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The spectre of Ronda Rousey wrestling went from speculation to a real prospect for the imminent future after her appearances at the Mae Young Classic.
We don’t know exactly what’s coming next year, and the wheels of WWE booking are always in motion. Enough of 2017 has passed that we can start to make some educated guesses about what 2018 will hold for the company.
Above all else, we can look ahead to some true dream matches between headliners and talents we never thought we’d see in the ring together (whether for the first time, or again). This article takes a look at five particularly exciting big matches WWE has set up for the year ahead.
#5 Braun Strowman vs. Triple H
Braun Strowman evolved into a full-on main eventer in 2017 via his feuds with Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar. While he always had the look and the raw power to be a star, this past year saw him cultivate his in-ring skills. Moreover, Strowman seems to have tapped into the zeitgeist of contemporary wrestling fans.
He’s no technical wizard, and not a virtuoso on the mic. There’s something about his straightforward, old-school style and monstrous mentality that has gotten him over quickly and powerfully.
Survivor Series saw Strowman and Triple H emerge as the survivors for Team Raw in the main event elimination tag match. They were far from a united front, though, after The Game engineered a scheme to swerve Kurt Angle and then Shane McMahon, never cluing The Monster Among Men into his plans.
Strowman responded by laying his partner, quite possibly laying the groundwork for the two to have an intergenerational dream match in 2018.
#4 Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles
New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom 2016 saw Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles match that captured the attention of the international community. The 25-minute classic may well have been the key to getting WWE to sign Styles later that month, and Nakamura later that year. Ever since, hardcore fans have salivated at the prospect of Nakamura and Styles colliding in a WWE ring.
Jinder Mahal’s WWE Championship reign is over and Styles has the strap. There are only so many SmackDown talents currently established as viable contenders for the title, and Nakamura is one of them. WWE has successfully kept Styles and Nakamura apart up until this point.
There’s every reason to think the company is just waiting to book them for a collision at a major show like WrestleMania or SummerSlam—possibly even as soon as the Royal Rumble. Regardless, if WWE grants them time, they’re sure to create some magic together again.
#3 Kurt Angle vs. Triple H
Kurt Angle and Triple H feuded a bit during the Attitude Era. In particular, they clashed in an offbeat heel versus heel program that saw Stephanie McMahon manage the Olympic Hero, making The Game jealous of him. At the time, Triple H was still a fairly newly established main event talent, and Angle was just rising to that level.
A lot has changed since the early 2000s. Triple H only wrestles part-time now, alongside his management responsibilities. He’s a fourteen-time world champion who main evented WrestleMania seven times. And Angle? By the time he was done with WWE, he was set in stone as a main event talent, and went on to arguably even better work over the decade to follow with TNA. While this was once a matchup we could take for granted, over a decade apart has re-established this one as a dream match.
Given Angle’s ongoing kayfabe tension with Stephanie, and Helmsley and Angle more recently getting physical at Survivor Series, an in-ring confrontation seems all but inevitable for 2018.
#2 Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair
Charlotte Flair is the face of WWE women’s wrestling. She’s got a great look, tremendous in-ring skill and athleticism, and she’s Ric Flair’s daughter. She’s gotten her share of opportunities these past couple years, and has lived up to the hype, thriving under pressure.
This fall, she finally captured the SmackDown Women’s Championship and went on to defeat Alexa Bliss at Survivor Series, shoring up her status as the top female star in the company.
And then there’s Ronda Rousey.
Rousey arrived as the biggest star in MMA, period, at her peak, consistently headlining UFC shows as the Bantamweight Champion. She may have lost a little of her lustre since—dropping consecutive fights to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. However, she’s still enough of a name that she could be a very big deal for WWE. On top of that, Rousey’s legit fighting background means she could make a very smooth transition to WWE performance.
Rumours abound that WWE may try to pit Rousey against Charlotte in a WWE ring. It makes sense as a cross-genre dream match. Moreover, it inched closer to a reality this past fall when Rousey was a regular presence at Mae Young Classic tapings. The appearances culminated in a face-off between Rousey’s Four Horsewomen of MMA, and Charlotte’s Four Horsewomen of MMA.
#1 Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
A lot of fans were sceptical about the WrestleMania 31 main event between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar. While the Beast Incarnate was well established and profoundly credibly, Reigns was completely unproven as a singles wrestler. Many viewers rejected their perception that the company was pushing Reigns to the moon at any cost, and setting themselves up for a stinker of a match.
Against the odds, the match ended up being pretty great, with Reigns more than holding up his end of the bargain, giving and taking physical punishment. WWE even had an out to satisfy the crowd that might have been equal parts deflated by a heel retaining in the main event, and deflated by Reigns being crowned champion prematurely. Seth Rollins swooped in for an electric Money in the Bank cash in to save the day and send the crowd home, by and large, happy.
WWE seems to have a Reigns-Lesnar rematch in its crosshairs for WrestleMania 34. They’ve only had the one one-on-one match, with neither man emerging victorious. While Lesnar has fended off just about every other viable challenger, Reigns is the odds-on favourite to challenge him this spring. If their previous match is any indication, it should be a good one, with Reigns all the better for more experience since their last bout.
