1) Daniel Bryan: Since the Royal Rumble, the WWE has booked Daniel Bryan in every TV main event and Roman Reigns in the middle of the card. I get that Reigns lost to Big Show on Raw to build suspense that he might lose at Fast Lane, but it's odd to see Bryan getting more consistent shine. On Raw, Bryan had a fantastic main event against Seth Rollins with the winner moving on to face Reigns at Fast Lane for the chance at the main event of WrestleMania. Not only did Bryan and Seth tear the house down, but Bryan prevailed, securing a PPV main event showdown with Reigns. Over on Smackdown, Bryan was once again given the spotlight, as he successfully defeated Seth Rollins, and J&J Security in a three on one handicap match. While he was beaten down after the match, it was an extremely successful week for Bryan as he continues to show how valuable he is to the company.
2) Adrian Neville: This week's edition of NXT was one of the better episodes. The Number One Contender's Tournament has been one of the best things that NXT has done, which is saying a lot. The Semi-Finals were this past week, with one of those bouts pitting former Champion Adrian Neville against the undefeated phenom, Baron Corbin. I was very interested in how this would get booked since I didn't see Corbin winning, but I also didn't see him losing either. This was the first chance given to Corbin to showcase his abilities in an actual match and Neville bumped for him like a madman. Not only did Neville do a great job of making Corbin look good, but he actually pinned him. I expected Bull Dempsey's interference to lead to a countout win, but having Neville pin Corbin worked better. This was another big win for Neville as he advanced to the finals of the tournament and is set for another marquee matchup on an NXT Live Special. Adrian Neville may as well be considered Mr. NXT as he is their go to guy for big matches on their big shows and he always delivers. They counted on Adrian to make sure Corbin looked good and he did just that, just like I'm sure he will at the special next week.
3) Finn Balor: The other winner in the Semi-Finals of the Number One Contender's Tournament was Finn Balor. He had to square off against his partner and friend Hideo Itami. They got the main event spotlight of NXT and, just like Corbin/Neville, they made the best of it. I gave the match four stars on my 411mania NXT Report and I stand by that. Finn Balor clearly is a big part of NXT and I can see him winning the entire Tournament and earning a title shot before he eventually gets called to the main roster. There was an air of a big fight feel as Itami and Balor met. This is nothing against Itami, because he looked damn great. However, Balor continues to just outshine him and nearly everyone else on NXT.
4) Cage: Lucha Underground has become one of my favorite wrestling programs. After Prince Puma won Aztec Warfare to be crowned their first champion, he successfully defended the title against Fenix. After the match, he was attacked by Cage. This instantly made Cage a legit threat in the promotion. He's been part of the main event scene since then and this week, he racked up what was probably his most impressive win by defeating Johnny Mundo. If there is one guy on Lucha Underground that stands out as a recognizable face it's Mundo. Cage besting him in the main event was big for him and I can totally see Cage as the next Lucha Underground.
5) Santana Garrett: Back in 2010, I remember seeing TNA and thinking that Santana Garrett was pretty attractive as a valet for Orlando Jordan. After leaving the company and getting some SHINE (pun intended) on the indies she returned to TNA as Brittany. I wasn't able to enjoy her return work as I wasn't really watching TNA at the time, but I heard good things. However, just as I chose to return to viewing TNA, her contract was up and she was gone. Never fear though as Santana has found a way to remain successful. Last night, she captured the NWA Women's Championship which is a pretty big accomplishment. She's only 26 years old still so I can see big things in her future. I've heard that she's been at NXT Live Events, so I'd like to see her signed by WWE or even a return to TNA. Both the Knockouts and NXT Divas divisions are excelling right now and she'd be a welcome addition to both.
