Where The Stars Are Headed This Year, In Five Years … And In 10 Years!
By: Dan Murphy
credit: Pro Wrestling Illustrated: May 2006
It's never easy to predict the future, especially in the bizarre world of
professional wrestling. Wrestling is an unstable business that is ruled by the
almighty TV rating and pay-per-view buys. Sometimes, a wrestler's job security
can hinge on something as uncontrollable as how many of his T-shirts sold in the
previous quarter, or how many people decided to flip the channel when his match
came on last week.
But the unpredictable nature is exactly what makes wrestling such an exciting sport.
Titles can change hands at any time. Wrestlers can jump from one promotion (or
one WWE brand) to the next, and injuries can put top stars on the sidelines and
open the door for someone else to take his spot on top overnight.
But as unpredictable as wrestling can be, it's still possible to look ahead and
make an educated guess about where a wrestler is headed. Figuring that Triple H
will eventually win the WWE title is pretty much a no-brainer, as is speculating
that Bobby Lashley will have a breakout year and that Samoa Joe is on the road to
the NWA Heavyweight Title.
Trying to predict wrestling's future can also be a lot of fun, which is why our
reader's predictions section is such a popular part of the annual year-end PWI
Achievements Awards issue.
Well, we're going one step further. In this special section, we identify 50 of
the top names in the sport and try to forecast where they will be at the end of
2006, as well as where they will be in five years and 10 years. Obviously, this
is an inexact science. All of our forecasts are comprised of educated guesses,
personal knowledge of the wrestlers in question, and a healthy does of imagination.
Will a bitter John Cena really be rooming with Carrot Top and Estelle Getty on
Celebrity Big Brother in 2016, as we predicted? Only time will tell.
Obviously, from what you just read, some of our predictions are light-hearted and
may seem a little farfetched, but nothing is more farfetched than reality can be
sometimes. Especially in this business!
Austin Aries:
What's Ahead For The Remainder Of 2006?
Austin Aries is still a relative newcomer to TNA, but he has on important bit of
experience that TNA would be insane not to capitalize on: He was the man who beat
Samoa Joe to end Joe's almost two-year run as Ring of Honor champion. That rematch
could do spectacular business, but TNA has to make sure they don't rush the match
without giving Aries time to establish himself with the fans. Aries came in to
TNA right around the same time as his Generation Next partner Roderick Strong did,
and we frankly suspect more than a few TNA fans have trouble telling the difference
between the two, as they have similar builds and similar ring gear. Aries has wisely
taken steps to reinvent himself in recent months. At this stage, Aries is the better
rounded of the two, and though he is on the smaller side, he has demonstrated he
can hang with a monster like Joe. Aries will begin to amass some impressive wins
in the coming months, building to that huge X Division clash against Joe. Joe
will win that rematch and then set this sights on the Heavyweight Title. Once Joe
moves on to the Heavyweight Division, Aries will move right in and scoop up the X
Division Title. Look forward to some classic X Division matchups between Aries,
A.J. Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Elix Skipper in the coming months. In the
meantime, Aries and Strong will be TNA's most critically praised tag team.
Where Will He Be In 2011?
The only thing holding Aries back from true wrestling greatness is his height.
It's not fair, but it's the reality of the wrestling business - size matters. To
break away from the pack of very good "little men," Aries will adopt more of an
"old school" approach, mixing influences such as Randy Savage and Adrian Adonis.
It will be exactly what he needs to stay relevant over the next four years, keeping
him right on the periphery of the NWA Title picture.
Where Will He Be In 2016?
Aries' dream will come true when he signs Jim Cornette as his manager and he and
Nigel McGuinness form a championship tag team known as The Specialists in TNA.
Aries (packing an additional 15 pounds of muscle) will be the ring general while
McGuinness supplies a physical presence. It will be Cornette's long-awaited return
to managing and he will go on record as saying The Specialists are the greatest
team he ever managed.