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WWE has a history of being predictable. Having said that, 2017 saw an open, more experimental side of the WWE. Not all of the experiments were a success.
However, by the end of 2017, we can definitely identify unlikely superstars, who benefited from the experimentation. If these wrestlers were stocks, they would have been classified as a "buy".
#5 Elias
When Elias was called up, not much was expected from him. However, with his drifter gimmick at the start and his current troll song promos, he has captured the attention of the WWE universe. He looks to be in great physical shape, and his matches have made him look great.
He is one of the few superstars who has been made to look strong coming out of a loss. And his opponents have not been jobbers or low mid-carders. He has been mixing it in with main event calibre opponents. His promo, attack and the match against John Cena saw him hold his own with the future Hall of Famer in the ring, on the mic and in working the audience.
The actual match saw him get in a lot of offences and it took two consecutive STFs to get him to tap. This is one stock that has a solid foundation and can only go up from here.
#4 Jason Jordan
When the American Alpha made their main roster debut, a lot was expected from them. Sadly, the audience never got to see the level of greatness the team could have achieved in a match. There were rumours of them being aligned to Sheldon Benjamin or Kurt Angle, but nothing seemed to pan out.
When WWE creative split them, it took the WWE universe off guard. We live in a world where kayfabe does not really exist anymore. And here we were, being asked to accept Jason Jordan as Kurt Angle's illegitimate son. After the initial run as a face, where he was either booed or totally ignored, WWE transformed him into a grey character who is entitled and demanding.
Along the way, he was put in with the top guys on the Raw roster and excelled in the matches he was involved in. To cap it all, he won the Tag Team championships with Seth Rollins. His character arc seems to be developing more organically and he has the athletic ability to back himself. 2018 could be the breakout year for Jason Jordan.
#3 Enzo Amore
Enzo Amore was part of one of the most over tag teams in recent memory. Between him and Big Cass, they were captivating on the mic and looked like a legitimate threat to any other Tag teams in the ring. But Big Cass had the look that WWE usually wants in its main event talent. He even had a shot at the Universal title when it was vacated.
Enzo Amore's days in the limelight as a wrestler seemed to be limited until the time he and Big Cass were split up. He did not have the athletic ability, technical prowess or power moves that the audience like to see in a competitor. When, following an incident and some backstage heat, he was split from Big Cass, many considered it the beginning of the end of his career.
His move to the cruiserweight division was seen as a demotion. However, his skills with the mic seemed to hold him well in 205 Live. He managed to come out as one of the best heels outside of Neville on 205 Live. Currently, in his second reign as Cruiser Weight champion, he is probably the most over Superstar on the 205 roster. With the current storyline with Nia Jax under development and the addition of the Zo train, 2018 looks to be another great year for Enzo Amore.
#2 Rusev
2017 was not looking like a great year for Rusev. Not only did he fall off the main event radar, he seemed to be out of Mid Card title contention as well. He was split up from Lana and stuck with a ridiculous Rusev day gimmick. But to his credit, he made it work.
Rusev day has to be one of the most over things in the WWE today. He is cheered as a heel and he can seemingly do nothing wrong. In the past, positive crowd reactions have led to unlikely superstars being pushed by the WWE. Rusev has the credibility from his past as well as the athletic ability and ring presence to carry himself if pushed. We can anticipate every year of 2018 being Rusev Day!
#1 Jinder Mahal
When WWE made him a champion, it shot his stocks through the roof. One question on everyone's mind was, will this be like Jack Swagger or Bray Wyatt's title reign, a short reign that people barely remember and did little to enhance the wrestler's position? Jinder Mahal grew into his role as WWE champion.
He had the presence and his promos kept getting better every week. His loss at Clash of Champions was a great match. AJ Styles has a history of making other look good, but the execution of new moves by Jinder Mahal had him come out looking legitimately strong.
He is now in the hunt for the vacant US Title and his match against Tye Dillinger made him look like a big threat to the rest of the roster. Needless to say, the run with the belt did wonders for Jinder Mahal and 2018 is likely to see him have continued success.
