Johnny Nitro has seen how cruel the wrestling business can be, especially with people who participated in the WWE & MTV's short-lived Tough Enough program. Certain WWE superstars turned on the project during season 3, when Nitro (John Hennegan) was a contestant, believing that TE exposed the business a little too much. MTV gave up on Tough Enough, opting instead to focus on the next trendy reality show ("The Osbournes", for example), and stopped promoting the show as heavily as it once did. Sure, the concept was revived in the fall of 2004 with a million dollar 1st prize, but it was Tough Enough's last gasp. The winner that year, Dan Puder, is now appearing on Bodog Fight, while runner-up Mike Mizanin (ex-"The Real World") joined Nitro in moving to ECW last month. Both Nitro & Mizanin are serious contenders for "Most Improved" come the end of the year, but Nitro has already proven he is a major player.

The resume speaks for itself. MNM (Nitro, Melina, & Joey Mercury) won 3 WWE tag titles, and if I recall correctly, they also won just as many in OVW. Nitro has also had 2 Intercontinental titles to go with the recently acquired ECW title, won three weeks ago at Vengeance. How has Nitro succeeded where others have failed?

Despite being a heel for his entire WWE run, Nitro has presence and charisma. Take away the Hollywood wannabe gimmick that MNM was built around (and Nitro & Melina are still cultivating on ECW & Raw, respectively), and you still have a solid, all-around athlete with a gymnastics background (which explains his Thomas Flare spinning legdrop) who has put 200% effort into his work. That he is the ECW World champ says Nitro's the most successful Tough Enough graduate. Period. You figure he'll hold that title until, say, Summerslam, when he'll drop it to champion-in-waiting CM Punk, unless they decide that the title change'll happen at next week's Great American Bash PPV. If he is still ECW's standard-bearer by year's end, though, it will be a testimony to his own work ethic and the company's growing faith in him. The only loss on his record since being drafted to ECW was a non-title tilt to John Cena on 6/26.

The fact that Johnny Nitro is still in the WWE organization now is living proof that the forces responsible for destroying the Tough Enough program underestimated its long-term value. Nitro has proven he doesn't need Melina (his real-life girlfriend) to be a success in the ring. Separating the couple was the best thing that could've happened to Nitro. Being the youngest of the WWE's 3 champions works in his favor, too. He'll be around for a while to come. Like him or not, Nitro is a cornerstone of the WWE's future, and, yes, I do see him headlining Wrestlemania someday. A fan favorite Nitro challenging for the WWE or World title? Yep, could happen. WWE just has to let it happen.