5 Superstars who deserve become WWE or Universal Champion in 2018

2017 is all set to go into the history books and the landscape of the WWE has changed entirely. Thanks to the popularity of NXT we have witnessed the debuts of talented professional wrestlers from all over the world. The ultimate dream of those wrestlers who sign with the company would be to hold either one of the prestigious championships.

The WWE and the Universal Championships are the ultimate prize for any aspiring professional wrestlers to achieve.

We saw five superstars hold the WWE Championship and three superstars hold the Universal Championship in 2017. Let's now see the five superstars who deserve to win the WWE or Universal Championship in 2018.

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#5 Finn Balor - Universal Championship

Finn Balor was the first ever Universal Champion

No former champion who had held the Universal title received their one-on-one rematch for the championship and it all started with Finn Balor. If one speaks about the Universal Championship, the conversation begins in default with Balor.

Balor was the first person ever to hold the championship when he defeated Seth Rollins at Summerslam 2016. His reign was short-lived as he was forced to relinquish the title the very next night on Raw due to an injury he suffered during the match.

After being put on the sidelines, Balor returned to Raw after Wrestlemania 33 and one would've thought that he would be getting his one-on-one rematch for the championship. But the reality was far different as he is yet to receive any kind of opportunity to regain the title which he never lost.

It is unlikely that he would be receiving his rematch before Wrestlemania 34 as Kane and Braun Strowman are set to challenge for the title at the Royal Rumble next month.

One can hope for good things to come to Finn Balor in 2018 as we look forward to him to recapture the title and claim his rightful place in the top.

#4 Kevin Owens - WWE Championship

Kevin Owens is already one of the most decorated superstars in the WWE

Kevin Owens, in my opinion, is what a modern day professional wrestler stands for. He is not a typical WWE Superstar in size or height, and who tosses things and people around, but is instead an inspiration for all aspiring professional wrestlers who don't fit the mould of a traditional WWE wrestler.

Owens is a veteran of the industry and has won numerous accolades all over the world, and when he signed with the WWE, fans were excited to see one of the legends in the independent scenes make it to the big league and expected awesome things from the Prizefighter, and boy did he deliver! He has held various championships in the WWE, the most notable one being the Universal Championship.

Now that he is on SmackDown Live and is the middle of an entertaining feud with the Commissioner, Shane McMahon, it would be a great idea to have him win the WWE Championship in 2018. It looks like a strong possibility as it seems like SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan has possibly sided with him. With Sami Zayn on his side and with Bryan there to help him, KO could be on his way to become the WWE Champion in 2018.

#3 Samoa Joe - Universal Championship

Samoa Joe came very close to tasting his first championship on the main roster

While his TNA Colleague, AJ Styles is now a two-time WWE and United States Champion, Samoa Joe is yet to achieve success on the main roster. Joe made his main roster debut this year when he attacked Seth Rollins on the January 30th episode of Raw. Since then, Joe has been in the ring with Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar to name a few.

Joe had two opportunities to win the Universal Championship in 2017 but that didn't go well for him as he was lost in the build-up towards Reigns vs Lesnar for Wrestlemania 34. The fact that Joe lost to Lesnar after just one F5 is a shame. He then again fell victim to an untimely injury which cost him a match against John Cena at No Mercy.

2018 could be the year we could finally see the Samoan Submission Machine lift his first major Championship in the WWE as he is set to dethrone Roman Reigns to win the Intercontinental Championship. But a mid-card championship will not be enough for a Superstar like Samoa Joe.

He must be given a run with the Universal Championship in 2018 which will solidify him as a legitimate main event player in the WWE.

#2 The Miz - WWE / Universal Championship

The Miz is a multiple time Intercontinental Champion

The Miz is now out of action as he is busy shooting for The Marine 6: Close Quarters along with fellow WWE Superstar Becky Lynch and WWE Hall of Famer, Shawn Michaels. The Miz has always lived up to his moniker as the most must-see Superstar in the WWE. He is one of the most decorated Superstars in the roster and has climbed all the way to the top because of his hard work and dedication.

The Miz is the fifth grand slam champion of the WWE. He has got numerous accolades under his belt and is one of the most respected superstars in the WWE. However, he has been WWE Champion only once in his illustrious career with the company.

It would be interesting to find out where The Miz would be fitting back in when he makes his return earlier next year. WWE can capitalise on this opportunity and have him win the Royal Rumble match and have him go on to challenge the WWE Champion at Wrestlemania 34. If WWE decides to keep him on Raw, they can book him to win the Money in the Bank ladder match and make us revisit history by making him cash in on the Universal Champion.

#1 Seth Rollins - Universal Championship

Seth Rollins is a two time WWE Champion

Most people would've thought Seth Rollins will be the most underachieving member of The Shield and rightly so because when the group debuted way back in 2012, it was centred around Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. Rollins never really had a chance to shine as he was more frequently overshadowed by the other two members of the group.

But he shocked the world when he became the first person in The Shield to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. It was Triple H who always saw the potential in Rollins and gave him the chance to shine. The Game played a very integral part in Rollins' career-defining moments as he was behind his rise in NXT and WWE Championship wins, and also put him over in a match at Wrestlemania 33.

We can expect Seth Rollins to win the Universal Championship at some point in 2018 as the current Shield reunion is not expected to last very long. With Dean Ambrose now out of the picture due to a recent injury, it could be Rollins' opportunity shine again as a singles star.

One could even argue that he deserves to win Monday Night Raw's most prestigious prize at WrestleMania 34 instead of Roman Reigns.