5 WWE main roster superstars who won their first championship in 2018

2018 has certainly been one eventful year for WWE, with the variations in the quality of the product and the number of moments this year has created. There has been some great stuff this year, from the rise of Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch to the consistency of Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins. A lot of main roster pay-per-views were on fire including Royal Rumble, SummerSlam and Evolution.

However, there were some terrible things too. Raw is currently in a dire state and might not improve for another few weeks, the booking of the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura, Braun Strowman and Asuka have also disappointed, although the former is finally getting a push.

With all of the drama and excitement from, there were five wrestlers who won their very first championship under the WWE umbrella in 2018. These five may or may not have been a part of NXT, but this year saw them have their first taste of gold in the company.

For some, it might be their only stint with a title but for others, it could be the first of many. There are some really bright futures on this list. This year saw a minimal amount of legitimate stars being created, with the hope of building towards a big 12 months in 2019. This list could look a lot different for next year.

Anyway, here are five WWE main roster superstars who won their first championship with the company in 2018.

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#5 Cedric Alexander

He was the face of change for 205 Live.

When Enzo Amore got released from the WWE in January, the Cruiserweight division was in serious danger. Luckily, that turned out to be the catalyst to making 205 Live a much better show. There was a renewed focus on the in-ring action on the show. New general manager Drake Maverick announced a 16-man tournament to crown the new Cruiserweight Champion at WrestleMania. The final would see Cedric Alexander defeat Mustafa Ali, in a battle of the Heart and the Soul of 205 Live.

After winning his first title in the WWE, Cedric basically had a reign full of killer title defences against the likes of Buddy Murphy, Hideo Itami and Drew Gulak. He would eventually drop the belt to Murphy in his hometown of Melbourne, but not before rejuvenating 205 Live as a whole.

The show and division are now alive and well, thanks to the groundwork laid by the great Alexander. He will get his rematch against Murphy this Sunday at TLC, in a match that could steal the show as it did at Super Showdown.

#4 Carmella

She was out of place as the champion.

Heading into 2018, the one first-time main roster titleholder that was seemingly confirmed was Carmella. Being the first ever Miss Money in the Bank, she had to cash in successfully to make sure that the by meant something.

Carmella won the title from Charlotte Flair on the post-WrestleMania edition of Smackdown, two nights after the Queen's stunning victory over Asuka. It was a really cool moment, but her title reign was poorly booked and heavily detrimental to the women’s division and the Smackdown product.

She would beat Charlotte clean at Backlash before having a pretty terrible feud with Asuka, beating her twice in ridiculous circumstances. Funnily, the best part of Carmella's reign as Smackdown Women's Champion was the last few weeks, when the story shifted to Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in the lead-up to their triple threat match at SummerSlam.

As evidenced by her partnership with R-Truth, the Princess Of Staten Island is a valuable member of the roster and certainly has a place in the company, it just isn't in the main event.

#3 Nia Jax

2018 was an inconsistent year for her.

Believe it or not, Nia Jax was extremely over as a babyface at the start of 2018. After failing to beat Asuka in a couple of really close encounters, she turned babyface upon hearing Alexa Bliss and Mickie James make jokes about her weight. Nia would win the Raw Women's Championship at WrestleMania, claiming her first ever title in the company. It was actually a feel-good moment of sorts. She was a good babyface, advocating against bullying and just being noble at every time of asking.

However, the Samoan confusingly turned heel after challenging Ronda Rousey to a title match at Money in the Bank, reverting to bullying techniques to intimidate the newcomer. She turned face again when Alexa Bliss cashed in her Money in the Bank contract at that night, winning back her title. Nia turned heel once more, now gaining more heat than ever because of a sloppy punch which injured everybody's favourite, Becky Lynch. She faces Ronda Rousey for the title at TLC, in a match that should not last very long.

#2 Ronda Rousey

She has had a great first year with WWE

Speaking of Nia Jax vs Ronda Rousey, the current Raw Women's Champion is also in her first title reign in WWE. The Baddest Woman on the Planet made her debut at the end of the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, before stealing the show at WrestleMania alongside Kurt Angle, against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

That mixed tag team match proved that Ronda Rousey was ready for pro wrestling. She took to her new surroundings like a duck to water. Ronda's rise has been incredible, she constantly amazes us whenever she steps into the ring.

After a summer-long chase, the Rowdy One got hold of the Raw Women's Championship in a squash match against Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam. From thereon, she has been doing consistently well in the ring and on the microphone.

Ronda's match against Charlotte Flair at Survivor Series was a classic, a sign of things to come. With unfinished business against the Queen and the pending match between herself and Becky Lynch, 2019 will be an even bigger year for Ronda Rousey. She is just going to get better and better.

#1 Braun Strowman

He should get more in the next 12 months.

Braun Strowman has had a very weird year. He started off in contention for the Universal Championship, wrecking carnage on a regular basis. He then dominated the Elimination Chamber match before losing to Roman Reigns in the end.

After that, the Monster turned into one of those fun-loving babyfaces, basically the John Cena type. He won the Raw Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania, alongside a child. While Nicholas also technically won his first championship, Strowman's first taste of gold, or silver, came at that time.

After vacating the titles on the Raw after WrestleMania, Strowman would win the Money in the Bank ladder match. He was guaranteed to become Universal Champion either way, but somehow he did not. He even turned heel to be a foil for The Shield, despite remaining ridiculously over.

The Monster Among Men failed his cash-in when Brock Lesnar invaded his Hell in a Cell match against Reigns and failed to win the title at Crown Jewel as well, losing to the Beast again. It is baffling that the only championship that Braun Strowman won in 2018 was the Raw tag belt. And that too with a 10-year-old kid.