5 WWE stars who could become main-eventers in 2021

Due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of sports, including pro wrestling, it's hard to determine what's going to happen for the rest of 2020. Our best guess would be that the guys and girls located towards the top of the card right now will stay there once this all blows over, but prior to that, we can expect more than a few weeks without any editions of RAW or SmackDown which should put a few ideas on the backburner for the time being.

As a result of that, we want to look even further ahead and contemplate what could happen by the time 2021 rolls around. That may seem like another lifetime to some people, but with less than 10 months to go until we ring in the New Year, these are things that we need to think about.

#5 Adam Cole

He may already be leading the charge in NXT, but it feels like just a matter of time before we finally see Adam Cole making his presence known on RAW or SmackDown. Those two brands deserve someone like Cole at the top of the mountain, but with The Undisputed Era still controlling the state of play in NXT right now, it doesn't feel like their call-up is going to be imminent just yet.

Cole has time on his side and while some will want his move up to be a surprise, we wouldn't be all too shocked to see WWE advertise it beforehand. After all, this is a once in a generation sort of talent, as we've seen courtesy of his overwhelming success in pretty much every organization and promotion he's been a part of.

This guy is the future, and we think he's well aware of that.

#4 Keith Lee

At both Survivor Series and Royal Rumble, Keith Lee was able to prove why it's such a bad idea to sleep on him as a top-tier talent. This man is on a whole other level when it comes to possessing the sort of physicality you need to thrive in this business - and more specifically, in WWE.

At this moment in time, he has to be considered one of the leading contenders for Adam Cole's title, and when he eventually holds the belt, we think it's going to be a lengthy reign. When he does drop it, the right course of action would be to bump him up to RAW and SmackDown so that we can see him have wonderful feuds with the likes of Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre and more.

You need to be at your very best in order to beat someone like Keith Lee because if you aren't, he'll ensure that you live to regret the day you opened the door for him to burst through.

#3 Ricochet

It's been a tough time as of late for Ricochet in the wake of his Universal Championship defeat at the hands of Brock Lesnar in Saudi Arabia. Still, even after losing that bout and being beaten in a 24/7 Championship match by Riddick Moss, we still believe there's potential in him as a main event star one day.

He's got the sort of underdog spirit that also allowed Rey Mysterio to ascend to the top of the mountain all those years ago, and while that may seem like a steep comparison to some, we really don't think it is.

All he needs is for the machine to get behind him, and if he can showcase some of the personality that we all know is hiding deep inside, then there's a decent chance that he could make some noise in the world title picture once 2021 comes around.

For the remainder of 2020, though, it doesn't appear as if the forecast is going to be all too bright.

#2 Candice LeRae

Despite being in the NXT picture for quite some time now, Candice LeRae still hasn't been given the kind of sustained push that many believe she has earned. Her many years on the independent scene have allowed fans to gain a better understanding of why she's considered to be such a hot commodity, and while she's had a few great moments with the company, we still want to see more.

We get serious Daniel Bryan vibes when we watch LeRae perform, and we honestly believe that there's a movement in her somewhere just waiting to come out. Nobody can say for certain whether or not she would have the desired success on RAW and SmackDown that she's enjoyed in NXT, but a good way to dip your toe into the water would be for her to capture the NXT Women's Championship.

If she goes on a strong run, build her up from there. Eventually, there will be enough of a buzz about her to ensure that a main roster leap goes as smoothly as it possibly can.

#1 Cesaro

All Cesaro needs is one big break or one moment of brilliance, and he'll be off to the races.

We all thought that moment came when he won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal back at WrestleMania XXX, but somehow, the didn't happen. The blame game has been played plenty of times when figuring out what exactly went wrong with him, but the bottom line is this: he was white-hot, and then within a matter of months, he wasn't.

We believe WWE is going to see the light with the Swiss Superman sooner rather than later, and instead of allowing him to leave through the back door and potentially join All Elite Wrestling, they'll give him the push that we've all been dying to see for the last eight years.

Cesaro is a patient man and while he may portray someone who is frustrated with his position on the card on WWE programming, what he really needs is another huge burst of fan support.

Edited by Zaid Khan