With news of John Cena possibly being injured again coming just as CM Punk has also taken time off, it seems that the WWE might be in need of pushing some new blood in the main event scene once again. Whilst Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler have been working to solidify themselves in the main event picture, whether or not they can reach the same levels of stardom as the likes of Cena and Punk - arguably the WWE's two biggest media draws on the active roster - is doubtful. With that in mind, could the likes of the Shield, Ryback and Daniel Bryan be the next in line to be the WWE's new darlings? Certainly, there are reasons to believe that any of those five men could be next on the list to move up the order, with all of them having been pushed in main event roles to varying degrees over the past year. There's clearly confidence within the WWE that all can deliver: after all, the mega-push that Ryback received throughout 2012 was the most sustained in recent memory. Crucially, Ryback was able to connect with the fans despite having already stumbled in the past as Skip Sheffield on NXT (and for a very brief run in Nexus). The ability to adapt to a new gimmick is important it seems with the WWE: who could forget the "Connecticut snob" Hunter Hearst Helmsley or the "Blue Chipper" Rocky Maivia? Equally, the "Feed Me More" chant has caught on with crowds everywhere and Ryback continues to get a sustained reaction. Unfortunately - and here is a major stumbling point - that isn't always a good reaction. "Goldberg" chants haunt Ryback even a year on, with his recent move towards turning heel not even helping all that much. If he wants to move out of the shadow of similar figures in the past and carve his own niche in the market, he will have to make some kind of bold statement - and do so soon. It seems odd to still think of Daniel Bryan as being the "future" of the WWE, given how prolific he was in the independant scene. Bryan is only 31 though and therefore still has a good few years on the likes of Cena, which means he could quite easily fit in to a prolonged main event role for several years to come. His personality, once lacking, has shone thanks to the comedic skits with tag team partner Kane and he already has been proven as a main event talent thanks to his run with the World Heavyweight title. Before "Fandangoing" was a thing, Bryan's "Yes/No" battle with the fans leaked in to the mainstream media and was picked up by several outlets, implying that he is seen as being personable enough to a wider audience. Yet, if you were to compare Bryan to some of his contemporaries, it seems that is much more likely to be a Kurt Angle - dedicated to his craft - than a Chris Jericho, a figure who can balance entertainment commitments along with his wrestling. But what of the "Hounds of Justice"? All three members of The Shield have the youth advantage on the likes of Ryback and Bryan. This might not seem much, but it's important to remember that the likes of Cena and Orton have been a focus of WWE programming since their mid-20s at the latest, which fits in perfectly with the trio's current position. They've been the focus of large parts of TV and PPV since their debut; in less than half a year of active competition, they've been put over Cena, Sheamus, Chris Jericho, Team Hell No, Ryback, Randy Orton, Big Show and most recently, The Undertaker, all in big name matches. Importantly for them - and for the first time in recent history - the WWE seem to have twigged on how to push a group like this, after the ultimate failures of experiments with Nexus and The Corre. What makes Shield all the more impressive is that each member has also been differentiated from each other with their own little habits and quirks: Seth Rollins is the daredevil, perhaps a new version of Jeff Hardy. Roman Reigns is being portrayed as a monster who is also incredibly ring-aware, given his usual habit of saving the team from the brink of defeat with a well-timed spear. Dean Ambrose's quirks and unique fighting style seem to have particularly won over the commentary team. The issue that The Shield will have is how their inevitable breakup is handled. If it is a swift one - where they ultimately all come out of it looking good, without losing repeatedly - then there is no reason to see why they cannot become megastars in their own rights. But one must wonder whether they are all capable of reaching that level; Rollins and Reigns don't seem to be naturals on the microphone, for example (then again, neither were Jeff Hardy or Batista). Ambrose as the "weird" one might be entertaining for now, but if he were to become the WWE's new darling, how much of that would have to be toned down - à la CM Punk's "pipebomb" personality being watered down early on in that gimmick? There is more potential in all three men, but can it be fulfilled? The upcoming months will be undoubtedly the most important for all three of them.