5 wrestlers with the most potential in 2018

2017 saw the rise of stars such as Kenny Omega in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Samoa Joe ran rampant on WWE Raw and Marty Scurll in Ring of Honor and NJPW.

These fresh faces are sure to carry the programs they wrestle for years to come. 2017 also saw the continuance of a career resurgence for Chris Jericho and Goldberg in NJPW and the WWE respectively, but who will have the most momentum entering 2018?

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#1 Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes reigned as ROH World Champion for nearly half a year in 2017.

2017 may arguably have been Cody Rhodes' best year of his career. From a lengthy title reign as Ring of Honor's World Championship, to big money matches against Kazuchika Okada at the US G1 event and Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom 12, Cody has turned what was once WWE's trash into his own treasure.

But 2017 was only the start.

2018 will see a hungrier Cody, vying to reclaim the ROH title that he lost to Dalton Castle in December. Cody will look to raise his post-WWE stock even more, as impossible as that seems to be with the 2017 he had.

Cody will be a multi-time world champion in Ring of Honor, and while he looked impressive in defeat against Okada, Castle and Ibushi, he is his best self when he is the cocky heel champion. Whether in ROH, NJPW, Impact or even a WWE return, 2018 will see Cody on top of the wrestling world once again.

#2 Tetsuya Naito

Naito was the winner of the 2017 G1 Climax and headlined Wrestle Kingdom 12, but what more can he accomplish in 2018?

Tetsuya Naito is a star, there's no doubt about that. A previous IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental champion, he defeated Kenny Omega in the finals of the G1 Climax in 2017 to claim the tournament trophy and easily saw him become the most popular star in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Naito has already started off 2018 with a bang as he lost in a valiant effort to Okada in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 12, and New Japan almost had this writer thinking Okada would finally dethrone Okada.

Yet this is no blemish on Naito's popularity. It seems as if the loss has only made NJPW fans cheer even louder for the leader of Los Ingernobles de Japon, and he recently has started a program with The "Alpha" of pro wrestling after being attacked by Chris Jericho this week.

Naito is sure to only claw his way back to the top after high-profile feuds with Okada and Jericho, and he will probably be the favorite to win the 2018 G1 Climax.

#3 Braun Strowman

Will Braun Strowman win the WWE Universal Championship in 2018?

What more is there to say about this monster? He reinvented himself the past two years, and while he hasn't been as dominant in championship or high-profile bouts, he gets to start 2018 out in one of the main events of the Royal Rumble fighting for the Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar (c.) and Kane.

Braun Strowman has yet to become Universal champion, but I have a hunch that by Summerslam 2018, he will win Raw's top prize. Strowman is simply too powerful to stop, and even if he doesn't capture the title at the Royal Rumble, 2018 will be a magical year for the Monster Among Men.

Strowman is one of those once in a lifetime wrestlers and performers that truly allows you to escape the reality and its boundaries over professional wrestling. His matches and promos allow you to suspend your disbelief and really immerse yourself in the WWE product. He has all the tools to make a WWE megastar, and 2018 will be the year that WWE pulls the trigger on the behemoth.

#4 Aleister Black

Black is one of the most captivating stars in NXT today, will 2018 be his year?

Black is one of the most mystifying enigmas in NXT, and he enters 2018 still undefeated in one-on-one competition. 2017 saw him topple foes like Hideo Itami and Velveteen Dream (who is also sure to be one of NXT's hottest commodities in 2018) in electrifying matchups.

He has the mystique of The Undertaker and the edge of top stars in the WWE, and his ring work is nothing short of brutal, yet beautiful and captivating. Accompanied by an entrance theme that will make you headbang, he has Superstar written all over him.

I see no reason for WWE to end his undefeated streak anytime soon, and Black is sure to be one of the cornerstones of the yellow brand for years to come.

#5 Adam Cole

Adam Cole made his shocking NXT debut at Takeover: Brooklyn III attacking then-champion Drew McIntyre

Adam Cole is sure to stun the NXT universe in 2018. He debuted after the main event of NXT's equivalent to Wrestlemania, Takeover: Brooklyn III in August, going straight after then-champion Drew McIntyre.

He formed the stable The Undisputed Era with fellow ROH stars Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly, and he's taken 2017 by the horns in the revamped War Games and entering a feud with the aforementioned Aleister Black.

In 2018, Adam Cole will be NXT champion. That is a given fact. It will be a lengthy reign as he is sure to put on potential clinics against stars like Black, Johnny Gargano and Drew McIntyre, whenever he is healthy enough to return to NXT programming. While I mentioned that Aleister Black will be one of the cornerstones in NXT this year, Adam Cole will be THE cornerstone of NXT in 2018, and maybe even further down the road.

Who do you think will have the best year in 2018? Comment below and let me know what you think of my list and what you would do differently.