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Pro wrestling is increasing in popularity at a rapid pace outside of the United States. This trend is forcing the world's largest sports entertainment company to change their approach and will lead to more wrestlers with international reputation ending up in the company soon.
By the time WrestleMania 34 is over, many of the names on this list will have already made their WWE debuts. Some of them could even be part of WrestleMania 35's main event.
It's an exciting time for wrestling fans. Promotions such as New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor are growing while WWE's sports entertainment is changing. WWE doesn't want to lose any more fans to the more traditional wrestling content other organisations are now presenting. As a result, WWE will be busy on the free agent market before the end of 2018.
Here are five popular wrestlers who could be WWE bound in 2018:
#5 Ricochet
The latest rumours suggest that the high-flying Ricochet is headed to WWE in January. This would be just in time for Royal Rumble.
Ricochet has earned a reputation for himself in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and other fans will know him as Prince Puma from Lucha Underground. He can do things that arguably no other high-flyer in wrestling can do.
Coming along with Ricochet might be second generation wrestler, Tessa Blanchard, with whom Ricochet is in a relationship with. Blanchard is the daughter of the original four Horseman, Tully Blanchard, which might create an interesting dynamic with Ric Flair's daughter, Charlotte.
#4 Juice Robinson/CJ Parker
NXT fans will better remember Juice Robinson under the name CJ Parker. He was working the gimmick of the dreadlocked hippie while in WWE developmental.
Perhaps sensing his gimmick was a career death sentence he made arrangements to leave WWE and go to Japan. While with New Japan Pro Wrestling, Juice Robinson has become a big star. Word of his success has no doubt found its way back to his trainers in NXT and his former employers in WWE.
Matt Bloom, head developmental trainer, helped make the arrangements for Juice to debut in NJPW, as Bloom himself had been a big star for the promotion while wrestling as Giant Bernard.
#3 Marty Scurll
Bullet Club fans are going to be pretty mad when they find out WWE wants to scoop up Marty Scurll.
The popular 29-year-old currently wrestles in Ring of Honor, NJPW, and pretty much every European promotion that can afford to book him. WWE will want to sign up Scurll by the time they are ready to go with their UK Division. On that note, UK Champion Pete Dunne has said that he will have an important announcement at the next Progress show.
WWE would love to sign other members of "the Elite" as well, but know that Cody or the Young Bucks won't make the jump. Scurll, on the other hand, may very well move to the WWE.
#2 Rey Mysterio
If Rey Mysterio does come back to WWE in 2018, it will not be on a full-time schedule as he'll never be able to wrestle that often again, but he'll be back.
Now that Lucha Underground is on hiatus (and possibly finished), Mysterio is free of his contract with them. Rumour has it that he was involved in talks with Impact Wrestling but those have fallen through.
He had tweeted a picture of himself with Karen Jarrett earlier this summer, though the Jarrett's have now left the company.
WWE has struggled to replace Mysterio on their roster. Subsequent luchadors have failed to achieve the popularity that Mysterio did during his time in the company.
The 8-time Cruiserweight champion would make a great addition to 205 Live, where we're sure WWE will put the title on his sooner rather than later.
#1 Kenny Omega
Many feel that Kenny Omega is the greatest pro-wrestler on the planet right now. This is subjective, of course, and Jim Cornette certainly doesn't agree with the sentiment.
Triple H indirectly stated that WWE is interested in signing Omega but that won't be an easy task. Omega lives in Japan and loves it there but has shown interest in WWE before. There were rumours he was to debut for the company at last year's Royal Rumble, but that didn't happen.
His contract with NJPW is up after the Tokyo Dome show on January 4th next year, and he could be signed to WWE in time to be a surprise Royal Rumble entrant in 2018.
