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It has been just over 7 months since FCW opened its arena in Tampa to the public for live wrestling events. I have attended the majority of shows at the arena since it opened as well as a spattering of FCW shows around the Tampa Bay area. I am writing an evaluation on FCW talent for those unable to attend FCW shows or follow the product but would like to know more about what is going in WWE developmental. Let me caveat this by saying that I am a fan first and foremost. I am more a fan of the wrestling aspect than I am of the entertainment aspect. To borrow a line from PWInsider friend Richard Trionfo, the ratings for a Raw/SD show I would book would be around a 0.5. I am sure this preference will be reflected in my analysis.
I have broken down the talent into five groups.
Guys You Should Know - Wrestlers who have spent time on WWE television or have wrestled for either TNA or Ring of Honor.
Guys You Will Know - Wrestlers who will probably get the call soon to do some work either on WWE television, wrestle dark matches before tapings, or be appearing on the house show loops.
Guys You May Not Know - The wrestlers in this group are the backbone of the FCW roster; the guys who have not appeared on WWE television and are most likely unknown even to smart wrestling fans.
Unevaluated - A list of wrestlers who are not evaluated either because they are injured or have yet to spend a significant amount of time in the ring at the FCW arena.
Best Wishes in Future Endeavors - Wrestlers who wrestled at FCW and were released from the developmental deals by WWE.
I will try to provide an honest assessment of what I have seen in the ring while attending FCW events, but I will incorporate WWE television and other background information where appropriate. Personal interaction with FCW talent may also be included, though I will try to keep it to a minimum. Where applicable, I will try to make comparisons between the talent at FCW and a wrestler the common fan may be more familiar with - this is not intended to say that their careers with parallel exactly, just pointing out who I think a particular individual reminds ME of. This is purely subjective and open for debate. I may do a separate assessment of the FCW Divas at another time. Onto the discussion…
Guys You Should Know:
Jack Swagger
Swagger, the shining star of ECW’s new talent initiative, was also the FCW Heavyweight Champion when the FCW Arena opened. What WWE fans see every Tuesday night is what FCW fans were treated to on a weekly basis. There is not much else to say about Swagger that WWE fans everywhere do not already know; Swagger is money and probably their best new talent in years.
Dolph Ziggler
Ziggler clearly stood out from the very first arena show as one of the more polished workers in FCW where he, as Nick Nemeth, was called out and admired by Chris Jericho. He and Gavin Spears were a very formidable tag team and main-evented several shows together. Most WWE fans remember Dolph Ziggler as Spirit Squad member Nicky or from his brief run at Kerwin Green’s caddy. Dolph has had decent matches on Raw with Batista and R Truth, but yet to really display the arsenal of moves on Raw. Ziggler is a keeper.
DJ Gabriel
DJ started off at Jack Gabriel and appeared to have been pigeonholed as the next Lex Luger or Chris Masters. Then, he was paired with Alicia Fox and started to dance. A wrist injury in October caused Gabriel to adopt a Benny Hill-like character where he would chase around and dance with the divas after their segments. When cleared to wrestle again, Gabriel and Fox really took off, and before too long he was part of ECW’s new talent initiative. I hear that many die hard wrestling fans hate his gimmick and compare Gabriel to Alex Wright. I used to feel the same way. Give him some time - he and Alicia will grow on you.
Ryan Braddock (since released)
The last most wrestling fans saw of Braddock was him wrapped in bubble wrap and put into a moving van by Jesse and Festus. Since then, FCW fans have seen Braddock wrestle a pretty solid match just about every week. There is nothing particular flashy about Braddock but his one of the better brawlers in FCW. He has yet to establish any one particular character but has shown great versatility in the roles he has been given.
DH Smith
Smith won a battle royal at the relaunch of FCW in June 2007 to win the Florida Heavyweight Championship. At the time, it appeared as though he was not long for developmental. Well, 18 months later Smith is still at the top of the developmental card. Seeing him work the past 6-8 months has been a treat. Out of all of the second generation superstars on the WWE roster, Smith most similarly resembles his father both look-wise and in the ring. Smith teamed with TJ Wilson (now Tyson Kidd) to beat Joe Hening and Heath Miller (now Sebastian Slater) in an epic 2 of 3 falls match on 30 October to win the Florida Tag Team Championship - one of the top 3-5 matches at the FCW Arena. There is much speculation that Smith lobbied WWE creative for a spot in Legacy, a decision that brought him much heat and split his tag team with Wilson. Should Legacy add a fourth member, there could find no one better than Smith.
Tyson Kidd
For the purposes of this discussion, Tyson Kidd will be referred to as TJ Wilson. TJ Wilson has been the best worker in FCW over past 6-8 months. There is no close second. FCW fans have been spoiled by watching TJ wrestle live on a weekly basis. The three best matches as far as work rate goes at the FCW Arena all involve Wilson. He wrestled Jamie Noble in September in a match that divided the crowd and tore down the house. The 2 of 3 falls match where he teamed with fellow Dungeon-mate DH Smith to win the Florida Tag Team Championship was another classic. Finally, TJ’s match against Kaval on 22 January was incredibly well done. Now, WWE fans will get to enjoy TJ’s work as well since it appears as though Tyson Kidd is entering a program with DJ Gabriel on ECW and has teased a program with Jamie Noble. If WWE allows Kidd and Noble to do half of the stuff they did in the September match then WWE fans will most likely view Tyson Kidd as one of the next great stars. Tyson sort of reminds me of a young Owen Hart given his combination of aerial moves and his Hart Dungeon training background.
Ricky Ortiz
Ricky Ortiz and his rally towels are over with the crowd at the FCW Arena. What WWE fans have seen of Ricky in ECW is exactly what FCW fans have seen for months. While he does not put on a clinic in the ring, Ricky does enough to put on an entertaining match most nights. Unfortunately, Ricky may not have much more to offer in the ring. He’s a solid talent to have around, depending on how he is booked. A heel turn may prove beneficial to his future employment.
Kizarny (since released)
Kizarny, formerly Sinn from TNA’s New Church, has been appearing on WWE television in vignettes since last October. He has a peculiar array of moves that fit his carnival freak persona quite well. However, since his vignettes starting airing, there has been little upward movement for Kizarny. His career appears to be stalled and it would not appear he figures into WWE’s future plans. It would not come as a surprise to see Kizarny depart the company in the near future.
Primo Colon
Carlito’s little brother was a big part of the FCW tag team scene, teaming with Eric Escobar (Perez). WWE fans can obviously see similarities between Carlito and Primo in the ring. Primo is a solid talent, perhaps a little more aerial-oriented than his big brother. Primo figures to have a job with the company given his in-ring ability and WWE’s need for Latin stars.
Kaval
No FCW newcomer has gotten over with the crowd like Kaval. The former Low Ki/Senshi is, so far, still wrestling the same style that made him one of Ring of Honor’s top performers. Kaval has been booked very impressively since his arrival in FCW. His match with TJ Wilson on 22 January was probably one of the top three matches ever at the FCW Arena. Let’s hope WWE creative has learned something from the success of Evan Bourne and lets Kaval retain his wrestling style when he gets called up; which has been delayed due to a knee injury.
Guys You Will Know:
Johnny Curtis
Curtis is probably the most far-along of the generic, 6’3†245 pounds, short brown hair wrestlers. He has a tremendous aerial arsenal and had been quite impressive as one half of the FCW Tag Champs with Tyler Reks. Curtis has charisma in the ring is one of WWE’s best development prospects. Hopefully WWE will change his name so Johnny Curtis will not get confused with James Curtis.
Eric Escobar
Escobar is a former Florida Heavyweight Champion and has done a few house show loops, most recently losing to the Great Khali. Eric is one of the better workers at FCW and seems to have a genuine connection with the crowd. He should fit in well to any of the WWE brands and has the potential to be a solid mid-card performer.
Joe Hennig
Hennig, the Florida Heavyweight Champion, has a connection with the audience at FCW that should be envied by many workers in the back. The son of Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig, Joe does not quite have the fluidity in the ring of his father - but very few do. Joe, who uses the Perfectplex and his finisher, appears to have a very bright future. That said, it would not hurt Joe for him to have a long run in developmental to refine his work.
Drew McIntyre
Many wrestling fans remember Drew from his short 2007 tag team run with Dave Taylor. He disappeared from WWE soon after he took a stiff beating at the hands of the Nasty Boys at a November 2007 Smackdown dark match in Tampa. Nowadays, Drew is perhaps the most over heel in FCW. Drew has consistently been near the top of the card and has wrestled several good matches. Drew is also very good at heeling the crowd and has often united the crowd against him on a weekly basis. Drew looks to have a very bright future.
Sheamus O’Shaunessy
The man who graces the cover of the very first FCW program defeated Jack Swagger to win the FCW Heavyweight Championship in September. Sheamus, WWE’s first star from Ireland (Finlay is from Northern Ireland) plays to his Celtic Warrior roots. He is a pretty big guy who should get the call to the main roster in the near future. Sheamus has taken shots at Finlay in recent weeks and has insinuated he wants to jump to Raw or Smackdown, not ECW.
Ryback
“Silverback†Ryan Reeves was hired back recently and assumed the persona of Ryback, a Terminator-like character with one blue eye and one red eye. Ryback is built like a tank and convincing as a bad ass character. WWE/FCW appeared very high on him at one point, but a recent loss to Ricky Ortiz where he got very little offense, makes fans wonder where Ryback fits into their plans.
Sebastian Slater
No one has suffered more from the name changes than Sebastian Slater. Slater just does not have the same ring to it that Heath Miller did. One half of the former FCW Tag Champs with Joe Hennig, Slater suffered a bad leg injury in late 2008 and only recently returned to action. Slater has decent in-ring skills and is pretty good on the mic. His look is reminiscent to an early version of Edge, though paler and with red hair.
Guys You May Not Know (in no particular order)
Johnny Prime
Johnny Prime is the local performer who attended the training camps and earned a spot in WWE developmental. Prime, a former Austin Wrangler and Pinellas County correctional officer, has an extremely loyal following of local fans. He has the size and looks WWE likes and has shown some charisma with his new “Prime Time†persona. He needs to learn a few more moves before he assumes a more prominent move on the card.
Tyler Reks
Tyler Reks is a solid worker who stands out from the rest of the FCW workers because of his California surfer gimmick complete with dreads. One half of the FCW Tag Champions with Johnny Curtis, Reks does most things well in the ring but lacks devastating a signature move to compliment his just for show “Five Knuckle Shuffleâ€-like move.
Sweet Papi Sanchez
The Sweet Papi Sanchez character is the result of Black Pain getting kicked out of Byron Saxton’s Conglomerate. Sanchez is a monster at 6’9†and weighing in at 350 pounds and is the biggest worker on the FCW roster. He wrestles a typical big man’s match using the splash as a finisher. At this time, Sanchez is far below the wrestlers his size on WWE’s roster. Sweet Papi Sanchez will have to up his game or find a niche in order to have an impact on the main roster.
Kris Logan
Logan has been a pleasant surprise to FCW fans. He came in around September and demonstrated decent ability in the ring. He is a high flyer who has held his own with some of the senior members of the FCW roster. One could very easily see Logan become a crowd-favorite on the main roster at some juncture.
Trent Beretta
Trent Beretta’s character has really taken off since he dropped the Greg Jackson character and became a cowardly, cocky heel. Beretta and his level 10 sideburns have been teaming regularly with Gaylen Croft and the duo has had some really good matches lately. Beretta also dressed in drag as the Girl from Mexico who participated in the Queen of FCW tournament. Beretta appears to have a lot of potential as a heel and I hope he is given some time and latitude for the character to grow.
Gaylen Croft
Croft, the former Chris Cage, was re-signed and paired with Beretta to form a decent tag team. Croft has become a good compliment to Beretta. Croft is very solid in the ring but at this time would be hard pressed to make the next level in a role other than Beretta’s tag team partner.
Lupe Santiago
Santiago is an interesting talent. He is a decent high flyer and has solid skills in the ring. FCW has played up Lupe’s Mexican heritage and it has developed a decent following among the fans. How this translates on a bigger stage remains a question.
Kafu
Kafu portrays a Brazilian “savage†who, until recently, wore furs to the ring. He has “educated feet†and knows a few submission moves. His ascent to the main roster depends on his character development and diversifying his arsenal of moves. One has to wonder if FCW is his ceiling since he lacks the size and skills of a wrestler like Umaga, another “savage.â€
Mister Tarver
The former Tyson Tarver and Tyrone Jones spent significant time in the Byron Saxton Conglomerate. Tarver wears MMA-type gloves to the ring and tries to knock his opponents out with a nasty right hand. The problem with his gimmick, is if WWE didn’t see enough of Elijah Burke to keep him around, I see them having a similarly difficult time finding something for Tarver.
Lawrence Knight
Lawrence Knight, who used to wrestle as Stu Sanders, is a former FCW Tag Team Champion with Drew McIntyre when they wrestled as the Empire. Knight is a tall British wrestler who is technically sound in the ring and does a good job heeling the crowd. Knight should get a look at the next level.
Alex Riley
Alex Riley is another character who had changed names, in his case from Kevin Kiley to Carson Oakley and now to Alex Riley. Riley’s latest persona has adopted a varsity letter jacket with lights on the letter. Riley is decent in the ring, but like Tarver, WWE released a wrestler with a similar gimmick (Campus Legend Brad Allen, in Riley’s case) so one has to wonder where Riley fits into WWE’s long-term plans.
Byron Saxton
Byron Saxton is the former Florida independent wrestling legend Brian Kelly. Saxton made most of his appearances leading members of his conglomerate to the ring and sometimes getting involved in their matches. The few times Saxton has wrestled he has made a decent showing, but Saxton’s future at the next level will probably be as a manager or a behind a mic.
Dylan Klein
Dylan Klein has become one of the most reviled wrestlers in his short time in FCW. He has a look that stands out from the others and has become a magnet for heat from the crowd. Klein has also benefited by being paired with the super-hot Wesley Holliday. Klein has done little in the ring to stand apart from the rest of the FCW roster.
Yoshitatsu
One might want to compare Yoshitatsu (Naofumi Yamamoto) to other Japanese wrestlers who have worked for WWE. If that is the case, he’s probably as good a worker as Funaki but far short of guys like Yoshihiro Tajiri and Taka Michinoku. Yoshitatsu is solid in the ring, but lacks the fluidity of the skilled countrymen listed above. That is not to say that he will not get there; quite the contrary. I can see WWE giving Yoshitatsu a chance because of unique look and its need for international stars.
Not Evaluated:
Brett DiBiase
Jon Cutler
Tonga
Vic Adams
Brian Jossie
Dawson Alexander, Esq
Fletcher Chase
Jason Elliott
Matt Walsh
Maverick Darsow
Wes Brisco
Windham Rotundo
Tristan Delta
Taylor Rotundo
Derrick Bateman
Paul Lloyd
Lennox McEnroe
Best Wishes in Future Endeavors:
Manu (written prior to release)
Manu wrestled in FCW as Afa and as most everybody knows is the son of Afa from the Wild Samoans. Manu toned down the Wild Samoan look when he was called up to the Raw roster in late September. Similarly, Raw viewers have yet to see how talented Manu really is in the ring. Manu can really go when given the opportunity. He wrestled Evan Bourne to a particularly good match when Bourne was wrestling ECW and FCW, but Manu’s best work may have come in a series of stiff matches against Ryan Braddock that tore the house down.
Gavin Spears (written after release)
Gavin Spears was a regular in FCW and was part of Theodore Long’s new talent initiative on ECW. For those who missed those ECW appearances, Gavin is a gifted athlete who is very fluid in the ring and plays a heel character very, very well. Apparently he did not progress at the rate WWE would have liked since he was released nearly three years after he signed a developmental deal. Gavin is already booked on shows in his native Canada and should be a regular on the independent scene in the Northeast and Midwest.
Mike Kruel (written after release)
Mike did most things well in the ring but did not really do anything great. He did not have anything special about his look but he played a pretty good heel. His release really did not come a as surprise to the regulars at the FCW Arena.
Kaleb O’Neal (written after release)
No wrestler had improved in the short time he wrestled at the FCW as had Kaleb. He came in a little out-of-shape (as admitted on his Myspace) but he got into decent shape around December and did some decent stuff in the ring. One could see his time at the 3-D Wrestling Academy was well spent when heeling the crowd. His release is unfortunate for both parties because I thought Kaleb had the potential to make the main roster in another year or two.
