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Once Survivor Series ends, all thoughts will turn to 2018 in earnest. There will be one more PPV in December's SmackDown-exclusive Clash of Champions, but it will be little more than the final pitstop before making the turn on the Road to WrestleMania.
As next year's extravaganza appears over the horizon, everyone will inevitably begin to wonder who will be the stars of the show. More than that, who will be involved in the most memorable moments of 2018 far beyond WrestleMania? Who's deserving of making a huge impact?
#1 Elias
Elias is an interesting case because he's an exception to a long-running trend. His "Drifter" gimmick didn't go over too well in NXT, but it has been a smash hit on the main roster. Even though he still hasn't had a major, memorable feud, he's consistently been one of the biggest heat magnets on Raw since his debut. In what is a rarity nowadays, Elias is getting classic heel heat, rather than go away heat. AT TLC, the boos were thunderous even before he began to sing anything.
Elias is currently embroiled in a feud with Jason Jordan, who is Raw's other heavily featured rookie, but the results over the past few months should be crystal clear as to who's getting more traction. Elias should cruise past this feud and in my opinion, take the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz at some point in early 2018. From there, we'll see if he has it in him to become a main event player by the end of next year.
#2 Becky Lynch
Becky has been lost in the shuffle since Alexa Bliss defeated her for the SmackDown Women's Championship, but the Irish Lass Kicker remains immensely popular with fans even so. As SmackDown's team captain at Survivor Series this year, she may finally be starting to break out again. The increasing odds of involvement in a match with Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania should see an even bigger spotlight put on Becky in the coming months.
A women's championship feud with Charlotte, who works better as a heel, would be just what that title needs to gain some prestige. Perhaps the feud can be part of the fallout of the Horsewomen match going badly (as WWE always has the celebrity win). Regardless, it would bring some badly needed excitement to SmackDown's women's division.
#3 Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin
The split of American Alpha earlier in the year had many fans frustrated at WWE deciding to break up yet another tag team. Jason Jordan's lacklustre singles run further added to the conviction that the team should have stayed together. It all worked out in the end though, as Shelton Benjamin returned to his old SmackDown stomping grounds soon afterwards, and his act with Chad Gable has been a standout, even with the fantastic Usos vs. New Day feud that only recently concluded.
On Tuesday, we learned that the team will get a shot at the Usos and their SmackDown Tag Team Championships next week, and the match will be a good one, even if it's too soon for Gable and Benjamin to win. A title change now before the highly anticipated Usos vs. Shield matchup at Survivor Series makes no sense.
Still, their time will come. Gable and Benjamin should get a good run with the tag team titles on either SmackDown or Raw (should they go to that brand after WrestleMania) next year.
#4 Finn Balor
After having narrowly avoided catastrophe in his atrocious feud with Bray Wyatt, the tide finally seems to be turning for the better for Finn Balor. Sure, he was laid out by Kane for two weeks in a row, but that will be forgotten soon enough. He's almost certainly a lock to be part of RAW's men's Survivor Series team, where exciting encounters with the likes of AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura await. If things go as whispered, he may now be spared being fed to Brock Lesnar also. To top it all off, Finn Balor remains popular, despite his mixed-to-negative 2017.
It doesn't look like the first Universal Champion will be in line to reclaim the title that he never lost anytime soon, but his popularity shouldn't be squandered. A standout Royal Rumble performance is a must, and afterwards, he should be inserted into the Intercontinental Championship picture. A feud with The Miz or, hopefully, Elias, would be great for heating up Raw's mid-card in 2018.
#5 Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe was one of the hottest acts of the summer who was partially responsible for increasing Raw's viewership during his lit feud with Brock Lesnar. Though Joe didn't come out on top of that program and injury derailed his momentum soon after, he's come back just as over as he ever was.
Samoa Joe, who is Kurt Angle's former tag team partner in TNA, should be a mainstay in Raw's main event picture next year. Or perhaps he could even be traded to SmackDown and eventually win the WWE Championship. The blue brand could certainly use a Joe title reign after the gutter Jinder Mahal has put it in in 2017.
#6 Braun Strowman
I know, it sounds absurd that Braun Strowman needs a push in 2018. After all, he's the breakout star of 2017 and is currently Raw's most popular performer. He has more videos with 2 million+ hits than any other full-time superstar this year and is the hottest act with WWE crowds since Daniel Bryan. His loss to Brock Lesnar at No Mercy has luckily not seemed to have hamstrung his momentum.
But how long can this level of intensity be maintained without a big payoff? Ever since his standout performance at SummerSlam, I've believed that Braun Strowman should be in the main event of WrestleMania 34. Even though that's not going to happen, he needs to be a huge standout at the Show of Shows.
And ultimately, 2018 must be the year that sees Braun Strowman capture the Universal Championship. Though Roman Reigns seems destined for a lengthy run with it, he and Braun have great chemistry together, had the feud of the year in 2017, and fans surely wouldn't mind seeing the title involved in a re-ignition of that program. Crowning Braun Strowman in 2018 would truly be best for business.
