Vince McMahon and Triple H may be family, with the former being the latter's father-in-law through Trips' marriage to Stephanie McMahon. But if there's one thing those two men disagree about, it's their vision for how WWE should be. Vince, of course, is arguably multiple decades behind the times, still content with his "bigger is better" philosophy and eager to push anyone with an NBA forward or center's height, an NFL lineman's weight, and/or a bodybuilder's physique. Triple H, for all those past accusations of backstage politicking in his younger days with The Kliq, has become popular among "smart" fans for the very fact that he's the man in charge of NXT, which makes him far more updated on what's hip and relevant in the world of wrestling. It also helps that The Game, in most cases, prioritizes skill over everything else, which has allowed many smaller wrestlers to make a name for themselves in WWE's developmental ranks and in some cases, the main roster.

With 2018 drawing to a close, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at the WWE landscape and predict 10 (or more) wrestlers Vince McMahon wants to give a better push to in the new year, and another 10 (or more) whom Triple H wants higher up in the card. Some or most of these wrestlers should come as no surprise to you, but others might; in case you haven't already cottoned on to it by watching Raw, SmackDown Live, and NXT, there's a huge disconnect in terms of the things Vince and Hunter prioritize when it comes to the wrestlers they want in the main event or upper mid-card picture.

20 Vince: Braun Strowman

2018 has been a year of wasted opportunities for, and with Braun Strowman. If we said at this same time last year that Braun still wouldn't be Universal Champion by now, many would have called us crazy. But that is indeed the case, and reports have claimed it's on account of Strowman's dodgy backstage etiquette.

While it's not inconceivable that Vince has been showing Braun some "tough love" by denying him of any kind of title (except the Raw Tag Team belts he held for a day with 10-year-old Nicholas), we also think he can't stay mad at the Monster Among Men for long. This is a rare Vince favorite who's also a legit fan favorite, and we expect most of the red brand to be "getting these hands" as Braun works toward winning his first Universal Championship.

19 Triple H: Aleister Black

It's not a matter of if, but rather a matter of when – Aleister Black is definitely due for a main roster call-up. He's progressed very quickly in the developmental ranks and is a former NXT Champion, and that means Triple H will do everything in his power to make sure he gets a fairer shake on the main roster.

Take note that we said "fairer shake" – apart from the fact he "only" weighs around 215 pounds, the nuances of his dark gimmick are likely to be lost on someone as notoriously out-of-touch as Vince McMahon. As we've seen in the past, Triple H can only do so much to help a promising newcomer's cause, but we're still hoping that will change with the next batch of top NXT call-ups, Black included.

18 Vince: Mandy Rose

The Women's Evolution has resulted in the rise of many a skilled female wrestler who can truly deliver in the ring, and we can thank Triple H and Stephanie McMahon for making things happen in that department. Vince McMahon, on the other hand, is still stuck in the era of the old-school "Diva," and no one fits this billing better for him than Mandy Rose.

Although Rose is still very much in the women's mid-card on SmackDown Live, she has been getting more promo time in recent weeks, and this could easily lead to bigger things in 2019. Let's just hope that if she improves in the ring (and she should), she turns out to be more Trish Stratus than Kelly Kelly.

17 Triple H: Kairi Sane

Since becoming the inaugural Mae Young Classic winner in 2017, Kairi Sane has had a pretty successful run in NXT. She held the NXT Women's Championship for a shade over two months and is having quite the feud against current champion Shayna Baszler. All signs are pointing to a call-up, perhaps early next year, and you can bet Triple H will be one of the Pirate Princess' top supporters on the main roster.

Unfortunately, Sane might be less of a priority with the man in charge, and you only need to look at her compatriots Asuka and Shinsuke Nakamura as proof of that. (Don't worry, we'll get to them.) Her diminutive size could also limit her in Vince's eyes – for a man who still believes bigger is often better, 5'1" and 115 pounds is much too tiny.

16 Vince: AOP

In a bizarre way, we think Vince reportedly having a hand in that silly segment where Drake Maverick had his way with Bobby Roode's robe is a sign that he's got better things in store for AOP. After all, this is a 73-year-old man with a sense of humor that's often akin to that of a fifth-grader, so he must have thought REALLY highly of that stunt to include it on Raw.

Although Vince is supposedly no fan of tag team wrestling, we think he could very well rebuild Raw's tag team division with AOP as the centerpiece. Legit talent aside, they've got just the look he desires in a dominant duo – burly, but not out-of-shape, with a gimmicky manager whose antics wouldn't be out of place in the eras of Mr. Fuji, Slick, and Harvey Wippleman.

15 Triple H: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

While not technically a tag team, we're lumping these two together because of their shared history as bitter rivals and real-life buddies, not to mention onscreen allies following last year's Hell in a Cell PPV. We don't need to remind you about how Sami Zayn has had a disappointing main roster run, but Kevin Owens, while mostly booked well in his first two years on the main roster, had devolved into a mid-card afterthought at the time of his injury.

As two of NXT's most hyped signings from the indies, Triple H certainly wants better things for KO and Sami come 2019, and if he had his way, they'd benefit a lot once Brock Lesnar's contract finally expires and more chances open up for everyone else on Raw. Convincing the Chairman to push them, on the other hand, might be a completely different story.

14 Vince: Alexa Bliss

Another main event exception in our list, Alexa Bliss's rise from NXT mid-carder to Raw and SmackDown Women's Champion has been nothing short of impressive. She's great on the mic and well above average in the ring, and despite her lack of size, Little Miss Bliss is definitely a Vince McMahon favorite. So why are we mentioning her here despite her many successes?

Fans only need to watch Monday Night Raw to find out why. Despite missing quite a lot of ring time the past couple of months due to injury, Bliss has been kept on television and has even been made into an authority figure for Raw's women's division. Ronda Rousey may be the big crossover star, but Alexa, as far as Vince is concerned, is the red brand's female centerpiece.

13 Triple H: Bayley & Sasha Banks

Bayley and Sasha Banks have arguably been affected the most by Raw's laser-focus on Alexa Bliss and Ronda Rousey in its women's division. The "Boss and Hug Connection" is often seen swapping wins with The Riott Squad or whomever Bliss's lackeys are for the week, and if you only started watching WWE now, you wouldn't see them as former Raw Women's Champions.

If Triple H was in charge, either Bayley or Sasha would have turned heel by now, and the Boss and Hug Connection wouldn't exist. Instead, you'd see these two women reprising their brilliant NXT feud on the main roster, as The Game gives chances to more women than just Bliss, Rousey, and as it currently appears, Nia Jax.

12 Vince: Baron Corbin

Baron Corbin has to be one of this year's bigger surprises. He's proven to be decent, if not great, as a heel authority figure, as the additional opportunities to speak on the mic have certainly helped him as Raw's "General Manager-Elect." Say what you want about the tired heel GM trope, but The Lone Wolf has done better in this role than he ever did when, how shall we put it, he still had hair.

Despite the character shift, Corbin is still very prominent as an in-ring performer, and his height, build, and NFL background still makes him an intriguing prospect for the man in charge. He's yet to win any title since joining the main roster (unless you count his Andre the Giant Battle Royal trophy), but that may change if Vince keeps focusing on him in 2019.

11 Triple H: Samoa Joe

Poor Samoa Joe can't catch a break. To WWE's credit, he's very convincing as a threat to any babyface's main event title, as he proved in his feud against then-WWE Champion AJ Styles. Unfortunately, he's often been booked to come so close, but yet so far from having that main roster gold around his waist. We'd assume that's on Vince McMahon and his traditional skepticism when it comes to bulky, less muscular heavyweights.

Triple H, on the other hand, knows that rotund guys like Joe and Kevin Owens can be legit butt-kickers and great workers in the ring, and if it was up to him, Joe probably would have become a main event champ a long time ago. As he turns 40 next year, the time to give him that championship push better come much sooner rather than later.

10 Vince: Big E

Now, this might sound like something out of left field, given that The New Day is one of the few truly relevant tag teams in today's WWE, and how they somehow find ways to remain entertaining. It would be foolish to break up The New Day right now, but all good things must come to an end. If they do break up in 2019, there's only one man in that stable/tag team whom Vince sees dollar signs in.

That, of course, is Big E, whose ring name says it all. He's more than competent in the ring and has become great on the mic since The New Day's formation, and we can't deny that it would be interesting to see how he uses those tools to his advantage as a singles heel. In the off-chance that such a swerve happens in 2019, remember that you might have read it here first.

9 Triple H: Andrade "Cien" Almas

It certainly looks like WWE isn't giving Andrade "Cien" Almas the recognition he deserves on the main roster. In fact, we're seeing more of his manager, Zelina Vega, these days, as she is now more involved in SmackDown's women's division. Meanwhile, this former NXT Champion has only won once in his last eight matches, per ProFightDB, and had even lost to R-Truth (and Carmella) in a mixed tag match alongside Vega.

However, if Triple H had more of a say, we could have seen Almas contending for the United States Championship, or representing Mexico in the WWE World Cup at Crown Jewel (which, as previously pointed out, had an all-U.S. field). Instead, the former La Sombra is seemingly being used as that guy who looks good in defeat, but just can't pick up the big win.

8 Vince: Randy Orton

In just a few months, Orton will be turning 39, though many may think he's a bit older because he's been a fixture in the WWE since the early 2000s. This year saw the Viper slide down to the upper mid-card, where he held the United States Championship and mostly feuded with fellow grizzled vets like Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio. But with WrestleMania around the corner, Vinnie Mac just might want to shine the spotlight once again on this old reliable.

Granted, it might not result in another WWE Championship win for Orton, but rumor has it that WWE is considering having Orton feud with AJ Styles leading up to WrestleMania 35. To be fair, this is a matchup that seems relatively fresh, but one shouldn't be surprised if Vince puts this feud front-and-center on SmackDown Live in the first few months of 2019.

7 Triple H: The New Daniel Bryan

Yes, we're acquiescing to his wishes and calling him that. And why not? Bryan's ornery heel presence is reminiscent of the 2008 suit-wearing Chris Jericho (only much louder), and his rants against fans for eating processed meat and drinking from plastic bottles is straight out of CM Punk's playbook. Of course, it goes without saying that Bryan adds enough touches to his heel character to make it truly his own.

While Vince may be reluctant to give Bryan a long WWE Championship run due to his lack of size, Triple H is the exact opposite. He is, after all, best friends with Shawn Michaels, who did have a hand in training the young Bryan Danielson. He may have once called him a "B+ player" on TV,  but The Game still sees an A+ talent in Bryan away from the world of kayfabe.

6 Vince: Bobby Lashley

Despite Bobby Lashley's lukewarm re-debut as a face, there's no doubt that his heel turn has worked perfectly, now that he's part of Raw's top heel faction, with Lio Rush further amping things up with his deliberately obnoxious presence as Lashley's "hype man."

Assuming Seth Rollins returns to the main event early next year, that should make Lashley a top contender for the Intercontinental Championship at some point in the near future. But don't expect things to stop there – Lashley fits all the qualifications of someone Vince would love to push, and that just might mean some time with the Universal Championship around his waist, perhaps in the second half of 2019.

5 Triple H: Asuka and Shinsuke Nakamura

Again, we're keeping it simple by listing two people in one entry, and with good reason. Both Asuka and Shinsuke Nakamura had similar fates in 2018 – winning the Royal Rumble match, failing to deliver at WrestleMania, and seeing their pushes stall due to questionable booking. Sure, Asuka has a shot at becoming a first-time SmackDown Women's Champion at TLC, but if Triple H was the main man in creative, she would have won that title a long time ago.

Meanwhile, Nakamura is slumming it out with a "meh" reign as United States Champion that hasn't had any interesting and/or long-term feuds. Triple H would have made sure that reign meant something, and as far as 2019 goes, he'd probably want him to win some main event gold and finally live up to his reputation as the King of Strong Style.

4 Vince: Drew McIntyre

This could go either way. Triple H may have overseen the Drew McIntyre redemption project, which included a reign as NXT Champion, but Vince has been cited as having high hopes for the Scotsman, so we're listing him as one of his faves for 2019. Sure, he's yet to win main event gold since returning to the main roster earlier this year, but Vince's endorsement is a clear sign of better things to come next year.

He's hungrier, tougher, and more skilled than he was during that ill-fated run as the "Chosen One." This should be one rare instance where Vince and Trips will be in agreement on someone, so make sure to erase those 3MB memories by next year.

3 Triple H: Seth Rollins

Way before all those blue-chippers from NXT began flopping on the main roster, there was The Shield's memorable main roster debut toward the end of 2012. Fast forward six years later, and all three members are Triple Crown Champions. But there's definitely a huge section of WWE fans who believe Seth Rollins, in particular, is too good to be in Raw's upper mid-card as Intercontinental Champion.

You can count Triple H in that camp because he has been working closely with Rollins for several years now. Vince and Triple H may have their own shortlists of wrestlers whom they want dethroning Brock Lesnar as Universal Champion, but you can be sure "The Architect" is high atop both of those lists, especially Hunter's.

2 Vince: Lars Sullivan

Apparently, WWE is planning to debut Lars Sullivan on the main roster by presenting him as a hot free agent from NXT, with both Raw and SmackDown Live battling for his services. Though his in-ring work still needs some refinement, he's definitely further along than Braun Strowman was when he made his main roster debut, and look where Braun is right now.

Speaking of the Monster Among Men, speculation is rife that WWE will have Strowman and Sullivan feuding at some point in the near future. Even with all the changes in wrestling trends over the past few decades, Vince McMahon loves those hoss feuds and fights, and Strowman vs. Sullivan is a main event-level hoss feud waiting to happen.

1 Triple H: Finn Balor

We know the deal here. Vince thinks Finn Balor is too small, too fragile, has too much of an accent, is too much of an indy darling to be "over" with real WWE fans. We also know that's a load of malarkey, but Vince McMahon, even at 73 years old, has the first and last word in creative, and if he thinks Balor isn't over, then boo-hoo to all smart fans out there.

That's exactly why there are much more than a few fans who want Triple H to have more say in creative than his father-in-law – he knows what Balor brings to the table, and he rewarded him accordingly with an NXT Championship reign, while getting in Vince's ear for that inaugural Universal Championship reign as well. For now, however, Finn's unfortunately stuck in mid-card limbo, with little hope of moving up anytime soon.