The busiest time of the World Wrestling Entertainment year has come and gone with the conclusions of NXT Takeover, WrestleMania 34 and the editions of Raw and SmackDown that follow WrestleMania. What has become known as the “Superstar Shake-up” will lead to changes to both main rosters and NXT, and it will cause new storylines to pop-up across the WWE Universe. Thanks to wrestling journalists, websites, forums, social media outlets and other platforms, a plethora of supposed WWE plans for 2018 leaked well before the final match of WrestleMania occurred. The WWE will never confirm nor deny these plans for obvious reasons, but these rumors lead to fans from around the world speculating on what may or may not happen throughout the spring and summer months.
Vince McMahon, Triple H and others who make booking decisions for the WWE have a reputation for sometimes changing their minds once supposed plans get out to fans. In some instances, however, those individuals don’t care that customers who spend money to attend shows or follow the product via the WWE Network can accurately predict what is going to happen at pay-per-view events and on television shows. Journalists who cover the product on a daily basis also often comment how McMahon sometimes re-writes a script at the eleventh hour because a new idea enters his mind at that time. Whatever the case, it’s possible that at least ten of the rumored plans mentioned in this piece will happen as you expect. Then again, maybe the WWE will go in different directions regarding all of these rumors.
20 Forget: Brock vs. Lashley
Those who think that Brock Lesnar is hanging around for a long time because he successfully defended his championship against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34 may want to reexamine that idea. It has been widely reported that Lesnar signed a short-term extension following WrestleMania and leading into the Greatest Royal Rumble event, meaning there is still a possibility that Lesnar could put pen to paper on a massive contract with the UFC that grants him a championship match against whoever is holding the Heavyweight Title later this year.
This means any plans for Lesnar defending his Universal Championship against Bobby Lashley are probably on hold for the time being.
You can forget about that rumored WWE plan, and you may, instead, be getting the storyline so many have expected for over a year.
19 Expect: Roman Still Reigns
Anybody who actually thinks Roman Reigns losing to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania means that the WWE has given up on Reigns being the top babyface on the promotion’s top brand should go back and watch exactly how the company booked him on that fateful night, review his promo on Raw from the following evening and remember he is going to battle Lesnar for the championship at the Greatest Royal Rumble.
Putting Reigns over for the title overseas could lead to him getting a better reaction from paying fans than what he would receive at a stadium in the United States, it would give customers in Saudi Arabia something historic and special and it would allow the WWE to crown Reigns once more. We fully expect Reigns to win the title before the summer unless something changes.
18 Forget: Anything involving John Cena and Nikki Bella
It is difficult to believe anything that is supposedly real involving WWE performers, but we are hoping that the WWE and/or television executives wouldn't fake a break-up between John Cena and Nikki Bella for ratings and storylines across multiple shows. Multiple journalists have claimed that this is for real, which is unfortunate since it involves the end of a relationship.
Those of us who don’t work within the WWE cannot say, for sure, that the promotion had plans for feuds with these two teaming against foes, but it makes sense that the company would have used their real-life wedding in on-air stories.
The WWE has done similar things in the past, and Cena remains the biggest wrestling name on the roster. Since he is a part-time wrestler, though, the break-up doesn’t need to be mentioned in promos or feuds.
17 Expect: Ronda Rousey vs. Stephanie McMahon
Ronda Rousey made Stephanie McMahon tap at WrestleMania 34, and the rowdy one then did further damage to Stephanie’s arm on the subsequent Raw. That may result in McMahon taking a break from serving as a weekly on-air character, but anybody who knows anything about her gimmick should expect that she’ll be back to continue the feud.
After all, somebody needs to play the Mr. McMahon role if Rousey is going to be this generation’s “Stone Cold.”
Let’s just all hope that McMahon won’t repeatedly block Rousey’s arm bar in future matches. We all agree to suspend our disbelief when we watch WWE shows such as Raw and SmackDown, but that one is a bit hard for those of us who actively follow mixed martial arts to swallow.
16 Forget: Neville return
WWE fans may want to forget about those hopes that Neville is going to return to 205 Live and the main roster during the spring. There was no indication, outside of fans dreaming of potential matches and an emotional comeback, that Neville had any real interest of making it back to the WWE for WrestleMania 34, and there is nothing, as of the typing of this sentence, to lead us to believe that the bridge linking him with the company has been repaired.
It is also worth noting that the WWE has apparently already planned for future 205 Live storylines with the assumption that Neville won’t be back on the program and in the title picture.
It’s too bad, because Neville is too good to be sitting on the sidelines and frozen by his deal.
15 Expect: More 205 Live awesomeness
The 205 Live program was largely floundering even before the previously mentioned Neville disappeared from the WWE and before the company showed Enzo Amore the door. That changed earlier this year, however, reportedly after none other than Triple H took control of booking decisions for the show and allowed the tremendous athletes who are in the cruiserweight division to show what they can do during lengthy and entertaining matches.
It seems that 205 Live is going to continue on its current path past WrestleMania, which is great news for those who have enjoyed that show over the past several months. 205 Live went from being a forgettable weekly show to one of the better things that airs on the WWE Network, and we’re excited to see what is to come leading up to SummerSlam.
14 Forget: Shinsuke Nakamura Era
Few, if any, casual or diehard WWE fans envisioned AJ Styles defeating Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34 so that Nakamura could turn heel en route to a program between the two. Things became even more complicated once the WWE added a Daniel Bryant element to the story that could lead to some awesome three-way matches.
While we are looking forward to seeing what occurs on SmackDown, it does look like the era of Nakamura reigning over the blue brand as its top babyface so that Styles can be a top star on Raw won’t be occurring this spring.
There are probably more than a few viewers who are bummed about this, but Nakamura evolving into one of the better heels in all of the company could make for some great television.
13 Expect: More Undertaker?
We added a question mark to this rumored plan because it’s still very unclear what is happening in the near future regarding The Undertaker. It is known that The Phenom will be working at the Greatest Royal Rumble show taking place in Saudi Arabia, but the speculation is that he won’t be making a one-off appearance. In fact, it was strongly hinted that his victory over John Cena at WrestleMania was an indication that he is back in some capacity.
We don’t expect to see The Undertaker on weekly Raw and SmackDown shows, but he could be involved in some major feud leading into SummerSlam.
Perhaps Taker is gearing-up for one more run before he officially calls time on his legendary in-ring career ahead of his Hall of Fame induction.
12 Forget: Balor Club Faction
It doesn’t feel like it was all that long ago when the WWE seemed to embrace the idea of going all-in on its own version of Bullet Club — the Balor Club — with Finn Balor leading the way. As of WrestleMania 34, however, it now appears the plan is for Balor to continue on as a singles star with the idea of Balor Club being “for everyone.”
It’s admirable the WWE would want to use a star to promote inclusivity and also show that the promotion embraces the LGBTQ community, but it’s curious that the company went this route without also keeping him without his Club teammates. As of now, the best bet is that any hopes of Balor Club being a long-term faction on the roster are gone.
11 Expect: Broken/Woken Universe
From what we have seen on editions of Raw, videos shared on social media platforms and at WrestleMania, the WWE has all kinds of plans for the Broken/Woken universe guided by Matt Hardy. Bray Wyatt and Hardy are now a duo, and Jeff Hardy, playing himself and not Brother Nero as of the posting of this piece, is back on the roster.
The promotion has done well to tease that Brother Nero could join up with the other two to make for a new faction, which would be an interesting take on the gimmick that began in Impact Wrestling. The WWE could use three-man tag team titles for its loaded roster. Who better to win those belts on either Raw or SmackDown than these Woken men? For now however, expect a big solo push from Jeff, along with Bray and Matt potentially feuding with Sanity at some point.
10 Forget: Johnny Gargano joins the main roster
Once Johnny Gargano lost a match that, in storyline, meant to serve as the end of his NXT career, fans assumed that he was going to complete the jump to 205 Live, Raw or SmackDown. That changed, however, after Gargano defeated former teammate and current rival Tommaso Ciampa and reclaimed his NXT roster spot.
Spoilers are out for future episodes of NXT, and we know that Gargano is not expected to join the main roster anytime soon, so those rumors linking the man affectionally known as Johnny Wrestling to routinely performing on Raw or SmackDown were apparently a bit premature. Gargano is ready for the main roster as it pertains to his talents in the ring and on the microphone, but the company may want to keep him on the NXT touring brand throughout 2018.
9 Expect: Jinder push 2.0
Despite the fact that he dropped the US Title to Jeff Hardy, you can still expect Jinder to become a prominent fixture on the Raw show, the title change was needed in order for the shake up to make sense. McMahon is still high on his capabilities and with Raw needing more heels, you can expect Mahal to stay in the upper-mid card on the Monday show.
In terms of future opponents, you should anticipate Mahal to feud with top tier babyfaces.
A time might also come that'll have Mahal feuding with Roman, it would be a first time bout between the two. Expect the marquee matchups featuring Jinder to continue whether you like it or not.
8 Forget: Asuka vs. Ronda Rousey
This rumored WWE plan made all kinds of sense ahead of WrestleMania. Asuka was the undefeated monster who dominated NXT and the main roster, and former Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Ronda Rousey is one of the biggest free-agent acquisitions in the history of the company. It was only logical that the promotion would position both women as the top performers of their divisions leading up to a future WrestleMania bout where Asuka’s streak and a championship would both be on the line.
That is no longer the case, though, as Asuka lost to Charlotte at this year’s WrestleMania, a result that gives the WWE more booking options but that also takes momentum away from The Empress of Tomorrow.
We see no reason for the WWE to go through with this plan now.
7 Expect: Dolph Ziggler Gets Another Push With Drew McIntyre
Just prior to the shakeup, rumors began to swirl about Drew McIntyre coming back from injury and joining either Raw or SmackDown. Well, he made a return alright and in a way few expected. Drew joined forces with Dolph Ziggler, the unexpected move created quite the reaction and a positive one for the most part.
With rumors swirling that Dolph signed a new deal, getting his character back on track is a must. WWE needed something huge for Dolph and moving to Raw alone wasn't the answer, adding Drew to his act however is a major plus. You can expect a huge push for Ziggler moving forward as he becomes a prominent heel on Raw alongside McIntyre. Feuds with Balor, Rollins and Reings are all rumored possibilities.
6 Forget: Drew vs. Andrade
Sometimes, the WWE likes to tease plans and feuds even when they aren’t actually meant to be in future scripts as a way to swerve fans. That appears to be the case regarding those rumors linking Drew McIntyre with feud with Andrade “Cien” Almas. McIntyre and Almas do have some unfinished business, and both men deserve to be on the main roster.
The problem here is that the company has, in the past, pushed the figurative reset button whenever talents have made the jump from NXT to Raw and SmackDown, and we have to assume that will be the place for these two. After all, it only makes sense that WWE writers would want to introduce NXT talents not known by everyone who watches the cable shows by having them feud with recognized performers.
5 Expect: Big Cass push
Just as with Drew McIntyre, it was believed that Big Cass was on his way to a big push when he suffered an injury that ended all planned storylines and also put him on the shelf for a lengthy period of time. It has been reported that Cass has been cleared and is ready for action, and it is believed the plan for him involves a serious push as a singles star on the main roster.
After all, Cass is seven-foot tall, and you can’t teach that. Cass’ size and look are his advantages, without a doubt, but he deserves credit for being a solid promo. Granted, his in-ring skills still need work, but competing with talented wrestlers on the road will hopefully make him a better overall performer leading up to championship opportunities that should be in his future.
4 Forget: The Miz vs. Braun
This rumored WWE plan may not have made all that much sense when it was first mentioned by reporters, and it became only less logical after Miz dropped the Intercontinental Title at WrestleMania. Sure, it’s possible Miz could either win that championship back or claim a different belt to call his own, but Braun Strowman feuding with him would, no disrespect meant, be a step in the wrong direction for the Monster Among Men.
Wth Miz moving back to SmackDown, we can confirm this angle is done with, even if Strowman would move.
Strowman is currently booked as one of the strongest and most over performers on the main roster. Having him feud over any mid-card title wouldn’t do him any favors, even if he held that championship for a lengthy amount of time. He doesn’t need a strap to remain popular, and Miz shouldn’t be booked to hang with him in a match for even a minute.
3 Expect: More Gargano vs. Ciampa
This rumored WWE plan involves classic pro wrestling booking, which is why we expect to see it play out over the next several months leading up to one final big-time match that occurs at an NXT Takeover show. The bout between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa that occurred on WrestleMania Saturday earned five stars from respected journalists Dave Meltzer, it was arguably the best WWE one-on-one contest from that weekend and it was only the first act of this play.
Ciampa tapped-out on that fateful night, but we know, thanks to spoilers, that he isn’t taking that loss lightly before moving on. You may want to see Gargano on the main roster sooner rather than later, but the WWE has other plans for him at this time.
2 Forget: Adrade and Zelina Vega vs. Johnny and Mrs. Wrestling
There is some real potential for a long and entertaining feud involving the duo of Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega battling Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae, the Mr. and Mrs. Wrestling of NXT. Assuming that certain spoilers that are already out there are showing us what the company is planning for the immediate future of NXT, it appears this is not the promotion’s direction.
In time, we do expect to see this duo resume what has already been a great feud. After all, Gargano needs to earn a win over his rival that doesn’t occur on a house show in front of a handful of fams. Don’t expect to see that occur while Gargano is busy with Ciampa. In fact, we wouldn’t be shocked to see the WWE split Almas from Gargano entirely.
1 Expect: British Strong Style vs. Undisputed Era
Those who watched the last NXT Takeover and who followed what occurred at events over WrestleMania weekend don’t need to read spoilers to know they should expect this rumored WWE plan. The trio of Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate and Trent Seven, better known as British Strong Style, is set to battle the Undisputed Era at multiple events, and the hope is that this storyline will lead to several potential matches this spring and summer.
For example, Adam Cole could defend his newly-won NXT North American Championship versus Dunne, while the duo of Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong could defend their tag team belts against Bate and Seven. We hope this storyline continues for months until it concludes in some type of marquee match up with a certain stipulation.