Smackdown!
AKIO
Then: Continuing to team with Tajiri and Sakoda seems likely.

Good worker, underused. Get used to that when I go through the Smackdown roster because it will be said MANY times. Here’s a guy who, as Jimmy Yang in WCW, did some great things when that company was coming to its end. Since coming to WWE last year he served as Tajiri’s flunky except that it didn’t last long enough. Tajiri got moved to Raw, his partner Sakoda got released (I never thought he was that good anyway) and Akio is a Velocity jobber because of it. Still a good worker, even if only a few people may remember what he was.
Grade: C, PG: C (#20 out of 31 on SD)
Outlook: I can’t say I see a push in his future. He’s good for what is asked of him, though.

BIG SHOW
Then: The concern with Show right now are his injuries. He’d had knee injuries that have been bothering him for months, but he hasn’t taken time off because he’s been needed on Smackdown. Taking time off could be good to keep him fresh although with Lesnar being gone now, I have a feeling that he’ll be inclined to stick around because top level heels are going to be needed. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him with a major title (the Smackdown or the Raw one) in 2004.

When I wrote that it was around the time when he was rumored to have his knee surgery. It was going to be at the end of 2003, but he put it off because management asked him to stick around. He stuck around, held the US championship, put John Cena over for the belt at WrestleMania XX and shortly after he “quit” Smackdown after “tossing” Kurt Angle off a ledge. He’s been back for over a month now in the role of babyface. Personally, I prefer him as a heel because it’s a lot easier to jeer an extremely large man than it is to draw up support for him. I guess the idea behind the babyface run is that there’s newer stuff they could do with him, which makes some sense. He’s effective in the role that he plays. Good talker, good enough of a worker for a man of his stature and he’s always going to be over as long as the booking is smart. Most of the time it’s been smart. I’m a fan of the guy. He’s gone from a lazy guy who was handed everything in WCW to a guy in WWE that got sent to the minors because he lacked a strong work ethic. Now he has that, he’s a leader in the locker room and by all accounts he’s as nice as anybody in the company. Just a good guy to have around.
Grade: B, PG: B- (#8 on SD)
Outlook: I think he’s taking the WWE Title from JBL before the end of 2004. Doesn’t mean he’s walking into WMXXI with it, but he’ll have it. I think by next summer he’ll be a heel too.

BILLY GUNN
Then: He’ll still be employed because for whatever reason, Vince won’t fire this guy. Come on Vince, just do it! I know you can! Please?

He’s pretty much gone now. From what I’ve read he’s been sent into some kind of rehab station. Not sure what it’s for exactly, but I think it should help put the nail in the coffin of his WWE career. Now in his 40s with a lot of injuries on his resume, I think Gunn’s time is pretty much over. Am I disappointed that he won’t be wrestling again? No. However, I wish him luck in whatever kind of rehab he has. I may not like the guy as a performer, but it’s different when it comes to the person.
Grade: D, PG: D (#30 on SD)
Outlook: Welcome to retirement, Billy.

BILLY KIDMAN
Then: Stuck in midcard purgatory where he’ll rarely venture out of.

See, that would have been right if he knew how to do the Shooting Star Press right. Because he botched the SSP, because he nearly ended the career of Chavo Guerrero, he’s getting a push. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s wrong. He’s still solid in the ring, is okay on the microphone and now he’s showing signs that he can be a damn good heel once he’s got an angle to sink his teeth into. I still say that long term it would have been better for the company to keep him as a babyface tag partner of Paul London, but once the injury happened that all changed. I think feuding with Chavo Guerrero should happen because they’ve got a ready-made feud there, but after that I wonder how far this whole heel gimmick will last for him. No matter what they do, I think they might have struck gold with this guy as a heel because he seems to have found his niche playing the apprehensive heel. It’s working…for now.
Grade: B-, PG: C (#18 on SD)
Outlook: I think that the company will tire of Spike Dudley with the cruiser belt, so Kidman would just replace him there.

BOOKER T.
Then: I don’t think much will change. He’ll be a midcard babyface until he retires, I’m guessing. A heel turn would be ill advised, even if it is different.

Hey look, I was wrong again! Yay! I’m a long time Booker fan from the days when he started in WCW as a tag team with Stevie Ray. Great athlete, good offense and the ability to sell everything properly. He was always a guy who knew what he’s doing. Now in his late 30s he’s definitely winding down. There have been retirement rumors circling around him for about two years now, but obviously he feels he has something left. I think he adds credibility to the Smackdown roster as a veteran performer that the younger wrestlers can learn from. While his feud with John Cena was not epic, it was pretty good and it helped Cena to go over an established veteran like Booker. He’s not as good in the ring as he was, but he’s still a good promo and he’s over with the crowd. It looks like, based on what happened on the SD after No Mercy, that he’s heading toward a face turn, which makes sense because that’s what he’s been the majority of his career. His six months as a heel on SD are done, and now he’ll probably wrap up his career putting over Smackdown’s young babyface heels (Orlando Jordan, Rene Dupree, etc.) as he heads into retirement sooner or later.
Grade: B-, PG: B- (#11 on Raw)
Outlook: I think he’ll go back to being the veteran babyface that fans enjoy because of his strong promos, energetic wrestling style and overall likeability.

BUBBA RAY DUDLEY
Then: Tag teaming with D’Von as he has been for the majority of his career. His solo work in 2002 proved that he’s definitely better off as part of the team.

In terms of longevity, there’s no team over the past decade that has been tag team wrestling as much as the Dudleys have. When you think of teams during this era they’re one of the first names that has to come up. Their time as being the team to focus the division around is probably over, but they are excellent support players. Bubba’s especially is strong on the mic, gets great heat as a heel and in playing the bully role that he’s done since he’s been “led” by Spike Dudley. He’ll be remembered for years as a part of one of the better tag teams in wrestling history. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just another veteran support guy on Smackdown.
Grade: C, PG: C+ (#18 on Raw)
Outlook: Maybe another title reign is in their future, but they’re mostly going to continue being role players. It’s a role that suits the Dudleys fine.

CHARLIE HAAS
Then: I think he’ll be branching off into singles this year. It may take some time, but I see Haas going up to the IC/US title level by year’s end.

If you ask me he should have been at the US title level by now. Instead, he did very little after Rico’s injury and only now is back on the show regularly with Rico at his side. His current storyline has his real life fiancée Jackie being recognized as such on TV while Dawn Marie does a great job in the heel vixen role. My hope is that this gets Haas over in whatever role they want him in. I assume that the direction they’re heading in is that of Haas being the gentleman who’s loyal to his woman. It would give him a character that he sorely needs. As a worker he’s very technically sound, has a good set of moves and is very good at making his opponents look good. Once he gets that character he should be taking off.
Grade: B-, PG: B- (#9 on SD)
Outlook: I see the US title in his future at some point in early 2005. He’s got a bright future ahead of him.

CHAVO GUERRERO
Then: He’ll continue to be a part of the cruiserweight division, feuding with whatever babyface challenges are set up for him.

If you were to ask me who was the most underrated performer in all of WWE then Chavo Guerrero would be in the top three of that list. The guy delivers the goods on a consistent basis. He’s durable (unless Kidman injures him), he’s a very good worker and he’s always able to get a reaction of the crowd. He’s more natural as a heel, eliciting the “Chavo Sucks” chant almost as soon as his excellent “Oooooooooohhhhh Chavo” music starts. Now when he comes back his role will be different due to the fans likely having sympathy for the guy that got legitimately hurt in the ring. If the company is smart he’ll get a strong push out of it. I hope he gets out of the cruiser division too, because he’s certainly good enough to have strong matches with any type of wrestler, not just the smaller guys. His grade goes down a bit due to the injury, as well as the company having little for him to do after WrestleMania XX.
Grade: B-, PG: B (#5 on SD)
Outlook: I think he’ll be a face for several months as he feuds with Kidman, but I can see him going back to being a heel just because it’s the more natural role for him.

D-VON DUDLEY
Then: Teaming with Bubba as usual. I really can’t see him doing anything else.

I felt like I already wrote this one. There’s not a whole lot of difference between Bubba and D-Von, skin color aside. Bubba’s the better of the two in terms of promos, but it’s not like D-Von is a slouch in that area. As I said with Bubba, the Dudleys are a support team more than anything these days, so it’s not like we can expect any kind of push for them in the near future. They’re a legendary team that helps other teams get better. It’s something you need for a tag division if there even was a division, of course.
Grade: C, PG: C (#21 on Raw)
Outlook: Teaming with Bubba. Could turn face or stay heel. They work fine in either role, really.

DANNY BASHAM
Then: I think the Bashams will continue to be a team for most of 2004. Hopefully when they split up they can feud just as they did in OVW because it would be new to a lot of fans.

What a waste of talent. I’m going to save my rant for Doug’s part since I like him a bit more. No point in repeating myself, right?
Grade: C+, PG: C+ (#13 on SD)
Outlook: A run with the tag belts? I hope.

DOUG BASHAM
Then: See above. He’ll continue to team with Danny because the tag division needs a good team to rely on. The Bashams are that team.

Remember how I said Chavo is one of the more underrated WWE employees? Doug’s another. I’ve seen a couple OVW matches of his, one of them against Danny - who was then known as Damaja - and I liked what I saw. In WWE land he hasn’t had a chance to show any of that. He’s still paired with his “brother” Danny in a team that never gets to promo, has no character of any type and have spent more time on Velocity this year than they did on Smackdown. I don’t get it. These guys are better than this. I wouldn’t mind a split of the team either if it meant more time for either of them.
Grade: C+, PG: C+ (#12 on SD)
Outlook: Since they are one of only two real teams on Smackdown they should get a title run. Will it happen? Of course not.

EDDIE GUERRERO
Then: I expect a title reign to last until May or June. Anything more just isn’t likely for a babyface champion. I also predict he’ll prove to be a good ratings draw, as well as a house show draw, meaning that Vince McMahon will rely on him even more than he already is.

It lasted till June, so I was right on the money. I was wrong about the draw thing, though. It’s not that bad since nobody else in the company is a draw right now. I think Eddie Guerrero has been Smackdown’s most valuable performer over the past six months. I would have said Kurt Angle, but he’s been out too long with injuries. Guerrero hasn’t had a “great” six months or so although he’s still solid at everything that he does. Recently there’s been reports about him melting down mentally over the past few months (passing out, getting in a fight with Angle, etc.) and I’ve been very vocal in saying they should just take him off the road for about a month to let him reenergize himself. Obtaining burnout in the wrestling business is very common, which is something management should know. The best way to get over burnout is through relaxation, so hopefully sooner or later Guerrero can get that time off, even if it’s just a week or two off the road.

Guerrero is still a strong promo, his workrate has dropped a bit due to the quality of his opponents (going from Lesnar and Angle to JBL wasn’t good for him, or anybody for that matter) and he’s still over huge with the fans. Ever since 2003 when they wanted to turn him heel, but the crowd kept cheering, the guy has been on a roll as far as having a connection with the fans. I think Guerrero still has a lot left in his tank, and there’s a lot more he can do to help the company thrive in the future.
Grade: A-, PG: A (#1 on SD and #1 Overall)
Outlook: Unbelievably, there’s still more he can do as a face. While I think he’s more natural as a heel, due to all the big guys on Smackdown it makes sense for him to be the sympathetic babyface since it’s a role he does well. I doubt his role will change much in the near future.

FUNAKI
Then: I doubt he’ll move up from where he is as Velocity jobber. He’s not even a Smackdown announcer anymore. Nice guy to have on the roster because he can have good matches, but he’s not exactly indispensable either.

Fun to watch, but not going anywhere anytime soon. He’s the underdog jobber, basically. Good worker, loyal employee and all that. Just don’t see much in his future.
Grade: C-, PG: C (#23 on SD)
Outlook: Doing what he’s doing now: Jobbing.

HARDCORE HOLLY
Then: I think they’ll realize how invaluable he is and release him from his contract this year.

No release for him yet, but you have to think he’s near the end of his career. He’s not over (as evidenced by the piped in crowd noise for him), his promos are boring and his character, if he ever had one, is as stale as anybody on the roster. This guy has to be near the end of his career and if not then somebody has to tell him that he is.
Grade: D, PG: D (#29 on SD)
Outlook: Jobbing for the heels of the month. What else can he do?

HEIDENREICH
Then: Either they throw him into the fire to see if he can succeed or he gets released for not being good enough. I’m thinking he’ll be released sooner rather than later.

The worst performer in the company is Heidenreich. I hope he goes to sleep at night thanking the lord for making him big because if he was smaller there’s no way he’d be in wrestling. What does this guy do to impress WWE management? His gimmick seems so forced. He has to resort to cheap tactics like raping announcers and beating up fans in order to get over. Good wrestlers get over by what they do in the ring. Bad wrestlers need cheap heat. That’s why Heidenreich is bad. Of course, then there’s his actual work in the ring, which we never get to see because management knows he’s so bad that they rarely put him in matches on TV. So the question is why is he employed? I have no idea. He’s the first ever F that I’m giving in these evaluations.
Grade: F, PG: D (#30 on Raw and worst overall)
Outlook: He’ll continue to get pushed strong as he jobs to the Undertaker, is a “favorite” in the Royal Rumble (even though everybody knows he’ll lose) and I predict his time of crappiness will be done before WMXXI.

JOHN CENA
Then: I think he’ll be a top level performer for most of the year. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him winning the Raw or Smackdown major title by WrestleMania 21 next March.

I stand by my prediction. I think he’s winning the WWE title by or at WrestleMania XXI. We probably won’t be seeing much of him as the year comes to an end because he’s in Australia filming the WWE produced movie, The Marine. I’m not too upset about it because I think he needs a bit of time away in order to maintain his character’s freshness. I think if WWE’s smart (hold the jokes, please) then they’ll wait until the new year to bring him back, just in time to push him hard as the Royal Rumble approaches. I think Cena’s going to win the Royal Rumble. If not, then I think he’s leaving WMXXI with the belt, as I stated before.

With regards to his work, I’m on the side of those that like the guy. I think he busts his ass, he’s very good at keeping a crowd into his matches and he’s one of the better promo guys in the company. He’s a lot better when he’s talking rather than rapping. While his raps were fun at first, they’re more effective now if he does them once in a while rather than all the time. In the ring he needs some work. That’s the part where I don’t like his going to do a movie because this company needs Cena to be better in the ring. I don’t have a problem with the five knuckle shuffle or the pumping up of the shoes because getting the fans into your matches is a positive, not a negative. However, he needs to improve things like working on body parts, selling a bit more realistically, having better timing for his moves and simply working longer matches against better opponents in order to improve. That’s hard to do on Smackdown since there are many younger wrestlers on the show, so the chance to improve through his peers might be hard. Still, I think Cena’s a guy that the company can build around in the future and if anybody on the current roster is going to break out from the pack then it’s him.
Grade: B+, PG: B (#4 on SD)
Outlook: Out of the ring to end 2004, I think he’ll be pushed huge in 2005 and we’ll see him in a major match at WrestleMania XXI. Wouldn’t be shocked to see him with the WWE title too.

JOHN “BRADSHAW” LAYFIELD
Then: Based on the last Smackdown I saw (before the lottery), I think he’ll be a heel. Either he’ll be good or be even worse than he is as a face. I think it’ll be worse.

I was right about the heel thing, wrong about the worse thing. I think he’s better than what he was when he was a member of the Acolytes. When it comes to promos, he’s definitely one of the better ones on Smackdown. Problem is that promos don’t necessarily sell out buildings as evidenced by the lack of sellouts during his title runs. They can’t even fill out half of a building for a Smackdown PPV. Who’s to blame for that? Some of it has to go to JBL. His matches are slow, plodding and one sided. The company has yet to really put him over somebody. He couldn’t pin Eddie Guerrero or Undertaker. In order to build a strong champion, you have to put that person over strong. Why should fans care to boo a guy who’s either winning on technicalities against top guys and having trouble to beat jobbers like Bob Holly? It’s stupid booking. Coward champions aren’t going to draw, especially ones that spent their entire career as a tag wrestler, a poor one at that.

You know how during these evaluations I always find myself saying, “If this guy got a chance, he’d be really good.” Well, in the case of JBL, he got a chance and he became better. Doesn’t mean he’s top of the line, though. He’s better than he was, but there’s no logical reason for his being where he is other than Vince McMahon picked a favorite of his without really considering what the fans wanted. JBL is not a draw, he is not a top worker, he is not a bonafide main eventer. He is an example of Vince McMahon doing whatever he wants despite always saying that he does what the fans want. No, Vince, you do what you want and JBL is the example of that. I don’t mind JBL the character. I mind JBL the champion.
Grade: B-, PG: D (#31 out of 31 on SD)
Outlook: I think his run as champion is ending soon. From there, he’ll probably cement himself as an upper echelon heel.

JOHNNY STAMBOLI
Then: I think the FBI will become a more high profile tag team unit, giving WWE management a better opportunity to judge Stamboli’s talents.

No high profile teaming for the FBI. What a shame. All they get are funny little vignettes where Stamboli gets made out to look like a moron. I like those vignettes, even if I’m one of only about four people that has seen them on Velocity. He’s not really bad, nor is he really good, he’s just kind of there. I don’t think the company sees much potential in him.
Grade: C-, PG: C (#22 on SD)
Outlook: Continuing to do whatever it is he’s doing now.

KENZO SUZUKI
Then: Wasn’t on the roster in the spring.
When it comes to bad wrestlers, this guy is as bad as they come. I don’t understand the reason for WWE management liking anything about this guy. Considering the amount of high quality Japanese wrestlers that are out there, why would they choose this guy to give a prominent role to? I don’t get it. His matches are horrible, his character makes you laugh for maybe three seconds (and then you go back to realizing how much he sucks), and he’s yet to do anything to make you take notice of him. Think about all the hype he was given when he was brought in, and then look at what he’s actually done. It’s not good. Even when he’s wrestled high quality performers like Rey Mysterio he’s looked really bad. Not only is he one of the worst wrestlers in WWE right now, but he’s one of the worst the company has had in the past decade. It’s just bad all around. At least they had the sense to send Mordecai packing. Why are they talking so long with Crapzuki?
Grade: F, PG: NR
Outlook: Should be released, but probably won’t be. I guess he’ll continue working in tag teams to hide his deficiencies, of which there are many.

KURT ANGLE
Then: He’ll either retire from wrestling for good or heal up his neck and come back to have great matches like he always has. If the injury concern wasn’t there he might be an A+ performer.

The most valuable performer and, in many ways, the face of Smackdown. There’s not a whole lot that Kurt Angle is unable to do. He’s a good promo, he’s one of WWE’s top performers in the ring and he’s able to get over with the fans because of his overall talent. The concern with Angle is always going to be his injuries, specifically those on his neck. He missed about four months of actions this year due to his neck and who knows how much longer he can wrestle without having the surgery that will likely end his career. He has said in interviews that he plans on competing for another three or four more years just as long as he employs a safer style to his matches, which means no more chair shots to the head and other such risky bumps on his melon.

When I think about where Angle is now compared to where he was for most of 2003, I’d say he’s slipped a bit. Part of it is who he has to work with (there’s no Benoit or Lesnar around for him now) and part of it simply is due to WWE slowing things down a lot more due to wanting to teach their fans how to appreciate the simpler things in wrestling, rather than always expecting the crazy bumps or spots that were prevalent throughout the last couple of years. No matter what you attribute it to, I just feel Angle’s slipped every so slightly from where he was the past two years when I named him wrestler of the year. It doesn’t mean he’s bad now. It just means he’s a notch below what he was, but on the positive side, I’d say he’s still a notch above everybody on Smackdown.
Grade: A-, PG: A (#2 on SD and #2 Overall)
Outlook: I think he’ll stay as a heel for a while. It’s the more natural role for him, so there’s no point in changing. He’s commented on wanting to feud with Undertaker. Considering the power that the two of them yield, I’d assume that would happen at some point early next year, probably leading to WrestleMania XXI.

LUTHER REIGNS
Then: Wasn’t on the roster in the spring.

I like Luther quite a bit because I think he has very good presence when he’s in the ring. He’s not the type of guy that is going to wow you as a big man the way Brock Lesnar did in the past, but he’s solid in his role. I like that unlike most big men he doesn’t rely on tired moves like the big boot and power bombs as finishers. His finisher, the spinning neck breaker that still has no name, is good. What I’d like to see out of WWE is a chance for the audience to get to know Luther better. All we know is what Michael “No Credibility” Cole has told us how he’s been shot, stabbed, arrested and a zillion other things to show how tough the guy is. We don’t know what Luther thinks about himself or why he does things. How hard would it be to have a three minute interview with the guy to talk about why he’s always angry? It’s not hard. It’s called character development. It’s needed in order to get an audience to buy into the people that are performing. Luther’s still very much a “new” performer, so there’s a lot more to see out of him. I’m interested in seeing him getting into a real feud with somebody, how he does in his likely feud with Kurt Angle and also how much of a push he gets. Right now I’m unsure if WWE sees him as a potential main eventer. I guess they’re going to take it slow with him, which is actually a smart move because if you take it slow you know what you’re getting if you do decide to move the person up the ranks.
Grade: C+, PG: NR
Outlook: I see him hovering around the US title range, continuing to serve as one of Kurt Angle’s cronies and working as a heel against other midcard babyfaces.

MARK JINDRAK
Then: I think he’ll continue working in the tag team with Cade.

Jindrak first came onto the scene with WCW about five years ago. In that time, I’ve yet to see him really have a breakthrough moment either with WCW or WWE. He’s a good athlete with a good look to him and he’s been rumored to be on the receiving end of pushes for many years now. He was even supposed to join Evolution at one time, according to rumors. Now he’s with Angle and Reigns in a trio of heels that has a lot of potential to it. With Jindrak, all we can really do is think about what he MIGHT be rather than what he is because at this point we’re not really sure what he is. I can’t tell you if he’s going to be a great worker or a great promo since the chances have never really come his way. What I’m happy about is that he is getting the chance now, so we’ll get a better sense of what he’s about hopefully in the coming months. For now, he’s a work in project. Let’s just hope they actually keep him on TV this time, as opposed to last time when he was horribly nicknamed the “Reflection of Perfection.” People get paid to think up names like that? That’s just horrible.
Grade: C, PG: C (#24 on Raw)
Outlook: I think they’ll give him a chance to run with the ball a little, getting wins over lower card babyfaces and always being around the main event scene due to his affiliation with Angle.

NUNZIO
Then: I think he’ll get a run with the cruiserweight title this year. It’s more a guess than anything.

My guess is wrong. What a shame. I think it’s a shame that Nunzio has never been pushed as a singles wrestler in the cruiser division because he’s a talented performer in many areas. If you’ve seen him in ECW then you know he’s a good worker, he cuts good, funny promos and he does a great job of making opponents look good. Sadly, though, WWE management has never gone ahead in pushing him up the card. I don’t know why. A tag team run with Stamboli would work too, but that’s not in the plans either. What a shame.
Grade: C+, PG: C+ (#11 on SD)
Outlook: Wish I could say that I saw something in his future, but I don’t really see it.

ORLANDO JORDAN
Then: The company may get behind him for a push, but I don’t think he’ll make it work.

He’s been on the receiving end of a little push, or a huge one compared to what he’s been given prior to being Virgil to JBL’s Dibiase. Thing is, he hasn’t had anything for himself since he’s gone heel. He went from being a nobody to helping JBL out against the Undertaker. He didn’t get any feud of his own, he just continued to be the “chief of staff” for whatever the hell it is JBL does. I have liked his promos since his heel turn although I can’t say I know more about him as a worker since he has yet to have the chance to show what he can really do. In the past he seemed like a bland worker, but there’s a chance he could improve by showing better heel charisma in the ring during matches. I don’t know if this guy is ever going to be a huge star, but I think he’s got some pretty good potential.
Grade: C, PG: C- (#28 on SD)
Outlook: I think he’ll stay on JBL’s ally for a while. A split is likely down the road, but there’s no need to rush it. I also wouldn’t be shocked to see him at the US title level.

PAUL LONDON
I think they’ll realize how good he can be. London will get a concentrated push in the cruiser division.

See, they did it! I was right! I think they like Paul London a lot right now as he’s feuding with Billy Kidman. I still say they should have teamed for longer than they did because they could have been great in carrying that division. Now they’re split up, London is playing the pretty boy babyface that the girls can scream for and he’s doing well in that role. They’ve given him promo time; he’s done well with it. When he suffered a legit broken nose in a match with Booker T. they used it to show how tough he was to continue fighting on. I think it’s only a matter of time until he’s the top babyface in the cruiserweight division as the company goes on the slow build to get him the cruiser belt. I think Rey Mysterio has outgrown it, so London is the next logical babyface candidate to make people care about that division. Then again, London is skilled enough that he can work well out of the cruiser division too. Really, wherever they put him this guy can shine because he has as much skill as anybody on this roster. It’s just a matter of giving him the chance to prove it. WWE does a lot of things wrong, but pushing London would be something right and something every fan will enjoy.
Grade: B-, PG: C (#17 on SD)
Outlook: I see him winning the cruiser title by WrestleMania XXI. I think he’s going to be a big time star the more chances he gets to prove himself.

RENE DUPREE
Then: I think it’ll be a few years until he’s on his own as a singles wrestler. I see him tagging up with others for at least the next twelve months. No point in rushing him. There’s plenty of time.

When he moved over to Smackdown he was pushed as a singles wrestler, challenging John Cena from the outset and he looked out of place. He looked like the 21-year-old that he is. He looked out of place. He looked green in many respects. While his future is very, very bright, it’s quite obvious that he’s not ready to be a huge star right now. That’s why they paired him with Kenzo Suzuki in the “we hate America” tag team that has absolutely no storyline to it. Why are they teaming? Because Kenzo sucks and Rene isn’t ready for singles, that’s why. The problem is they have ZERO chemistry as a team. So right now Rene is in staleville where he’ll probably be for a while.
Grade: C+, PG: C+ (#17 on Raw)
Outlook: I think he’ll be in the same place where he is now. He’s still too young and too green to get a really big push. He has main event potential, but not yet.

REY MYSTERIO
Then: I don’t see much change in his career because what he’s doing now is working fabulously.

Mysterio is probably the most consistent wrestler on Smackdown. There is no up and down to him. He doesn’t go on streaks. He doesn’t get talked about in rumors. He isn’t a distraction. The guy is money. He has good matches with everybody no matter who they are. Obviously his style is toned down from his earlier days, but that’s not such a bad thing if it means he can wrestle into his 30s, which would have been hard had he continued to wrestle recklessly (see Waltman, Sean). When it comes to where he is on the SD roster right now, it’s hard to gauge. He’s ventured out of the cruiserweight division more than he has in the past, teaming with RVD and hopefully feuding with him at some point in the future because I think a feud between those two fliers would be outstanding to see. Really, anything with Mysterio is good just because it involves him.
Grade: B+, PG: B+ (#3 on SD)
Outlook: I think he’ll be out of the cruiser division, facing off with the midcard heels just to give him something new. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him with US gold one day.

RICO
Then: Either he’ll stick around as a guy who is always on Heat or he’ll get released. I just don’t see them doing anything more with him.

His tag team work with Rico was fun. I just don’t think he can offer much more than that. It’s not like he’s going to get a singles push. The guy is in his 40s, so his career is winding down. I think he’s fine as a babyface Velocity-like lower midcard guy. It’s a role that fits him well. His gimmick is good for a short laugh, but there’s not much long term potential there.
Grade: C, PG: C (#25 on Raw)
Outlook: Supporting Charlie Haas, teaming with him occasionally and putting over heels as they go higher up the card.

ROB VAN DAM
Then: Since it’s likely that he’ll re-sign with the WWE in the near future (his contract is up in a few months), I’m expecting him to get a push at some point. That’s usually the case when people re-sign. A world title? Maybe down the road. Not this year, though.

The re-signing did happen although details were not disclosed (they rarely are in wrestling). As for the world title thing, maybe I was high when I said that. He’s not getting the WWE title. No way. Management isn’t a fan of him. It’s quite obvious. So now RVD is signed on for a few more years of dangling in the midcard, coasting along and every once in a while having a good match to remind us what he could be if he wasn’t WWE’s version of Ricky Williams. Since coming to Smackdown he’s done a whole lot of nothing. He’s had mini-feuds with Booker T., Rene Dupree and Kenzo Suzuki, all of them leading nowhere fast. He’s often used as a role player just to get a cheap pop from the crowd, then he gets tossed aside when it comes to making important PPV matches. I’m not for or against RVD, I just think the guy could be more than what he is for WWE.

I think part of it is him. I think he’s not as dedicated to the business as others are. Then I think the other part is WWE’s own fault because the pops he gets are consistently good. For a guy who never gets promo time it’s impressive to hear the ovations he gets upon entrance, as well as during matches. Why ignore that? Why not put him in a feud with a top heel like Kurt Angle, see how he does there. Or maybe Luther Reigns. Something meaningful. Right now he’s teaming with Mysterio. While I like the two as a team, is there some rule that says RVD has to be tag teaming with somebody? He’s gone from Kane to Booker to Mysterio now. Is there nothing else for him to do? I’d like to think there is. Obviously WWE thinks otherwise. His grade goes down a bit due to how he’s used more than what his talent level is.
Grade: B-, PG: B (#5 on Raw)
Outlook: Who knows? He SHOULD be wrestling in the US title region, but he WILL be teaming in some tag team because they have no idea what to really do with him.

SCOTTY 2 HOTTY
After his teaming with Rikishi comes to an end, he’ll be a valuable babyface player in the cruiser division.

They said smell ya later to Rikishi, leaving Scotty to compete for the role of mayor of Jobberville. The other candidates: Funaki and Shannon Moore. I think it’s a close race now, but I seem to recall Scotty jobbing on Smackdown to somebody a few weeks back, so that has to put him at the top of the polls. I think Scott Taylor’s been underused his entire career by this company. He won’t say it because they put food on his table, but the guy had a hell of a lot of talent. Now that he’s near the end I doubt we’ll be seeing him in any prominent roles. Still, I think of him as a solid all around wrestler.
Grade: C-, PG: C+ (#14 on SD)
Outlook: Jobbing, jobbing and more jobbing. Why? Because he’s short.

SHANNON MOORE
Then: I think they’ll figure out how good he can be and he’ll get a substantial push in the cruiser division because of it.

Hahahaha, there I go with the insane predictions again! I love myself sometimes! He’ll be jobbing, running for mayor of Jobville and continuing to do that for the rest of his career even though he’s a guy with a hell of a lot talent, as evidenced by anybody that saw what he did in WCW during their last days. He’s a good all around worker, but I doubt we’ll be seeing any type of push for him in the near future.
Grade: C, PG: C+ (#15 on SD)
Outlook: Losing matches, but doing it with STYLE!

SPIKE DUDLEY
Then: Not much more than what he’s doing now. He’ll still be the mayor of Jobberville.

He’s no longer the mayor of Jobberville! He moved out! Good for him. I’m glad WWE turned the stale Spike Dudley character heel because it gave some new life to a flat character that really needed the new edge. Now that he’s “The Boss” he has some new life to him although that went away about two months after he won the belt. Really, once he stopped feuding with Mysterio it went away. It’s more a fault of WWE not having any other babyface cruisers than it is Spike’s fault for being a poor champion. He’s a good champion, but as long as there are no faces around who’s he going to compete against. I enjoy the character, so let’s hope we get to see more of it in the future.
Grade: B-, PG: C (#27 on Raw)
Outlook: I think a feud with Paul London is likely, as well as Chavo Guerrero, who should get a new push as a babyface. Spike’s good in his current role.

THE UNDERTAKER
Then: No grade due to death #4,138 or something like that.

What’s there to say about this guy? He’s the biggest name on Smackdown, a “first ballot Hall of Famer” as JR would say if he was on this show and he’s also a guy who is wrestling many years past his prime. I realize people still like this man and that’s fine. I liked him for most of his career too. It’s just that right now, at the end of 2004, he is showing signs of age that should mean only one thing: retirement. Thing is, why would he retire? He works maybe 100 shows in the year (as opposed to the 200 or so that his peers work), he always gets pushed, he rarely has to put somebody over clean and he must be making a boat load of money right now. As a fan of the business and somebody that is tired of seeing people hanging around too long past their prime, I’d like to see him pack it up. As somebody who can put myself in his shoes I’d say keep wrestling because if nobody in the company is going to tell you to pack it in then why should you? Guy’s got a family to feed. I understand it totally.

Now, do I like the Undertaker right now? No, not particular. I’m not going to buy a ticket to see him or his hour-long entrance. I saw it in 1991. I don’t need it now. I’m not going to buy a ticket for his slow and plodding matches where he throws fifty punches as his opponent sells them as if they are getting shot. I’m tired of it. When the crowd turned on his match at Summerslam I liked it because I hope it sent a message to Undertaker saying that the fans, while they dig his entrance, are getting tired of his act. It’s old. He’s old. Maybe if he was a heel on the motorcycle I wouldn’t mind it, but how many times does he have to “die” and come back to beat the big, bad evil guy before you’ve had enough? I think we’ve reached the limit. And really, is there any sane person alive that WANTS to see Undertaker vs. Heidenreich? I sure as hell hope not. Maybe if he weren’t main eventing PPVs I would care less. However, since he is always around the title I’m really getting tired of it. It’s very hard to rate Undertaker. On the plus side he’s got name value, respect and he gets good pops. On the negative side his work in the ring is boring, his feuds suck most of the time and he’s not as good as he used to be. Tough, but I think I found the right grade.
Grade: B-, PG: NR
Outlook: I think he’ll be wrestling Kurt Angle at WrestleMania XXI. I think he’ll win again because he’s a mark for his own streak. Then I think he’ll retire…haha, no, just kidding. Why would he?

CARLITO CARIBBEAN COOL
Then: New to the roster.

After seeing him only once I’m a fan. I liked his promos, I think he’s competent in the ring and I think the poise he shows during his matches is a sign of good things. He’s a guy who has a really bright future ahead of him. Since I’ve only seen him once, as of this writing, I’m not going to give a grade. The next time I do this I’ll have seen more of him, so I’ll be able to judge him better. For now, no rating applies.
Grade: NR, PG: NR
Outlook: I think he’ll hold the US title for a few months before losing it and then feuding with John Cena when he returns.


THE OTHERS

These are non-wrestlers who are regular contributors to Smackdown and/or Velocity. They could be announcers, divas, managers or management types who don’t have actual matches.

BILL DeMOTT
Then: I don’t think he’ll be going anywhere. He’s solid.

Still announcing on Velocity. He’s decent. I know some who think he’s horrible in the role, but I think he’s fine. Not like Tazz is leaving anytime soon, so he’ll probably be a part of Velocity for a long time to come.
Grade: C+, PG: C+
Outlook: Continuing to announce on Velocity, where he is now.

DAWN MARIE
Then: Slutty dresses! I mean she’ll get a chance to manage somebody soon. Just a hunch.

My hunch was wrong, sadly. For months I clamored for her to manage Rene Dupree while wearing a French Maid’s outfit, but that never materialized. What a shame. Now she’s in a mini-feud with Miss Jackie over Charlie Haas. Should be fun. I think Dawn’s a really good performer who could really help a singles wrestler or tag team get over just by being out there with her. Oh, and in response to my “then” comment, my love of her slutty dresses remains. Easily my favorite woman on Smackdown. Sorry Michael Cole.
Grade: B-, PG: B-
Outlook: Getting in catfights and hopefully managing somebody, or some team, sooner or later.

HIROKO
Then: Wasn’t on the roster in the spring.

She’s Kenzo Suzuki’s real life wife. She negotiated his deal with WWE, by my understanding. What can I say about her on screen contributions? Not a whole lot. She does very little. Hey, at least she doesn’t wrestle like her husband does. That’s a plus.
Grade: D, PG: NR
Outlook: Managing Kenzo? What a guess, huh?

JOSH MATTHEWS
Then: He’ll continue to improve on Velocity. As I said, in 3-4 years he’ll be the lead play by play guy on one of the big two shows.

I stand by my prediction. Matthews is a good play-by-play guy who, unlike Michael Cole, has real passion for the business because he’s a fan of it. It’s not just a job where he can make money doing it. He likes it. It shows in his commentary. He knows the moves, he knows when to say the right things and he knows how to put the wrestlers in the ring over. I like him as an announcer a heck of a lot. I don’t usually say heck a lot, but when you play Madden ‘05 as much as I have you learn to pick it up from John “Heck” Madden. Now where was I?
Grade: B-, PG: B-
Outlook: He’ll continue to hone his skills on Velocity, which is perfectly fine with me.

MICHAEL COLE
Then: He’ll continue to be the voice of Smackdown.

When the product was good, I thought Cole was pretty good. Now that the product stinks more than it shines I think Cole is poor. Maybe I’m still throwing up from the backstage segment where he got raped by Heidenreich, I don’t know. I just notice him more now as a below average announcer rather than a good one.
Grade: C, PG: B-
Outlook: He’ll continue to be the voice of Smackdown.

MISS JACKIE
Then: She’ll continue to do absolutely nothing, but since she’s hot, nobody will notice.

I was wrong about the nothing thing, but right about the hot thing. She’s doing something with Charlie Haas. They’re engaged for real, they’re using that on screen and she’s managing his career. You have to think she liked the draft lottery. She’s not in the ring doing a horrible job wrestling, she met her future husband and now they’ve got steady work for her in a feud with Dawn Marie. I like the role she’s in. It’s right for her.
Grade: C+, PG: C+
Outlook: Continuing to manage Charlie since there isn’t a women’s division on Smackdown, which is a good thing considering there are only three women anyway.

PAUL HEYMAN
Then: I have no idea. Rumors say that maybe he’ll stick around as GM or he’ll go into something else. I don’t know. I just hope he’s a regular on screen.

He’s a regular on screen alright, but now he’s being wasted in trying to get over Heidenreich. Don’t worry, Paul, he’ll suck soon enough and you’ll be free again. Heyman’s responsibilities backstage have increased with him being a part of both writing teams, so his on screen role has diminished a bit. I think he excels in getting others over and is really the only true manager left in WWE. He’s very valuable for this company. I think Vince McMahon knows that too.
Grade: A-, PG: A
Outlook: Managing Heidenreich until he fizzles out, then doing something else to get over whoever qualifies for Vince’s tall man fetish.

TAZZ
Then: He’ll continue to work with Cole on Smackdown. If he teamed with Jim Ross they could be as good of a team as Monsoon and Heenan were.

I stand by what I’ve said about him in the past. The best announcer in WWE right now. He’s very good. I think Bobby Heenan was an A+ at this role in his WWE prime, Tazz is a notch below that. I think he’s very good at getting over storylines, at explaining the moves that are done in the ring and at throwing out a great joke when the situation calls for it. Simply put, Tazz does his job really well.
Grade: A, PG: A
Outlook: Continuing to work with Cole on Smackdown where he’ll get back pain from carrying him.

THEODORE LONG
Then: He’ll be a manager.

Close! He’s the GENERAL manager, so that’s almost correct, right? I like Long as the GM of Smackdown. He makes me smile with the way he talks, he brings energy to the role and he, unlike Stephanie McMahon, lets the wrestler be the star. In other words, he is NOT the show. He is a PART of the show, which is what the GM should be. I like that he’s a face too since it’s different from the stale heel GM role that we’ve been seeing for what seems like a decade now. Long was a very good choice for GM.
Grade: B+, PG: B
Outlook: Hopefully he’s GM well into 2005 because the constant GM changes isn’t good for the show. Once a McMahon wants to come back, he’s gone.

TORRIE WILSON
Then: I don’t care. More nakedness, I guess.

I’ve never laughed as hard during a Smackdown this year as I did when Torrie complained to Theodore Long about Big Show coming back. She was worried that he’d end her career. Man, that was a good one. Why is it good? Because SHE HAS NO CAREER! What the hell does Torrie do? Can’t wrestle since she’s a joke in the ring. Has always failed at being a manager since she is unable to bring personality to the table. They’ve got her ring announcing one match on Velocity every week just to get a pop out of the crowd. But hey, she can take it off for Playboy every year! Good for her. She’s hot, no doubt about that. I’m just wondering what her job is. Anybody that knows could let me know. Thanks.
Grade: D, PG: D
Outlook: Uh…um…well…I…uh…I’ll get back to you on that.


THE SMACKDOWN RANKINGS

This is for the wrestlers only. I’ve ranked them from #1-31. In the case of multiple people being given the same grade I’ll just put them in the order that I see fit.

1. Kurt Angle (A-)
2. Eddie Guerrero (A-)
3. Rey Mysterio (B+)
4. John Cena (B+)
5. Big Show (B)
6. Booker T. (B-)
7. Chavo Guerrero (B-)
8. Paul London (B-)
9. Spike Dudley (B-)
10. Billy Kidman (B-)
11. The Undertaker (B-)
12. John “Bradshaw” Layfield (B-)
13. Rob Van Dam (B-)
14. Charlie Haas (B-)
15. Rene Dupree (C+)
16. Luther Reigns (C+)
17. Nunzio (C+)
18. Doug Basham (C+)
19. Danny Basham (C+)
20. Orlando Jordan (C )
21. Mark Jindrak (C )
22. Rico (C )
23. Bubba Ray Dudley (C )
24. D-Von Dudley (C )
25. Shannon Moore (C )
26. Akio (C )
27. Scotty 2 Hotty (C-)
28. Johnny Stamboli (C-)
29. Funaki (C-)
30. Hardcore Holly (D)
31. Billy Gunn (D)
32. Kenzo Suzuki (F)
33. Heidenreich (F)

RAW
A-TRAIN
Then: I doubt there will be an A-Train push anytime soon. The only thing I think they can do for him at this point would to put him in a tag team with somebody because I think he works well in that role.

He's still on the roster? Who knew? I'm not one of those people that is going to rip on the guy because I think he's a hard worker who has shown to be capable as far as having decent matches with the better workers. That said, you can only get over on having a hairy back for so long and truth is, nobody cares about the guy right now. The best thing they could probably do with him is find him a tag team partner, use him there and hope it works out. Otherwise, I just don't see a whole lot he can do at this point.
Grade: C, PG: C+ (#26 on SD)
Outlook: I don't see the company doing much with him in the near future. They've got younger, newer big guys (with tattoos!) that they like more than him and he's seen more of as a person from the past.

BATISTA
Then: In six months time he could either be at a main event level if he really improves or he could be in the midcard, hanging off of people like HHH and Flair as he is now.

Looks like my outlook from the spring was fairly accurate. I don't think Batista is main event material, but he's certainly solid as an enforcer of the Evolution group. I think his look is awesome. He's also improved in the ring to the point where if he's out there with the great workers that Raw has he can appear to hold his own because of how good they can make him look. My gripe with him is that he does nothing out of the ordinary to separate himself from other big men. He's got a powerbomb finisher, a "power" clothesline and of course the spinebuster that seems to be a pre-requisite for anybody over six feet tall in WWE. It's like he's the new Sid. That's not necessarily a good thing. I guess I'm waiting for him to make me say "wow" about something he's done. It's been a couple years since he's debuted and there's been nothing so far. I wouldn't call him good or bad. He's serviceable, but there's really nothing wrong with that.
Grade: C+, PG: C+ (#16 on Raw)
Outlook: I don't see his role changing much. Maybe they'll try pushing him harder after WrestleMania, but until then I see him as a support player.

CHRIS BENOIT
Then: If all goes well, he’ll be the Raw World Champion by Backlash. Hopefully, the reign lasts at least three months rather than some transitional reign that leads to another run by a familiar, large nosed individual.

Thankfully, he got the belt at WrestleMania XX and ended up with a very good five month run with the title. When I wrote the evaluation before I just didn't expect it to happen as it did. What a pleasant surprise. I felt that the company booked Benoit very well 95% of the time. Some things I'd change as I look back, but for the most part they did a good job. The end result of his run was that Benoit became a legitimate main event wrestler who generates a huge ovation upon his ring entrance, during his matches and almost always during his exciting finishing sequences.

In Chris Benoit, WWE has the best wrestler in the world at their disposal. Yes, I have no problem calling him that. You can make a claim for others like Michaels, Angle, Guerrero and others, but Benoit is the most durable of them all. There is nobody better at pulling a good match out of opponents. For comparison, look at how his matches with Kane have been superior to those that Kane had with Michaels or Jericho. It's not to say those other guys are poor. Far from it. It's just that Benoit is on another level this year. His character is a straight up wrestler. Fans relate to him because he's a hard worker who has paid his dues, overcome obstacles and shown passion in everything he's done. Sometimes you don't need millions of promos to get a character out there. For Benoit, his matches are his character. Chris Benoit has always been very good at everything. This year, more than any other, he became fantastic by stepping up a notch and delivering the goods more than anybody.
Grade: A, PG: A- (#3 on Raw)
Outlook: As much as I'd love another title run for Benoit between now and WMXXI, I don't see it happening. Still, he's too good and too over to simply fade into the background, so I'd look for him to stay near the top of the card for a long time.

CHRIS JERICHO
Then: Another run with the World Title should be in his future. Whether it will happen or not is up for debate. He has all the tools to be a champion. It would be a crime if he were kept away from the title just as he has been for over two years now.

Since that was written he's been solidified as a babyface who is very over with the crowd. I like him more as a heel, both in the ring and as a character, but he's clearly effective in either role. It's a shame that he hasn't reached the main event level because he's definitely talented enough and popular enough to be there. In terms of the overall package, he has everything you could want. He’s a good worker, he’s an excellent promo guy (probably top three on the whole roster), an above average actor, he’s also durable and consistent in everything that he does. The only problem is his height, but really, that’s not a reason to hold the guy back. I think Vince McMahon knows what he has in Jericho, appreciates him for everything he does and one day will reward him with another chance to be the top dog again on Raw.
Grade: A-, PG: A (#1 on Raw)
Outlook: I think his feud with Edge will last quite a while, or at least it should. They’re good friends away from the ring and have probably come up with their own angle to work over the course of the next few months. I don’t see Jericho as a main eventer until after WM21 although I’d love to see him at that level at any time since I feel he deserves it as much as anybody.

CHRISTIAN
Then: I don’t think he’ll go above the Intercontinental Title level anytime soon. Christian is a solid contributor both in and out of the ring, but I just don’t see him moving up the pecking order.

Can’t say my opinion has changed much. I think Christian being hurt for three months really hurt his progress although being in a feud with Shawn Michaels definitely helps him a lot. I know for a fact that Michaels was one of his favorites growing up, so I’m sure he’s going to up his game during this feud. Christian is a solid worker who excels on the microphone, as a character and generally is one of the company’s most consistent mid card players. I consider him a role player. It’s as if he was a key reliever on a baseball team, the first guy off the bench of a basketball team or something like that. He’s not the guy you rely on to sell out buildings, but you can count on him to put on a good show and you can call upon him once in a while to fill that main event slot on TV. For the first time ever, I think Christian could pull it off as a legit main eventer if the company were to put him in that role. I think he could pull it off. Just a good all around performer.
Grade: B+, PG: B (#8 on Raw)
Outlook: I don’t know if he’ll ever get higher than where he’s at now. I also don’t think he has a problem with that. He’s smart enough to know that he can have a good career as an upper midcard guy and I see him staying at that spot. Plus, as long as HHH is a heel it’s not like anybody else can move up a whole lot.

EDGE
Then: No rating due to injury.

He was injured then because of his neck. Now it’s his groin that he's coming back from. Poor Edge. Guy can’t stay healthy, just as it seems the company wants to push him. There were rumors of a heel turn leading to a feud with Benoit, but that never materialized. Now he’ll probably go that route with Jericho. He seems to have a love/hate relationship with internet fans. Personally, I like the guy, but I’m biased since I watched him grow up as a wrestler in the indies. I think he works hard, I think he’s improved in the ring and I think he’s just coming into his wrestling prime now that he’s over thirty years old. He’d probably be better off as a heel, so hopefully when I do this again that’s what he’ll be and we’ll really be able to gauge how good he is.
Grade: B, PG: NR
Outlook: Hopefully he’ll be sans injury for a while so that he can make his mark on the show. Also, let him be a heel, pair him up with Christian again and watch his performances be consistently awesome.

EUGENE
Then: Wasn't on the roster in the spring.

Just when you think he’s out, they pull him back in. Yep, it’s Eugene. He started out like a house of fire, gaining popularity by the week until the Toronto crowd turned on him at Summerslam. Then he wasn’t on TV at the following night’s Raw because the company didn’t want to hear more boo birds. Now they’ve put him out on the shelf due to HHH injuring his arm, leaving many to believe he’d be off Raw for good, only to have him return in a sling to feud with his uncle Eric Bischoff. Frankly, I was a fan of Eugene as a character, just as I’m a fan of Nick Dinsmore the worker. However, it’s been a gimmick that had short term appeal and really doesn’t have much of a shelf life. I doubt that Eugene will make it to WrestleMania in any more than an early match role or maybe a managerial role because there’s only so much you can do before it stops being funny.
Grade: C+, PG: NR
Outlook: I think Eugene’s going to be a name of the past, much like Zach Gowen, in the near future. I think Nick Dinsmore has an awesome future ahead of him in a different gimmick, but I don’t see Eugene lasting another six months.

GAIL KIM
Then: Was injured in the spring.

Remember when she was from Toronto? Not anymore! She’s from Korea! Boo her now! Evil Korea! Ah, don’t you just love WWE sometimes? A girl who grew up in Canada, speaks perfect English and booked from Toronto for about a year all of a sudden is from Korea because the geniuses think that’ll get her more heel heat. Man, that’s just hilarious. Anyway, Gail’s a good performer at times and a poor one at other times. She is very inconsistent in her work, to the point where WWE doesn’t push her very hard in the thin women’s division.
Grade: C, PG: NR
Outlook: With the awesome Trish and Molly duo as Raw’s top two heel divas, there’s not much room for Gail to move up. Hopefully she can get better on the mic or actually get a gimmick just to see if she has what it takes to really become a star.

GARRISON CADE
Then: Once his character is more defined he’ll be able to grow in other areas, such as workrate and mic skills. He’ll continue to work with Jindrak as a tag team.

So much for that team, huh? Since Jindrak was moved to Smackdown in the draft lottery neither guy has done a whole lot (although that may change for Jindrak on SD). Cade was soon paired with Coach, but that ended up going nowhere. There was even a rumor floating around a couple months ago saying he might be called HBCade in a gimmick that mocked Shawn Michaels, the man who actually helped to train Cade to be a wrestler. I think it’s good that never happened. I think Cade’s got a good look to him, he just needs a chance. We can’t really know how good he is in the ring unless they give him a match longer than seven minutes on Heat to figure it out. If not, get him a tag partner and let him try to make some headway there because there’s no point in letting the guy rot away when he has so much to offer.
Grade: C, PG: C (#23 on Raw)
Outlook: I don’t see WWE doing much with him, sadly.

JAZZ
Then: If she’s healthy she’s a valuable heel wrestler in the women’s division. I don’t think the company can rely on her until she proves she can be a more durable competitor. A future women’s title reign could be in her future.

She was really good when she was first brought in to the company as the pure wrestler among all the divas that WWE has. However, since those days both Molly Holly and Trish Stratus have surpassed her as the top women heels on Raw. Also, due to the fact that she’s a poor interview and isn’t as visually appealing as the other ladies (maybe she is to some, but it’s not her gimmick to be that way) probably hurts her chances of climbing back to the top. Right now she’s paired with her real life husband Rodney Mack to form some sort of duo that dances as they walk to the ring. Is that a gimmick? I have no idea.
Grade: B-, PG: B- (#4 on Women's List)
Outlook: As long as Trish and Molly stay as heels, which will probably last for a while, Jazz won’t be back on top of the women’s division. That means she won’t be doing much more in the future.

KANE
Then: I doubt he’ll move up the ladder very much. He’s a veteran who plays his role well. Hopefully they keep him heel for a while because a face turn would be ill advised.

As I write this in late September, Kane is at the ill-advised stage because it seems as though WWE is thinking about making him a babyface due to what happened when Gene Snitsky “killed” his baby. I think WWE would be making a bad move in making Kane a sympathetic character. Even though fans might have sympathy with a baby being lost, the whole baby angle came about because he took away Lita’s methods of birth control. Then there’s the way he destroyed Matt, and…oh, it hurts my head. Point is, Kane is a very good heel.

His promos are excellent, his acting is arguably the best in the company and as long as you can toss logic to the side, his storylines are usually pretty fun. Many times in the past the Kane character has been “off.” Since WrestleMania, when he got squashed by Undertaker for the millionth time, he’s been “on” as much as anybody on the Raw roster. Then there’s his workrate. It’s alright, but nothing to get too excited about. That’s what is keeping him from being in the A range. Otherwise, consider me a fan of the “big red machine” right now.
Grade: B+, PG: B (#7 on RAW)
Outlook: I think WWE will try the face run for Kane even though in the long run they’ll realize it was the wrong move. He is much better as a despised character rather than a sympathetic one.

LITA
Then: She’d be better off as a valet for somebody. Since I doubt they’ll do that, I’d expect her to toil in the women’s division while the more talented women pass her by (just as Victoria did as the babyface woman that won the belt from Molly).

Well, my valet idea actually sort of happened, so that’s good. Her whole pregnancy angle is coming to an end now with the “baby” dying and Lita likely resuming her career as a wrestler by going immediately after Trish Stratus. That means we should get ready for her very slow movements, botched maneuvers and poor sense of psychology! Yippee! Despite my dislike for her in-ring work, the fact is that the fans are into Lita (just like Kane was…yeah, that was an easy one) and as long as she gets that big entrance pop every time out she’s going to get a chance to perform in the ring. I think by WrestleMania XXI she’ll probably get a hold of the women’s title after chasing it for such a long time.
Grade: C+, PG: C+ (#5 of 5 on Women's List)
Outlook: A run with the Women’s championship would make sense as we head into 2005.

MATT HARDY
Then: I think the writers will come to their senses. After WrestleMania, Hardy gets a push as a babyface wrestler in the midcard. There could be an IC title run in his future. Either that or he’ll do jack **** just as he has for the past year.

Thankfully, he did more than jack **** this year. As a fan of Matt, that was good to see. Sadly, though, most of it involved stand up brawls with Kane that didn’t really showcase his all around wrestling skills. While I’m happy that Matt was in a high profile feud with major singles matches, I was upset with the feud simply because of it’s ridiculousness. Ultimately, though, my whole thinking on the feud was that at least Matt got TV time, even if it was in such a far fetched, over the top angle. Better than nothing, right?
Grade: No Grade Due To Injury, PG: C+ (#14 on RAW)
Outlook: Since he’s out with a major knee injury that required surgery there’s not much you can look to for him in the near future. Heal up, dude.

MAVEN
Then: No rating due to injury.

Of all the people on the WWE roster, the use of Maven has me the most perplexed. The company started Tough Enough a few years back with Maven being the first person to win it (along with Nidia). He had some injuries between then and now, but for the most part he’s seemed capable to do the job. Now look where he’s at. What’s the problem? Can’t see anything? Well, that’s because he’s nowhere. The fans like him, they got a chance to actually know the guy due to Tough Enough and what’s their reward? Nothing. How hard would it be to stick Maven out there, give him a feud and see how good he can be? It’s not hard at all. Instead, he gets **** on by management for whatever reason. I don’t get it. In Maven I see lots of potential. He’s a young guy, he’s got a good look, he’s over (despite a lack of TV time), he cuts a decent promo and he isn’t damaged goods like so many other WWE performers. For now, Maven’s just another guy in the crowded WWE midcard with a sign around his neck that says: “Ready to work.” But hey, at least he gets to tell youth voters to smack down their vote. I wonder if when they see him if they ask: "Who are you?" What a shame.
Grade: C, PG: NR
Outlook: While I hope he gets a chance to do something, I have no reason to believe that he will. Thus, he’ll toil where he is now.

MOLLY HOLLY
Then: Molly will continue working as a heel because that’s what she excels at. She looks like a natural at it.

My prediction was right. Since she lost the women’s title (as well as her hair) at WrestleMania XX she’s gone back to being a support player in the women’s division while Trish Stratus became the dominant heel woman on Raw. She’s a solid worker, decent on the microphone and has good heat. No other way to go around saying it other than Molly’s a good performer for this company in every possible way.
Grade: B, PG: B (#3 on Women's List)
Outlook: I doubt her role changes much.

NIDIA
Then: I have no idea. Managing some midcarder, I guess.

Since the last evaluation, her whole blind angle came to end, as did her relationship with Jamie Noble and she was “drafted” by Raw in the draft lottery. Oh, she also got a new set of boobs. A BIG set of them. Is it me or do you also think that when she runs it looks like she’s going to land flat on her face because her boobs are so big that they weigh her down? I guess I’m thinking too much. I thought that maybe they were going to push her into a feud with Trish, but I doubt that now. Since Lita has become un-pregnant (if it wasn’t a word before then it is now), I assume she gets to challenge Trish as we head to the new year. She’s just decent on the mic, in the ring and really has no character other than getting a face pop because of her new boobs. Hey, at least she’s not blind anymore!
Grade: C+, PG:B-
Outlook: Nidia will probably just be filler with large breasts and tops that have the word “sexy” written on them just in case you thought they weren’t.

RANDY ORTON
Then: I think he’ll get a sniff at a main event at some point during the year. He’ll probably lose a title match to a babyface champion. In 2005 he may win the world title, en route becoming the youngest champion in WWE history.

My feelings came true. Not only did he sniff main events, but he’s headlined a couple shows, even winning the prestigious World Title at Summerslam, the company’s second biggest annual event. Some think it’s too much too soon. I, as I wrote back in August, felt that he was ready for it. However, when I wrote that it was under the assumption that he’d remain a heel during his title run, not as the “shove him down our throat even if we don’t want him there” babyface that he is now. That said, there’s a lot to like about Orton.

He’s a good (likely to be great) promo, he’s certainly capable in the ring although he’s going to need some work in that area and he has the kind of love, passion and mind for the business that you’d like every wrestler to have. As I’ve said before, and will continue to say, I think he’s better long term as a heel because he’s got that “I’m better than you” aura about him that is more natural with him as a villain rather than as a hero. I think the company will realize that, as they did with Brock Lesnar a year ago. From his awesome feud and match with Mick Foley to his current main event run, Orton is the clear breakout star of WWE in 2004 although it’s a little too early to determine if it’s a case of too much too soon.
Grade: B+, PG: B (#6 on RAW)
Outlook: I think he’ll be back as a heel after WrestleMania XXI because he’s better off in that role. I also think he’s got many more titles in his future.

RHYNO
Then: I think they get him a manager, possibly Paul Heyman if he steps down as GM at some point.

No manager. Just the purgatory that we have come to know as the tag team division. After being drafted to Raw from Smackdown, he’s been teaming with Tajiri and they’ve done…well…absolutely nothing. They got a nice push to face La Resistance, getting non-title wins and doing everything short of winning the belts before they got their legs cut out from under them. I think Rhyno is good as a tag wrestler. It’s just that he has yet to find that right partner. Rhyno is perfect as the energetic “big man” part of a babyface tag team that gets the hot tag, comes in with a lot of energy and hits the very popular GORE finishing move. Tajiri’s just not the right partner for him. Then again, maybe he is. It’s just that if the fans have no reason to get behind a team or they know nothing about WHY they are teaming (have we ever heard a promo from them about their team ever?), it’s not going to be a good team. Like most people in WWE, Rhyno suffers from being a midcard wrestler with potential who isn’t getting much attention from the people with the pen.
Grade: C+, PG: C (#16 on SD)
Outlook: Based on the most recent Raw, a short feud with Chris Jericho seems likely. After that, who knows?

RIC FLAIR
Then: I think we’ll see his legit retirement match this year. He’ll be around TV as the manager of Evolution. It’s a role that suits him well. Nobody could ever have as much credibility as a mentor.

So much for the retirement, huh? While Flair is not a full time wrestler anymore, he’s still competing inside the ring on Raw during tag matches, as well as the occasional singles match. He’s got the name value, the legendary status and the ability to relate to the crowd, which are things he will always have even after he’s passed away. Wrestling fans will always know Ric Flair, and most of them will love him for all that he’s done. As a support player, it doesn’t get much better. What else is there to say? As I said back in March, his grade reflects his impact more than his work in the ring.
Grade: B, PG: B (#9 on Raw)
Outlook: I think he really comes close to having a retirement match. Could be at WrestleMania XXI. Wouldn’t be shocked to see his real life dispute with Mick Foley turn into a WWE angle too.

ROB CONWAY
Then: Since WWE usually can’t tell what a dead gimmick is, he’ll probably toil as part of La Resistance for most of the year. Hopefully they put him on his own by the end of the year.

See, told ya! The La Resistance gimmick is still going despite being so stale that you can count on your hand the number of people that find it to be creative. Conway’s got what some like to call ring presence. He knows what to do, when to do it, how to do it and most importantly of all, how to make others look good. As a worker he seems like somebody who should be wrestling in singles, but is only in a tag team because there is no other direction for him. It’s a shame because Raw needs some new people to make an impact (ones not named Gene Snitsky, I mean) and Conway’s the kind of guy that needs that one angle to make that impact.
Grade: C+, PG: C+ (#15 on Raw)
Outlook: Since they’re Raw’s only real tag team, I see La Resistance sticking together for another six months at least.

RODNEY MACK
Then: Not rated due to injury.

What’s there to say? He’s not somebody that makes you think about wrestling. When I was at Raw in August he was in a Heat match. I thought: “Hey, there’s Rodney Mack. Was he hurt?” I had no idea. Turns out he was. Really, though, who could have told you that off the top of their head? Point is that Mack’s not the kind of guy you associate with WWE. He does nothing to get your attention. He has no gimmick, he’s not a particularly good worker and he gets no reaction. If he were out of the company tomorrow would anybody notice? I don’t think so.
Grade: D, PG:NR
Outlook: Can’t see much happening in his future.

ROSEY
Then: I think he’ll be released from his contract during the year.

No release. Much like the guy above him, Rodney Mack, there's not much to say about Rosey. He's a big guy who does a good job in making his moves look impactful, but does he do anything to separate himself from anybody on the roster? No. I think he's decent as a part of a tag team, but as long as his Hurricane partnership is treated as a joke then there's no point in me treating it seriously. Stand back, there's a fat guy with no direction coming through!
Grade: D, PG: D (#29 of 30 on Raw)
Outlook: Stuck in a tag team somewhere or released. Pick one.

SHAWN MICHAELS
Then: I think he’ll stay near the top of the Raw food chain for all of 2004. They’ll probably put the world title at him at some point. I’m guessing the summer. I don’t see a heel turn in his future although I hope I’m wrong on that.

See, no heel turn. No title run either. I think a heel turn would do him a lot of good because his character, although over and still popular, could use a kick in the ass. Thing is, I don't know if Shawn would want to be a heel because if he were to do that he'd likely have to tone things down from the last time he was a heel six years ago. Still, I think it would work simply because it would allow him to perform in a different light from where he's been over the last two years. I also wouldn't mind a move to Smackdown just to give me that dream match with Kurt Angle, but I'll hold off on preaching about that for now.

What's most amazing about Shawn is that in his late 30s he's still performing at a high level that few of his peers are at. He is still one of the best workers on, he's still getting some of the biggest pops and he's showing that he's more durable than any of us thought he would be since he came back two years ago. Right now Michaels' role is that of the veteran that is established and lends his name to everybody that is around him. Just to be in a match elevates the midcard heels like Christian, Tyson Tomko and others. Because of that, he's one of the more valuable people on the entire roster. He can be moved up and down the card pretty much at any time because he has the credibility and talent to work in any role he's thrown into. Michaels is as good as they come in WWE right now.
Grade: A-, PG: A- (#2 on Raw)
Outlook: I think his role will be similar to what it is now. He'll be close enough to the top of the card that he won't be main eventing PPVs regularly, but he can always be pushed up there when they need him.

SHELTON BENJAMIN
Then: A singles push in the near future sees him grab IC or US gold, depending on what show he is on. I think he’ll thrive as a heel.

He did get the singles push, he sniffed the IC title, but I was wrong on him being a heel. They're using him as the young, energetic babyface. It's working to an extent. He's over pretty good. As I wrote back at the end of March, Shelton's match with HHH helped truly make him become a star. His push went well after that, defeating Ric Flair (who hasn't though?), then moving on to Randy Orton, who beat him in a close match. After that Shelton got hurt and his progress was slowed down for about three months. Now they're trying to get him going again, but it may feel like they're starting over. I think long term he's a main event wrestler who will evolve into one of the top workers in the company. He has everything going for him in terms of youth, athleticism, the amateur background and the desire to get it done. I don't know anybody on either roster that has a brighter future than Shelton Benjamin.
Grade: B+, PG: B (#6 on SD)
Outlook: I think he'll capture the IC title this year, then possibly move up a notch on the card about a year from now.

STEVEN RICHARDS
Then: I can’t see him changing what he’s doing now. He’ll be “the Heat guy” for a while.

Still the Heat guy. Nothing more. Nothing less. That was easy!
Grade: C, PG: C (#26 on Raw)
Outlook: I can't see him changing what he's doing now. He'll be the "Heat guy" for a while. Cutting and pasting rules!

SYLVAIN GRENIER
Then: No rating due to injury.

Young, still green and the lesser half of his La Resistance tag team with Rob Conway. We don't know much about his gimmick other than he likes to sing the Canadian anthem in French with a really annoying voice. What else does he do? Not much.
Grade: C, PG: NR
Outlook: Stuck in a tag team, which is probably where he belongs because he's not ready to venture out on his own.

TAJIRI
Then: Like I said, I doubt he’ll venture out of the cruiser division. It’s made for him.

Well, I was wrong there too. Instead of keeping him in the cruiser division where he fit in well he was moved over to Raw, formed a senseless team with Rhyno and is pretty much filler on that show. What a shame. Here's a guy who doesn't cut promos, yet always gets reactions from the crowd whether he's a face or a heel. Instead of putting him in a meaningful angle he's just floating around in midcard purgatory with so many people. Now that I think about it, maybe it's a good thing he's not on Smackdown now since they'd probably have him hanging out with Kenzo Suzuki with the lame anti-American gimmick. Still, I'd like to see more from Tajiri because he's solid a performer as there is.
Grade: B-, PG: B (#7 on SD)
Outlook: I don't see much of a singles career for him on Raw. He's probably destined to be tagging with somebody somewhere on the card.

THE HURRICANE
Then: I think they’ll come to their senses and move Hurricane over to Smackdown where he belongs. Maybe it’ll happen at the Cruiserweight Open at WrestleMania.

What was I thinking! WWE coming to their senses! Ha. Instead of moving the guy to the show where he'd be able to thrive, he's continuing the horrible "superhero" gimmick that is about as fresh as three month old bread. There are signs that maybe he'll ditch the mask or break up with Rosey, but really, would anybody care? It's not like he's going anywhere on Raw. On Smackdown as "Sugar" Shane Helms he'd be a fresh face to the cruiser division that could really use it. Instead, they'll let him rot away on Raw. As one of the four people that watched WCW even in its last year, I saw this guy emerge as a star. Since he's been a part of WWE they've horribly misused him so much that those memories of him shining are in the distant past now. What a waste of talent.
Grade: C, PG: C (#19 on Raw)
Outlook: I see him ditching the mask, but not going anywhere with his career unless they do the wise thing, which is moving him to Smackdown.

TRISH STRATUS
Then: I think there’s a heel turn in her future, just to see if she can pull it off as a wrestling heel.

I love this woman. Ah, the reason why I tape Raw on Mondays. You never know what Trish is going to do, or wear, which is why she's by far my favorite performer on either show. She has thrived as a heel to the surprise of many, but not yours truly. As a babyface she was directionless a lot of the time, fighting off the same heel characters that were jealous of her looks or whatever. As a heel she's able to have more character depth as a slut, a liar, a cheater and a cocky individual who knows how to get heat at all times. Quite frankly, she's the best woman in WWE today and probably the best one the company has seen since Sunny was in her prime about a decade ago. Did I mention I love this woman? I do.
Grade: A-, PG: B (#1 on Women's List)
Outlook: I think a big feud with Lita over the women's title is imminent. I think it ends with Lita finally capturing the belt that has eluded her for so long. Trish should still be a heel for a while since there's still more for her to do.

TRIPLE H
Then: I think he’ll stay heel for a while before taking an ill advised babyface turn. It’s ill advised because he’s not a good babyface. Since they’re probably going to do Lesnar vs. Hunter at WM21 he’s going to be a face by then because Lesnar is the better heel and you know Hunter would go over. Maybe he’ll feud with Orton along the way too.

So, what do you think of the Lesnar vs. Hunter chances now? I'm thinking no. Oh well. At least I managed to mention Randy Orton in there. Then again, who couldn't see that feud coming from a mile away? I've liked Hunter a lot this whole year, especially what he's done from WrestleMania XX until now. I think about how he tapped clean for Benoit, how he put Shelton Benjamin over in a way that I'll remember forever, how he had a great Hell in a Cell match with Shawn Michaels that ended their epic feud and although I thought his issue Eugene went on for way too long, it was fun while it lasted. Now he's feuding with Orton probably all the way up until WrestleMania XXI. Can it really last that long? I guess the answer is yes.

Make no mistake about it, Triple H is the top star in WWE. Whether he deserves it or not, he'll make sure you know that. Ric Flair will say it, as will others in countless interviews you read. He is all over Raw, cutting the same promos week after week and usually delivering solid matches too. He hasn't been this healthy in about four years and it's showing in the quality of his work. The question that I have is should he still be the top heel on Raw? Does he have to main event every show he's on? I just think that a part of the reason why WWE is so stagnant right now is because there's no way a heel would ever take HHH's spot as the top dog. Only way that happens is if Hunter goes face, which would then mean he's the number one guy there, even though he's not as good in that role. So yeah, Hunter is still really good, but is it time for somebody else to get a chance? More importantly, will anybody else ever get a chance as long as he's wrestling? I'm guessing that answer is no.
Grade: A-, PG: B+ (#4 on Raw)
Outlook: I think he's probably holding on to the belt until WrestleMania XXI when he'll likely drop it to Randy Orton. Keep him heel. He's better there.

TYSON TOMKO
Then: Wasn't on the roster in the spring.

"Who? Oh yeah, that tall guy with the tattoos. Right. There aren't many of those." I swear that was what one of my friends said a few weeks back when I mentioned Tomko to him. I'm sharing that because it points out that Tomko is very similar to others on the WWE roster. He's got the typical moves of big guys, including the dreaded big boot. "King, did you see that kick?" Yeah, I've seen it JR, about a million times by a million other guys. Tomko's decent in that he's not sloppy in the ring. He's agile, he sells adequately and his offense is believable. It's just that he's not anything different from the norm. Decent? Yes. Great? No. Sometimes that's alright.
Grade: C, PG: NR
Outlook: I see him continuing to be Christian's flunky. If they decided to break them up then Christian would probably be a babyface, but I don't know how likely that would be.

VAL VENIS
Then: Realizing they rarely move anybody up the roster, Venis gets a midcard push that sees him in a feud for the IC Title. Oh, who the hell am I kidding? They won’t use him. Bastards!

Bastards! I told ya. I don't know what to say here. Val's a guy I've personally met on more than one occasion, I've had the chance to talk to him and I can tell you he's one of the nicest people I've ever met. A great company man. In WWE world right now he's not even a jobber, though. He's below jobber level. He's the guy that casual fans point at and say, "I remember him!" It's a shame because he's such a talented guy. Good talker, good worker, great person. Does that mean this company will ever use him properly again? I doubt it.
Grade: C, PG: B- (#12 on Raw)
Outlook: They'll do nothing with him. What else is new?

VICTORIA
Then: I think she’ll stay as the main babyface in the women’s division while Trish, as I predicted earlier, goes the heel route. They have great chemistry together.

The feud with Trish happened with Trish always coming out on the winning end. I think Victoria's pretty good as a face, although her character has absolutely no depth. Like, why isn't she crazy anymore? We never found out. I don't know if she's ever cut a babyface promo either. She's a solid performer, though. Above average for a woman in the ring, she has moves that keeps the crowd into her matches and she's another one of those solid role players on the Raw roster that you need in order to be successful.
Grade: B, PG: B (#2 on Women's List)
Outlook: I doubt she changes from what she's doing now. With Lita probably getting the babyface push, Vic will fade into the background a bit.

WILLIAM REGAL
Then: No rating due to injury.

It's so good to see him in the ring again after having such a health scare for almost all of 2003. He's great for what he's asked to do. A support guy for people like Eugene, Chris Benoit and a foil for Triple H whenever they need somebody to get all bloody. Regal is the definition of what it means to be a strong support player. At this point in his career he's not going to be on the receiving end of a major push of any kind, but that's alright. He's valuable as a veteran to help the younger wrestlers and he's always good for a laugh here or there. Regal's perfect for his role.
Grade: C+, PG:NR
Outlook: I think he'll continue to be the veteran leader in the locker room that he's been for a while now.

GENE SNITSKY
Then: Not on the roster.

A late addition. It's hard to judge the guy at this point. All we know about him is that he looks evil! God, that's hilarious. King yelling about how evil his face looks. Yeah, that's going to lead to a long career. This "baby killer" thing is funny in a bad way. Once Kane gets his revenge on him, what's left for Snitsky? Who knows? That's why I think he's a short-term character without much of a shelf life.
Grade: C-, PG:NR
Outlook: No idea. My guess is he doesn't last a long time since this "baby killer" gimmick can only go so far. Then again, I think about his eyes. They are evil! Evil, I say!


THE OTHERS

These are non-wrestlers who are regular contributors to Raw and/or Heat. They could be announcers, divas, managers or management types who don’t have actual matches.

AL SNOW
Then: Lots of potential as an announcer. I think they’ll move him up to Raw full time by the end of the year or early 2005.

He mentioned on Byte This about a month ago that he'd be moving to Smackdown full time in order to train the Tough Enough kids, so there goes his chance of moving up to Raw full time. Plus, it turns out that I was a little TOO optimistic about him going to the big show. Oh well. I like him, and I think he'll get there eventually.
Grade: C+, PG: B-
Outlook: Moving to Smackdown to train the Tough Enough hopefuls. A role that he's great at.

ERIC BISCHOFF
Then: I think he’ll stay on Raw as the heel GM for most of the year. I don’t think he’d work as well as a babyface.

I think Bischoff is still a good performer, although I think he's a bit stale now. He's been playing the same character for two whole years now. Really, if you want to go back to his WCW days then it's almost eight years now. I guess I'm getting tired of it. On the other hand, it's nice to have that stability with a non-wrestler, so I can understand why he's still around.
Grade: B, PG: B+
Outlook: He'll continue to do what he's done for the past two years as the heel GM of Raw.

IVORY
Then: Not rated in the spring.

Um, she's on that WWE Experience show on Sunday mornings, right? Yeah, she is. Good for her. I don't watch that show, but when I saw her in person she still looked hot, which is pretty good for somebody in her early 40s like her. That's about all the analysis I can give on her. Oh, and she talks a lot.
Grade: C, PG: NR
Outlook: She'll continue to do whatever it is that she does.

JERRY LAWLER
Then: Since he’s tight with Ross I think he’ll have this job for as long as he wants it. I can’t see him doing much else.

I think he's too stagnant. His jokes aren't fresh, he adds little in the way of expertise the way his counterpart on Smackdown, Tazz, does. His comments about the women are just so tiresome. Come on Lawler, you're pushing 50 now, you have no chance these women. Give it up. As I said in the spring, he'll be doing this job for as long as he wants it and I see no reason for him to give it up.
Grade: C+, PG: C+
Outlook: The color analyst on Raw that fails to add much in the way of color or analyzing.

JIM ROSS
Then: I can see him stepping down as an announcer in maybe three years just because he’s been doing it long enough. Until then, he’s not going anywhere.

Still the main voice of Raw as he's been for many years now. His backstage responsibilities have listened now that Johnny Ace is the one in charge of booking house shows and signing some talent, but he still remains the most influential person in the company not named McMahon or married to a McMahon. Hi Hunter!
Grade: B+, PG: B+
Outlook: Same as it is now. JR is the voice of WWE.

JONATHAN COACHMAN
Then: He’ll be the heel announcer guy backstage on Raw as well as continuing his duties on Heat.

The heel announcer on Raw suits him fine. He's doing well.
Grade: C+, PG: C+
Outlook: I don't see him changing roles anytime soon.

LILIAN GARCIA
Then: She’ll continue to sing and ring announce. Tough one, eh?

She's the ring announcer. She's fine at it. She also looks pretty fine.
Grade: B-, PG: B-
Outlook: Ring announcing? Yeah, I think so.

STACY KEIBLER
Then: She’ll continue to do absolutely nothing, but since she’s hot, nobody will notice.

I guess she's a wrestler now, but I'd prefer to forget that. Her getting weak cradle pins on Molly Holly does not mean "wrestler" to me. She's there to look at. She's got legs, she's got no direction and she's got…did I mention those legs? Yeah, I did. Nice legs. Impressive. Should be in her theme song. They are already? Great!
Grade: B-, PG: B-
Outlook: As long as she has those legs she's not going anywhere. Great outlook, huh?

TODD GRISHAM
Then: Not on the roster.

The new nerd announcer on the show! Yeah, great. He's not even listed on WWE.com as of this writing, but I include him. That's what I think of you, Todd. You nerd! Anyway, he's fine in his role. Of course, he sucked hard on the Benoit DVD, but I blame WWE for putting him in that spot when he was clearly not ready for it.
Grade: C, PG:NR
Outlook: He's a backstage announcer. He'll be backstage interviewing people. Another tough one to predict, eh?

CHRISTY HEMME
Then: Not on the roster.

I voted for her every time. What other kind of analysis do you want? It's all about the energy! There, will that do? She's vaulted into fourth place as my favorite WWE girl behind Trish, Victoria and Dawn Marie. Forget $250K, fourth place on my list is better! (By now you can tell that these evaluations are very draining on the mind. I need sleep!)
Grade: B-, PG:NR
Outlook: She's already pretty decent, so I expect her to grow into her role as a Raw babyface diva. She's a good choice too.
THE MEN
1. Chris Benoit (A)
2. Chris Jericho (A-)
3. Shawn Michaels (A-)
4. Triple H (A-)
5. Randy Orton (B+)
6. Christian (B+)
7. Shelton Benjamin (B+)
8. Kane (B+)
9. Edge (B)
10. Ric Flair (B)
11. Tajiri (B-)
12. William Regal (C+)
13. Eugene (C+)
14. Rob Conway (C+)
15. Batista (C+)
16. Rhyno (C+)
17. The Hurricane (C)
18. Tyson Tomko (C)
19. Val Venis (C)
20. Maven (C)
21. Garrison Cade (C)
22. Sylvain Grenier (C)
23. Steven Richards (C)
24. A-Train (C)
25. Gene Snitsky (C-)
26. Rosey (D)
27. Rodney Mack (D)

THE WOMEN
1. Trish Stratus (A-)
2. Victoria (B)
3. Molly Holly (B)
4. Jazz (B-)
5. Stacy Keibler (B-)
6. Christy Hemme (B-)
7. Lita (C+)
8. Nidia (C+)
9. Gail Kim (C)

This is old. I could tell cuz Kidman is still face, booker and dudleys are still face. Christian has been given a big push from the WWE and he has really became a good heel.