5 fresh match ups we must see in 2019

Time to shake things up a little bit. We have heard those words time and time again from Vince McMahon yet here we are with a new year upon us and new ratings upon WWE. Ratings they have never seen before. Ratings that are way below expectation and from a talent standpoint are way below what they should be. If this truly is a new direction for WWE, then they must deliver on what they promised: fresh match ups and new faces.

With the brand split, it is beyond difficult to keep everything fresh. You only have a limited number of members on the active roster limiting potential match ups. Plus, when you want to save matchups for big events like WrestleMania or the Royal Rumble, you really have a slim picking. This is where NXT comes into play.

The yellow brand has been WWE's developmental brand for some years now and we have seen some of today's best come through there. From Roman Reigns to Kevin Owens, NXT has created future world champions and hall of farmers. With all fresh new faces developing, some are patiently waiting for their call up. This is their chance to start over with all new rivalries and storylines.

If they truly want to make things fresh and start with a clean slate, this is their way to do it. Why can't we have that take over magic and apply to it to a Fastlane evet? Why can't we have a former NXT Champion challenging for the Intercontinental Championship? WWE have everything right in front of them and now is the time to execute. This can be the opportunity for guys on the yellow side of town to make it in the bright lights of red or blue. Here are 5 fresh match ups we must see on the main roster in 2019.

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#5 Lars Sullivan vs. Braun Strowman

Besides the Beast Incarnate or the Big Dig, many men do not size up to the Monster Among Men. Braun Strowman makes The Undertaker look like Hornswoggle. His power and strength are inhuman and his presence is like Kane's in the late '90s. When you hear the Brrrrrraaaaaaauuuuuuuunnnnnnnn scream before he enters the arena, you know that someone is about to get these hands.

Enter Lars Sullivan. A man who in NXT has that same fear and presence around him. He is a powerhouse of a man with pure brutal strength. He looks like a deranged person. What he lacks in size for a normal big man he makes up for with brutality. He ran through NXT like a freight train and is on course to the main roster.

With Braun bulldozing his competition, why not match power for power? Who would take the other off his feet first? Would Braun be able to power slam his way to victory? Would we have another Brock/Big Show moment where the ring would implode? Only one way to find out.

#4 Undisputed Era vs. Any SmackDown Tag Team

Since their big debut at NXT TakeOver Brooklyn, the Undisputed Era have literally taken over the yellow brand. All four members have held gold on all different levels. They have a cockiness about them reminiscent of D-Generation X and can brawl like the APA. With natural talent up and down the group, they would be the focal point of any show they go to.

So why any tag team on SmackDown? If we look at both shows tag team divisions, there is no doubt in which show has the better teams. You have WWE's three best tag teams on the blue brand. Can you imagine the match classics they would have with The Usos or The Bar? The promos they would have with The New Day would certainly be entertaining. Adam Cole being locked in a Cesaro Swing or trading superkicks with Jimmy Uso are something every fan would want to see.

The team can bring that something to a tag division that has been on the shelf for some time now. A dominant faction that can change the landscape of any show and the blue brand is the place for them to jump-start all of that.

#3 Tommaso Ciampa vs. Seth Rollins

I can already hear the "this is awesome chants." I can already see the classic good vs. evil match come to life. If one Superstar in NXT has redeveloped himself into a solid heel, it is Tommaso Ciampa. From his beloved tag team of DIY to the scorned champion of NXT, Ciampa is showing he can stand on his own two feet. During the tag days, the fans would scream Johnny Wrestling until it broke Ciampa. If 2018 showed anything in NXT it is that Tommaso Ciampa can stand at the top of the mountain alone.

One with a similar path would be the Architect Seth Rollins. From starting in the Shield to where he is now, their paths are almost identical. Rollins was the first NXT Champion and Ciampa is the current champion. Rollins showed he did not need the Sheild or the Authority to be in the main event and while Ciampa is still showing us he does not need DIY.

Both men have proved through their rivals that they are championship material. Both men bring "it" every time and put on some classics in 2018.

#2 Shayna Baszler vs. Ronda Rousey

If it one thing that Ronda Rousey has brought to professional wrestling is the real aspect of fighting. An MMA fighter in a WWE ring turns scripted into reality. When Rousey busted onto the scene in Philadelphia a year ago, everyone was curious how she would adopt from the Octagon to the Squared Circle.

Fast forward to today and I believe there is little to no doubt in any fan that she is a top wrestler in WWE. Her style and attitude has certainly changed the female division and put everyone on notice in the locker room.

If we look in NXT, the female on top is Shayna Baszler. With the same MMA background as Rousey, she has taken the division for her own. She is the current and 2x champion and her hard-hitting MMA style is the reason why. She is a bruiser and is bullying her way through everyone.

Let's match her up with Rousey and this would make for a must-see showdown. A real fight. A real brawl. Two of the toughest women in the world clobbering each other to find out who really is the baddest woman on the planet.

#1 Kurt Angle vs. Daniel Bryan

The dream match of dream matches. Two of the best in-ring performers of all time. The Angle Lock vs. the Lebell Lock. Two mat technicians. Think about a few years ago, this match was not even a thought. In fact, it was impossible. Angle was not active with WWE and Bryan was not even an active wrestler. The old saying in WWE goes never say never and here we are with this potential scenario.

Everything about this is captivating to any wrestling fan. If anyone can relate to Bryan's injury it would be Angle because after all, he won an Olympic gold medal with a broken freakin neck. In his prime, Kurt Angle was the best wrestler on the planet, a Wrestling Machine. While age and injuries are catching up with him, he may only have one last classic in him.

Who better to have that with than Daniel Bryan. With the "new" Daniel Bryan currently holding the WWE title, he would be a perfect opponent for this version of Kurt Angle. A match between these two would be an instant classic.

Every now and then you get that moment in wrestling where even before the bell rings, two men are just standing in the ring and the buzz is we are about to witness something special. We had it with The Rock and Hulk Hogan and AJ Styles and John Cena. Daniel Bryan vs. Kurt Angle has that feeling.

Two men who have clawed their way back into WWE after being torn away from what they were born to do. Why can't we have our fantasies turned in reality right before our eyes. This match would give us that feeling as to why we are wrestling fans.

I always say professional wrestling is an art form and Bryan and Angle can be considered Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Kurt Angle vs. Daniel Bryan. The goosebumps are already forming.