1. Kofi Kingston
Naturally likeable, with a distinctive look and move-set, Kingston long ago cemented his place as a popular and consistent attraction in the middle of the card. So long ago, in fact, that he seems to have been overtaken by inertia, watching from the margins as contemporaries Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, and Sheamus passed him by on the way to their (admittedly brief) title reigns. There were brief signs in 2009 that WWE were readying him for the big push, pairing him in a superior feud with Randy Orton as The Viper began his tour of duty as elevator to the stars that only recently ended with his return to the WWE Title picture. Since then, however, hes sunk back down the card and spent the majority of his time in doubles competition with Evan Bourne and R-Truth. The Tag Titles have been worthless for years, serving as time-killing distraction for mid-level performers the booking team needs to keep busy on-camera until someone else is freed up to provide them with a singles program. The stagnation in Kingstons career could well suggest that McMahon believes he has reached the natural ceiling of his potential, perhaps viewing Kingston as a modern-day Jake Roberts, Owen Hart, or Razor Ramon: a dependable part of the second-tier scene but lacking some essential ingredient that raises a wrestler above the pack and earns them more than the occasional flirtation with the main-event. Today, that position entails making up the numbers in Money In The Bank and Elimination Chamber matches, brief and forgettable runs with the Intercontinental and/or U.S. Titles, and regular jobs to the real stars on Monday and Tuesday nights. Fans of Kingston are not without reason for optimism, however, and the coming months could well prove to be the right time, right place for Ghanas finest. Theres currently something of an imbalance between faces and heels above the level of curtain-jerker, and the time was never better for WWE to promote from within to redress the shortage of prime-time good guys. It seems clear now that Daniel Bryan is being positioned to fill the gaping hole left by John Cenas prolonged absence, with CM Punk sure to return to the title picture and temporarily at least graduate from the number two spot. With Sheamus joining Cena on the bench, and Dolph Zigglers fortunes continuing to fluctuate, McMahon and company will need to look elsewhere to find fresh opponents for top heels Alberto Del Rio and Randy Orton. The recent face turns of Mark Henry and The Big Show represents both good and bad news for Kofi Kingston: good because it suggests WWE is aware of the problem, bad because it seems to consider two tired, uninspiring fatties as more likely solutions. Still, with John Cena not around to covetously safeguard his place as the companys premiere babyface the time must surely be now for Kingston to make his move. With a heel turn as unsuitable for the character as a face turn is for Bray Wyatts, something else has to change and soon to freshen up an increasingly stale routine and reinvigorate flagging audience interest.