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2018 is upon us and all eyes are set on the upcoming Royal Rumble match which will be the first stop on the road to Wrestlemania 34 in New Orleans. There is so much to look forward to in 2018 including the Royal Rumble match itself and The Show of Shows, Wrestlemania. 2017 had some ups and downs and the WWE universe will hope that WWE capitalises on doing what is truly best for business by giving the fans what they truly want.
2017 had some memorable moments including the Hardys return at Wrestlemania, Cena capturing his 16th title in a match of the year match against AJ Styles, Kevin Owens headbutting Vince, just to mention a few.
That aside, the WWE Universe hopes to have even more memorable moments, great matches and returns in 2018. Also, here is hoping that Vince McMahon and co. call up more talent from NXT and give some talented and deserving Superstars the opportunity to compete at the main event level.
As much as there are huge expectations for 2018, there are things that we are most likely to happen in the upcoming year. Here are the 5 things that will definitely happen in 2018.
#5 Big Show will retire
Big Show is an accomplished wrestler with a career spanning over 22 years. He is the only man to have held the WCW, WWE, World Heavyweight and ECW World titles and has also won the world tag team title an impressive eleven times. Show made his WWE debut on February 9, 1999, as a member of Vince McMahon's stable, The Corporation, at St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House.
One year later, he competed in the main event of Wrestlemania 2000 in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match against Triple H, Mick Foley and The Rock where he was the first man eliminated from the match after the other three competitors worked together against him.
At WrestleMania 28, Big Show defeated Cody Rhodes to win the Intercontinental Championship. With this, Big Show became the 24th wrestler to win the Triple Crown Championship and the twelfth Grand Slam Champion in the WWE.
Big Show's last televised appearance was on the September 4th episode of Raw, where he was defeated by Braun Strowman in a steel cage match, who later threw him through the cage post-match. Show is currently nursing a hip injury and his match against Strowman may have been his very last match. A retirement speech on an episode of Raw, preferably the 25th anniversary of Raw in January 2018, may very well be in the works for Big Show.
#4 Ronda Rousey to make her WWE debut
Ronda Rousey is a legend in the world of mixed martial arts. She is the former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion and was ranked the most dominant active athlete in 2015 by two magazines. She made her first WWE appearance at Wrestlemania 31 where she had an altercation with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
Rousey has been spotted training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida in recent months. On the December 18, 2017, episode of WWE Raw, Stephanie McMahon interrupted a commotion featuring all of Raw's female Superstars to announce the first ever Women's Royal Rumble.
With the Women's Royal Rumble match set to take place in January, speculation has been rife that Ronda Rousey could make her WWE debut on the show. Pundits have even stated that the WWE may consider having her win the match to set up a big Wrestlemania match.
Even if Rousey doesn't participate in the Royal Rumble match, one thing that is for certain is that she will debut in 2018.
#3 Asuka to win the Women's Championship
Asuka was the NXT Women's Champion for a record 510 days and is the longest of any title reign in WWE's post-national expansion era. She has been billed as having the longest undefeated streak in WWE history. It is worth noting that In 2017, Asuka became the first Japanese wrestler to top Pro Wrestling Illustrated's annual PWI Female 50 list.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer has also praised her by stating that she may be the best worker in WWE.
On August 27, 2015, it was confirmed that Asuka had signed with WWE NXT. On April 1, 2016, at NXT TakeOver: Dallas, Asuka defeated Bayley by technical submission to win the NXT Women's Championship for the first time. Following an injury she suffered due to an awkward landing, she relinquished the NXT Women's Championship on August 24, 2017, at the NXT tapings.
On the September 11 episode of Raw, it was announced that Asuka had been signed to Raw by Kurt Angle. On Raw, she is undefeated and boasts the fastest submission win in a women's match when she defeated Dana Brooke in three seconds on the November 27th episode of Raw.
Asuka announced her entry into the Women's Royal Rumble match and is a favourite to win the match. 2018 appears bright for Asuka as she will most certainly win the Women's title at some point. She has been booked strongly and it is only a matter of time before she pins the Champion for the Women's title. However, it will be interesting to see if she will have another long title reign similar to her NXT Championship.
#2 John Cena will make history
John Cena was the face of the WWE for over a decade. He has accomplished everything in the WWE and is slowly transitioning to Hollywood. Cena has won the WWE World title a record 16 times, and is tied with Ric Flair for most Championships.
Cena still has a lot left in the tank to compete for one or two more years. With his storied career now winding down, it is highly likely that he wins his 17th World title in 2018 and breaks the record he shares with Ric Flair.
The betting odds have him as a favourite to win the Royal Rumble which means that Vince has plans of rewarding his loyalty with a final title run. Cena's longevity at the top of the mountain is something that has made him stand out as one of the greatest champions of all time.
A Royal Rumble win for "Big Match John" to set up a Championship match at Wrestlemania is therefore highly likely.
#1 One more match for The Undertaker
Rumours of The Undertaker's retirement have been going around for a few years. He, however, has returned every WrestleMania season for the past six years to compete in high-profile matches and most of his matches have been the main attractions. At WrestleMania 33, he gave us a reason to believe he is finally retiring after suffering a painful defeat to Roman Reigns.
Most people, therefore, do not expect to see him perform in the ring again. That being said, at 52, he still has the energy to compete inside the squared circle.
There has been some speculation which has indicated that The Undertaker is not hanging his boots and is expected to set up his next match when he appears at the 25th anniversary of Raw. There are a number of opponents that The Deadman could dance with. He is yet to face John Cena at Wrestlemania, whil Sting has also indicated his interest to face the Undertaker in a dream match.
The Undertaker may decide to have a rematch with the man who defeated him at Wrestlemania 33, Roman Reigns. Whichever match The Undertaker decides to have will be a mouth-watering clash that will keep the WWE universe invested. In 2018, one thing is for sure, The Undertaker will rise again.
