The WWE is a strange place at the moment. SmackDown Live is by far the bright spot of main roster programming these days. Raw continues to struggle with some lackluster storytelling. The company has done a great job in selling the ladder matches, however, some of the sub plots have suffered in a big way. Fan interest seems to be limited when it comes to program featuring Mahal/Reigns or Lashley/Zayn. With SummerSlam looming, WWE needs to step on the gas pedal especially when it comes to the Monday and Tuesday programs.
In this article, we discuss current rumors going around that span from the summer months all the way till the fall leading up to Survivor Series. We discuss future storylines, expected returns and even debuts. Current rumors we hope aren’t true might enrage fans if they do happen. Seriously, how many times can one sit through a Roman Brock match. The bouts haven’t been bad but clearly it is time to move on, Vince.
Enjoy the article folks and like always, be sure to share it with a friend. From SummerSlam to Survivor Series to everything in between, here are ten rumored plans we hope Vince doesn’t go through with in 2018 and ten we hope he does. We start off with a rumored match that might be set for the SummerSlam main event. Hide your eyes Roman haters cause it’s about to get nasty!
20 Don’t Want – Roman & Brock... Again
The only time we would suggest having this match would be in a country far, far away from the US. During WrestleMania, fans made it clear that they don’t any part of this matchup any longer.
With SummerSlam set to take place in Brooklyn, having the rematch is a terrible idea and one that’ll be serenaded with boos if it does take place.
The company desperately needs a new contender for the championship. The most popular names at this point include Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman. We hope McMahon changes course and doesn’t go through with the expected main event.
19 Want To See – The Undertaker Calls It A Career At Survivor Series
“BREAKING: Saturday, July 7th, The #Undertaker will make his in-ring return to the @TheGarden and it is sure to be legendary!”
Yes, that’s right, at the age of 53, The Deadman is still being utilized by the WWE. When discussing his future, Triple H made it clear, it is all up to The Undertaker. At this point, he has earned the right to call his own shots and you can’t disagree with that. Most would expect The Undertaker to call it a career at WrestleMania 35.
However, with a rumored main event featuring women, some fan theories are suggesting his career could come to a close at the upcoming Survivor Series.
It would be a special moment as his career would come full circle, ending it all at the event he debuted the gimmick at.
18 Don’t Want – The Undertaker Wrestles At SummerSlam
Speaking of The Undertaker, the rumor mill is swirling when it comes to his next major PPV bout. Online theories also suggest that a SummerSlam match is a possibility. The WWE has booked the show strongly in the last couple of years, adding a marquee name like Taker would only bolster things even further.
This just wouldn’t be the best idea. With few matches left, being rushed in a storyline at this point won’t do The Undertaker any favors.
Aside from John Cena, few matches make sense at this point, it isn’t like you can put him in the ring against anyone. We hope Vince is thinking long-term when it comes to Taker’s next match.
17 Want To See – Samoa Joe Wins The WWE Title
AJ truly is “phenomenal”, however, it might be the time to see a shift a top the SmackDown Live totem pole. According to the recent rumors, Styles is expected to hold on to the WWE Championship for a little longer and defend his title against Samoa Joe. Even if Nakamura stuns the WWE Universe and wins the title down the line, we still believe Joe would be thrust into the title picture nonetheless, creating a triple threat scenario.
His promos are another level, he deserves the championship and we hope this crowning moment takes place at SummerSlam.
He can be magic in the spot, working long-term title feuds against the likes of AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan.
16 Don’t Want – Paul Heyman Written Off WWE Television
It is no secret, Brock is heading back to the UFC and Dana White recently expressed Lesnar’s next opponent possibly being Jon Jones. Fans are more than willing to let Brock go at this point, however, according to the latest rumors, it’ll also mean Paul Heyman joining the sidelines as well.
Paul is a package deal with Brock and not a solo talent. However, most fans agree he can still be valuable without Lesnar. Look at a guy like Lashley who’s hit rockbottom as of this writing, just imagine the boost he would be able to get - or even, Heyman joining forces with Roman. He can still serve a purpose, most would hope Vince doesn’t brush him off for the rest of 2018 without Brock.
15 Want To See – WWE Gets Stadium Deal For Next Year’s SummerSlam
The location is still sketchy but according to the latest, this will be the last SummerSlam to take place at the Barclays Center. Yes, Madison Square Garden’s displeasure with WWE might have something to do with it, however, looking at the bigger picture, McMahon has a master plan to get SummerSlam into a stadium venue next year.
We hope he follows through with this one during 2018 and stamps his approval on the idea. Stadiums just give a show so much more validity, if the WWE wants to put SummerSlam among the great events, moving it to such a venue is a top notch idea. Without a doubt, they’ll get a packed house wherever they go.
14 Don’t Want – Batista vs Triple H
McMahon loves to draw attention to Survivor Series by announcing a return. It’s a smart tactic, especially with the release of the WWE’s video game around the same time. We’ve seen the likes of Sting and Goldberg return in the past, not to mention the various return cameos last year in the main event match of team Raw versus team SmackDown.
We would love to see this happen again, however Batista and Triple H working a program just wouldn’t be the best idea.
Most fans want to see The Animal return for a better run this time around, however facing Hunter just won’t do anything.
He needs to go back to SmackDown, the place of his prime days and take on someone like Nakamura. It’ll elevate Shinsuke while getting Batista back on our good side.
13 Want To See – More Reality Based WWE Programming
Looking at the recent Lashley/Zayn obstacle course segment, the WWE is a long way from winning an Emmy for episodes of Monday Night Raw. According to the latest, Vince McMahon is pushing the envelope when it comes to reality based documentaries. Rumors suggest that the WWE want to make an impact by competing for a possible Emmy in the future.
Yes, it sounds bizarre but the outcome is truly great. This means more in-depth WWE productions. Most fans can agree, the 24 type series are a must watch and a joy for fans that love to see what goes on behind the scenes. You should expect more of these productions in 2018 and that’s nothing but a good thing.
12 Don’t Want – Baron Corbin Versus Kurt Angle At SummerSlam
Clearly, Vince has a soft spot for Baron Corbin (no, we didn’t say bald spot...). Even last year while he was in the WWE’s “doghouse”, Baron kicked off the event against John Cena. Even though he lost the match, that was still quite the accomplishment given the rarity of John Cena matches in the last year.
It looks as though that trend might continue this year. Some are speculating a possible match between Kurt Angle and Baron Corbin. Now on paper, it would make sense. Though in truth, there are so many more options for Angle at this point. Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens are just a handful of names fans would rather see.
11 Want To See – Rey Mysterio Returns In September
Rey Mysterio is aggressively taking on indie bookings these days. He’s appearing with New Japan and he is also set to appear at the All In event. What’s a little weird is the fact that he was so close to signing a WWE deal only to take on all these events.
According to the Wrestling Observer, it might be a final hurrah type of ordeal for Mysterio outside of the WWE.
He want to end his career with Vince’s company so it seems as though he’s paying his final respects to the indie scene. His final booking date appears to be in September. Rumors suggest that he’ll join the WWE soon after. Obviously, this is a rumor all fans would embrace.
10 Don’t Want – 6 Hours For Major PPVs
We certainly appreciate the new time slot for non-major events. It is expected that the actual events will start at 7 PM and finish at 10:30 PM. However, knowing the WWE, it’ll go till 11 PM, which is just way too long.
Making matters worse, the big four are expected to get under way at 6 PM. Meaning, it’ll be a five hour show along with a one hour pre-show. Do the math, that’s a disturbing six hours of wrestling. Again, we appreciate the new start time and not having to endure a post 11 PM finish. However, six hours is way too long. We hope this experiment comes to an end in 2018.
9 Want To See – Elias Wins The IC Title
It has to take something special to defeat Seth Rollins. Who would have thought that the special one would have been Elias? Triple H predicted such success, he knew the gimmick was made for the main roster and at this point, there truly isn’t a hotter wrestler on the Raw brand.
He deserves a championship and the IC Title seems fitting.
Elias can continue to elevate himself with the championship. He can also feud with various acts for the title, which include Finn Balor, possibly a returning Dean Ambrose and heck, maybe even a babyfaced Kevin Owens. Who knows, he can also take on a heel if continues to gain popularity and cheers.
8 Don’t Want – Bayley Turns/Sasha Doesn’t
At this point, most fans are sick of hearing about Bayley and Sasha changing gimmicks. Yes, fans want to see it go down, however, we’re still waiting for a turn since they arrived on the main roster.
If a change finally does take place, we hope the WWE chooses the safe route by placing Sasha as the dastardly heel. Yes, Bayley has lost momentum but such a feud with an arrogant Boss can make her the loveable babyface once again. We hope they don’t opt for the drastic Bayley heel turn, enduring more of Sasha as a “good girl” just isn’t best for business. In an ideal world, they end things once in for all at SummerSlam with Banks reverting to her heel persona.
7 Want To See – New Faction Debuts
Factions seem to be a big talking point amongst WWE enthusiasts. We haven’t seen a dominant stable in quite some time. Some, feel as though you can build one from within, however, it would be wise to make a couple of NXT stars get slotted in that position. Of course, we are talking about the Undisputed Era.
It would be harsh to take them all away from Hunter but given their experience, they need to be on the main roster at this point.
Although they might feel new, the purist wrestling fans know these four have been around the block. In fact, Strong and Fish got started in the early 2000s while Cole and O’Reilly have already been in the ring for a decade now. It is time to see them up with the big boys.
6 Don’t Want – Jason Jordan Resumes Family Storyline
McMahon gets criticized a heck of a lot for sticking to a plan that simply doesn’t work. Perhaps it is an ego thing, but we’ve seen the boss continue lackluster ideas despite fan displeasures. In this particular instance, we hope the Jordan injury gave Vince enough time to reflect.
We hope the outcome of his return is something new and not reverting back to the cheesy son of Kurt Angle storyline.
We hope that perhaps, Jordan rejoins American Alpha brother Chad Gable or at the very least, turns on him and starts a feud with his former partner - just don’t do anything Kurt related, Vince.
5 Want To See – Seth Rollins Becomes “The Guy”
Let’s be honest here, Raw isn’t the greatest product at the moment. If you managed to sit through three hours of programming in the last couple of weeks, we applaud your devotion to the product. However, minor bright spots exist and very few shine the way Seth Rollins has in the last couple of months.
He’s the ultimate babyface and it is time for Vince to give him the stamp of approval.
Winning the IC Title was cool and all but it is time to give him the big one, the Universal Championship. We hope McMahon gives Rollins the nod to face Brock and he gets the WWE’s blessing by winning the biggest match of his career.
4 Don’t Want – Rusev Day Gets Scrapped
Vince just loves Rusev as a heel. Although Rusev Day has been best for business (in terms of dollar signs especially), it appears as though McMahon wants to revert Rusev back into a heel version. Given the need for new heels, it makes sense. However, Rusev shouldn’t be the one to turn.
He’s too hot in the role and Aiden English has also done a fantastic job by his side.
Instead, they need to ride out the momentum and push him into the main event scene. Just imagine Joe winning the title and entering a feud with Rusev. That would be a watchable feud to say the least.
3 Want To See – The Return Of Shawn Michaels
When someone like Shawn Michaels discusses any desire to return, it’ll make headlines. X-Pac recently let out some juicy gossip making the claim that the WWE shot some huge money at HBK to appear at the Saudi Arabia show. However, given HBK’s comments, he would only return for a meaningful storyline.
Most fans reading this have their hands in the air yelling “Yes! Yes! Yes!” Ironically, Daniel Bryan is one of the possible opponents. Gargano, Rollins and Styles are also other options for the Showstopper. Fans are drooling at the possibility of these matches, if Vince can make it happen in 2018, we’ll all bow down.
2 Don’t Want – Alexa Bliss vs Ronda Rousey
After winning the MITB contract, Alexa Bliss cashed in her briefcase immediately, and became the Raw Women's Champion once again after costing Ronda Rousey and pinning Nia Jax.
Most fans would agree that it is time to move away from Alexa and give someone else a chance, so seeing her thrust right back into the title picture is a little disappointing. A rematch with Jax is probably around the horizon, but we can't forget about Ronda, who has legitimate gripe against Alexa. While it wouldn't necessarily be a bad match, we have a tough time believing Alexa poses any sort of threat to Ronda.
1 Want To See – Daniel Bryan Contract Storyline
Yes, it might be a rip off of a CM Punk storyline but in truth, how amazing would it be for the WWE to use Bryan’s real-life contract expiration in storyline? Wouldn’t that get the fans blood pumping? Oh, we think so.
With no reports of Daniel signing a deal yet, we have reason to believe the WWE might be holding off in order to let this play out in story.
For all we know, Bryan signed an extension once he stepped foot back in the ring at WrestleMania. It could be a compelling plot for fans to follow during the fall months.