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WWE is an ever-changing entity and will undoubtedly look much different by the end of the year then it does right at this moment. Not only does that mean championships will change hands, and Superstars will turn babyface and heel, but it also means that new Superstars will rise to the occasion and The WWE Universe will get answers to some very important questions.
With that being said, and the current direction that Raw and Smackdown Live are taking storyline wise, here are 20 predictions for what will happen before the end of 2018. Keep in mind that these predictions are based on what The WWE landscape currently looks like and how the company will build upon that.
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The company is now halfway through their calendar year, but as we've seen over the past few months, so many things can change in such a short time and there's still plenty that has to play out on WWE television over the course of the year. Brock Lesnar is expected to leave for the UFC at some point, Ronda Rousey is expected to keep being elevated and Roman Reigns is expected to.. well.. stay on top.
In the end, maybe they happen and maybe they don’t, but from who will be Universal Champion to how WWE will finally get Roman Reigns over with fans, here are the answers to the questions that every WWE fan is dying to know.
#20 Bayley becomes women's champion again
As crazy as it may seem for Bayley to be put anywhere near the Raw Women’s title picture, the move would arguably be the only way for WWE to add any real meaning to a Sasha Banks versus Bayley match. In fact, it might be the only thing that makes it even remotely worth watching.
With that being said, the only way that WWE can make this work is to have Bayley or Sasha Banks feud over The Women’s title. Not only would The Women’s title serve as the catalyst to make each superstar push their boundaries further, but also will allow for the two Superstars to more believably do that without scarifying their character in the process.
In the end, WWE has been trying for over a year now to justify a mean streak for Bayley and the Raw Women’s championship might be able to do just that. It might even lead to a complete character change for Bayley.
#19 Rey Mysterio returns
The WWE Universe got quite the surprise when Rey Mysterio participated in the 2018 Royal Rumble and they even got another one when he took part in The Greatest Royal Rumble as well. WWE seems to still have some interest in bringing Mysterio back with the company for another run, which could involve him being used to strengthening the dying Cruiserweight division.
Not only would this be a great way to capitalize on Mysterio’s appeal to the younger crowd, but also a way to get nostalgic older fans interested in 205 Live again. In the end, Mysterio as Cruiserweight champion would be a huge step in the right direction for 205 Live and might be a great way for WWE to set up some dream matches that the WWE Universe has wanted to see from Mysterio for a long time.
#18 The Shield will reunite
It’s no secret that WWE is still desperate to make Roman Reigns the company’s next top guy and while they failed in doing so at this year’s WrestleMania in New Orleans, that doesn’t mean they are done trying. In fact, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins teaming up together multiple times in the month of May seems to point to a full-on Shield reunion happening sometime soon.
Of course, the reunion won’t be complete until Dean Ambrose returns after recovering from his elbow injury, but it seems like all the pieces are there for a Shield reunion when he gets back. Another thing that points to a Shield reunion happening sometime soon is the fact that WWE is releasing a DVD about The Shield Soon, which is supposed to detail their rise and eventual fall as a team.
Whether the WWE is actually able to capitalize on Shield nostalgia to help get Roman Reigns over remains to be seen, but there aren’t many other avenues WWE can take in order to get the fans behind The Big Dog right now.
#17 The New Day breaks up
Everything comes to an end eventually and The New Day are no exception to that golden rule. Of course The WWE has been teasing a New Day break up over the month of May, but one has to wonder when the company will actually pull the trigger on the whole thing. Another thing that fans have to be wondering is what exactly the company has planned for them after the split.
WWE might be willing to give Big E a chance at the title hunt once The New Day split, but he doesn’t seem to have much use past that point. In fact, if he is unsuccessful in his bid to win The WWE Championship, he will probably spend the next portion of his career as a floundering midcarder.
#16 Asuka Vs. Charlotte Flair rematch
The WWE Universe were left in shock when Charlotte ended Asuka’s two year undefeated streak at WrestleMania 34 and while "The Empress of Tomorrow" has been on a bit of a downward spiral since then, expect things to kick up a notch as summer comes to a close.
Not only would that be a huge ratings grabber for The WWE as the summer goes on it would also be a great chance for Asuka to finally avenge her lose to The Queen at WrestleMania 34. The best part of this all however is the fact that Charlotte will ultimately lose nothing by being defeated in the feud, which allows WWE to set up Asuka versus Rousey in the future.
#15 Neville returns
It has been reported that Neville left WWE high and dry due to being unhappy with his current position on the card and the direction his storyline has been going in. While some thought that this would be the beginning of the end for the former NXT champion, especially since some Superstars would be fired for such an offense, Neville has yet to be let go.
Not only could Neville thrive in a heel role on 205 Live and maybe jump start the division again , he could also work nicely as a midcard babyface and even work his way into the Universal Title picture.
#14 Conor McGregor debuts in WWE
Some might see this as fantasy scenario for WWE, but it becomes more and more realistic one the facts are examined. The first thing that needs to be looked at is if he has any chance of fighting in The UFC again, which will probably not happen after he attacked a bus during a press event in Las Vegas and was even jailed for the offence.
Another thing that makes this scenario even more real is the fact that Brock Lesnar will most likely be leaving WWE for a while after dropping the Universal Title at SummerSlam, which leaves the company in need of a legitimate fighter.
In the end, McGregor needs a place to go and WWE needs someone with a reasonable amount of star power. It’s not a match made in heaven for WWE and McGregor, especially since the company will then have to deal with McGregor’s antics behind the scenes, but it may all be worth it if WWE can bring another big UFC star to UFC.
#13 Rusev and Lana leave WWE
Let’s be honest here. Rusev is rumoured to be unhappy in his current role with WWE and while he seems to be sticking things out so far, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to last much longer. In fact, Rusev is rumoured to have asked for his release multiple times due to his poor position on the card, which means that a release might be in his and his wife, Lana’s future.
While this is just speculation at this time, Rusev’s current gimmick on SmackDown Live doesn’t seem to be getting a lot of attention, and he is no closer to finally putting himself into the WWE title picture either. There were also rumours that Rusev would get a huge makeover, be paired back up with his wife Lana, and would turn heel again, but not of those came to fruition so far either.
In the end, the decision is ultimately going to come down to how the two are treated in the coming months, which based on WWE’s past decision, will lead to the two leaving for good.
#12 Baron Corbin replaces Kurt Angle as Raw General Manager
Stephanie McMahon has already made it a point to undermine Kurt Angle’s authority as General Manager of Raw, which seems to be a sign that he will be fired by Stephanie McMahon before the end of the year. Another thing that points to this being the case is the fact that McMahon assigned Baron Corbin to keep an eye on Angle for her, but who knows if that will be what ultimately leads to the feud.
With Angle serving as GM for over a year now, it makes sense for WWE to freshen things up a little bit on Raw and maybe move Angle to a part-time role in the process. Of course, some might be upset with that decision, especially since it removes one of the most beloved WWE veterans from television, it’s all worth it if it achieves something.
What the ultimate goal remains to be seen, but it might have some focus on Corbin. In fact, maybe WWE could have Corbin take over as general manager sometime down the line. He could also work as Stephanie McMahon’s henchmen, which would be equally as fun to see and allow him to insert himself into the title picture.
#11 Charlotte Flair turns heel
Charlotte Flair is that rare breed of superstar.
Not only is she amazing to watch in the ring, she is also one of the very few superstars that can transition from face to heel seamlessly. In fact, one only has to watch her role as The Queen of Monday Night Raw to know that the woman was unmerciful as a heel and that she could very well do the same thing on SmackDown Live.
With Charlotte turning babyface when she arrived on Smackdown Live over a year ago, it definitely makes sense for her to turn eventually turn heel again. While some might not be happy with her doing so, especially with how great of a run she had as a babyface champion, turning her heel is arguably the one thing WWE could do to reinvigorate her character and put her back into the title hunt.
#10 Samoa Joe wins The WWE Championship
However he is thrown into the title picture, later on, remains to be seen, but fans can rest assured that he will be champion before the end of the year! Furthermore, he will be one of the most dominant heel champions in recent memory and will go on to have a long title reign.
Samoa Joe has already shown why he deserves to be WWE champion, and it looks like WWE is finally ready to capitalize on that. While some might see it as a waste of time and bit of an experiment in the same way that Jinder Mahal as champion was, Joe brings so much more to the table and has so much more star power then Mahal could ever hope for.
#9 Sister Abigail finally appears on Television
Will WWE ever bring The Sister Abigail character to life in the ring?
There was hope that WWE would reveal the character during the feud between Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt last year and while Wyatt came to the ring dressed in drag one night to reveal himself as Sister Abigail, it didn’t seem like that it was what WWE originally had planned. In fact, it seemed like a complete cop-out more than anything else.
The WWE is running out of ways to put off The Sister Abigail appearance and it has now become the focal point of Bray Wyatt’s affiliation with Woken Matt Hardy. In fact, it was claimed after he got thrown into the lake of reincarnation that he was freed of the dark vessel known as Sister Abigail. If nothing else, this means that when the two break up, Wyatt has to draw on Sister Abigail to revive the character
#8 Daniel Bryan becomes WWE Champion
The WWE Universe has been waiting for this one to happen ever since Daniel Bryan came out of retirement, but he hasn’t seemed to be able to put himself in the championship picture as of yet.
Of course, it’s not known exactly when the right time will be, but it’s hard to imagine WWE keeping Bryan away from the title for the rest of the year. In fact, with dream matches against Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and The Miz, it’s obvious that WWE would face an immense backlash if they continued to keep him away from the big belt.
Not only will that allow for WWE to build up the moment a little bit before Bryan finally breaks through again, it also allows for a rising star heel to gain heat by denying Bryan the title a few times.
#7 Bobby Roode turns heel
It’s no secret that Bobby Roode is continuing to flounder as a babyface, which begs the question of when WWE will finally decide to turn The Glorious One heel? Not only would a heel turn be a welcomed break from the stale babyface that Roode continues to fail as it also gives him and The WWE a chance to play off of NXT nostalgia as well.
With all that in mind, expect WWE to learn the error of their ways and finally bring back” The glorious gimmick from NXT. It might not lead to a championship right away, especially since Raw is stacked to the brim with contenders in that division, but he could definitely earn a run with The Intercontinental title and make it glorious again!
#6 Brock Lesnar leaves for UFC
This one is only a matter of time, as Brock Lesnar has been rumoured to be on his way out the door all year. He signed a short-term extension with the WWE prior to WrestleMania 34, hence why he retained against Roman Reigns, but the end of Lesnar's run in WWE is coming.
It's expected Brock will drop the title at some point this summer (likely SummerSlam) and from there, he'll head to UFC. There are already rumblings of a Brock Lesnar vs. Jon Jones super fight for Brock's return to the Octagon. While losing Lesnar's star power may hurt WWE to a certain extent, many fans will be happy to see full-timers on top.
#5 Finn Balor wins the Universal Title
While Balor isn’t currently rumoured to be the one that will win the Universal Title from Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, he could easily enter the title picture if Rollins wins the belt. In fact, WWE would be very smart to capitalize on Rollins and Balor’s history with The Universal title and have the feud be the centrepiece of the fall months.
Not only is that a great way for WWE to build up suspense for when the stars finally align for Balor to win the title, it is also a way to give him a Daniel Bryan like storyline as well.In the end, if WWE is able to build up Balor’s eventually title run in the same way that they did with Daniel Bryan, it could elevate the former NXT champion to legend like proportions.
#4 Braun Strowman finally wins the big one
Braun Strowman has won every big match except the one that counts most in WWE. Over the past few months, he's become a tag team champion alongside an 11-year-old, he won the Greatest Royal Rumble and now, he's Mr Money In The Bank. Unlike the traditional briefcase holder, Braun doesn't need to do the typical cash-in on the wounded champion at the opportune moment.
With Strowman's character, it's more likely we see Strowman calling his shot for a big PPV match. Going back to Brock Lesnar, therein lies another possibility where Strowman can simply pick a date and place to challenge Brock and be the one to dethrone him when the time comes.
#3 Dean Ambrose Turns Heel
Dean Ambrose is set to return from his long-term arm injury at some point this summer and rumours have already been swirling that Ambrose is either going to come back as a heel, or come back for a Shield reunion before being the one to turn his back on his brethren.
Ambrose has not had the chance to be a standalone heel in WWE and that's where he was at his best before his run in the WWE. With Rollins looking like the top babyface on RAW, it's an easy setup to another feud between Rollins and Ambrose, with roles reversed from their feud a couple of years ago.
#2 Ronda Keeps getting cheated out of title
WWE should be given some credit for booking themselves out of a corner at Money in the Bank. They didn't put the title on Ronda, but they found a way to keep it off her, without weakening her character. After Ms Money In The Bank Alexa Bliss cost Rousey the title, she cashed in on a wounded Nia Jax with Ronda remaining undefeated, by virtue of her DQ win.
WWE seems to be saving Ronda's big moment for WrestleMania 35, where it's expected that she'll headline the PPV. That means we can expect to see Ronda keep winning matches, with an outside figure (likely The Authority) finding ways to cheat her out of the title if she does get more cracks at the title in 2018.
#1 Seth Rollins winning The Universal Title from Brock Lesnar
The Kingslayer has to land somewhere after losing The Intercontinental title in the coming months and what better place to land than an electrically charged storyline with Brock Lesnar for The Universal Title. Not only is the storyline a great way to finally get the title off of Lesnar and onto someone the fans are actually behind, but also allows for some pretty interesting matchups later on down the line.
More on that later, but Seth Rollins is honestly WWE’s best choice to face Lesnar at Summerslam In fact, it could even serve as a David Versus Goliath kind of match that culminates with Rollins defying the odds and pinning Lesnar to win The Universal Title. WWE could even use some kind of stipulation to protect Lesnar in defeat and set up a match in the future.
After Rollins defeats Lesnar for the title at Summerslam, Lesnar could be written off television for a while and Rollins could then start to feud with Finn Balor in a rematch of their Universal Title fight two years ago. In the end, that would be a great way to keep things interesting into the fall for the company and allows for someone that fans are behind to finally win The Universal Title
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