5 Things that should happen in WWE before the end of 2019

WWE has not failed to produce quality content in 2019, which will go down as a year of change in professional wrestling. The company added several new elements to its overall storytelling. The King of the Ring tournament returned after four years, and the WWE also added the Wild Card Rule to allow its wrestlers to switch from one brand to another.

The year's incredible journey also saw SmackDown Live sign a record-shattering TV deal with FOX. NXT also secured a TV deal with the USA Network, and WWE seems set to once again dominate professional wrestling.

Still, despite its recent successes, the company has a long road ahead. AEW Dynamite debuted to an incredible amount of fanfare, and the independent circuit is only growing stronger each day. Fan expectations are at an all time high, only make things more challenging for the company in the weeks and months ahead.

2019 will soon come to an end. WWE will then move to the Royal Rumble and the Road to WrestleMania. Here are 5 things that should happen before 2019 comes to a close.

#5 Closure for Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens has not been booked in a consistent fashion over 2019. KO has had altercations with authority and bouts against Shane McMahon, which have grown monotonous. Whenever it felt like Kevin Owens was missing screen time or wasn't in the picture, the company simply decided to pit him against authority. The storyline inevitably grew tiresome.

Kevin Owens has been mishandled much of his career. He has been destroyed by Braun Strowman and Goldberg. Owens could not get away from his pairing with Sami Zayn, either as partners or rivals. Then there was the forgettable temporary stint with The New Day. All these things happened amidst injuries and hiatus. Owens further failed to make an impact during the King of the Ring tournament and instead reignited his rivalry with Shane McMahon.

Owens faces Shane McMahon on the season premiere of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX. One can only hope that it's the last time the WWE uses Kevin Owens in the same stale storyline and that the closing of his feud with Shane McMahon is a sign of bigger and better things to come.

#4 Lashley repackaged as 'The Dominant One'

WWE has made a huge mistake in the way its handled Bobby Lashley's return. 'The Almighty' returned last week on RAW to engage in a potential feud against Rusev. While the storyline makes for an interesting turn of events with Lana being the center of attention, the company needs to make sure that it books Lashley appropriately.

Lashley was a dominant Superstar during his previous tenure with the company. He should continue working as 'The Dominator' that he was once known as.

The character change could help Lashley, but also other Superstars like Braun Strowman, Big E, Eric Rowan, Samoa Joe and Luke Harper, as they would all be suitable opponents for Lashley.

WWE should ensure that Lashley is kept safe and built up as an unbeatable monster. They could utilize Lashley's MMA background and re-establish him as a terrifying Superstar capable of inflicting the same type of damage Brock Lesnar does.

#3 Samoa Joe vs Brock Lesnar (WWE Championship)

If Brock Lesnar is indeed going to become the new WWE Champion after defeating Kofi Kingston, it only makes sense that Samoa Joe dethrones 'The Beast' sooner or later. Most people scratch their head over the fact that Samoa Joe has not won even one main roster championship, so a title run is long overdue.

As one of the company's best in-ring workers, 'The Samoan Submission Machine' clearly deserves an opportunity with the WWE Championship. A rivalry between Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar would be a very exciting feud, as both Superstars are capable of delivering the very best inside the ring.

There are rumors that Lesnar's recent attack on Rey Mysterio could give way for a feud against former UFC Champion, Cane Velasquez. Could Mysterio or Velasquez aid Samoa Joe in his quest for WWE glory? Only time will tell.

#2 John Cena returns with eyes on the Intercontinental Title

Cena vs Nakamura should happen one more time

John Cena and Shinsuke Nakamura have only met once inside of a WWE ring. Nakamura defeated John Cena to earn the right to challenge for a WWE Championship during Jinder Mahal's reign. Two of the greatest professional wrestlers in the history of sports entertainment are sure to give the audience some breathtaking matches.

Having Sami Zayn in Nakamura's corner would certainly add to the feud by providing great promo work. Imagine the back and forth banter between two masters of the mic in Cena and Zayn. A Superstar of John Cena's caliber can help revive Nakamura's career.

John Cena has never won the Intercontinental title, making the feat a rare achievement that he has yet to accomplish. With the Royal Rumble scheduled to take place on January 26th, a feud between John Cena and Shinsuke Nakamura is the perfect way to end 2019 and begin a new year.

#1 The Undertaker returns to challenge The Fiend

Bray Wyatt has done some incredible work with his new character, The Fiend. Wyatt has climbed to the top of RAW's championship picture and is even set to challenge Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship this Sunday at Hell in a Cell.

It is unlikely that The Fiend will suffer his first loss so soon. While there could be interference from either side, The Fiend is set to become the next Universal Champion sooner rather than later.

The best way to end 2019, would be for The Fiend to feud against The Undertaker. 'The Phenom' has made multiple appearances in the past and has looked particularly impressive as of late.

The Undertaker can finally rest in peace and bid adieu to the WWE Universe by either defeating The Fiend and vacating the title, or by passing the torch. The feud could become one of WWE's top storylines on the Road to WrestleMania.

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Edited by Michael McClead