5 dream matches WWE would be crazy not to do this year

2018 has underwhelmed so far. Despite a strong start, things fell off the cliff quickly. Particularly since WrestleMania, the company has been in a holding pattern. Filler rules the day, with nothing feeling truly important. The company is quite content to coast with minimal effort put into storylines and matches.

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The second half will hopefully bring more excitement. With SummerSlam on the way and Survivor Series behind it, there's some reason for hope. The company usually gets out of lazy mode when it builds up the big four shows, and WWE put a lot of effort into making last year's Survivor Series a better show than it would have been otherwise.

Putting on the following five matches would go a long way to making SummerSlam and Survivor Series memorable, shaking the company out of the monotony it's been in and giving fans a far stronger second half.

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#1 AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe

This should be on the way.

This match has happened many times over the year, but never in WWE, with all the impeccable presentation that the company can bring. It's the main event feud that SmackDown desperately needs.

Samoa Joe has already signaled his intentions to come after Styles' WWE Championship, and thankfully, advertising indicates that this match will be happening at some point. Hell in a Cell is the event advertising this match, but it would best to have this match be SmackDown's headliner for SummerSlam.

Not only would the match feel like a big deal appropriate for a SummerSlam, but the feud would be able to escalate into a Hell in a Cell match between these two later on.

Such a feud would give the blue brand some direction it's badly lacked, despite its tremendous roster.

#2 Asuka vs. Becky Lynch

Time to give this the limelight.

What you see above is a picture from a house show in Japan. It's the only time this match has happened so far. It's time for that to change.

With the probability of an AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe feud, along with a Daniel Bryan vs. Miz feud, SmackDown's main event picture should look a lot brighter in the second half. The women's division needs to follow suit.

Becky Lynch feels like she's being built for something in recent weeks. A title match at SummerSlam is possible. Against who is the bigger question.

For the sake of the women's division, Asuka must defeat Carmella at Extreme Rules. From there, a SummerSlam match with Becky could be set up that would carry a big fight, first-time-ever feel that would stack up well opposite the probable Ronda Rousey vs. Alexa Bliss match.

Unfortunately, it's likelier at this point that Carmella's abysmal reign continues, which would make the company truly crazy in this case.

#3 Aleister Black vs. Demon Finn Balor

Try Survivor Series and you have a likelier scenario.

We haven't seen Finn Balor as the Demon since TLC last year, while Aleister Black is still in NXT as the reigning NXT Champion. That said, this match is eminently possible as the year draws closer to its end.

Given how things usually go, a call-up for Aleister Black after SummerSlam is most probable. Since Shayna Baszler is likelier to go to Raw, Black is likelier to head to SmackDown.

When Survivor Series comes around, and the brand warfare that goes around it, there would be no better match to open the show than this collision. Much like The Shield and New Day set the table last year, this match would open the show with spectacle and make the Raw vs. SmackDown feud feel important.

Aleister Black would benefit greatly from getting the Demon rub as well since Finn Balor has probably reached his ceiling at this point.

#4 Braun Strowman vs. Samoa Joe

Let's revisit last year's awesomeness!

With Brock Lesnar's reentry into the UFC, it feels even more urgent to take the Universal Championship off of him. Braun Strowman's Money in the Bank briefcase wasn't random. Hopefully, he'll cash it in the moment "The Beast" shows his face in a ring. As the "summer slump" has shown us, Raw badly needs a world champion again.

Meanwhile, on SmackDown, it would be best if Samoa Joe emerged from his feud with AJ Styles with the WWE title around his waist. It would shake things up on the blue brand and open up many new feuds.

Come Survivor Series, this would be an intense and anticipated clash of champions.

Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe were part of that excellent 4-way feud last summer, but they've yet to have a one on one match. Survivor Series is the ideal time.

Both Raw and SmackDown's champions would bring realism and intensity, and it would be a blast to see them clash.

#5 Ronda Rousey vs. Asuka

Another match for Survivor Series, if the company knows what's best for it.

This match won't happen at WrestleMania next year, but it's still one of the biggest matches that could happen in the women's division. Ronda has proven herself to be the real deal, and seeing her style clash against Asuka's would make for a truly memorable spectacle.

Add this to the long list of reasons why Asuka should defeat Carmella at Extreme Rules.

This would be big enough to be the first women's match to main event a big four show, and though neither would be able to carry the feud on the microphone, neither would need to. The match sells itself, and both look far better fighting than they do talking.

Hopefully, the company will one day realize that about many superstars.