Breakout Stars of 2012!

Last year I took a look at wrestlers that I thought were ready to break out in 2011.  On some, I was right, and on some…well, yeah, that didn’t work out so well.  I want to take a look at stars for 2012 that I see breaking out in this post…however, in fairness, let’s take a very quick look back at who I predicted in 2011, and see how I did…

2011

WWE

John Morrison – Oops, wasn’t re-signed when his contract expired and was never really a title threat.

Dolph Ziggler – I said I’d be surprised if Ziggler wasn’t World Heavyweight Champion by the end of the summer.  He’s been a featured guy, but not at that level.  Count me as surprised.

ROH

Chris Hero – Well, never broke out as a singles guy, but dominated in the tag ranks with Claudio Castagnoli until they left ROH in August.  He’s back at least for a short while now, we shall see.

Kyle O’Reilly – I was a bit early on this prediction, but I think the future is still very bright for him.

Mike Bennett – Not at the top of the card, but still a featured guy.

DGUSA

Ronin – Taylor and Swann are a top tag team, and Gargano won the Open the Freedom Gate Title, think I nailed that one.

Akira Tozawa – Featured star on many shows, having awesome matches, I think he broke out in 2011 for sure.

With a quick look at 2011 out of the way, here are my predictions for Break Out Stars of 2012!

WWE

Dolph Ziggler – If I keep putting him on here, it will happen right?  To me, he’s the most likely Money in the Bank winner this summer.  He simply has to be elevated to the top of the card this year, and soon.  He has so much of the “it” factor, it just isn’t funny.  The guy is money. 

Dean Ambrose – I don’t know if he’ll even make the main roster for sure in 2012, but again, this guy just has “it”.  He reminds me so much of Roddy Piper in his work, and his way of making you believe everything he says.  Easily one of the best mic guys in the business today, and he’s not even on the main roster of a major company just yet.  I think that will change quickly, and I could see him being a major player within the year. 

Cody Rhodes – Time for Cody to move from IC Title to top of the card as well.  I always thought Ted DiBiase would be the breakout star of Legacy, but I was clearly wrong on that.  Rhodes will be a top guy for many years to come. 

TNA

I don’t have any specific guys to name here, since I don’t follow TNA as much as other organizations.  However, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Crimson get a push towards the top of the card in the latter part of the year, as they seem to be behind him in a major way since Day 1 with him.  I do like that they have elevated Bobby Roode and James Storm to the top of the card as singles guys this year.  From the little bit I’ve seen, they are both flourishing in their new roles. 

ROH

Adam Cole – Cole can be a really effective heel as well, and I would expect that at some point this year, we’ll see him turn on O’Reilly and kick off a really good feud there, and also probably get some Cole/Richards matches out of that too, which could be a lot of fun.  Could be a big year for Cole, who I’ve read WWE has major interest in too, once his contract comes up with ROH, whenever that is. 

Michael Elgin – Elgin is freaky strong, and a damn good powerhouse in the vein of Dr. Death Steve Williams.  You can already see the seeds of a break from the House of Truth coming, and Elgin/Strong should be a good feud to see play out later this year.  I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see Elgin in the World Title mix at the end of the year, or certainly climbing towards that for 2013.  He will certainly be a more featured player I believe after winning Survival of the Fittest late last year. 

DGUSA/EVOLVE

Uhaa Nation – He basically broke out in 2011, however, I see this being the year where he climbs the card and ends up in a great feud or two.  Nation has that “it” factor that I keep talking about, and it will be interesting to see how 2012 continues for him.  A big man who can move like him is bound to catch some eyes in bigger companies in a quick way.  I know he’s under contract, but we’ve also seen Gabe willing to let guys out of their deals to go to WWE if they come calling too. 

The Scene – They will definitely be players in Evolve as they climb towards the top of the Tag Leaders Board.  However, will they also become players in DGUSA, perhaps even making a run towards the Open the United Gate Tag Titles?  The sky is the limit for this duo, and their loud mouth agent, Larry Dallas.  Could be a big year to be affiliated with the “A-Listers”!

So, who do you think will break out in 2012?  Think I’m way off base with any of these picks?  Did I miss an obvious one?  Let us know in the comments, or be sure to check us out on Facebook too, and feel free to comment there as well!  You can find our Facebook page by clicking here! 

Thanks for reading!  Next week is shaping up to be a big one here at Two Spot Monkeys, so be sure to check back!