wrestling / Columns

The 411 Wrestling Top 5: Top 5 Stars That Will Have a Breakout 2015

January 28, 2015 | Posted by Larry Csonka

The 411 Wrestling Top 5: Hello everyone and welcome to 411 Wrestling’s Top 5 List. We take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 wrestling will have the ability to participate and give us their Top 5 on said topic. So, onto this week’s topic…

Week 296 – The Top 5 Stars That Will Have a Breakout 2015

The 411 staff shares their thoughts on which wrestling stars will breakout with a great 2015…

Justin Watry
5. Charlotte – I am not quite sure how to rank these wrestlers. Does Roman Reigns qualify? Has he become a breakout star already? What about a Dolph Ziggler or Dean Ambrose? Some would say they can be listed; others would say maybe not. Just difficult to gauge on how I would to proceed. I will begin with an NXT talent because I assume they are good choices. Charlotte has a great chance to not only dominate the Women’s division in NXT but also the Diva’s division in WWE. So much seems set up for her to simply be one of the best newcomers in 2015, male or female.

4. Sami Zayn – No explanation needed.

3. Cody Rhodes – Notice the name listed is Cody Rhodes and not Stardust. Whoever came up with that gimmick idea (rumor says it is actually Cody Rhodes himself, believe that if you want) needs to know there is MORE potential in Cody Rhodes than Stardust. I think everybody agrees to that, so why continue this nonsense? It may be an unpopular opinion, but I think the only reason Stardust is still on television is because it keeps Goldust around. There, I said it. Once Cody Rhodes does come to his senses and gets back to being the young star on the rise as himself, that means there is less and less Goldust. Hopefully, that happens fairly soon. I am a fan of Goldust but not if it means we are grasping onto some Stardust junk that has been a bust since week one. Move on already.

2. Damien Sandow – A WrestleMania Moment writes itself. The Miz and Damien Mizdow lose the tag team titles. After the bout, Miz yells at Damien Mizdow, berates him, shoves him, punches him some more, and in an instant – Damien SANDOW returns in grand fashion by fighting back. Crowd explodes, and we are off to the races. It is very similar to the story line with The Miz and Alex Riley from 2011, but guess what? It worked then (yes, it did) and will work again here. The man was once in line to be World Champion, so clearly the folks in the back know he is talented (apparently, a Triple H Guy). Will he be a main eventer in 2015? Probably not. Will he even appear in main events in 2015? Probably not. However, Damien Sandow has a good opportunity to get there as much as anybody else.

1. Seth Rollins – Again, I have no idea how to tackle this topic. Thus, this could be a confusing selection. Either way, Seth Rollins is the one man poised to be a first time WWE World Champion very soon (him and Roman Reigns?), so it makes perfect sense for him to be the number one choice. Perhaps it is as a Paul Heyman Guy. Perhaps it is as The Authority comes back. Heck, it could even happen on his own. Regardless of how it turns out, WWE has their breakout star on their hands in Seth Rollins. Bank on that!

 photo RollinsBreakout_zps1905723b.jpg


Kevin P
5. Cody Rhodes: It’s hard to put together this list. I’m not sure what constitutes a breakout. Part of me wanted to put someone like Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose or Bray Wyatt, but I feel like they’ve all broken out in 2014. I’ll do my best here and start with Cody Rhodes. By all means, Cody broke out in 2011 with the “Undashing” character, in 2012 after his Intercontinental Title run. and in 2014 after his phenomenal run as part of the Brotherhood. He was Daniel Bryan in Team Hell No good during that stint. Instead, he’s been given the Stardust character, which, while he’s done well with, isn’t what he should be doing. Cody is a great talent and with Ambrose, Rollins, Wyatt, and Roman Reigns, his time may have passed him. This is more of a hopeful choice than a believable one.

4. Damien Sandow: When he won Money in the Bank in 2013, Damien Sandow had a chance to bust through the mid-card. He ha a gimmick that he played perfectly, drew heat, could work and talked a great game. He cashed in the briefcase on an already injured John Cena and lost, making him look terrible. He was then saddled with imitation gimmicks until he became the Miz’s stunt double and struck gold. Mizdow is one of the best parts of every single show that he is on. They are clearly building towards a split and when that does happen, Mizdow should go over his partner. I’m not saying this will lead him to the WWE Title, but it should move him up towards being an integral part of the WWE mid-card scene.

3. Sasha Banks: I’m sure Charlotte will make some people’s list as the most impressive NXT diva but I wholeheartedly disagree. She’s good, but not Sasha Banks good. Sasha has it all. She can talk, she has her character down perfectly, she is great in the ring and she finally got the chance to show the goods at TakeOver: R Evolution. Sasha delivered in spades. Charlotte will be called to the main roster, which leaves the best women’s division on television, down in NXT, to Sasha to reign over. She has gotten rave reviews for her performances in Madison Square Garden and should dominate the NXT Women’s Division in 2015. If she goes happen to get called to the main roster by the end of the year, I fully expect her to win her fair share of Divas Titles. Either way, 2015 is going to be a big year for the Boss.

2. Kevin Owens: The NXT Five is one of the best things happening in the WWE right now. I could have probably put all five guys as the five on this list. Instead, I left off Hideo Itami because he hasn’t impressed in the way the others have and I left off Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn because it could be argued that they broke out in 2014. Kevin Owens meanwhile has only been around since December 11th and has already made a huge impact. Within two weeks he took out the current and longest reigning NXT Champions with his vicious apron powerbomb. Kevin Owens is set for a big feud with Sami Zayn in 2015 that should absolutely tear the house down and steal the show nearly every single week. Owens is very likely to become NXT Champion in 2015 and he will have a huge year.

1. Finn Balor: Despite the big year that I expect from Kevin Owens, I expect Finn Balor to be the biggest breakthrough star of the NXT Five. Not only in 2015 but in general. Check out his goosebumps inducing entrance at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution. Something about this man screams “it” factor. Even without the badass body paint, he seemed to fit right into the WWE style instantly. Unlike Hideo Itami, he adapted and looked ready from day one. I can see the NXT Championship in 2015, going from Sami Zayn to Owens an then to Balor as the conquering hero. Expect big things from Finn Balor and expect him to take over the WWE within the next few years, if it even takes that long.

 photo FinnBalor_zps9ccdd650.jpg


Mike Hammerlock
5. Robbie E – There’s different levels of breaking out. Theoretically, when Seth Rollins cashes in his briefcase and becomes WWE champion (apologies if this has happened between the time I write this and you read it), then that’s a breakout, or at least a breakthrough. By the same token, Ricochet had a breakout 2014 on the indie circuit and could build on that in 2015, which would constitute perhaps another breakout. I’m picking Robbie E because I think Impact (which is what they’re calling themselves these days) will look to cash in on his Amazing Race run as the company tries to draw eyeballs to its new program on Destination America. I think he might surprise some people when they give him a face turn. I expect he’s going to win an X-Division title and become one of the focal points for TNA in 2015. Unlike a lot of the roster, he knows what to do when you stick a mic in his hand.

4. Sami Zayn – I suspect there’s going to be ongoing issues transitioning NXT performers into the WWE. Adam Rose, Bo Dallas and Emma won’t be the last flops. The WWE made Paige a babyface champ and a heel champ and neither really worked. 2014 should have been a breakout for her. Instead it turned into a breakdown. That’s why I don’t have Charlotte or Sasha Banks on this list – the WWE doesn’t seem to know how to book women. While I love Adrian Neville, I’m not sold his WWE ceiling extends much higher than tag champ. Sami Zayn is different. People love the guy. When he hits the WWE roster, he’ll become an instant crowd favorite. Vince McMahon surely will give him some terrible booking along the way and, like Daniel Bryan, I think he’ll rise above it. He might be Vince-proof. At some point in 2015, Zayn will arrive and we’ll begin to dream of a better future for the WWE.

3. Kota Ibushi – It’s time for him to step fully into the New Japan Heavyweight Title picture. In fact, right now I’m going to call it that he’s the guy who ends Okada’s next title run. I think we might have seen the seed planted for that during the Okada-Ibushi bout at New Japan’s 42nd anniversary show. First step is taking the IWGP Intercontinental Title off Shinsuke Nakamura. Expect a big G1 Climax Tournament for Ibushi too. He’s arguably the best aerialist in the business and he seems to have grown into enough of a man’s body to play with the big boys now. Tetsuya Naito also might have himself a big 2015. His 2014 did not build all that well on his 2013 G1 Climax win. However, I think Ibushi brings an electricity to his matches that will vault him past Naito. Ibushi definitely is a guy you want to feature if you’re pushing your product out to a worldwide audience.

2. Kyle O’Reilly – The current kings of the indies are Ricochet and Adam Cole. By the end of 2015, I think O’Reilly may join them. Best known as one half of reDRagon along with Bobby Fish, O’Reilly has branched out into some singles success, primarily in PWG where he won the Battle of Los Angeles in 2013 and the PWG title in 2014. He’s poised to branch out as a singles competitor in 2015. Expect to see him everywhere, winning both singles straps and tag titles. I’ve got no idea what it will look like when/if GFW starts running shows of its own, but O’Reilly would be a perfect for a company looking to expose top indie talent to a wider audience.

 photo Kyle_oReilly_zps6dfc1de9.jpg

1. Finn Balor – Zayn may be Vince-proof, but Balor is going to give Vince a non-Viagra-aided stiffy. Balor doesn’t have that undefinable ability win the audience to his side, he has the easy-to-spot ability to light up the audience. His performance at NXT Takeover: R Evolution was the opening salvo of a fusillade which is going to see him rise quickly to the WWE where he almost instantly becomes a secondary title holder. If it weren’t for the rampant creative dysfunction in the WWE at this time, I’d even say there’s a decent chance of Balor winning Money in the Bank in 2015, but I doubt Vince will react quickly enough to hit that window. Regardless, by the end of 2015 I expect Balor to be one of the shining lights on the WWE roster and for the general scuttlebutt to be focused on how long it will take him to win the WWE title.


Wyatt Beougher
5. Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens – These guys would be higher on the list if not for 2014 basically being Sami Zayn’s breakout year. The combination of NXT gaining more exposure on regular WWE programming and the WWE Network, along with their superlative live specials, really brought the former El Generico’s exemplary work to an entirely new audience. And now, with the debut of his best friend/nemesis Kevin Owens (nee Steen), that same audience is prepared to experience one of the most passionate rivalries of the past handful of years. For all of the fears about unmasking Generico, I think Zayn has proven time and time again that it was an excellent move, as his facial expressions are some of the best in the business. A lot of long-time Steen fans have similar reservations about the “neutering” of Owen’s vocabulary/chants/moveset/etc, but I think those fears have already proven to be more or less unfounded just in the few short weeks since Owens’ debut vignettes premiered, as he’s has proven that he is just as able to draw in fans without the profanity and the “KILL” chants as he was with them. I have little doubt that, so long as the duo remain in NXT for 2015, Zayn/Owens will be a frontrunner for Rivalry of the Year.

4. Ethan Carter III – Again, like Zayn, it’s hard to argue that 2014 wasn’t ECIII’s breakout year, but I think 2015 will see Carter take his rightful place in the main event of TNA and who better to act as a foil to new everyman champion Bobby Roode than the spoiled, one-percenter nephew of the owner of the company?

3. Finn Balor – Any doubts that the former Prince Devitt would be a star in the WWE should have been dashed by this point, as he has been treated like the star that he is since making his NXT debut and should definitely be a candidate for Entrance of the Year or Moment of the Year for his entrance as NXT Takeover: “R”Evolution. Fans who were familiar with Balor prior to his WWE run were probably hoping that when he promised the Ascension that he would show them something they had never seen before, he was referring to his history of body-paint-assisted role-playing, but I’m not even sure any of us were expecting the treat that we actually got, as Balor came to the ring as his mythic Irish namesake, complete with body paint, an amazing entrance, and singular mannerisms befitting the character. Combine that with the fact that his accent isn’t terribly hard to understand for even the most simple-minded wrestling fans and that he looks like what the WWE wants their stars to look like, and I think that’s the perfect combination for a breakout year in 2015.

2. Sasha Banks – I think it was probably six months ago that I decided that Sasha was the best female wrestler under the WWE’s employ (and arguably one of the best of either gender), and her coming out party at NXT Takeover: “R”Evolution against Charlotte only served to further emphasize that. Still, though, Sasha has yet to climb the mountain and become the NXT Women’s Champion, which is basically the highest honor a female wrestler in the WWE can hope for, and I think we will finally see that in 2015, probably as early as the first NXT live special, which should take place in February or March.

1. Ricochet/Prince Puma – Like pretty much everyone else on the list, Ricochet had an outstanding 2014, appearing in multiple independent promotions and winning multiple titles. But it is his work as Prince Puma that leads me to believe that 2015 will be an even bigger year for Ricochet. Lucha Underground has been tremendous thus far, and Prince Puma has been a huge part of that. As word of mouth for the promotion (and, hopefully, network penetration for El Rey) spreads, Puma is going to reach an audience that probably hasn’t seen Ricochet, and by my estimation, he’s going to impress them. In spite of being smaller in stature than peers like Johnny Mundo, Mil Muertes, and Big Ryck, Puma has never looked out of his element, and he is definitely one of the biggest stars in LU thus far in their run. Knowing what I know about the future of the promotion, that feeling is only going to magnify, and that’s why I think 2015 is going to be Prince Puma’s year.

 photo Puma_zps1381f6d1.jpg


Arnold Furious
5. Davey Boy Smith Jr. – Davey Jr. has been bubbling under in New Japan for quite some time. I know gaijin generally don’t get to run with the ball but his performances during G1 were very impressive (although, so were everyone else’s) and his win over Tanahashi on the final night was totally believable. I can see him getting the IC title at some point, if he doesn’t get left in KES for the entire year…again. NJPW’s large roster will count against him but of all their gaijin talent he’s the one that stands out as having the potential to step up to another level. Aside from AJ, who’s already there.

4. Kento Miyahara – With the change in management in All Japan, the focus has already started to skew toward the younger talent. Go Shiozaki has won the Triple Crown and his Xceed stablemate Miyahara can’t be far behind on the gravy train. His performances are getting closer and closer to matching Shiozaki and Jun Akiyama looks very serious about pulling the trigger on Miyahara. He looks more motivated than ever, given his cracking performance in the Real World Tag League finals, and 2015 could well be his year.

3. Kyle O’Reilly – You could argue O’Reilly had a breakout 2014, becoming an Indy darling and a top star in ROH, PWG and New Japan. He’s got all the tools to become a tremendous talent. You get the feeling promotions will eventually look to push him away from Bobby Fish and into singles matches but however he’s booked, O’Reilly is going to have a good year.

2. Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls – The NOAH duo are supposedly going on loan to New Japan but the same was true of BUSHI and he’s still there. If the tag team have the same consistent year they had in NOAH in a promotion where more eyes are on them, they could have a phenomenal year. When you consider how thin New Japan’s tag division is, compared to their other divisions (junior tag division included), there’s a case to be made that there’s a hole in the card for these guys. Certainly Meiyu Tag will need challengers and TMDK are guaranteed to make waves given the chance. After all The Mighty Don’t Kneel.

1. Kota Ibushi – If the booking of Wrestle Kingdom was anything to go by, New Japan have an exciting new heavyweight and it’s former Junior Heavyweight champion Kota Ibushi. Kota has been on the cusp of greatness for some considerable time and I’ve pondered lately as to whether his concussion stopped him from winning G1. Think about it. If Kota won, he’d have gotten a title shot. Okada’s win and subsequent defeat at the hands of Tanahashi all seemed a bit superfluous (even if it produced a sensational, exciting and memorable match). Was the original plan, I wonder, for Ibushi to win and lose to Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom? It would certainly explain why he was inserted into the secondary main event against Shinsuke Nakamura instead. Either way, it worked out for Kota because his performance was exemplary and he should now break into the upper echelons of New Japan. I expect a year of big matches for Kota Ibushi as he aims to cement himself as one of NJPW’s top guys.

 photo Kotaibushi_zps7dbe3603.jpg


YOUR TURN KNOW IT ALLS

List your Top Five for this week’s topic in the comment section using the following format:

5. CHOICE: Explanation
4. CHOICE: Explanation
3. CHOICE: Explanation
2. CHOICE: Explanation
1. CHOICE: Explanation