2018 was one of the most eventful years in WWE history, from an epic WrestleMania, to the first-ever all-women’s pay-per-view event, to The McMahon Family returning to take back control of Raw and SmackDown LIVE. But 2018 is now history, and 2019 is shaping up to be an even bigger year for WWE and its Superstars. With the year just getting started, plenty of WWE fans are wondering what 2019 has in store. We, the staff of WWE.com, have a few things we’d like to see happen in the squared circle. Could they become a reality this year?
Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey main events WrestleMania
Look. Not to harp on this whole, the-simplest-solution-is-sometimes-the-best thing, but Ronda Rousey should face Becky Lynch at WrestleMania, and they should go on last. Their match-that-never-was remains one of the greatest what-ifs of 2018; Lynch’s invasion of Raw made her star go supernova, and the knowledge that Rousey could be weakened was part of what made Charlotte Flair’s demented pinch-hit after Becky’s injury so thrilling. There’s simply no better final boss for The Baddest Woman on the Planet, and almost no match that’s captured the WWE Universe’s imagination quite as much. Granted, we’d have to see some brand-skipping hopscotch to make it happen in the first place, but surely those semantics shouldn’t be enough to derail what is, in the old industry parlance, the big-money match, and the only logical candidate to shatter the glass ceiling’s last, and greatest, pane. — ANTHONY BENIGNO
WWE introduces a weekly women’s show
The women of WWE have revolutionized the sports-entertainment world in recent years with a number of firsts – Royal Rumbles, Elimination Chambers, an all-women’s pay-per-view event, and soon, WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.
There’s still some ground to cover for these Superstars, including one big one – their own show.
Yes, they thrill WWE fans on Raw, SmackDown, NXT and NXT UK, but imagine what they could with an entire show to themselves? The possibilities for competition are endless, and the WWE Universe has made it clear they want more of their favorite female Superstars. Give the people what they want! — BOBBY MELOK
Team LayCool return to challenge for WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
The recent announcement that there will be a WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship got the WWE Universe’s wheels turning about all the potential matchups that we can now look forward to, but let’s broaden the scope of our imagining, shall we? Former Superstars and legendary “Mean Girls” Michelle McCool and Layla — known collectively as Team Lay-Cool — have already essentially held tag team gold, declaring themselves co-champions after defeating Beth Phoenix for the WWE Women’s Title back in 2010. The prospect of holding a championship, without having to physically break a title in half, could be enough to lure this “Simply Flawless” duo back into active competition, and that would be “Simply Flawless.” Plus, let’s be honest: Their hilarious verbal “Real Talk” sparring sessions with WWE’s current crop of female Superstars would be just as entertaining as the matches themselves — IIconics, we’re looking in your direction. — JAMES WORTMAN
A Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen showdown
What once was just a fun, little parallel — the fact that there was a group of women called The Four Horsewomen in both WWE and MMA — has progressed with each passing year from a barbershop debate about who’s better to now a totally plausible matchup.
Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke were labeled as The Four Horsewomen of MMA when Rousey’s utter dominance of the sport began to take off. However, pretty much simultaneously, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Bayley and Becky Lynch were all surging and squaring off in WWE NXT, and because of that, very organically (especially with having a Flair present) also acquired the same moniker.
It was legitimately inconceivable to think that a match between the two stables could ever materialize, but, in theory, the final pieces came together when Shafir and Duke officially joined the WWE Performance Center in 2018. Neither side has been bashful in recent years about their more-than-mild disdain for the other and it now feels like a clash is inevitable sooner or later … so why not sooner? — RYAN PAPPOLLA
Drew McIntyre becomes Universal Champion
When Drew McIntyre joined SmackDown in 2009, Mr. McMahon called him a future World Champion. But despite some early success, McIntyre admittedly became complacent, and in June 2014, WWE released him.
So he battled around the world, searching for his edge. By April 2017, the refocused Scottish Psychopath was the talk of the indie circuit and he joined NXT with an eye on redemption. By the end of the summer, he was NXT Champion, but his mission was just starting. He returned to WWE in 2018 on a rampage, from embarrassing WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle to brutalizing Dolph Ziggler.
It’s been a long, strange 10 years since McIntyre was dubbed “The Chosen One.” But it’s now clear that nothing will stop him from fulfilling his destiny. So when he wraps the Universal Championship around his waist in 2019, don’t act surprised. — JEFF LABOON
Mustafa Ali becomes WWE Champion
While Drew McIntyre’s determination manifests itself in pure destruction, there’s a Superstar on SmackDown LIVE that’s just as determined who could end up as WWE Champion in 2019.
After spending much of 2018 establishing himself as The Heart & Soul of 205 Live, Mustafa Ali arrived on Team Blue and brought the fight to WWE Champion Daniel Bryan in his first night on the brand and defeated him in his second match on SmackDown LIVE.
While he may not possess the size and strength of a McIntyre, Ali has an arsenal of high-flying moves that have immediately established him as one of Team Blue’s top stars. Most importantly, there’s no keeping Mustafa Ali down. His will to continue fighting, even in the most dire circumstances, may help Mustafa Ali capture sports-entertainment’s most coveted prize a lot sooner than people expect. — BOBBY MELOK
John Cena & Becky Lynch compete in Mixed Match Challenge
While their first outing as a team was a little rough, the pairing of John Cena & Becky Lynch left the WWE Universe clamoring for more. That’s why we want to see The Man and the Cenation leader join forces for the next edition of WWE Mixed Match Challenge.
With a few matches under their belt, Cena & Lynch could iron out their differences and get on the same page and dust every team in the tournament. Or, these two Superstars could continue down the path of dissention, Lynch taunting Cena for the entire competition. Either way, it would make for one of the most compelling stories in WWE this year. — BOBBY MELOK
The first-ever Queen of the Ring tournament
The WWE Women’s Evolution is all about breaking boundaries. Since the evolution took hold, we’ve bore witness to the inaugural Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match and Women’s Royal Rumble Match, for example, not to mention the first all-women’s pay-per-view, WWE Evolution. Yet, there’s still new, regal, ground to cover, namely the introduction of a Queen of the Ring Tournament.
For years, the King of the Ring was a preeminent star-making event in WWE. The format changed over time, but a return to the eight-competitor, one-night tournament featuring only women would fit in well with the current WWE landscape. While the Mae Young Classic could remain a platform for up-and-coming NXT Superstars and independent wrestling standouts, doesn’t the addition of a Queen of the Ring Tournament, contested among Raw and SmackDown Superstars, possibly with a future title opportunity at stake, sound long overdue? Yas queen. — JOHN CLAPP
Miz & Shane McMahon become SmackDown Tag Team Champions
They may not always be on the same page, or project the kind of chemistry that win championships, but what The Miz & Shane McMahon lack in experience, they make up for in sheer potential. What better way to further solidify their position as Best in the World trophy co-parents than by adding another jewel to the crown: the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. For The A-Lister, teaming with WWE’s Man Without Fear isn’t a fun idea – it’s personal. For Shane-O-Mac, it’s an opportunity to turn odds into probability. Overcoming the clash in their personalities – and style choices – to win a championship won’t just become another classic moment within the history of the tag team division, but proof that the greatest tag teams are built on contrast (ahem, Team Hell No and The Rock ‘n Sock Connection). — RALPH BRISTOUT
NXT gets involved in the Superstar Shake-up
Sure, it’s fun to see your favorite NXT Superstars move to Raw or SmackDown LIVE and get the chance to show their skills on a massive stage. But wouldn’t it be just as fun to see the opposite? That’s why we want to see NXT get involved in the Superstar Shake-up.
Not only would opening the Superstar Shake-up to a third brand give NXT a chance to welcome in some new talent to work with WWE’s future, but it would allow for some of the biggest present vs. future dream matches to take place. Who wouldn’t want to see showdowns like Rey Mysterio vs. Ricochet, AJ Styles vs. Johnny Gargano, The Bar vs. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch or Sasha Banks vs. Kairi Sane? — BOBBY MELOK
Article source: WWE.com
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