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2017 was a mixed bag for the WWE. While there were things they did very right, there were a lot of things they could have done better. The team/friendship of Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens which began in 2016, came to a dramatic finish in 2017.
For example, the festival of friendship was a great way to break up the duo, but the fact that their Wrestlemania match was a United States title match at the beginning of the card rather than being for the Universal title match in the main event, like many people thought it should have been. It's safe to say 2018 will be full of ups and downs.
Some of the best WWE moments are the ones you don't see coming. Here are some predictions of what surprises WWE might have in store for us.
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#1 More MMA stars will come to WWE
Over the years there have been many performers in WWE who started in MMA. Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock were the first to make a name in the UFC and then come to the WWE. More recently, we have seen Ronda Rousey make appearances in WWE, and most famously, in a confrontation with Stephanie McMahon at Wrestlemania.
Her friend, Shayna Baszler, made it to the finals of the Mae Young Classic and is starting to be featured on NXT. We can't forget the biggest name to come from UFC, and that's the return of Brock Lesnar.
There are a lot of possibilities when it comes to MMA stars making their way to the WWE. In 2018, we are going to see a lot more of Baszler in NXT, and possibly a title run depending on how she develops as a WWE superstar.
Daniel Cormier has expressed many times how he is a fan of professional wrestling. While he may not sign a contract with WWE in 2018, we could see an appearance similar to Rob Gronkowski's at Wrestlemania this past year. Meanwhile, this could be the year that we see Ronda Rousey perform in a WWE match.
There have been many rumours in 2017 of WWE and Rousey getting closer and closer to a deal. Rousey's star may have diminished over the last couple of years, but her addition to the Women's roster would still be a huge deal for WWE.
The possibilities for big matches are endless, from a renewal of her conflict with Stephanie McMahon, to Becky Lynch toandAsuka, and maybe a showdown between her four horsewomen and Charlotte Flair's four horsewomen. Whether it's Cormier, Rousey, or someone else, look for an MMA star to make an impact in WWE in 2018.
#2 More factions/groups
During the late 90's (arguably the WWE's most popular time period), stables, groups, and factions ruled the day. From DX to the Brood, to the Corporation, and even the JOB Squad, WWE was full of entertaining groups. A trend that needs to return today. When The Shield reunited in 2017 it was clear that there aren't that many groups in the WWE.
There is The New Day on Smackdown, which made for a good short rivalry with The Shield, but besides them, not much. The Miztourage was an interesting prospect, but never really went anywhere. WWE is starting to address this issue now with the additions of the Riott Squad and Absolution in the Women's division.
In 2018, expect to see the formation of more groups, especially in the men's division, since it has already started in the women's division. There are many ways WWE can go to add more groups to their main rosters.
They could put together like-minded characters like pairing Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens with someone -- maybe Daniel Bryan -- to strengthen their YEP! movement. "Woken" Matt Hardy could add more soldiers to help him fight the Great War. On the other hand, WWE could add already formed groups to their main rosters from NXT.
The Undisputed Era and Sanity would make an interesting addition to either Raw or Smackdown Live. One thing is sure, that WWE is more exciting when you have groups of Superstars fighting for control.
#3 Big returns of former WWE superstars
It has always been a big deal when WWE Superstars return from a long absence. In 2002, it was the returns of Hall, Nash, and Hogan as the NWO. In 2008, Chris Jericho returned to a WWE ring after a long absence. The "Break the Code" teaser videos hooked people in and when it was revealed that the "code" was Y2J, fans went crazy.
Proving that a return to WWE can be very exciting for fans, but how it is executed is equally important. In 2017, we saw one of the most exciting returns in WWE history when the Hardy Boyz were surprise competitors in the ladder match at Wrestlemania.
In 2018, I think we can expect many returns. Bautista has stated that he would like to make one more return to the ring. "The Animal" did not receive a warm welcome when he returned to the squared circle in 2014, but this time could be different after his role in two successful Guardians of the Galaxy movies.
Hulk Hogan is another name to look for, but the question with the Hulkster is has enough time passed from his scandal, and has he done enough to rehab his image for WWE to welcome him back? Another possibility is John Morrison aka Johnny Mundo aka Johnny Impact, who never reached the top of the card when he was with WWE, but is currently having great matches on Lucha Underground and Impact wrestling among others.
The most exciting and possible return is Rey Mysterio. Mysterio could make a surprise entrance in the Royal Rumble to start a feud with just about anybody on the main roster as a heated rivalry with a heel, or a dream match with a top talent like Finn Balor.
He could also move to the Cruiserweight Division and help 205 Live gain more attention.
#4 Finn Balor will turn heel
This one is a bold prediction because of Finn Balor's popularity with the fans, and especially the merchandise WWE can sell with his demon persona. However, after awhile all things get stale.
The same can be said about Balor; while he still is very popular now, it would be better to turn him heel before fans become tired of his persona and he becomes just another guy.
There are many ways WWE could go with a Balor heel turn. Maybe he gets frustrated with where he is on the Raw pecking order or someone could push him over the edge.
We could see a Balor Club stable similar to Bullet Club, or he could form a new version of "The Club" with Gallows and Anderson. These could be great ways to shake things up. Just picture "Evil Demon" Finn Balor vs. Woken Matt Hardy. The possibilities are endless.
#5 Power Struggles
WWE has seen more than it's fair share of power struggles over the years. It is a constant for them. From Mr. McMahon to Eric Bischoff to John Laurinaitis to the Authority, the WWE has always had a struggle for power and control.
Sometimes it's a power struggle between the person in charge an employee. Sometimes it's two people vying for control of the company or the show. This is something WWE uses to add an interesting dynamic to the show.
In 2018, there are a few possibilities for a power struggle in WWE. We are already seeing the beginning of a power struggle on Smackdown Live as it appears that there is a rift growing between Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon. This will continue into 2018, and we will see where Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens fit into this.
I can see Shane or Daniel becoming the power-hungry heel, which makes this story that much more intriguing. On Raw, Commissioner Stephanie McMahon and GM Kurt Angle could also engage in a power struggle.
They already teased it a little bit during the lead-up to Survivor Series and right after it. Seeing where Kurt Angle's "son", Jason Jordan, fits in all of this is what makes this interesting. It's becoming clear that Jordan is trying to use his "father" to gain opportunities.
It is already paying dividends for him after winning the tag title with Seth Rollins. Will Angle eventually get fired because of his son? Only time will tell.
#6 WWE signs more Independent Stars
Over the last few years, WWE has made more of an effort to sign popular independent wrestlers, who were signed and went straight to NXT.
In fact, if it weren't for NXT, we might not have seen such a huge influx of independent wrestlers coming to the WWE. The NXT fan base is more accepting and gets more excited about the arrival of big names from the independents.
There are a lot of names that wrestling fans would like to see in a WWE ring. We won't see the core of the Bullet Club (Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, Cody) joining WWE anytime soon, but there are a lot of big names that might make the jump this year.
A tag team like War Machine would be exciting to watch in WWE. Their combination of size and agility makes them great fun to watch. War Machine vs. Authors of Pain would be a dream match. One star that might be a lock in to join WWE is Ricochet. Ricochet is an incredible performer, and it will be exciting if he's put in NXT, 205 Live, or straight to the main roster.
Another star that falls in a similar category as Ricochet is Will Osprey. Osprey had a tremendous 2017 and has stood out as an incredible athlete. Needless to say, any of these stars would be a great surprise entrant to the upcoming Royal Rumble
