'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
With July almost on the horizon, it’s time to take a look at how WWE’s Superstars have been performing in the first six months of 2018.
There are currently 99 people competing on the main roster – 55 on Raw and 44 on SmackDown Live – and fans have witnessed over 300 matches from across the two brands so far this year, but who stands out as the Most Improved Superstar?
In 2017, Braun Strowman, Jinder Mahal and Jason Jordan were among the male performers who exceeded expectations over the course of the year, while the women’s division saw the emergence of Lana and Carmella as surprise contenders to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Follow Sportskeeda for the latest WWE news, rumors and all other wrestling news.
In 2018, however, there hasn’t been quite as many breakout stars in the first half of the year as many people anticipated, with several recent call-ups from NXT yet to truly make their mark on the main roster.
Having trawled through the Raw and SmackDown Live personnel, we’ve managed to find five WWE Superstars who are worthy of praise in our Most Improved Superstars category, which takes into account character progression just as much as improved in-ring performances.
So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at who made the cut – and you can let us know in the comment section if you agree or disagree!
#5 Shinsuke Nakamura
Having become one of the most popular Superstars in NXT history in such a short amount of time, there were huge expectations for Shinsuke Nakamura when he joined the SmackDown Live roster following WrestleMania 33.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan during his first year with the blue brand, both from an in-ring perspective – his PPV rivalries with Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin and Jinder Mahal were disappointing – and from a babyface character perspective.
However, this year has seen a huge change in “The King of Strong Style” and, as one of the best heels in WWE right now, he is finally starting to produce the exciting matches we first expected him to have when he moved up to the main roster last year.
#4 Seth Rollins
After a somewhat underwhelming face turn in September 2016, Seth Rollins was still struggling to win over fans by the time the summer of 2017 came around, and even “Stone Cold” Steve Austin had raised questions on his podcast about what the Shield member’s character was really all about.
Well, after a short but relatively successful reunion with Dean Ambrose, and later Roman Reigns, “The Kingslayer” won over the majority of the WWE Universe and he has since gone from strength to strength as a babyface character, proving himself to be one of WWE’s top good guys throughout 2018 so far.
#3 Drew McIntyre
It’s been quite a year for Drew McIntyre. The Scot re-debuted in NXT in April 2017, winning the NXT Championship within four months of his return, and he has recently formed an alliance with new Intercontinental champion Dolph Ziggler on Raw after spending five months out of the ring with a shoulder injury.
Needless to say, Drew’s current character – a quiet, imposing big man – is a major improvement on his days as a member of 3MB with Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he continued to rise up the WWE card and into main-event storylines in the not-too-distant future.
#2 Sonya Deville
Of all the female call-ups from NXT over the last seven months, Sonya Deville has improved more than any of them. As an in-ring competitor and as a character, the former Tough Enough contestant has made huge strides from her time in NXT, where she hardly featured in meaningful storylines and was often overshadowed by the likes of Asuka and Ember Moon.
If the ex-Absolution member can start to pick up a few statement victories on SmackDown Live – she hasn’t won a singles match since defeating Sasha Banks on Raw in January – then it won’t be long until she gets herself into title contention.
#1 Rusev
Rusev’s matches have always been of a good standard, but has anybody improved as a character quite as much as “The Lion of Bulgaria” in 2018? We don’t think so!
The former United States champion had become a serial loser on SmackDown Live following his move to the blue brand in 2017, with his most notable defeats coming against John Cena and Randy Orton, and he seemed a long way away from entering the WWE Championship picture.
Fast forward to mid-2018 and, with the ‘Rusev Day’ phenomenon still going strong, he is now set to face AJ Styles in a match for the WWE title at Extreme Rules.
Send us news tips at [email protected].
Do you love to play crosswords, Wordle or other exciting games? We'd like to connect with you. Fill the form here!
