5 unlikely names who may challenge for a WWE world title in 2018

While WWE has certainly evolved over the last few years in terms of the quality of the roster, we haven't seen all too many new faces stepping up to the world title scene. While many guys have been challenging for the belt following a gradual build, the habit of rematches as well as Brock Lesnar winning the Universal Championship has hampered the consistent rise of many upper midcarders.

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Still, that doesn't mean we won't get to see a change in that dynamic over the next few months, and while it seems odd to say out loud, we honestly believe that these five guys are capable of making some waves in the main event scene. We aren't necessarily suggesting that they should win the strap, but they should certainly be in the conversation.

With that being said, here are five unlikely names who may challenge for a WWE world title in 2018.

#5 Kofi Kingston

We've spoken about Kofi Kingston's potential as a main event superstar quite a lot over the last few years but now feels like the perfect time for WWE to officially pull the trigger on it. Kingston has been enjoying a gradual progression alongside his New Day teammates, but there's a reason why Xavier Woods and Big E always refer to Kofi as an all-time legend in this business.

He has the moveset necessary to rise up the card, he can do great work on the mic when given the chance, and he's a proven commodity as one-third of the hottest faction in years. If Kofi is somehow able to win the Money in the Bank ladder match, then the door would be wide open for him to challenge for the WWE or Universal title before 2018 is done and dusted.

#4 Neville

Yes, we know that Neville hasn't been seen on WWE television for months, and we know that he probably won't return any time soon - if ever. Still, that doesn't mean we can't dream about the King of the Cruiserweights returning and finally doing what he should have done a long time ago: move up to the main roster in order to become the Geordie version of Brock Lesnar.

The guy is money and there aren't too many other ways to put it, and if you need proof, go back and watch his WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against Seth Rollins from a few years back. It's not exactly a classic, but it features some near falls which had the fans eating out of the palm of his hands.

Whatever you need to do in order to get him to sign on the dotted line, Vince, please make it happen.

#3 Big E

While Kofi Kingston may have been around for longer, Big E has been just as impactful when it comes to generating positive crowd responses. Unfortunately, he's always been viewed as something of a midcard talent who thrives on comedy - even though he's proven himself to be more than useful in various other departments.

At the age of 32, he's still got a good few years left in him in this business, and if he continues his current drive and determination, then he should be in the main event scene sooner rather than later. As is the case with Kofi, Big E could be a force to be reckoned with in the men's Money in the Bank ladder match, and we wouldn't be all too surprised if he wound up capturing the briefcase.

#2 EC3

It feels like we haven't really seen a new main roster superstar challenge for a world title immediately after being brought up - or at least, we haven't seen it in a very long time. EC3, who recently debuted down in NXT, already feels like a guy who is destined to make a big, big impact on Raw or SmackDown Live in the not so distant future.

His character belongs in the big time, and in many ways, he feels like an improved and refined version of Bobby Roode. We could easily see him winning and losing the NXT Championship between now and Survivor Series, and then by the December pay-per-view, he's already on the main roster challenging for the Universal Championship.

#1 Elias

From being unpopular down in NXT to being an absolute hit on Monday Night Raw, it's been a crazy few months for The Drifter Elias. The guitar-playing dynamo has found his true calling, and every single week, it feels like more and more members of the WWE Universe are jumping on the 'Walk With Elias' bandwagon.

We've already seen him being put into high profile matches and situations, such as his appearance in the Elimination Chamber match. Now, however, it feels like WWE needs to take things to the next level before fans start to lose interest. He doesn't necessarily need to be involved in a one-on-one title match, but just imagine the pop if he steals the world title in a multi-man cluster.