It is almost impossible to predict the end of 2018 at this point. WWE programming seems to be unpredictable these days with so many legends from the past returning. We’ve also seen countless heel turns in the last couple of weeks. Given all the craziness to unfold, who knows how 2018 will end?
Crown Jewel left so many storylines wide open. Although the Shane McMahon tournament victory wasn’t well received, it is all part of a long-term storyline to unfold at WrestleMania. However, we’ll also speculate what’s going to happen for Shane’s character in the upcoming final weeks of 2018. His win wasn’t the greatest, however, it might have some strong storyline purposes moving forward.
We’ll diagnose a lot of other scenarios such asBrock Lesnar's Universal Championship victory, what’s next for the Women’s division over the next couple of weeks, and who’s in line for a push. As you’ll come to realize, some scenarios have serious potential while others, we’ll hope are avoided. We’re only looking at the short-term for the remainder of 2018.
From possible Survivor Series scenarios to rumored TLC matches to take place in December, these are 11 WWE rumors we hope are true for the rest of 2018 and 9 we don’t. Enjoy and like always be sure to share the article with a friend. Let’s get started.
20 Hope Is True - Shane McMahon Heel Turn
Crown Jewel featured a lot of questionable moments. However, none were worse than Shane McMahon stepping in for The Miz and winning the "best in the world," World Cup Trophy. It was met with lots of criticisms; especially online.
Although it was pretty bad, the goal of this scenario is apparently to get Shane over as a heel. It’ll also put a plan in place for Survivor Series as well. Seeing Shane turn heel isn’t the worst idea and one that can work pretty darn well over on SmackDown Live. There’s also speculation that WWE has something huge planned for Shane at WrestleMania, so perhaps this can all work out in the end.
19 We Don’t - Triple H vs.Batista Cancelled
The main event at Crown Jewel might have been on par with the Shane McMahon World Cup victory. During the main event Tag match, things went from bad to worse when Triple H tore his pectoral muscle. It was evident that The Game wasn’t feeling it. He basically wrestled the remainder of the match with one arm – not the greatest outcome when taking on slower wrestlers in the late stages of their careers.
The current rumor is that Triple H requires surgery. If that is the case, his match against Batista at WrestleMania will be completely nixed. That’s unfortunate given the crowd reaction during SmackDown 1000. Don’t expect to see this storyline move forward during the end of 2018.
18 Hope Is True - Shawn Michaels Sticking Around
We got to see a snippet of Shawn Michaels' greatness during Crown Jewel. Sure, HBK looked pretty weird with a bald head, however, he clearly still has something left in the tank. Put him in there against a current talent and it’ll become evident that he’s still got it.
The hope is that he sticks around for a little longer, especially after such a letdown of a match. It wouldn’t be the best way for HBK to bow out. Instead, most fans are hoping for redemption with Survivor Series looming. The hope is that HBK can give it a go once again at the event.
17 We Don’t - No More HBK
On the flip side, this might be it for Shawn Michaels. During his post match interview, HBK discussed the he was done and looking forward to going back to his normal life. Shawn admitted the same thing just prior to the match calling it a “cheat day.”
We hope this isn’t true especially with so many of the current talent wanting to face Shawn. Before he rides off into the sunset for good, fans are hoping to see an AJ Styles vs. Shawn Michaels clash. Let’s hope Shawn reconsiders and we see more of The Showstopper in both 2018 and 2019.
16 Hope Is True - The Miz & Bryan In WWE Title Picture
The WWE Championship picture seems pretty unclear at the moment. Samoa Joe re-entered the mix most recently only to endure another defeat against the current champion, AJ Styles, at Crown Jewel. Of course, Daniel Bryan also failed in his title opportunity.
Bryan may get another chance in the future but The Miz is the another rumored challenger for the WWE Title. The current rumor indicates that a Triple Threat match might be on the way for the TLC PPV. That can be a great match featuring the very best from the SmackDown brand. It can also lead to a title change as another rumor to recently surface has a possible WWE Title match between The Miz and Bryan taking place at WrestleMania.
15 We Don’t - Rey Mysterio & Randy Orton Program
It seems like every time we see Rey Mysterio, both then and now, he’s taking an RKO from Randy Orton. Given the way their match ended at Crown Jewel, these two veterans might have some unfinished business to settle for the remainder of 2018.
This isn’t a bad match or rivalry, however, it is one we’ve seen in the past. WWE needs to create excitement with Mysterio by giving us feuds we’ve never seen before against the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura and Andrade Cien Almas. Going down this road isn’t best for business but we’ll probably see it nonetheless.
14 Hope Is True - Finn Balor Push
With Roman Reigns out indefinitely, it remains unclear who is next in line as challenger to the Universal Championship. Brock Lesnar is set for a match against AJ Styles at Survivor Series. However, anything else beyond that remains unclear.
The desired options fans want to see is someone like Balor challenging Lesnar and potentially getting the chance to become “the guy” once again. He’s off on the right path with a huge victory recently against Bobby Lashley. Here’s to hoping that push continues and it leads to a match against Brock Lesnar.
13 We Don’t - Another Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman Match
It definitely wasn’t a classic. These two mammoth men fought at the Crown Jewel in what was a match that featured F5 after F5. The outcome saw Brock Lesnar's hand raised in victory.
These two might not be done just yet. Lesnar has two matches left on his WWE contract extension. One is with Styles and the other is rumored to be a rematch with Strowman given the way their recent encounter went. The feeling is that Braun has lost all momentum since early 2018. At this point, going back down that path might not be the best solution especially for the remained of 2018.
12 Hope Is True - Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose At TLC
Matches for the TLC PPV are starting to leak out. We’ll be honest, they seem pretty darn appealing, and that’s especially true for this encounter. According to the recent rumor, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins TLC PPV. In all likelihood, such a match won’t take place under regular circumstances. We can expect some type of stipulation to further their storyline.
This match is nothing but a positive. With 2018 looming towards its conclusion this angle is by far the best on WWE programming these days. Let it ride out till the end of 2018, at the very least.
11 We Don’t - Tough Enough Return
Most recently, the potential return of Tough Enough became a hot topic after the WWE filed a trademark for the name. This has led to speculation that an announcement can be made in the final 2018 months about the show making a return.
In truth, the show doesn’t have the best reputation. Both previous winners Sara Lee and Bronson Matthews are out of the company while a loser on the show, Velveteen Dream, has become a huge star. Another former contestant, Mandy Rose, isn’t doing too shabby either already on the main roster.
The format needs to change if this show is to succeed. WWE might be better off burying the Tough Enough name and starting from scratch with something new.
10 Hope Is True - Bray Wyatt Rejoins Luke Harper
We still await the return of Bray Wyatt. Since Matt Hardy left on an injury hiatus, the WWE is currently re-thinking Bray’s involvement on WWE programming. The initial thought was to change Wyatt’s character completely. However, that might not be the case any longer.
The current rumor to surface has Wyatt rejoining Luke Harper. This wouldn’t be the worst idea. Bray enjoyed the best success of his career with The Wyatt Family stable while Harper is just wasting away doing nothing at this point – that’s unacceptable given his in-ring savvy. Having these two reunite and taking on the likes of Sanity is what’s best for business. Let’s hope it happens at some point in the final 2018 months.
9 We Don’t - Hulk Hogan Returning To Main Shows
WWE couldn’t have picked a worse time to reintroduce Hulk Hogan. Sure, he received a huge crowd reaction, but it wasn’t the right time. The return might have done more harm than good.
The best bet is for WWE to push the stop button, at least for the time-being and the rest of 2018. Make Hulk’s return settle a little and have him return to main programming later in 2019 when the time is right. Given the backlash surrounding Crown Jewel, let Hogan watch from the sidelines a little bit more or you’ll run the risk of damaging his reputation even further.
8 Hope Is True – Announcement Of Women’s Tag Titles
With WWE reps handing out Women’s Tag Championship signs, it is pretty evident that the belts are finally on the way. Fans are hoping this decision takes place sooner rather than later. The announcement to be made official in 2018 is the current hope.
The inaugural champions can be crowned in 2019. Trish and Lita are rumored for a match of sorts at WrestleMania, so perhaps having the titles in play by then might make perfect sense. We hope to get clarification for these titles in the upcoming weeks, this announcement is long overdue.
7 We Don’t - Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre Disband
Drew McIntyre is set for a monster push to close out 2018 and in all likelihood, it’ll continue heading into 2019. Some are starting to speculate that McIntyre is likely to turn on Ziggler during his road to the Universal Championship. That isn’t the wisest decision.
All it would do is marginalize Ziggler once again. At the very least, keeping him alongside Drew can continue to add to his legitimacy as an upper card heel over on RAW. The two splitting up wouldn’t change much for McIntyre but it would for Dolph - he would likely become a generic character once again.
6 Hope Is True – Braun Strowman vs. Drew McIntyre Match
Speaking of Drew McIntyre, he’s in line for a big push and it might start with a mammoth victory over The Monster Among Men, Braun Strowman. Clearly, WWE continues to push a feud between these two – that’s been evident for quite some time. The recent speculation suggests that the two might be stepping foot in the ring against one another to end 2018 at the TLC PPV.
This is a big time positive and a match most fans want to see. If Drew is to win this bout, expect him to make a major push at the Universal Championship in 2019.
5 Hope Is True - Nia Jax Gets Title Opportunity
Another match rumored for the TLC PPV has Ronda Rousey defending her championship against Nia Jax. This is the correct decision especially given how rushed their previous angle against one another was. This can finally give Jax the proper amount of time to shine – even if the end result sees Rousey retain the championship.
Clearly, WWE’s pushing Nia for the match ,especially with her recent Battle Royal victory at Evolution. This match is nothing but a positive and one we hope to see in 2018 to end off the year at TLC.
4 We Don’t - The Undertaker At Survivor Series
The Undertaker is set for an autograph session in California area prior to Survivor Series. This means, his appearance is highly likely at this point. However, given the way the Tag match went down, that same appearance seems to be up in the air. According to the latest news, and the way the match went down, Shawn Michaels might be backing out of another match.
This wouldn’t be the worst decision and probably what’s best. Give 'Taker some time off and don’t rush him into another match only weeks later, especially one as marquee as a match against Shawn Michaels. Keep him on the sidelines and only revisit this match in 2019.
3 Hope Is True - Becky Lynch Push Extended
Can you imagine the reaction if Becky Lynch is to defeat Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series? Given Lynch’s recent performances and crowd reactions, she definitely merits such a victory. However, and in all likelihood, she’ll end up on the wrong side of that result.
Even if she is to lose the hope is that WWE extends Lynch’s push, meaning, she wins the remained of her championship defenses for the rest of 2018. Having another talent dethroning Lynch is not best for business given her popularity and recent success. We hope Vince sticks to his push and he lets this ride out for much longer.
2 We Don’t – Lesnar Hanging On To The Title
It seems like a bad dream for a lot WWE fans at this point. Brock Lesnar is once again the Universal Champion. For those hoping that he’ll drop the belt quickly, that might not be the case, depending on what you view as "quickly." Lesnar has only two matches left and one of them is to take place at Survivor Series. Surely, WWE won’t waste the last appearance at TLC as they are likely saving it for the Rumble or WrestleMania.
That means, expect Lesnar to hang on to the championship for at least a couple of more months. Sadly, this means no Universal Championship on the RAW program once again. Fans are hoping this isn’t true but it likely is.
1 Hope Is True - NXT Call-Ups Post Survivor Series
With Survivor Series looming, the current expectation is for NXT wrestlers to make the switch onto the main roster. According to the plan, several debuts are set to take place – of course, fans aren’t complaining one bit.
Undisputed Era and EC3 seem to be the favorites to make the jump. All of these men are more than ready to convert. Aleister Black is another notable name that can make quite the impact as well. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa reuniting and playing the roles of heels can also work wonders on RAW given the shortage of villains these days. No matter who joins the main roster, it’ll be a celebrated decision.