As we creep past what is essentially pro wrestling’s mid season mark, I’ve been considering some of the stars of the business. Title pictures will be changing rapidly over the next couple of months, with careers rising and falling in an ever-entertaining pattern.

As ever, the value of individual wrestlers is constantly in flux. Some athletes are coasting on the strength of their reputation, while others are trying desperately to carve out their own niche. Here are a few of the players whose positions on the totem pole may be somewhat misleading.

Underrated:

The Miz
Admit it, you hate him. But for the most part, it’s in a good way. Miz is one of the best heels in the business, and his skill in the ring is widely underestimated. WWE has done a great job assembling a stable of young talent, with guys like Miz, Randy Orton, Kofi Kingston, and Cody Rhodes leading the way. He’s going to be great. Just wait and see.

Abyss
Ignore the cheesy Hulk Hogan gimmick. Abyss is back to doing what he always does – acting crazy, kicking ass, and policing the ranks of TNA. The big man’s Black Hole Slam is one of the best finishers in the business, though it doesn’t get nearly the press it deserves. When he’s on, there are few monster heels better than Abyss.

Overrated:

John Cena
Alright, let’s clarify this rating. His skills in the ring are tremendously, vastly, insanely overrated. His entire repertoire consists of somewhere in the neighborhood of four moves, and his matches all blend into one another. He’s not a lot of fun to watch between the ropes, bottom line.

He is, however, one of the best microphone men in the business, and many of his promos are solid gold. Every generation of wrestling fans needs a character like Cena, someone palatable to the mainstream market. It’d be nice to see him involved in a few more interesting storylines, but at least he’s not quite as bad as the next man on the list.

Jeff Hardy
He has his moments in the ring. But this guy just drags too much trash in his wake. Drugs, alcohol, pseudo-artistic nonsense and (worst of all) Shannon Moore. Nobody likes you Shannon. Take your goofy hair and creepy, enigmatic book and go back to working at Home Depot.

But anyway, back to Jeff. He used to be a dynamic performer. Hell, he still can be. But most of his promos and ring activities are starting to become stale and silly.

- Taylor Maxwell

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Tags | Abyss, Cody Rhodes, Jeff Hardy, John Cena, Kofi Kingston, Miz, pro wrestling, Professional Wrestling, Randy Orton, Wrestling