#1 – Roman Reigns
I could have honestly picked a few different people for the #1 position on this list – Ambrose, Bryan, Langston, even Cesaro and Wyatt probably have a shot. But I decided to go out on a huge limb and pick The Shield's juggernaut, Roman Reigns, as THE guy who will lead the WWE Universe into a new generation of Superstars. Just look at this guy…
Roman Reigns is 6'3". He's 265 pounds of pure muscle. He's got long, flowing hair, cool tattoos and looks good wearing anything. Seriously, put the guy in a kilt and a sombrero, and he'd look 1,000 times better than you or I. I promise you that I'm completely heterosexual, it's just important to note that Reigns has the most dominating look of any wrestler since Brock Lesnar. You remember, the guy who came into the WWE, beat the Rock, beat Hulk Hogan, won a world title, beat the Undertaker and then left, all in a span of a few years? The same guy who went on to become a real-life UFC Heavyweight Champion? Remember how physically imposing Brock was, and then look at Roman Reigns. He's what Lesnar would look like if his dad was a Samoan.
It's not as big a deal as some people make it out to be, but having "the look" in wrestling will pave your way to world titles. The Rock didn't quite have that look when he first started wrestling, but the minute he developed it, he took off and never looked back. But let's not pretend his good looks are the only thing Reigns has going for him. In the short time he's been a pro wrestler, Roman has improved ten-fold inside the ring. Some people call him the technical weak link in The Shield, because he's not as experienced as Ambrose or Rollins. In a lot of ways that's true, but Amrose can't spear The Undertaker through the barricade and have it trend ten seconds later on Twitter. Rollins can't powerbomb Mark Henry through a table. Roman Reigns has that all-important combination of power and speed. Goldberg wasn't the best wrestler alive, but he became the biggest homegrown sensation WCW ever had.
This guy is the future. All you need to know is in that picture above. He's cool. Probably the coolest guy since Razor Ramon. You can already see it in his demeanor when Dean Ambrose gets made a fool – that cocky, suave grin. He's not a babyface (yet) but it's those subtle mannerisms that will make the guys cheer for him, and the ladies fall in love with him. Scott Hall made being the "bad guy" cool – Reigns has that factor and more. If I'm being really honest, if Roman Reigns spent the next year working on his promos and becoming the most charismatic guy he can possibly become, the one guy I'd immediately compare him to would be Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
So here's the question. Here's why I'm taking a leap of faith by listing him at #1. Can Roman Reigns take all the puzzle pieces he has going for him, build what he's missing, and put it all together to become a true legend in the business? I think he can. But only time will tell.
