O

vbWWE is the biggest wrestling promotion in the world and there is a reason for that, Vince McMahon knows the importance of change and constantly has his finger on the pulse in regards to what is working and what isn't.

Throughout time he has shown he isn't scared to make big changes that will change the landscape of the sport and the future of his company, taking big risks and chances that might not always pay off, from launching WrestleMania to starting the Attitude Era.

Whilst people think that has changed in recent times the fact is that he hasn't, Vince still takes big risks such as launching his own WWE Network, or creating a huge developmental system via NXT and he continues to do that today.

Right now WWE is making big changes as you read this, whether that be putting the plans in motion or if they are about to happen and there is plenty of speculation over some other major changes that will be coming soon as well. Just think of all the changes we've seen within the company over the past couple of years and you begin to realize that the company isn't done. There are still many more on the way (well except for Roman Reigns continuing to main event).

With WWE's constant goal for change in mind, this article will look at 10 major changes that are already in motion and 10 that are rumored to be taking place sometime in 2019.

20 Ongoing: Hulk Hogan Returns

Vince McMahon is already preparing fans and his talent for Hulk Hogan's return to television and Monday Night Raw by welcoming him back to the Hall Of Fame this year, and it is actually a surprise he hasn't shown his face already.

With Hogan slowly working his way back into the good graces of the company, it seems inevitable that he will be back in a WWE ring very soon.

While he certainly won't be wrestling, having him appear regularly again might be on WWE's agenda.

This is going to be a controversial change when it happens, with many fans being against the idea and tons of WWE's own employees not wanting to see it either, this could be a change WWE will live to regret.

19 Reported: More UFC Talent Joins

via wrestlingobserver.com

While one big change in 2019 might be that Brock Lesnar walks away from the company for good, that doesn't mean that WWE will be free of former UFC talents and we are not just talking about Ronda Rousey.

Of course, Rousey is still going to be part of WWE, a very big part, but rumors are pointing to more MMA stars making their move to the world of professional wrestling with two names, in particular, being talked about.

Cris Cyborg and Conor McGregor have both been highly rumored to possibly show up in WWE, even if it's for a one-shot deal and looking at the success both Lesnar and Rousey have had, you can see why the interest is there.

18 Ongoing: A Dedicated UK Show

via twitter.com

This idea has been ongoing for several years now, dating all the way back to the original UK tournament which crowned the first ever WWE UK Champion and since then whilst some select talents have thrived, such as Pete Dunne, the majority have sat around doing nothing until the UK tour rolls around.

However, with the second UK tournament that is all changing. WWE now has more than enough talents to fill out an entire roster, not to mention WWE is adding NXT stars such as Dakota Kai to the brand.

WWE has already taped several episodes of the NXT UK show and it is now just a matter of the company announcing when that show will air and then it's off to the races for the WWE UK brand.

17 Reported: Shawn Michaels Wrestling At WrestleMania 35

via wwe.com

This is something that fans have been wanting to happen ever since the moment Shawn Michaels retired and whilst we have seen several Sweet Chin Music's since then and even his WrestleMania altercation with the League Of Nations, we are yet to see a HBK match.

Michaels is set to return to the ring for a tag team match between him and Triple H against the Brothers Of Destruction.

Feelings are mixed because some feel it's not the right match for a HBK return, but never fear. Reports are that this isn't a one-shot deal. Michaels is expected to compete at several PPVs through WrestleMania. May we see a dream match between HBK and say, AJ Styles?

16 Ongoing: More Female Announcers

via Sportskeeda.com

Whether it happens on Raw, SmackDown, or NXT, WWE is going to do whatever it takes to put another female commentator on one of its shows in order to continue growing its women empowerment movement.

The company has brought Renee Young to the announce table on Monday Night Raw this year, making history with Young becoming the first full-time female commentator in Raw's history, and WWE will want to continue creating the goodwill that Young's announcement did.

WWE has given more opportunities since then, with Beth Pheonix commentating on the Mae Young Classic and Mixed Match Challenge, meaning she is the likely candidate to be given the big chance when it comes.

15 Reported: Finn Balor Turns Heel

via wwe.com

Throughout his entire WWE run so far, Finn Balor has portrayed a sympathetic babyface who the fans have gotten behind whether he is the Balor Club leader or the Demon, but all that could be set to change soon.

When he first arrived in WWE it seemed like Balor was going to be the next major star, but his shoulder injury caused such a huge impact that he has failed to be anywhere near the main event since he returned, and it's time for that to change.

Despite his incredibly smiley personality, Balor does have a dark side and if WWE can embrace that then it could be the catalyst for change that his career needs. Going back to his Bullet Club heel days has been rumored and if WWE does decide to make it happen then it would hopefully put him to the top of the roster once again.

14 Ongoing: Women Headline WrestleMania

via wwe.com

WrestleMania 25 is going to be a huge event for the company, with WWE returning to New York the wrestling world will invade the city with high expectations for the biggest weekend that the sport can offer.

With pressure mounting from outside companies as Ring Of Honor and New Japan have already stolen Madison Square Gardens for a show at the same time as Takeover and with the success of ALL IN it is time for WWE to step up and do something big.

They can't do anything much bigger than finally having a women's match main event WrestleMania.

The company is positioning its talent to be ready for that show, with Ronda Rousey more than capable of selling tickets to any show WWE puts on if booked correctly.

13 Reported: More Bullet Club

via WrestlingInc.com

Bullet Club is arguably the biggest stable in professional wrestling right now and is possibly one of the best ever, every time they appear they seem to be gaining more and more popularity and they simply can't put a foot wrong right now.

Because of this, it has made the group the most wanted set of wrestlers in the world right now and that includes interest from WWE. The company has raided its last two leaders in AJ Styles and Finn Balor as well as Adam Cole and Gallows & Anderson.

With contracts running out the futures of Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks, in particular, are certainly in question and that could lead to them signing with WWE, which would be a huge deal.

12 Ongoing: SmackDown Joins Fox

via wwe.com

This one is confirmed and it is a huge deal! When WWE announced that SmackDown Live would be joining the Fox Network the entire wrestling world stepped up and took notice at the huge news WWE was able to make.

Not only is there an incredible amount of money being given to WWE, but having SmackDown be featured on a major network like Fox is a huge deal that will have a big impact on how the company treats the blue brand.

There have been times when SmackDown has simply been seen as the "B" show during its time, but with this time slot on such a big network, things might be about to change in a big way for WWE.

11 Reported: Ronda Rousey's Four Horsewomen Incoming

Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News

Since she arrived on the scene everything Ronda Rousey has touched has turned to gold as she becomes one of the biggest stars in the entire company, but there is another major story that they can tell with the former UFC star.

That story involves three of her other MMA buddies including NXT talent, Shayna Baszler and that is of the Four Horsewomen of UFC. Rousey and her three closest friends became a tight group in the MMA world and now WWE has gone out and signed all four to contracts.

There is a clear reason why the company has done that, with a major eight woman tag team match against WWE's Four Horsewomen surely going to happen down the line.

10 Ongoing: New WWE Agents Take Over

via twitter.com

For those that aren't aware, WWE agents are in charge of booking matches and helping to determine what actually happens from bell to bell and the people who are given those jobs are often past WWE Superstars.

Men like Fit Finlay and Billy Kidman have been working in those roles for a long time now but there are several new faces that are set to take up those jobs too, changing things and how matches get booked with a new style.

Tyson Kidd has been in the role for a while now and has been booking Seth Rollins's matches, who is currently having the best year of his career. Both Matt Hardy and Jason Jordan are also rumored to be taking on the responsibility moving forwards and these new ideas could lead to big changes.

9 Reported: AJ Styles Joins Raw

via wwe.com

It has been a long time since we saw AJ Styles on the red brand, but the 2019 draft may just see The Phenomenal One finally return to the flagship show, despite the amazing work he has done on SmackDown Live.

The blue brand might be the house that AJ built but eventually, WWE is going to want to test the waters out with Styles back on Raw, especially now he has established himself as one of WWE's biggest stars.

Seeing AJ mix it up with some different talent, possibly becoming a Universal Champion for the first time in his career seems like a wise move and while it would be a huge change, it is something that could easily work out well.

8 Ongoing: NXT Is Officially The Third Brand

via twitter.com

Ever since Triple H took the reigns of NXT it has been clear what The Game has been hoping to accomplish, not just creating a movement or a place for some talents that you never expected to see in a WWE ring compete, but to make a legitimate third brand.

For year's WWE has simply had SmackDown and Raw and while that has been entertaining enough, the time for change has arrived and NXT is exactly that, looking and feeling like something totally fresh and different.

NXT is the standout show that the company needs in order to appeal to a whole different range of fans and as every show gets better and each story develops, NXT continues to make itself a legitimate third brand.

7 Reported: John Cena Retires

via CageSideSeats.com

Ever since John Cena began making waves in Hollywood his appearances in WWE have become less and less frequent which is not a surprise when you consider how things went once The Rock managed to make a name for himself.

However John Cena has always stated that WWE comes first for him but you have to question how long that is going to be the case and it seems like the answer is not much longer as he gains more and more roles.

Cena might still make the odd appearance in the same way that The Rock does right now, appearing to cut promos and drop some of his signature moves, but the days of Super Cena matches might not last much longer, which would be a major change.

6 Ongoing: Main Roster Talent Drafted To NXT

via wwe.com

Speaking of NXT officially being seen as the third brand and not developmental, 2019's draft could be the time that idea is really established by finally having NXT fully take part in it, rather than just being raided for top talent.

With every big name such as a Samoa Joe or an Asuka that moves up to the main roster, a spot is lost for the likes of Tyler Breeze or Alicia Fox.

It would be interesting to see people like that who don't get used much moved to NXT to try and change things up.

This idea has already been slowly starting to happen with the likes of Breeze and Tye Dillinger popping up at NXT live events for random matches, so why not make it full-time and make the most out of having them under contract?

5 Reported: Aleister Black Joins Main Roster

via wwe.com

The former NXT Champion recently made his return from an injury, but the current rumors state that once his feud dealing with whoever attacked him is over, he will be heading to the main roster.

This doesn't come as a major surprise as all former NXT Champions find themselves on the main roster eventually, and it appears that Black's turn should come in 2019 and if he continues on the path he is currently on, he will be set for a major run with the company.

Black proved himself to be an incredible talent during his time in NXT, with a unique gimmick that has plenty of mystery to work with and a fantastic striking ability, there is no reason he can't be just as big of a success on the main roster.

4 Ongoing: A Major International PPV

via wwe.com

Sure in 2018 we will finish the year having had shows in Saudi Arabia as well as the Super Show Down in Australia, but none of those are classed as major PPV's and are instead more like glorified house shows put onto a big scale and shown on the WWE Network.

However, these are all clearly being done to test out the waters for how fans around the world would react, whether people in America are tuning in live during the shows in order to put on a much bigger event outside of America.

An obvious location for a major PPV away from the States would be England, a country which has a huge amount of WWE fans and possibly running a blockbuster event like a Royal Rumble or even Money In The Bank internationally could be something that finally happens.

3 Reported: Roman Reigns Finally Turns Heel

via wwe.com

Many people thought it was going to happen when he became Universal Champion and destroyed Braun Strowman, but WWE decided to stick with the plan of Roman Reigns as the number one face of the company.

Obviously, Roman Reigns's current status means that when he returns, he'll likely be given a warm welcome, but is there any chance WWE could truly swerve fans and turn Reigns after a few months back?

 

If WWE can finally have the courage to turn him the company will be able to book him in more engaging storylines that the fans won't ruin.

2 Ongoing: Women's Tag Team Championships

via sbnation.com

This huge change might actually come before 2019, but it seems inevitable that WWE will bring in tag team titles for the women's division.

It has been rumored for months and is the next natural progression for the women's division and the current push that is happening.

Triple H has spoken about it in interviews and WWE has polled the fans, which is a good sign that they are feeling out the WWE Universe's thoughts.

It is no coincidence looking at the current WWE roster with how many teams exist in the women's division, from the Bella Twins to the Riott Squad, The IIconics or Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville, the division is screaming out for the new titles.

1 Reported: WWE Buys IMPACT Wrestling

via yardbarker.com

This is something that was rumored a while back when IMPACT Wrestling was in major financial problems, but in the end, the company was bought out, and not by Vince McMahon, but that doesn't mean he has given up on that idea.

Recent reports have stated that IMPACT bosses have been seen at WWE HQ chatting with Triple H and it's unlikely they were discussing the weather. There are plenty of positives to WWE buying IMPACT Wrestling, with tons of top wrestlers, possibly another brand and all the library footage.

If this rumor does turn into a fact it could be a major change in the world of professional wrestling, with this being the first time WWE has aggressively worked to buy another company out since WCW, something else that changed the landscape of wrestling.