The WWE is right now operating with a ridiculous amount of Championships, but even so, it still has to be an honour to hold gold within the worlds biggest wrestling company. Unfortunately for some, these title reigns don't last forever, and with so much talent throughout the company, there are always new stars stepping up to the plate, so if the company can manage to get their booking situation sorted, the back end of 2019 could certainly be fun.
From history making wins at WrestleMania to lifelong dreams being realized, the current crop of champions are incredible, but as we've said, wrestling doesn't work if Champions don't lose, so without further ado, today we take a look at the 10 current Champions on the main roster, and look to the future to predict the superstars who will dethrone each and every one of them.
#10 Smackdown Tag Team Championship - Authors of Pain
At first, this one might seem a little odd, given the fact that AOP are currently inactive due to injury and are on RAW, but they need to be moved once they return. With Viking Raiders making their way to RAW and the split of The Bar & Sanity, the tag team division on Smackdown Live is truly thin, and the legendary Hardy Boys can't carry the division for that long.
Sure, they're great, but there comes a point where WWE truly needs to put their new, young talent over, and the duo of Akem and Rezar certainly have the ability to be a force for years to come. They may be a bit lost without a manager (that can be easily fixed), but the monstrous duo have been together long enough to carve their own path of destruction, and this needs to happen as soon as they are ready to return.
#9 RAW Tag Team Championship - The Uso's
The Uso's are the best tag team in the WWE right now, and when it's all said and done, they could be the best team in WWE history, so it will come as no shock to see them quickly overcome the team of Ryder and Hawkins. Sure, the hot new duo Viking Raiders (assuming it's not changed before RAW this week) are going to be a force to be reckoned with, but that's the big rivalry, and the WWE need to build on that.
The Uso's are an established team, and while WWE built Erik and Ivar away from the Championships, they can get the belts back around the waist of the best tag team in the company. When Viking Raiders and The Uso's eventually clash, it will no doubt be incredible, but in the mean time, this is the smartest move the WWE can make, and it will set up a hot 2019 for RAW's tag team division.
#8 Smackdown Women's Championship - Charlotte
Charlotte may be the most over-pushed WWE superstar in recent memory (yes, Roman Reigns included), but there's a reason for it, and it's that The Queen is just that damn good. In the ring, Charlotte is almost flawless, and combining that with the look, the pedigree and the obvious ability to elicit reactions from the WWE Universe, you have yourself a main event level talent.
Most people won't like the idea of this, but at this point, putting Charlotte straight into title matches without earning it is exactly what the WWE needs to do (as much as they desperately need to push new talent). It may not come in the traditional way, but if WWE want to push Charlotte as a top heel, it has to be her to dethrone Becky Lynch, and at this point, it wouldn't surprise anyone if it came at Money in the Bank.
#7 RAW Women's Championship - Shayna Baszler
Following her victory in the main event of WrestleMania, Becky Two Belts is reigning over both RAW and Smackdown Live, but eventually, all these challengers will catch up to The Man. Outside of the new face in Lacey Evans and a potential return of Sasha Banks, there are few that stack up to Lynch on RAW right now, so over the summer, expect WWE to bring in a replacement for former Champion, Ronda Rousey.
That would come in the form of fellow MMA Four Horsewoman, The Queen of Spades, Shayna Baszler, and one only needs to look at her work in NXT to know that a big push right out of the gates is coming. With Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke by her side, Baszler is seemingly untouchable right now, and when she decides to conquer a new show, Becky Lynch better look out.
#6 WWE Cruiserweight Championship - Jack Gallagher
Way back in the first WWE Cruiserweight Classic, there were many emerging stars - Cedric Alexander, Kota Ibushi, TJP and many more, but the one that surprised the most was England's Jack Gallagher. Gallagher has a very unique look, and his style inside the ring definitely reflects that, but he's as efficient as a wrestler as he is a character, and with his recent face turn on Drew Gulak, he could be getting the next big push.
The last 2 men to hold the Cruiserweight Championship have now been moved to RAW and Smackdown Live, and with all the gifts Tony Nese has, it's only a matter of time until he joins the ranks. This will likely happen in the later stages of 2019, but if WWE can build both men up over the next few months, this could potentially steal the show at Summerslam or TLC later in the year.
#5 Women's Tag Team Championship - Asuka & Kairi Sane
Coming into WrestleMania, many predicted Billie Kay and Peyton Royce would come away with gold, given they were the only true tag team on the roster, and thankfully, the WWE didn't stuff it up. The IIconics are fantastic together, and while the depth of their challengers has certainly shrunk over the past few weeks (Bayley & Sasha and The Riott Squad splitting and Nia Jax getting hurt), but they are talented enough to carry the division.
After being given nothing to do as a singles competitor, Asuka was announced as one half of Paige's surprise tag team on Smackdown, and was joined by former NXT Champion, Kairi Sane. Given what a big star Paige is to the WWE, it's clear that this team is going to be big going forward, and with the combined talent of two of Japan's greatest exports, it's only a matter of time until The IIconics fall.
#4 Intercontinental Championship - Buddy Murphy
Finn Balor is a fantastic WWE Superstar, and carrying the Intercontinental Championship could elevate it back to the heights it was once at, but simply put, Finn Balor needs to be in the main event scene on Smackdown Live. With Roman Reigns, Kofi Kingston, Kevin Owens and Daniel Bryan the only proven main event stars on the blue brand, the Irish star needs to step up, and with The Demon returning at WrestleMania, it could be a lot of fun.
With the likes of Andrade, Aleister Black, Ali and others now in the mid-card scene, Smackdown Live would again become home to the best wrestling in WWE, and there's only one choice to lead that charge. The man who became known as Main Event Murphy has been one of WWE's best over the past year, and given his combination of size, skill, athleticism and arrogance, Australia's Murphy is the best choice for this spot.
#3 United States Championship - Ricochet
Samoa Joe is currently on a war path with the United States Championship in hand, and it's going to take a might effort to stop him. Fortunately, that's something that The One and Only is certainly capable of, as Ricochet has put in some incredible performances in his short time with the WWE.
The former NXT North American Champion may have been alongside Aleister Black for the entirety of his main roster run so far, but Ricochet is best on his own, and as the best high-flier in the world today, he could overcome the dominant Joe. Obviously this one would need quite a long build, as the company should be building Ricochet as a future main event talent, and whether it's at Summerslam or a later date, this one could be a clash of styles that steals any show it takes place on.
#2 WWE Championship - Roman Reigns
Kofi Kingston had a great run in the lead up to WrestleMania 35, and KofiMania is exactly what the WWE needed for the event, but now that the dust has settled, it's likely that WWE will again look to it's chosen ones. The biggest chosen one in the company is of course Roman Reigns, and when his story with Shane McMahon is over, expect him to come for the WWE Championship.
Ultimately, the fans being on Roman's side following his inspiring recovery from illness will only last so long, and he will be going back to being booed in no time, so the WWE finally have to lean into it. With guys in the mid-card ready to step up (Balor, Ali, Black), the company have plenty of babyface talent, and simply put, this is the best match to book for Summerslam, but expect Kofi's cinderella run to come to an end.
#1 Universal Championship - Drew McIntyre
Ever since he returned to the WWE and rose through the ranks of NXT, it became clear that the WWE had big plans for the Scot, and those plans will come to fruition in 2019. Sure, some people would have enjoyed seeing McIntyre dethrone Brock Lesnar, but Seth Rollins did a fantastic job, and now the company are buying time until they pull the trigger on that money feud.
Both men are incredible works and their styles mesh very well together, so when The Architect gets past the dream challenge of The Phenomenal One, The Scottish Psychopath will be ready to go. McIntyre is clearly being groomed to become the top heel on RAW (because who knows what's happening with Braun Strowman these days), and if the WWE do it right and take their time, he will be a main event player for years to come.