5 WWE Superstars to watch out for in 2019

2018 has been a year of many ups of downs for the WWE. While the company was praised unanimously for its first-ever "all women's pay-per-view", 'Evolution', Vince McMahon & Co. faced a lot of brickbats for a myriad of reasons. Financially, 2018 wasn't a year for the WWE as live event attendance witnessed a huge slump and TV ratings are at an all-time low.

Things got to such a point where the company's patriarch, Vince McMahon had to appear on TV in order to make up ratings. The Chairman of the WWE promised a fresh start with new faces and fresh matchups, albeit, the fresh start concept hasn't been a hit from the get-go, things are slowly but surely looking up in 2019.

With the competition being stiffer than ever before, the company needs to deliver in a big way. The company needs to stop relying on part-timers and nostalgia acts in order to curb the rating slump and instead focus on building new stars who could lead the company into the future.

2018 saw Superstars like Cedric Alexander, Buddy Murphy, and Seth Rollins rise up to the occasion and consistently deliver on the big stage. With the mantra of 'Fresh start' ringing throughout the main roster, 2019 is going to be a big year for a lot of young Superstars in the WWE.

These Superstars are expected to make a big splash in 2019 and grab the brass ring, so to speak. Here are our picks for the five WWE Superstars to watch out for in 2019:

#5 Apollo Crews

The former member of Titus Worldwide is one of the athletic Superstars on the main roster. Apollo has been overlooked throughout 2018 and while many thought that his partnership with Titus O'Neill would pay huge dividends for the former Uhaa Nation, that sadly hasn't been the case. Crews had missed a significant part of 2018 either being totally unused or being put in meaningless skits backstage which did absolutely nothing for the young upstart.

After making a promising debut in 2017, Crews hasn't been given an opportunity to truly shine on the big stage despite being one of the most talented Superstars on the main roster. But 2019 might just be the breakthrough year for Crews.

The former NXT Superstar has been getting a lot of push over the past few months and has defeated a handful of top superstars during his period with former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal, being the most prominent. Apollo won the Fresh Start Battle Royale on RAW this week which had many notable names.

Though he failed to capture the Intercontinental Championship, Crews seems to have made a statement during his match against Ambrose.

Crews is set for a great year ahead and if his recent push is anything to go by, the California-native is going to have a solid run as a mid-carder in 2019. Don't be surprised to see Crews in the mix for the IC Title and perhaps even winning sometime down the year.

#4 Lars Sullivan

Lars Sullivan's main roster debut has been one of the biggest talking points in the latter half of 2018. While the freak hasn't yet officially debuted on either RAW or SmackDown, the company and the machinery seems to be fully behind the former NXT standout.

Sullivan's debut hype package has been a prominent feature on both RAW and SmackDown for the past few months and the Freak is reportedly set for a huge push once he eventually arrives on the main roster.

Sullivan is one of the last members of a dying breed of monster heels. He looks like a tank but what Sullivan stands out for is his agility inside the ring, the man does things that men of his size aren't supposed to do.

While the Freak hasn't been a breakout star on the yellow brand, he is excepted to take the main roster by storm on his arrival as he brings with him a unique combination of brute strength and unimaginable agility between the ropes.

While Sullivan isn't a well-rounded performer as of yet, he has been showing huge improvement during his time in NXT. Besides, Vince McMahon's fascination with huge Superstars is well known and we don't see any reason why Sullivan won't succeed on the main roster.

#3 Mustafa Ali

One of the biggest surprises of 2018 has been the rise of Mustafa Ali. The Pakistani-American has been one of the biggest success stories of 2018, earning the moniker of ' The Heart of 205 Live'. Ali has played a huge part in the Revival of 205 Live and has had some of the best matches of the year against the likes of Cedric Alexander, Buddy Murphy, and Hideo Itami.

Though Ali had failed to Capture the Cruiserweight Championship, his call-up to SmackDown and the kind of impact he has made thereafter has been nothing short of phenomenal. Ali was announced as the newest member of the blue brand a few weeks ago after an incredible match against the current WWE Champion Daniel Bryan where he had his moment but eventually fell prey to Bryan's heel hook and had to tap out.

Ali has all the attributes required to be the next big thing in the WWE. He is great inside the ring who enthralls fans with his gravity-defying moves and is a genuine underdog whom the fans can really get behind. Watch out for Mustafa Ali as we believe that he is going to be a major player on the blue brand in 2019.

#2 Mandy Rose

The former Absolution member is reportedly set for a huge push in 2019. Mandy Rose debuted as a part of the aforementioned faction following the Survivor Series 2017 alongside Sonya Deville and Paige. The faction failed to gain any attention and was eventually dissolved abruptly due to Paige's injury and her retiring from in-ring competition.

Rose and Deville were then drafted to SmackDown in the Superstar Shakeup following WrestleMania 34, but the duo hasn't been able to find their footing on the blue brand so far.

While both DeVille and Rose has impressed fans with their performance inside the ring, the company seems to have taken a keen interest in building Rose as the next big thing in the Women's division.

Rose is categorized as a diva more than anything else and the WWE seems to be cashing on this aspect by having Rose portray the character that was initially planned for Emma and later Lana but failed on both occasions.

Rose is a perfect fit for the character as she has all the attributes required to pull off a character which will be a throwback to Attitude Era Superstars like Sable and Torie Willson. Her recent feud against Naomi is an example of that and we believe that Rose can definitely pull off such a character.

#1 Elias

The Songbird has been one of the most consistent performers on the main roster throughout 2018. Ever since debuting on the main roster in 2017, Elias has constantly improved his game both in the ring and on the microphone. Not many people thought that Elias would achieve the kind of success that he has, given how uninspiring his NXT run had been.

But as revealed by the man himself, his character didn't actually fit the milieu of NXT and the Pennsylvania-native is more at ease on the main roster. It is surprising to even to think that Elias was a heel a few months ago and had got one of the loudest boos in recent memory during a segment with Kevin Owens on RAW a couple of months ago.

Elias turned face after Roman Reigns announcement and has been getting the loudest reaction week after week on Monday Nights. This is a testament to how talented Elias is and his understanding of the WWE fanbase.

At this point, it seems like Elias will eventually challenge Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 35. Winning the IC Title would be the perfect way to cap off what has been one of the best mid-card runs in recent memory.

What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.

Edited by CA ROHAN BANSAL