Some places do power rankings. Here at Cageside we do a stock report.
In this weekly series, we identify three Superstars (or groups of Superstars) that are on the move, and three that are moving in the opposite direction. After a busy week that includes the Dirty Dawgs the Consider tag titles, Angel Garza loses the 24/7 title, and Legends Night on Raw, many fortunes have been changed.
With that in mind, let’s look at whose stocks have declined the most this week:
Stock # 3: Shayna Baszler
I thought Baszler was on the rise after last week’s dominance over the Sexy Muscle Friends, but Shayna could not overcome the downward pull of 50/50 discussion. Dana Brooke pinned her this week (January 4) Raw, and then Mandy Rose beat Brooke Baszler after the game.
Stock # 2: Elias & Jaxson Ryker
It is not ideal to have a similar gimmick as another wrestler and then to be determined as the inferior version of the gimmick. This is essentially what has happened to AJ Styles and Elias over the past two weeks. They are both heels recently put together by intimidating bodyguards, but over the past two weeks it has been made very clear that Styles is a much better wrestler than Elias, and Omos a much more effective bodyguard than Ryker.
Stock # 1: Sami Zayn
Zayn is having a hard time right now. After losing the Intercontinental Championship to Big E to finish 2020, Zayn was pinned down by Apollo Crews the following week, and was defeated in less than 20 seconds by Rey Mysterio on this week’s (January 8) episode of Consider. Given Apollo’s strong performance in a title game against Big E, it’s not a guarantee that Zayn is even in line for a rematch against Big E.
Let’s now look at whose stock has increased the most this week:
Stock # 3: Drew McIntyre
It’s one thing to hold the WWE Championship for a while and run through the top card heels on pay-per-view. But you know you’re a long-standing main event in WWE if you become a good man for best pay-per-view games on a part-time basis like Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, Undertaker, and so on.
After successfully defending the WWE Championship against Keith Lee RawDrew McIntyre was booked in a WWE Championship match against the returning Goldberg Royal Rumble 2021. McIntyre already has a win over Brock Lesnar, and now he has the chance to add Goldberg to the list of part-time major events he has conquered. WWE is not crazy enough to actually discuss Goldberg to win this game, right?
Stock # 2: Adam Pearce
Five-time NWA world heavyweight champion Adam Pearce wins glove contest Consider. As a result, he is currently planning to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship on Royal Rumble 2021. To say that it came out of nowhere would be an understatement.
Stock # 1: Shinsuke Nakamura
It was Seth Rollins in 2018. It was Kofi Kingston in 2019. Will it be Shinsuke Nakamura in 2021?
Rollins and Kingston both received great pressure in those years after an unforgettable performance in a glove match. The most interesting story from the latest glove match is that Shinsuke Nakamura could easily become a big deal in WWE again. There are so many possibilities he can go from here, including an obvious babyface run, as indicated by his handshake with Daniel Bryan. In the short term, he will get a match with Jey Uso next week. Looking ahead, Nakamura will now be a key player at Royal Rumble 2021? What about WrestleMania 37?
It is not a conclusion that this will lead to a lot of pressure for Shinsuke. But considering he could not even last three minutes with Otis less than a month ago, it’s a big step for the King of Strong Style.
There you have it, Cagesiders. Whose share do you think has changed the most this week?