Smark Out Moment

One to Watch is a segment where at the beginning of the year, we try to predict which superstars are going to really shine and become standout performers over the next twelve months. This applies to anyone in the company, whether it be someone on the main roster, a legend that could return, NXT developmental people, or anything else for the most part.

Last year, my choice was Daniel Bryan and it seemed to pan out pretty well for him after he had a good tag team title reign with Kane in Team Hell No, followed up with two WWE Championship wins and an upgrade to becoming essentially the face of the company.

So, with that being said, who is the ONE TO WATCH for 2014?


1. Big E Langston

This should be a good year for him, with an Intercontinental title reign and some noteworthy feuds. By this time next year, Langston should be a bona fide upper-midcarder that has a legitimate shot at winning the Royal Rumble in 2015 (but probably won't).

2. Daniel Bryan

Unfortunately for Bryan, he's going to be shafted quite a bit in comparison to 2013. This is going to be a year of trials and tribulations, where Bryan is consistently booked as an important part of the roster, but never as the guy. Instead of wrestling as the WWE champion, he's going to be losing #1 contender matches and wrestling upper-midcard feuds. This will be a year where WWE depends on Bryan to go out on the pay-per-views and put on good performances but basically receive nothing in return for it (other than, you know, his pay check).

3. CM Punk

Punk will take time off in 2014 which will hurt his chances to be the One to Watch. Likewise, he's already seen main events and big pushes, so I don't think this year will be a standout "breakout and go crazy like never before" year for him. He'll be a big part of the main event and a prominent person to keep your eyes on, but he's not going to be doing anything more than we've seen him in the past and he'll be overshadowed a bit more now that there's only one championship to gun for. Things will be more crowded than ever in the main event and WWE will probably push him aside a bit and give him upper midcard feuds instead of title matches for a few months here and there.

4. Roman Reigns

Unless he is unable to improve on his mic skills, this should be a great year for Roman Reigns. It's easy to see that WWE has big plans for him with the way that they've treated him recently. With the way storylines seem to be going, Reigns could very easily be the one to dethrone Dean Ambrose and win the United States Championship, having a long reign with that belt. A babyface turn could do him well as people love getting excited for a spear. By the end of 2014, Reigns will likely be an upper midcarder and a potential choice for the 2015 Royal Rumble winner.


Sheamus

Triple H loves this guy. There's no way he's returning back from injury and not being a focal point, no matter whether or not the fans give a damn. Look for Sheamus to be a mainstay in the WWE title picture for MONTHS to come, probably as a heel. There aren't many heels in the main event in WWE right now and they can't just keep putting Del Rio in the same spot, so a few people are going to have to turn. Mark Henry could fill one of those roles and Big Show could turn again, but they'll still need more than those 2 powerhouses and Randy Orton. That's where Sheamus comes into play. Around the summer and fall, Sheamus is going to have a HUGE amount of focus put on him I bet, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if they tried their damnedest to force him on the fans to an absurd level.