Ronda Rousey
When Vince and Linda McMahon founded World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), I bet they never thought it would eventually be worth $3 billion (R36 billion). Some questions for the women's division this coming year are a minefield to call - Asuka's ongoing undefeated streak, the impact of recent and future NXT call-ups, the apparently looming threat of Ronda Rousey and associates - but a safer bet is for them to complete a full house of the major WWE gimmick matches.
Mickie James was hired in late 2016 to a main roster contract after having an impressive outing against Asuka on an NXT TakeOver special. With a growing cast of female and international wrestlers, WWE is now plotting to expand its fan base beyond American men.
He moves from merely fodder for Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar on Raw to a legitimate world title contender on Tuesday nights. Shinsuke Nakamura can easily transition into the main event scene of Monday Night Raw. Most of the WWE wrestlers in the roster has long term contracts with with the company depending on the experience and potential it can be anywhere from minimum 1 year to 10 year period.
HE became a multi time WWE Tag Team Champion and WWE United States Champion and this is all he has done. That or two will form a team and win the Tag Team Championships on one of the two brands. Instead of helping add credibility to Roode, it just hurt his momentum and reminded everyone why Ziggler was now one of the dullest wrestlers in WWE.
But the outcomes of the titular events—men's and women's versions of a prolonged battle in which 30 combatants try to win a title shot by throwing their opponents over the top rope—raise eyebrows, too. Bryan, perhaps the most popular wrestler of the past decade, was powerbombed by Owens on the side of the apron before the match began, and medical personnel had to attend to Bryan.
On the second point, there's nothing that WWE says matters that John Cena never wins; the 17th World Title is the one everyone talks about, but that could conceivably wait - Goldberg, The Rock and Brock Lesnar have all proven part-time major title reigns are viable.
I hate to even write this, but with the never-ending crusade to make the 205 Live division relevant, this just seems like a matter of time to me. When Hideo Itami was brought to the main roster for 205 Live, but teamed with Finn in his debut match, I had this picture in my mind of Vince watching it from Gorilla and thinking, Well God damn pal, Finn isn't any bigger than this guy, put him in 205!" Perhaps the Balor Club forming with Gallows & Anderson will lead to bigger things, but per recent history with WWE booking, it will be a short-term idea to appease some fans and Balor will be back on an island after WrestleMania season.
Meanwhile, in Atlanta, World Championship Wrestling was struggling to establish itself outside of its traditional Southern base—by the end of 1993 the Ted Turner-owned company would name its fifth lead executive since the beginning of 1992. With WWE wrestlers in 2018 Backlash only five days away, what will transpire between the likes of WWE Champion AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura as well as Daniel Bryan and Big Cass?
I also believe Jericho has no matches in WWE this year. In late 2016 the WWE decided to hire Mikie James again as a mainline wrestler. Adam Cole, Aleister Black, Paul Heyman, Braun Strowman and AJ Styles were all challenged to thumb wrestling matches by Mac and, not surprisingly, he lost them all.
The story of Daniel Bryan wanting to wrestle again will dominate the wrestling headlines in 2018. He has the presence of a main eventer, yet couldn't even win Raw‘s second title at WrestleMania. Seth Rollins is a staple of WWE main events and overcame knee injuries to return to the big matches last year.