise to the top in the heel side of the locker room and much like The Shield, the WWE Universe would be behind him as a face or a heel.
The Rest
Many other NXT superstars could step up and have reason to be outspoken. Poor Damien Sandow has been forced to dress up as different characters over the last few weeks and be embarrassed for no apparent reason except to gain cheap laughs. He tried to speak out a few weeks ago but it didn’t go anywhere. I don’t think the fans would get behind Damien like they would the above superstars though.
Zack Ryder is another character who could step out of the shadows but since he himself has become the punchline of an old joke, fans wouldn’t know how to respond to an outspoken Ryder.
WWE is in desperate need of someone to save them right now. They have no face of the company and there doesn’t seem to be anyone raising their hand anytime soon. Hopefully the next few weeks will allow the right person to be recognized and WWE will come through this looking better than ever.
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