Another year, another massive amount of time watching grainy youtube clips, following twitter accounts of Japanese wrestling companies, and listening to hours and hours of wrestling podcast to compile 5 people who I would look out for in the coming year. Without further adieu I give you my unsolicited opinion!
5. Veda Scott
I first saw her when she was a backstage interviewer with Ring of Honor. Fast forward a bit and she was the heel manager for Cedric Alexander and holy crap she was awesome. Playing up her real life law background she was the perfect mouthpiece for Cedric citing injunctions and threatening lawsuits for title shots.
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| As a manager, interviewer or performer she has it. |
Now she is tearing it up in ring all over the world, mainly in Japan (at least from what I have seen of her.) I would love it if she ended up in next year's Mae Young Classic and eventually NXT or WWE.
4. Jeff Cobb
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| This is a Tour of the Islands I will pass on. |
A former Olympic wrestler from Guam he has made the transition from the mat to the ring flawlessly. He combines mat based technicality along with a power game that is remarkable. Currently he is the Television champion in Ring of Honor and moonlighting in New Japan as well. In the coming year I am salivating at the idea of a feud between Cobb and Tomohiro Ishii or even Minoro Suzuki.
3. Trevor Lee
Trained by the Hardy Boys, the Carolina Cave Man is one of the most talented wrestlers not signed by the WWE. The guy can do it all as he exhibited by his time in TNA.
He can be a charismatic cult leader (See: "The Cult of Lee"), he can be a comedy act, and he does all of this while doing some AMAZING work in the ring. He's well on his way to a great career and I would think he'll be signed to NXT sooner rather than later.
2. Adam "Hangman" Page
I first became aware of him when he was in The Decade in Ring of Honor. Wasn't that big of a fan of him to be honest but when he turned heel and joined the Bullet Club and became Hangman Page he took it to a whole new level. He was a new kind of unhinged heel who was in control of every move. Not to mention the athleticism he brings is just insane.
I would also say no wrestler has increased his profile more through a Youtube show than the Hangman. Seriously. Go watch him
1. Shane Strickland
Top of the list of guys to look out for is none other than Swerve himself, Shane Strickland or Killshot if you're a fan of Lucha Underground. This dude has charisma like no one else, couple that with an ability to wrestle a high flying style, a ground based style and even a submission style, he can do it all. Rumored to be signed to WWE, the fantasy booking of Swerve vs Ricochet and Swerve vs Adam Cole has already got my nerdy ass abuzz.
Well folks, there you have it. 5 people who you now can take the time and watch them perform. Or you can wait a few months and I'll probably end up writing a self congratulatory post taking credit for any rises that they may have made in that time. I'm betting the latter happens.
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