Choke's Wrestlemania Season Draft Board: i.e How to win your league
Posted by: choke Dec 30, 2013 | 1902 views | 3 comments
NEW SEASON STARTS JANUARY 6th! GET TO DRAFTING NOW!
Wow and we're already almost back from the Winter break hiatus. That wasn't so long was it? Well, unless you've actually been watching the dreadful programming the WWE puts on during this break. Thankfully I haven't. Now I know what you're thinking: "You havent been watching the WWE for the last few weeks?! What kind of position does that put you to know who to draft?" It's a good question, and one I can't answer. But in all seriousness knowing whether Good Santa or Bad Santa won last week probably wouldn't affect my draft order.
This year I'm going to just start with those I think deserve some consideration to be drafted and bypass all those I don't think do. There's really no point in you reading 50 lines of Yoshi Tatsu, Mason Ryan and David Hart Smith because you werent going to draft them anyway
So let's begin:
If you're feeling desperate:
These are wrestlers you should probably avoid, but have a slim chance of getting some points
Zack Ryder - don't do it!
Mr McMahon - hasn't really been any hint of him having a larger in-ring role anytime soon, but you never know with Mania fast approaching
Evan Bourne - no seriously what is taking so long for him to return? Will he EVER return?
Kaitlyn - the fans don't care anymore. Seems like a lost cause at the moment
Jojo - I think the fans like her but she's awful so far in the ring. Can't see her making much of an impact yet
Eva Marie - the opposite of JoJo, the fans hate her but she's... okay no she's also awful in the ring. Fortunately for our sake the WWE tends to try to present us only with those who have both
Tyson Kidd - Well that "comeback" lasted all of what, 3 days?
Ricardo Rodriguez - Some darkhorse potential with Rodriguez, but where is he?
Hornswoggle - His points have steadily declined each season it seems. I dont see that trend reversing soon
3MB - no
Shawn Michaels - Still some rumors it'll be him vs Bryan at Mania. Even if so it'll probably just be a match or two leading up to it, with Bryan prob getting the win at WM. I wouldnt do it.
Zeb Colter - Colter's always got the potential for a match here or there, but I still don't think it's worth holding onto him waiting for that
Justin Gabriel - It's about that time where Gabriel will have a great match with a mid-carder on Main Event and make everyone think "he's going to get a push!" Don't believe the hype
Vickie Guerrero - Only worth it if they start pushing in-ring action with her again. So prob not.
So you're saying there's a chance:
These I could make a case for holding down one of your final spots on your roster
Tensai - Brodus will be the star after the breakup story is over, but Tensai could get a little love in points out of it also
PTP - I'm never getting sucked into the PTP trap again (insert un-PC Darren Young joke here). I think they've been picking up some wins over the last few weeks. No, I'm not going to do it guys.
Summer Rae - She's got SOME skill, and the fans who still think it's cool to do the Fandango chant thing seem to love her. I can see her getting a push at some point. Not sure this is the season though
The Miz - Is he heel? Is he face? DOES ANYONE CARE EITHER WAY?
The Great Khali - Could be worth a pickup for Rumble alone, but there are lots of other big guys who will get that dominant role this year.
Cameron/Naomi - So you've got AJ, Natalya, and the Bellas. It's hard to see them really going beyond those 4 for the Divas belt in the next 3 months, but if they do, it'll probably come down to Cameron and Naomi. Even if not they're still good for an occasional win here and there, but probably just a last resort pickup as is. If you have to choose which one to go with, always go with the one who has more junk in da trunk
Santino - Quietly picked up 145 points last season, and yet I dont remember him being in one match? How did that happen exactly?
Tamina - Picks up some good points as AJ's enforcer, but if AJ loses the belt, where does that leave Tamina?
El Torito - Maybe the dark horse out of this group. WWE loves stupid shit like a little person running around with bullhorns poking people. It's for kids!
Paul Heyman - He's baaaaaack. Prob not worth holding onto though until they tease or start giving us in ring action. That being said, he's consistent with minor points week in and week out, so could be a decent final spot holder on your team.
Los Matadores - They got their shine for a few months and were nice point getters last season. Crowd wasn't that into it though and for the most part they dropped off RAW/Smackdown. Play this one by ear. If they start popping up on RAW and Smackdown more often, then I might be underrating them
Christian - Havent heard a PEEP out of him for a while, but unlike Evan Bourne, I still think he's coming back (so after I wrote this I saw that he recently had a special referee role in a house show. Could be dark horse potential here), and it just so happened to be a match with Big Show vs....
Kane - In his new role he's worthless in this game. Once that turns off though. Could be a nice gamble
The 40
In order no less!
40. Sheamus - This could be painfully too low if he comes back as a surprise entrant at the Rumble. I will be forever haunted looking back on this story if he comes out and eliminates 10 guys. The only reason he's so low is that there's been little to no buzz about his impending return. Is that intentional? Or is his injury worse than originally anticipated. Ugh, I'm so going to regret this
39. Kofi Kingston - I still don't understand why he's been reduced to nothing the last few months. Yeah his gimmick is tired but he can still go in the ring and the kiddies love him. But it is what it is. Speaking of underutilized
38. Dolph Ziggler - I had him ranked 5th last year on the draft board because I thought for sure he'd take the title back from Del Rio. Fast forward 3 months and he earned less points than Naomi and Santino. Worse yet, the WWE doesnt seem to show any indication that things will be different anytime soon.
37. Sin Hunico - So all reports are that Hunico is doing a better job at being Sin Cara than Sin Cara was. Are the fans still into this character? The WWE still seems to be
36. The Undertaker - It's Wrestlemania season so we're all but guaranteed to see Undertaker return and win a big match. The big question mark is how much else of an impact will he have for the rest of the season. I say not much.
35/34. R. Truth/Xavier Woods - I like Woods' potential for points more, but they should both get some decent tag team points ove rthe course of the season
33. Curtis Axel - Seems to have been relegated back to being a jobber (especially as of the last few weeks, taking a loss to PTP with Ryback, and losing to Sin Cara solo). Still think the potential for Ryback and him is worth a draft
32. Fandango - Well he's getting a title shot against Big E tonight, and while I doubt he wins, I think he might get some more chances soon. WWE will probably continue to bury the whole chanting thing into the ground in the next few months also since we're coming up on where it all took off last year
31. Jack Swagger - Real Americans' chances to win the tags have gone downhill fast especially with the Wyatts and Mysterishow being on the scene. Then Cesaro has the better solo game right now.
30. Nikki Bella - The Total Divas success really propels those on the show. Brie gets the edge since she's more in the spotlight at the moment.
29. Wade Barrett - I think I'm the only one, but I kinda dig the Bad News Barrett thing. The WWE is really high on this guy, and I think he starts making an in-ring impact soon. If not you can all laugh at me, especially when Sheamus has 500 points come April and Barrett has 14
28. Ryback - A solid point getter every season, whether teaming with Axel or going solo.
27/26. Jimmy and Jey Uso - Season in/season out they seem good for a few hundred points. Consistent in the ring and in the game
25. Brock Lesnar - The issue is that you know he wont be on a LOT of Raw and Smackdowns. When he does though, he'll make an impact
24. Antonio Cesaro - Maybe a bit of wishful thinking on my part, but I think it's time Cesaro gets more solo shine. The Giant Swing thing he's been doing is so over with the crowd. It's time!
23. Alberto Del Rio - Crazy gamble putting him this low, but ever since he lost the title he seems to be in the doghouse a bit. I'm sure he'll still get his fair share of wins, but I'm not going overboard on him
22. Damien Sandow - A bit of a wildcard right now. They seemingly took the spotlight away from him after his failed MITB, but he's still sort of hovering around like he's going to be in the big picture. I like his potential this season
21. Brodus Clay - A shell of the potential he once displayed as a mega-heel, but hopefully his recent heel turn brings back what could have been. If so he has huge point potential this season.
20. Natalya - Massive point earner last season, and even though I think Brie is slightly above her right now as far as odds to win the Divas belt, I wouldnt put it past the WWE to give it to Natty first.
19. Rey Mysterio - BEWARE. There's a good chance Rey will be out on a hiatus (maybe he already is) within a month or two. If he sticks around and can stay healthy (two big IFs), he should get a lot of points solo and/or teaming with Show. He tends to get a decent amount of Rumble eliminations as well
18. Mark Henry - Main concern here is are they trying to write him off a little with the Lesnar attack, or will he be right back in action sooner than later. I'll roll the dice and say he's back soon
17. Brie Bella - Will Nikki being back in action help or hurt Brie? Either way, I think she's the favorite to take AJs belt by Mania, so I've got her rated high
16. AJ Lee - You've got to roll with the champ though, and I'm someone who has foolishly predicted that she would drop the belt many times last season. Not going to make that mistake again. (dont hold me to that)
15. Seth Rollins - Reigns is getting his solo shine on soon (or so it seems), and Ambrose has the belt. The third wheel of the Shield is still worth a lot of points though
14. Dean Ambrose - The Shield are a very interesting group to watch this season, as there's no telling how a disbanding of the group could affect all 3 of their point potential. I don't like Dean's chances of making it through this season with the US Championship, but since he has it now you've got to give some credit for it in the game
13. Bray Wyatt - I know, it's weird that I have Wyatt before Harper/Rowan, and several months ago I actually thought Wyatt would win the Rumble (PS. I'm an idiot). The whole Bryan turning Wyatt clan angle has me so confused though on what this will mean for points potential. On the one hand I just see it meaning we get a lot more matches that don't really MEAN anything for Bray (no titles, no stips), though maybe this story is what propels him to that level? Can't wait to see, that's for sure.
12/11 Rowan/Harper - I would have had Harper a lot higher than Rowan before the tag points changed to be equal between partners btw since Harper tends to finish things off with that devastating clothesline. I love their chances to win the tag belts during the season.
10. Big E Langston - They're really pushing him hard, PLUS he has the IC Belt right now. Hard to picture him losing that anytime before Mania the way they're trying to make us like him. Is it working tho?
9/8 Goldust/Cody Rhodes - Tricky position they're in, and similar to AJ I always predicted them to lose and they retained each time. Lately they've actually been losing quite a bit to set up #1 contender matches, but as long as they clean up on those each time, you won't care as you're racking in the points. Go with Cody first, as he'll be around for a long time with no threat of retirement after a loss of said titles
7. Big Show - Love the Big Show this season. Not only is he always a player for the top titles, but he also is a huge threat for points in the Rumble, and now has tag title potential too with Rey? So much to like there this season
6. Batista - Oof this could be way too high for him, but he's coming back a week before the Rumble, and I've seen rumors it's for a 1-2 year run? I just don't see him losing much if at all for the first few months back. I just hope he's in wrestling shape, unlike that other WWE star-turned movie star. I'm opening myself up to a shitload of ridicule here when Batista wrestles in 2 matches and loses one of them for 20 points all season. At least respect that.
5. Roman Reigns - A total superstar just waiting for the golden moment. Though I prefer Rollins and Ambrose as far as personality, I gotta say Reigns has really come into his own and the fans just eat him up. Huge point potential this season for him IMO
4. Daniel Bryan - His new storyline of joining the Wyatts really scares me. I had him ranked 2 before that happened. Now it's hard to imagine how he'll be back in the Unified Title hunt within the next 3 months. You've got to figure he'll be still wrapped up in the Wyatt storyline at least through February. That also pretty much kills his chance to win the Rumble right?
3. Randy Orton - To be the man....
2. CM Punk - CM Punk absolutely destroyed last season, and the weird thing is it had nothing to do with titles. All of his stip matches and kendo stick shots had him well over the point total of the rest of the roster. This season? Well the kendo stick points might be going down, and unless they go back to Lesnar/Heyman vs Punk which I don't think they will, he might not get as many stip matches. Where I love him for this season is that with Bryan off in his Wyatt storyline, Punk is my personal pick to win the Rumble
1. John Cena - And that's only because John Cena will more than likely not be in it as it's him vs Orton at that same PPV for the Unified title. You know what's crazy? Cena doesnt even have to win that to be the #1 pick. You realize he came into the season halfway through last year and earned the 5th highest point total? Only behind Punk, Orton and the Rhodes Bros? This dude is on every RAW, wins 95% of the matches they put him in, and gets a crazy amount of mic, fade to black, you name it stip points. You might hate to do it, but it's foolish to bypass him at #1
And that's it! Would love to hear your comments on who I have too high, too low, and anyone I completely forgot about (I'm sure there are a couple)