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The time is now to be a wrestling fan.
Since January 2019 fans have had access to a plethora of exciting news and speculation. It started with the announcement of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and has progressed immensely.
Fans speculated where Kenny Omega would ply his trade, to why Chris Jericho changed his view on working with WWE. Quite literally professional wrestling has not been this exciting since WWE battled WCW.
Since 2001 WWE has led the way in professional wrestling. Notably buying their competitions - ECW and WCW.
Agreed this led to the creation of Impact Wrestling and ROH. Nevertheless, they have yet reached similar heights as WCW. In January 2019 a new promotion was announced, called All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
It now seems true competition has returned.
Therefore, how can WWE battle this new threat? The answer is with key performers and storylines. Let's explore the options available to WWE.
#6 Rusev (SmackDown Live)
Alexander Rusev in NXT was a character both dominant and graceful. His ring technique was a mixture of power and speed. Moreover, his character portrayed an aura of invincibility, reflected by his continued victories. However, he eventually found his way to Raw and SmackDown.
Since his Raw and SmackDown debut, he has garnered a plethora of success. He has become a WWE United States Champion on multiple occasions. Moreover, single-handedly he garnered fan admiration during his time with Aiden English.
The duo as Rusev Day resulted in intense crowd reactions and merchandise sales. Everywhere WWE was present, Rusev Day shirts were evident.
In recent months, Rusev's direction has been poor, being relegated to working tag team matches. Alongside Shinsuke Nakamura, he has achieved minimal success. Notwithstanding, that doesn't mean WWE has no plans for them.
Nevertheless, Rusev deserves better from WWE. Whether working as a good or bad guy character, Rusev is highly valuable. He would be a perfect asset to battle AEW and their potential competition. However, what direction will WWE take with Rusev? Presently he is teaming alongside Shinsuke Nakamura, a potential waste of their talents.
#5 Drew McIntyre (Raw)
Drew McIntyre has progressed exponentially from his original tenure with WWE. Between 2007-2009, McIntyre was successful. He notably earned the WWE Intercontinental Championship and WWE Tag Team Championship.
However, he eventually wound up in the faction known as; 3MB (with fellow members; Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal). McIntyre would return to WWE in 2017 to work with NXT. He would become an NXT Champion.
Since joining Raw in 2018, McIntyre has been successful. He would become Raw Tag Team champion alongside Dolph Ziggler. Nevertheless, it was his character portrayal and pure aggression which stood out.
The unusual element of his situation is the fact he has yet earned a World Championship. With his time in Impact Wrestling, it proved he forms a solid character with championship pedigree.
On Raw recently, McIntyre has been involved in storylines alongside stablemates; Baron Corbin and Bobby Lashley. However, this alliance seems short-lived. At WWE Fastlane they battled The Shield (Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins), in a losing effort.
With mere weeks left until WrestleMania, what could we expect from WWE? With his experience working in Impact Wrestling, Insane Championship Wrestling, and NXT, McIntyre is someone WWE must get behind. It would be advantageous against AEW.
#4 Becky Lynch (SmackDown Live)
Becky Lynch has quite literally changed her persona in the last few months. In June 2014 Lynch debuted on the NXT brand and eventually became a member of the four horsewomen of WWE. Notably also including; Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Charlotte. On July 13, Stephanie McMahon announced the women's revolution, this marked Lynch's arrival to Raw.
Since joining the main roster in 2015, Lynch has been through a plethora of diverse storylines. She would form a group alongside Charlotte and Paige, known as PCB. Moreover, she would earn two SmackDown Women's Championship reigns. Arguably Lynch has been a core wrestler to establish women's wrestling as it stands today.
Notwithstanding past efforts, since 2018 Lynch has surpassed all critics. She has garnered mass acclaim from the WWE Universe. Moreover, she has solidified herself as a credible contender for leading female wrestler within WWE.
At WWE Fastlane, Lynch defeated Charlotte to be entered back into the Raw Women's Championship match at WrestleMania. With AEW lacking a credible women's division, Lynch is a surefire option to spearhead ratings on Raw and SmackDown.
#3 Adam Cole (NXT)
Adam Cole would garner success between 2009 and 2017 during his tenure with ROH. Throughout his tenure, Cole teamed alongside Kyle O'Reilly known collectively as; Future Shock.
He later joined; Bullet Club, being an integral member. He debuted for WWE at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III. In the subsequent weeks, Cole officially formed the Undisputed Era (Cole, O'Reilly, and Bobby Fish).
Undisputed Era has drastically improved the value of stables in WWE. It has brought about nostalgic value much the same as during the Attitude Era, sharing notable traits with former groups like The Nation of Domination (NOD).
Overall they have garnered immense success within NXT. Notably earning two spots in WWE WarGames matches, and multiple NXT Tag Team Championships. Moreover, Cole was the inaugural NXT North American Champion.
In the last few months, Cole has been distant from ring action in comparison with recent years. However, with the sad injury of Tomasso Ciampa, Cole has been his replacement at Live events.
Therefore, could this suggest a push for Cole? Nevertheless, Cole and his stable are hugely valuable to WWE. Moreover, they share an understanding of independent wrestling. Their knowledge could prove useful against AEW in the future.
#2 Pete Dunne (NXT UK)
At NXT TakeOver: Chicago 2017, Pete Dunne's journey as champion began. Now in 2019, Dunne is still the WWE NXT UK Champion, the longest reign to date. Prior to WWE, Dunne worked on the independent circuit. Notably in promotions including - Progress Wrestling and Attack Pro Wrestling.
Within the NXT UK brand, Dunne has become a target, hunted by a plethora of contenders. Notable names such as; Joe Coffey, Jordan Devlin, and Walter have expressed motivation to dethrone Pete Dunne.
However, to date, Dunne has lacked a credible opponent to defeat him. With WrestleMania approaching, it means NXT TakeOver is approaching. Who is next to face Pete Dunne?
Regardless of Dunne's direction as champion, he has proven his worth to WWE. During the Royal Rumble this year, Dunne performed excellently, being eventually eliminated by Drew McIntyre.
It would be damaging for WWE to underutilize Pete Dunne. Firstly, he has improved NXT UK. Secondly, his character suits Raw or SmackDown. Overall Dunne is a surefire future star within WWE. What can we expect from Pete Dunne?
#1 Kevin Owens (SmackDown Live)
Kevin Owens has been synonymous with the persona of a heel character throughout his wrestling career. Debuting with Ring of Honor (ROH) early in his career, Owens (then Kevin Steen) garnered mass acclaim and success.
Throughout his time with ROH, Owens earned the ROH World Championship and ROH Tag Team Championship. However, his greatest accolade would be his matches with El Generico (now known as Sami Zayn).
At NXT Takeover: Rival, Kevin Owens defeated Sami Zayn for the NXT Championship. It happened two months following Owens official debut. In May 2015 Owens debuted unannounced to challenge John Cena for the WWE United States championship.
It was the first time an NXT Champion appeared on Raw. Following his Raw debut, Owens surpassed everything expected from him.
Since his debut in 2015, Owens has moved between Raw and SmackDown. Moreover, he has achieved a plethora of success, and notable moments.
Owens' reign as Universal Champion was stellar and led to his feud with Chris Jericho, which was exceptional. However, his recent return could arguably lead to his greatest WWE moment.
At WrestleMania, Owens will challenge for the WWE Championship. He has yet earned this accolade. Considering his career in both ROH and WWE, Owens has exponential credibility for success.
Moreover, Owens is arguably one of the greatest heel characters in WWE. Nevertheless, currently, Owens seems to be a crowd favorite, leaning more towards a face character. Essentially Owens is a crucial tool to battle AEW.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
