Opinion

For many professional wrestlers, Hulk Hogan was the pinnacle of superstardom because he transcended the genre.

The face of the Golden Era laid the groundwork for what a lucrative career outside of wrestling could look like. Stars such as The Rock and John Cena later followed in his footsteps as top guys who became successful actors.

So, one has to assume Roman Reigns won't be far behind them. It seems inevitable at this point as the second-generation wrestler continues to grow into a bigger name.

This topic came up recently when Randy Orton discussed his 20-year career with WWE and chided the undisputed WWE universal champion. "I'm sure he's got Dwayne Johnson's agent number on speed dial," he said. "Roman will be in Hollywood, I'll still be here."

The Tribal Chief has already made brief cameos in film and television, and he has also done some voice acting. However, he has talked about the potential for more time in showbiz. His current character work would suggest he may even excel at it.

Reigns told ESPN's The Michael Kay Show:

"That's something I want to dabble in and gain more experience. I want to use these tools that I've learned. WWE has done so right by me and has given me so much and placed so many great blessings and opportunities in front of me. I've just had to capture them and grab that ball and run with it. I'd like to think that along the way I've picked up so many skills and experienced so many things that are going to help me. At the end of the day, we all know how this works. This is a young man's game. You can't fall down your whole life. You have to get to a point where you can transition and continue to connect and create new fresh and evolved content for your fanbase and supporters. I think I have the ability to do that. At the end of the day, it's about getting in that game, being thrown into that fire, and seeing how you do. I have a pretty good track record with being thrown into the deep end. If that's what happens in Hollywood, I'm going to swim."

Even more, WWE President Nick Khan said the company has "big plans" to help him cross over a few weeks ago on The Town with Matthew Belloni (h/t Nishant Jayaram of Sportskeeda). So, the wheels are in motion, and a foray into Hollywood could happen much sooner than some fans think.

Reigns Could Make The Move In 2023

It seems WWE still has at least one big WrestleMania main event in mind for Reigns and that's a showdown with The Rock. As such, next year's edition of The Showcase of the Immortals in Inglewood, California seems like the perfect destination for this first-time encounter.

The 36-year-old still has a few good years left in him, but the company might be wise to strike while the iron is hot. He has reached the height of his popularity and The Great One is one of the few WWE legends he hasn't faced yet.

Furthermore, Reigns' contract reportedly ends in 2023. This isn't an official date, but it lines up well if the marquee match with The Rock does happen. It would offer him a nice way to cap off his current run before making the jump to Hollywood.

Honestly, what would be left for him to do with WWE following such a significant career highlight? WrestleMania 39 could mark his seventh appearance in the main event at the showpiece, putting him two outings away from breaking Hogan's record of eight. That's something he still has plenty of time to do if he works a lighter schedule.

Even if he doesn't face The Rock next year, The Tribal Chief has essentially beaten everyone noteworthy. There's still room for a rematch with Seth Rollins. After all, The Visionary still has some claim to a follow-up to their Royal Rumble match, but the company hasn't built anyone else up as a believable contender.

So, some time away next year would be a nice way to reset the roster in his absence and set up some fresh matchups for his return.

Who's Next Up?

This raises the question: Who's next in line if Reigns does step away from the ring for an extended period of time? WWE would have to fill a gaping hole if he does because the company centers so much of its programming and advertising around him.

Maybe that's why Vince McMahon started grooming Theory as his new protege. Someone from NXT 2.0, such as Bron Breakker, could also make the jump to the main roster and become a fixture. Neither of those options feel like suitable replacements because they don't command the same star power, but Khan's comments would seem to suggest there have been internal conversations about it.

Over the past few years, WWE has seemed reluctant to allow its biggest stars to eclipse its brand because it cost them valuable assets like The Rock and Cena. The approach to Reigns' eventual jump to Hollywood may be different if the company already knows about it.

If nothing else, the return of Cody Rhodes could offer an adequate distraction while management develops the next top guy. It seems surreal to imagine The American Nightmare as the main champion with The Tribal Chief off of television, but it's not far-fetched right now.

The former All Elite Wrestling executive vice president is proof that a lot can change in a year. So, you never know who else could step up or join the roster.

Pass-rusher Von Miller might be new to the Buffalo Bills, but he's no stranger to the NFL spotlight. This past February, he won his second Super Bowl as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. Back in 2016, he was named the MVP of Super Bowl 50 after notching six tackles, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in a Denver Broncos victory.

Miller hasn't just shined on the championship stage, either. In nine-plus seasons with Denver and a half-season with the Rams, he has logged 115.5 sacks, 27 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries, 154 tackles for loss and one defensive touchdown.

In 2018, Millers was the Denver Broncos' Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee.

An eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro, the 33-year-old Miller is well on his way to the Hall of Fame. With a six-year deal in place with Buffalo, he'll look to add more accolades to his resume.

Like most NFL stars, though, Miller isn't a football player only. He enjoys other off-field pursuits and passions, including his Von's Vision foundation.

Von's Vision

Ever since he was drafted second overall in 2011, Miller's eyeglasses have been an easily recognizable feature. He has used his high profile to help others with their own vision needs. Over 10 years ago, he started Von's Vision, a charity that helps in-need students with vision care.

Earlier this month, Miller hosted his third annual Gig'em Gala to help raise money for Von's Vision.

"I've had eye problems and eyeglasses problems my whole entire life, and I was just sitting at the house one day, signing autographs, I took my glasses off and I was like, 'Man, I'm going to start Von's Vision,'" Miller said, per Darryl V Bruffett of KBTX. "I'm going to give back contacts, glasses, LASIK surgery, pretty much anything to do with eyes back to children in need."

For Miller—who won the 2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports—Von's Vision is more than just a charity. It represents a bond with the children he's helping.

"To really help in that area, it's incredible," Miller said, per Jon Heath of Broncos Wire. "I haven't gotten LASIK to this point just because of that."

Von's Vision incorporates multiple programs, including free eye screenings, free vision testing, access to prescription eyeglasses and Von's Vision Centers—mobile optometry kiosks that help in-need students receive the vision care they need.

"It's incredible," Miller said.

Through Von's Vision, Miller will ensure that he leaves a lasting impact long after his playing days have ended.

A Poultry Scientist

When Miller isn't busy chasing quarterbacks or helping the world see better, he might be found tending to his chickens.

Miller, who graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in poultry science, owns his own chicken farm in DeSoto, Texas. It wasn't initially a goal for him, but he became fond of his fowl friends after taking an elective in college.

"My professor, Dr. [Morgan] Farnell, he wouldn't let it be an easy class—you know how these electives can be, you just go in there and sleep through it," Miller told Sam Alipour of ESPN The Magazine. "But he made it a point to make sure I knew my information. And then I learned about it and really enjoyed it. Before you know it, it's my major."

While chicken-raising isn't exactly a typical pastime for modern NFL players, it's more than a hobby for Miller. Just don't expect him to use his chickens as offseason training partners.

"You know, I'd rather chase quarterbacks," Miller said, per Alipour. "Chickens are way more athletic than the most athletic quarterback you could probably go get."

Miller is still having little trouble chasing quarterbacks, even at 33. In the 2021-22 playoffs alone, he logged four sacks and six quarterback hits. Of course, his quarterback-chasing days won't last forever.

Whenever Miller decides to hang up his cleats for good, though, he'll have no trouble occupying his time.

If you're in the market for a wide receiver in the 2022 NFL draft, you're in luck. This year's class is as deep as it is talented. And while there are those who prefer Treylon Burks of Arkansas or Garrett Wilson of Ohio State as the No. 1 prospect at the position, in the opinion of some draftniks, the best pass-catcher of the class is Drake London of USC (B/R Scouting Report).

But after fracturing his ankle last year, the 6'4", 219-pounder skipped workouts at the combine. That left a lot of scouts eager to see London run the 40-yard-dash at his personal pro day a few days ago in order to alleviate concerns about his speed and ability to separate at the NFL level.

However, London elected not to run, leaving those speed concerns looming over him and ratcheting up the risk for NFL teams considering spending their first pick on him.

According to Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times, London downplayed his decision to skip athletic testing once again after he tweaked his hamstring while working out ahead of USC's pro day last month.

"You know, everybody has six, eight weeks, a couple months to really train for that, whether it's broad jump, vertical, all of that," London said. "I was just trying to get back running at the end of the day. The tape is out there. You've seen it."

There is indeed plenty of tape of London using his big frame to high-point passes and out-muscle defenders. He hauled in 88 passes for 1,084 yards and seven scores last season in just eight games before injuring his ankle last October.

And to be sure, London has his supporters. They include Bleacher Report's scouting department, which slotted London as not only the top wide receiver but also the No. 3 prospect in the entire draft.

"London has more to his game than you'd initially think given his size," Nate Tice wrote. "He is able to run a varied route tree that asks him to throttle down, which is even more impressive given his large frame. …Overall, London's size, athleticism and route-running ability project him as a valid Day 1 X WR for NFL teams with true mismatch potential every week of the season. And he has enough polish and nuance to his game to be asked to line up across the formation given the play call that only adds to his All-Pro potential."

Drae Harris of the Draft Network also talked up London's size, physicality and route running.

"He is an excellent athlete with regards to jumping ability, body control, and agility for a big receiver. In the run game, he has the potential to be a dominant run blocker due to his toughness, length, and competitive spirit. He is surprisingly very good as a runner after the catch. In the passing game, he is excellent. He has outstanding body control and agility as a route-runner and uses his bigger frame to "big boy" smaller defenders. He is excellent in contested-catch situations and uses his strong hands to secure the football in traffic."

Frankly, you'd be hard-pressed to find a scout who disagrees with those assessments. London is big, physical and sure-handed, and his route tree is relatively refined.

London is talented, to be sure.

But is he fast enough to consistently separate from defenders at the professional level?

It's a concern that has been voiced by multiple pundits, including Oliver Hodgkinson of Pro Football Network.

"For all his athletic gifts," he wrote, "the USC WR isn't blessed with long speed. London does his best work on short and intermediate routes, using his after-catch ability and physicality to add extra yards. He won't separate downfield based on speed alone."

Draft Wire's Natalie Miller also expressed worries that London's long speed (or lack of it) could hinder him at the next level.

"While London's deep-ball play is excellent, there will always be some concern about a receiver that lacks the ability to create consistent separation. That can lead to defenders squatting on routes in anticipation, and basing part of a game plan on his ability to win those contested catches constantly against elite defenders. Some teams will shy away from that. His quickness is not noteworthy either, instead having to use his body as a shield on shorter routes rather than burning past defenders."

Had London run even an OK 40 time, most scouts would likely have smiled, written "fast enough" in their notepad, and that would have been that. But by not running, London may have created a flicker of worry. Raised a specter of doubt. Brought back a ghost

The ghost of Laquon Treadwell.

In 2016, many of the same superlatives attached to London were affixed to Treadwell. He posted an 82/1,153/11 line in his last year at Ole Miss facing some of the nation's top defenses. Scouts lauded his size and physicality and his natural feel for the game. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Treadwell to DeAndre Hopkins. Per the Vikings' website, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports called Treadwell the "next Dez Bryant."

Treadwell did run at his pro day, but even a wildly disappointing 4.63-second 40 didn't stop then-NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock from lauding Minnesota's decision to draft Treadwell 23rd overall.

"We all know he ran a 4.65 40 at his pro day. So, either you believe in him and his game, or you don't. He's a natural hands catcher and will win 50-50 balls. He's also one of the best blocking wide receivers in this draft. He's physical, tough and has great hands. I think the Vikings got a winner."

What the Vikings got was a player who just wasn't fast enough to play wide receiver at the game's highest level. In four years with the team. Treadwell never caught more than 35 passes. His season high in yardage in Minnesota was 302. He scored all of two touchdowns.

Now, London deciding not to run a 40-yard-dash doesn't doom him to Treadwell's fate any more than John Ross peeling off a 4.22-second 40 in 2017 guaranteed his success in the pros.

It didn't even a little. Being fast isn't all that helpful if you can't catch.

London checks just about every other box, whether it's size, hands, physicality or route refinement. He would appear to have all the tools to be a good wide receiver.

But NFL teams drafting in the first round aren't looking for good. They are looking for great. The biggest question mark regarding London's ability to be great was his straight-line speed. That question now looms larger than ever.

This may all be much ado about nothing, but as badly as NFL teams want to hit on their first pick, they even more desperately want to avoid whiffing on it. Risk is a four-letter word to general managers in more ways than one.

And in electing to leave the speed question unanswered, Drake London has become a riskier pick than Wilson, Burks, Chris Olave and Jameson Williams, the latter of whom showed ridiculous acceleration and athleticism last year before tearing his ACL.

Is it possible that London will emerge as the best receiver from the Class of 2022? Yes.

But less than two weeks from the big day, he has emerged as the riskiest of the high-end options.

In this day and age of social media and smartphones, WWE fans get a ton of looks behind the curtain and on the business side of wrestling, but never as much as getting the company's internal power rankings of its own Superstars. 

Until now, apparently. 

With WrestleMania now a distant memory, it looked like things in wrestling land would slow down when it comes to rumors and buzz. Instead, an alleged leaked list of company tier rankings for Raw Superstars threw out quite a swerve. 

According to PWinsider (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), the top-listed men's babyfaces are as follows: 

1. Bobby Lashley
2. Cody Rhodes
3. AJ Styles

And the top heels: 

1. Seth Rollins
2. Kevin Owens
3. Edge & Damian Priest

On the women's side, according to PWinsider (h/t Ortman), the babyfaces: 

1. Bianca Belair
2. Alexa Bliss
3. Rhea Ripley

And heels: 

1. Becky Lynch
2. Carmella
3. Zelina Vega

The lists, no matter how accurate, provide a lot to dissect, to say the least. 

Look at the Raw men's babyfaces, where Bobby Lashley would somehow be considered the top good guy. Yet it's no wonder fans seem a bit lukewarm on him—his entire recent title reign was completely derailed so the main event scene could focus on Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns—and only Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns—at the expense of the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber and more. 

Then there's the Cody Rhodes conversation. Based on the reaction to his stunning return at Mania after serving as one of the founding fathers for WWE's biggest competitor, All Elite Wrestling, one would think he'd already sit No. 1 on the list. 

And he probably should. WWE has had a brutal time building babyface stars. Look at how fans reacted to Reigns for a long time compared to how much they've loved his current heel saga. Heels are the cool thing. 

Which is to say there's a short shelf life on Rhodes as a babyface, and it might be better for WWE to capitalize on his momentum and goodwill now before it evaporates. Wait too long and any eventual title win might receive a tepid reception. 

Anyway, AJ Styles sticking in the top three isn't any big surprise, and neither is Seth Rollins as the top heel. Funnily though, he's a good example of how hard it is for promotions to book characters in this day and age. The company believes Rollins a heel and he acts like one, yet one doesn't have to strain their ears too much to hear how much fans still love him and want to see him succeed. 

Interestingly, it's Kevin Owens in the second slot and not Edge. The former is more of a goofy heel most fans seem to love. His entire feud with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was simply talking bad about a state. Edge might be the only heel here that is straight-up violent and dangerous in an old-school way. 

There are similar themes on the women's side of the rankings, too. Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley standing tall in the top three as babyfaces is, if nothing else, WWE fully embracing the next generation of main-event stars. 

But still sandwiched between them, somehow, is Alexa Bliss, who has wrestled just one match since September of 2021. That's not a knock on her, either—she's one of the best in the world. But one would think WWE could have built up somebody else like a Dana Brooke or even Liv Morgan to occupy that slot. 

And then there's the heel list for the women's side which is, to be blunt, a mess. Becky Lynch is technically the top heel, but it's a "begrudgingly" sort of placement because fans seem so unenthusiastic about it. WWE tried for the shock appeal of her returning early to beat Belair to get the ball rolling on that, but it was met with backlash and mostly indifference since. 

That Carmella is right behind Lynch on the heels list isn't necessarily a good thing. She would appear to be flirting with legitimate go-away heat with fans because of the way WWE keeps pushing her YouTube show with Corey Graves. That's as opposed to heat from fans for in-ring actions or interactions with other Superstars. 

Zelina Vega, at least, is a superb name to slot in the top three for a brand right now, and if and when Lynch goes back to a babyface role, she could be the successor to the No. 1 spot. 

Looking at the women's side specifically, it's apparent just how much Raw struggles for depth right now. Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Ronda Rousey are all on SmackDown. The women's division desperately needs Asuka and Bayley back from injury to help flesh out lists like these. 

As a whole? The lists could certainly look worse. Like any WWE plans for angles or stars, they're also surely fluid and can change on a moment's notice. But it's quite an interesting snapshot into what WWE hopes to accomplish with its red brand in at least the short-term, while potentially saying quite a bit about omitted names like Finn Balor and tag-based stars like Randy Orton. 

Do the lists look anything like the way fans might rank the same thing? Certainly not, but that gap doesn't have to be a bad thing, either. It leaves room for surprises, not to mention opportunities for the company to hear fan wants and make them happen over time. 

For now, this is the state of WWE and who the main drivers of the vision will be as the next march to a Mania starts in earnest.