Challenging for the World Championship in any kind of sport is a big deal. Whether you were expected to reach that stage or you came in as the underdog, everyone earns their right to perform at the highest level and that's what makes competition so great. In the WWE, however, things are a little bit different what with everything being pre-determined.
But that doesn't mean they don't deserve it just as much as those who compete for real. After all, a lot of Superstars both male and female scratch and claw their way to the top after years and years of hard work and dedication. Because of this, we thought it'd be fun to try and figure out which top level guys and girls will ascend to the dizzy heights of a World Title opportunity in 2017.
Obviously, we're trying to be a little bit more out there with some of these suggestions, which is why the likes of Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins won't appear. A few of these Superstars have had shots at the gold before and others haven't, but one way or another they've been undervalued at some point during their career and they deserve a chance at glory.
With that being said, here are 10 WWE Superstars who will have a World Title match in 2017.
#10 Paige
Yes, we know - Paige has barely been seen on WWE television in months due to a delightful cocktail of suspensions and injuries. Despite this, she's still one of the most valuable female wrestlers that the company has at their disposal and she deserves to have at least one more extended run at the top of the card. Hell, she can work either babyface or heel with relative ease too.
One way they could put the belt on her is by replicating her debut from the night after WrestleMania 30, although that may feel a tad played out. Either way whatever they come up with it's likely to be great, and Paige is guaranteed to get a big reaction considering how long it's been since anyone has seen her. Please, oh please put your differences with her aside Vince.
Didn't you hear? This next challenger isn't like most girls.
#9 Braun Strowman
It's pretty much destined to happen, isn't it? Despite his loss to Roman Reigns at Fastlane which for the record was extremely odd, Strowman is still on his way to the top of the card. The monster among men is in a league of his own right now and if he can reclaim his momentum, he'll easily be champion by the time 2017 comes to an end and it's not that hard to imagine.
If Lesnar wins the title from Goldberg at WrestleMania 33 then Strowman could be the next big match up for The Beast, especially if he wins the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. It might not appeal to some, but Brock vs Braun would be one of the most fascinating bouts in years simply because nobody would be 100% certain as to what is going to happen.
It's time for The Demon King.
#8 Finn Balor
Finn Balor is one of the most promising Superstars in WWE today, and it seems like only a matter of time before he makes his long-awaited return to the company. After being forced to relinquish the Universal Championship the night after SummerSlam the Irishman certainly has a bone to pick with whoever has the title when he returns, and right now that's Goldberg.
It doesn't seem like Finn will get his rematch leading into WrestleMania, and instead he could get involved slightly later down the round around SummerSlam time. Up until that point Balor can have great feuds with the likes of Samoa Joe around Mania season, reminding casual fans of just how good the guy is before he eventually reclaims what is rightfully his. Well, technically.
From one NXT legend to another.
#7 Sami Zayn
Many fans believe that Sami Zayn will always be the guy who puts over the bigger stars but never quite attains that World Championship that will define his career. However, we here at Sportskeeda think that it's entirely possible that the underdog from the underground can capture world title gold in WWE one day. In fact, it could even happen by the end of 2017.
We don't honestly believe he'd win the title if he were to challenge, but given how WWE likes to do things nowadays it's certainly a possibility. Either way, whether it's on Monday Night Raw or WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans, Zayn has all the tools necessary to make a serious challenge for the title and it's just a case of giving him the ball and letting the guy run with it.
Now to a man who knows Sami quite well.
#6 Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe is an absolute monster - and there's the most obvious statement of the year thus far. The guy has been on a tear through the Raw roster ever since debuting as Triple H's glorified bodyguard, in an appearance that saw him put Seth Rollins on the shelf once again. Whilst there are a lot of guys who fit the monster bad ass description on the red brand right now, we've got a feeling that Joe will shine above the rest in the next few months.
He doesn't necessarily have to win the title, but if AJ Styles has taught us anything it's that nothing is impossible. It feels as if the Universal Title will be dominated by heels for quite some time, which doesn't really open the door for Joe to have a shot until later in the year - potentially around Survivor Series. Either way, you'd be smart to put your money on the former NXT Champion if he gets a shot.
Over to the women's roster for these next few entries.
#5 Nia Jax
This one is coming - and it's coming extremely soon. Nia Jax has been on a roll since arriving on the main roster and she continues to impress week in and week out on the red brand. She's gone from being extremely green to being one of the most intimidating Superstars thzt WWE has had in years, and she's unbelievably marketable to go alongside that.
Some people may not like the way she does things or may not understand her move set, but they can't deny that her matches grab the attention of the audience. Also, they should probably get used to the idea of her being in the title picture pretty quickly as it seems to be right around the corner with a likely spot in the proposed WrestleMania 33 fatal-four-way for Jax.
Did someone say weird?
#4 Luke Harper
Boy oh boy how much has Luke Harper's stock risen over the last few months. He went from being just another member of The Wyatt Family to fighting for the right to compete in the main event of WrestleMania. It's been a staggering rise and it's great to see him finally get his opportunity that he so richly deserves, as he is more than talented enough to pull it off.
Unfortunately, he seems to be on the outside looking in when it comes to the Orton vs Wyatt feud for the WWE Championship heading into Orlando, but all that could change in the next few weeks on SmackDown Live. Plus, in the months following Mania Harper could easily challenge Orton or Wyatt for the title as the story is sitting there on the blue brand's lap waiting to be rubber stamped.
From the weird to the fabulous.
#3 Carmella
Carmella has made quite the impression since coming up to the main roster with her heel persona working out better than anyone could have anticipated. The Princess of Staten Island has carved a strong character for herself that has gotten over well with the crowd, and her recent partnership with James Ellsworth has made her look all the more intelligent.
Right now she doesn't feel like someone who could actually hold onto the championship, but she'd be a formidable challenger in the months between SummerSlam and Survivor Series when WWE typically hits a bit of a lull. She's entertaining, she's diverse and a loss really wouldn't hurt her all too much considering she's still in the infancy of her career. It's a no-brainer.
The next man is quite simply - awesome.
#2 The Miz
When questioned about who has been the most successful member of the roster coming out of the brand split, it'd be difficult to name anyone other than The Miz. The Awesome One has been on fire ever since SmackDown Live was awarded its own identity once again back in the summer, and in truth, he'd been doing great work again ever since the return of Maryse.
He's set to be rewarded with a match against John Cena at WrestleMania, albeit in a mixed tag - however following the big event in Orlando it seems only logical for Miz to go after the WWE Championship. After all, he's above the status of the Intercontinental Title now and there are only so many non-title holders for him to feud with on the blue brand.
We conclude with another surprising stand-out from SmackDown Live.
#1 Natalya
Even a month or two into the brand split, it seemed like good old Natalya would continue to struggle when it came to developing a character. However, it turns out that a heel Nattie can actually work as she's taken tidbits from her real life persona and transformed them into a successful on-screen character. Well, successful for the most part, but you get the picture.
With such a thin roster it seems inevitable that Natalya will challenge for the gold pretty soon, and that time may come as early as WrestleMania 33. It might not make sense, but she has been flirting with the idea of challenging Alexa Bliss over the last week or so following her not so triumphant victory over newly found enemy Nikki Bella.
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