Predicting all WWE title holders at the end of 2020

It's already September in one of the craziest years in recent memory. In less than four months, 2020 will end and many people will hope for better things. While it's a bit difficult to predict everything, wishful thinking at least gives us the hope that everything will hopefully be better once the calendar shifts to 2021. WWE is no different.

From putting on shows without crowds to embracing pre-taped, cinematic wrestling matches, WWE has truly lived up to the adage that "the show must go on." During the era of no live audiences, stars like Apollo Crews and Shayna Baszler have won their first major titles in WWE. Drew McIntyre has won other titles before, but not the WWE Championship, and he won that title in his first official shot at it.

Since his title victory occurred without a crowd, some have wondered if the moment lost some of it's emotion. We probably shouldn't say that to McIntyre because he's helped carry the WWE during one of the most trying times in all of human history.

So since he's carried the torch through the pandemic, will he be rewarded with a lengthy title reign? He defeated Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36 in April, making his run as Champion enter it's sixth month. Will he walk into 2021 still holding the WWE Championship? What about the other title holders in WWE?

Here are my predictions regarding who will be holding each title as the year ends. The picks are based on the current roster and landscape. Any number of things can happen between now and the end of the year like injuries, free agent signings and call ups. The 24/7 title will not be included here.

#9 WWE Women's Tag Team Champions - Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler

It's hard to think that any team, either current or one that forms within the next few months, can or will dethrone Baszler and Jax. They are two of the most formidable women in all of WWE. Outside of Asuka (because of her all-around skill), Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair (top female WWE stars), a realistic duo of female stars that could give the Champs a run for their money does not exist at the moment.

The main way that the Champs will ultimately lose the belts, however, is when one turns on the other. It will leave the star left behind in a likely handicap match spot where she will succumb to the numbers game. Could a team from RETRIBUTION use its numbers to eventually overcome the likes of Jax and the Queen of Spades?

Most of the teams that have been built up over the last two years have disbanded. Teams like Bayley/Banks, Mandy Rose/Sonya Deville, the IIconics, the Kabuki Warriors and Nikki Cross/Alexa Bliss no longer exist. Unless Lynch and Flair return and briefly unite to challenge for the WWE Women's Tag Team titles, there is no reason to think a change will happen until next year.

#8 WWE RAW Tag Team Champions - The Hurt Business

The tag team divisions across WWE RAW and SmackDown are in a downward spiral. The Viking Raiders are in a tough spot with Ivar injured. AOP got released. Seth Rollins and Murphy are fighting with each other. Angel Garza and Andrade already had a shot and lost and now they're on their way to splitting up. Tag teams just don't seem to last very long in WWE unless they're The New Day or The Usos.

Outside of those teams, we're left with the RAW Champs, the Street Profits, a possible team of Apollo Crews and Ricochet, and the Hurt Business. With a four-man squad, I think the most logical and sensible thing will be for any combination of the Hurt Business dethroning Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford. They're the most dangerous faction on the WWE main roster.

We could also have a tag team under the masks in RETRIBUTION and they would also make sense as a team to upend the current Champs. They Mysterios may be future tag team title holders in WWE but Rey Mysterio is currently injured.

Unless Robert Roode returns to action as travel restrictions are loosened and is paired back up with former partner Dolph Ziggler, the two best options are the Hurt Business or RETRIBUTION. Either stable adding the RAW Tag titles would add even more credibility to each group's mission statement in WWE. My money is on MVP's group.

#7 WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions - The New Day

If Big E pursues singles glory, Woods and Kingston can keep the tag team going.

On almost every episode of WWE SmackDown, we have seen dissension teased amongst tag teams. Lucha House Party won their most recent match but even they were not getting along prior to defeating Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura in non-title action.

The Miz and John Morrison are still aligned, as are Heavy Machinery. But will Otis' Money in the Bank situation derail any real chance they have at winning the SmackDown Tag Team titles? Jey Uso is trying things out in the singles division in WWE for the first time and the Forgotten Sons are off of WWE TV.

For those myriad reasons, the move that makes the most sense for WWE is for a usual team of Champs to add another number to their long list of tag title reigns. Both Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods are slated to return to SmackDown. After some time off dealing with injuries, things are setting up for a triumphant return and potential dethroning of Cesaro and Nakamura.

Big E should be the one getting a singles push while Woods and Kingston can represent the faction in the tag team division.

Perhaps the missing members of the New Day return to avenge their friend by attacking Sheamus. After that, since it appears that the Lucha House Party will be facing Cesaro and Nakamura at Clash of Champions, it feels like the New Day will be holding the gold once the year ends.

#6 WWE United States Champion - Keith Lee

Keith Lee made a huge impact right away by targeting and eventually defeating Randy Orton. Orton is possibly in his best character run in WWE in years, and for a call-up from NXT to get one over on the Legend Killer is a huge deal.

That has also parlayed into the ongoing feud between Orton and McIntyre. While many people would love to see Lee win the WWE Championship, it may not happen this year.

That sets Lee up to target the mid-card title on RAW. The mid-card titles change hands more often than the top ones, so Lee could feasibly end the year holding the United States Championship. Bobby Lashley won the title at SummerSlam, giving the Hurt Business some legitimacy. They have been set up as the top group on the show and even stood up to RETRIBUTION to end the latest RAW.

Once Lee moves on from Orton/McIntyre, he should enter into a program with Lashley. He's one of the few WWE wrestlers that can match Lashley's strength game and he could fight off the other members of the Hurt Business. Just having Lee and MVP go back and forth on the mic would be worth the price of admission.

If Lee is being positioned as one of RAW's top faces, he needs to win a title. Since it may not be for the WWE Championship, the next logical belt is the United States Championship. He could even ally with Ricochet, Mustafa Ali and Apollo Crews to oppose the Hurt Business during the feud.

#5 WWE Intercontinental Champion - Matt Riddle

It definitely appears as if we're heading towards a triple threat match for the title at Clash of Champions. With the return of Sami Zayn, Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles have to deal with a person who never lost the title. That has been part of his gimmick since he returned to WWE.

Hardy is a legend and a daredevil, but he should not be holding a title in WWE with so many other talented younger stars looking to make an impact. Styles is bulletproof either way, but Zayn is gold whenever he's on screen. He's so condescending but in a good way.

For that reason, it seems like the Great Liberator will eventually square off with the Original Bro, Matt Riddle. Riddle also faced Styles for the Intercontinental Championship but fell short. The Original Bro is one of the few exciting new comers in SmackDown's mid-card and he'll likely be holding gold at some point soon.

It will come at a veteran's expense but WWE needs to move forward and build some younger performers as future World Champions. Riddle is one.

#4 WWE SmackDown Women's Champion - Sasha Banks

It's time for the Blueprint to add some gold to her ensemble.

Bayley and Sasha Banks' entire WWE main-roster run has been building to an inevitable showdown between the two friends. They tore the house down in NXT, setting an extremely high bar that changed how things were done with female performers in WWE.

The current SmackDown Women's Champion had primarily been a face throughout her WWE tenure, but she had a character shift last October that saved her career. That shift also netted her the SmackDown title, a belt that she has held for almost a year. That makes her the longest current reigning Champion in all of WWE. Banks' return helped to facilitate the heel turn and the friends were staunch allies ever since.

There were brief moments where there may have been some dissension between the two, but things worked out. That was, however, until Banks lost both of her titles and Bayley turned on her friend. The brutal attack a few weeks ago on SmackDown was due to jealousy on both sides and the fact that Bayley thought the Boss had "outlived her usefulness."

The former Hugger has defeated every challenger she's faced and she's defeated a few women (Lacey Evans, Nikki Cross) more than once. There's only one name currently active that makes sense to dethrone Bayley and it's The Boss. It's well past time that someone else has a run as SmackDown's top woman and it will be Banks that gets that opportunity.

#3 WWE RAW Women's Champion - Asuka

Asuka had her first reign as WWE RAW Women's Champion interrupted by Bayley and Sasha Banks. It was mainly to set up a big match/program for the Empress of Tomorrow at SummerSlam. WWE did the same thing last year by having Brock Lesnar win Money in the Bank and cash in on Set Rollins. Rollins would go on to win the title back a month later.

Outside of Shayna Baszler, there isn't a woman on the RAW roster that should feasibly defeat Asuka. Nia Jax is an opposing opponent but has traditionally lost when facing the Empress of Tomorrow. She's also only mediocre on the mic. Asuka, despite her limited English, is still more entertaining in promos than most of the women in WWE.

Mandy Rose, who just got shipped to RAW, and Bianca Belair, could challenge Asuka at some point in the next few months. But there could be a possibility that Asuka holds on to the title until Becky Lynch or Charlotte Flair returns. Flair will likely return before Lynch as the latter is pregnant. But regardless, Asuka should remain RAW Women's Champ until the Royal Rumble at the very least.

#2 WWE Universal Champion - Roman Reigns

The 2020 Roman Reigns' push has picked up where it left off

Roman Reigns may hold the Universal Champion until the end of time. The only thing that beat him the first time he won the belt was Leukemia. WWE has wanted the Big Dog to be the top star in all of WWE and his pushes have reflected that. There have been bumps along the road during his pushes - fan reaction, his illness, his brief suspension back in 2016 - so weexpect him to hold on to the belt for a very long run.

He's being built up as the main bad guy on SmackDown but WWE is currently taking a slow-burn approach with the official turn. If he was already a full-blown heel, he would have already destroyed his opponent at Clash of Champions, Jey Uso. But as is the right course, they are taking the slow approach to total heel with Reigns.

His partnership with Paul Heyman is a great idea, but fans will still cheer for who they want to cheer for. I'd still want Big E, Matt Riddle, Daniel Bryan or the Fiend to win over Reigns, but it isn't happening any time soon.

The very earliest we could see the Big Dog losing his title is WrestleMania 37, and even that would be pushing it in WWE's eyes. WWE wants this reign to be the title run they've always envisioned for him, so he's totally walking into 2021 as the Universal Champion.

#1 WWE Champion - Drew McIntyre

While many wouldn't be upset if Keith Lee somehow won the WWE Championship, it is too early to pull that kind of move with a star that's only been on the RAW roster for a few weeks. Randy Orton could wrest the title from Drew McIntyre, but there aren't a lot of top-level babyfaces for him to defend against at the moment.

We have McIntyre, Rey Mysterio and family, Kevin Owens and Lee. Aleister Black is now a heel. That's also not forgetting that Samoa Joe is on commentary and not in the ring. For that reason alone, McIntyre could hold on to the title heading into 2021.

Giving Lee a shock win would be a great moment and a needed jolt that WWE needs. But that may not happen. If anyone is going to take the belt from McIntyre before the year ends, it'll be Orton. Or a returning Brock Lesnar.

There could be a situation where the Scottish Psychopath loses the belt at the Royal Rumble, but that is at the end of January. He could still battle Black, Lee or someone from SmackDown if a big name like AJ Styles rejoins RAW. But if not, McIntyre could end this year and begin next year as WWE Champion.

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