WWE is always looking to improve its roster and despite how stubborn many people believe Vince McMahon is, the WWE Chairman is actually very open to putting issues to one side when it is best for business.

This means that whenever a possible signing of a brand new talent is available, even if there have been issues between the company and them, or they don't quite fit the image of the company but have incredible talent, then Vince is always willing to make changes if it will benefit WWE.

That is why some signings that WWE makes often surprise fans, as on paper, they don't seem to fit, yet Vince is willing to make it work. On top of that, there are some wrestlers who seemingly never want to work for WWE, with Sting being one of the greatest examples, yet things can always change and that will never change.

However, on the other side, there are signings WWE makes which seem so obvious that people are simply waiting for the announcement, with people like Matt Riddle being obvious from the start.

Next year will no doubt see plenty more signings, and some will surprise fans, while others will be obvious and within this list we will look at examples of both that might be coming to WWE in 2019.

20 Surprising: Jimmy Havoc

It was a real surprise that neither World Of Sport or NXT UK picked up Jimmy Havoc as he has been one of the biggest names in UK wrestling over the past five years and is always used by the top independent promotions in the country.

However, bigger promotions have decided to neglect Havoc and they simply missing out on a masterful storyteller and someone who is capable of putting on brilliant matches, with his PROGRESS feud against Will Ospreay highlighting that.

WWE has used Havoc at Axxess before though, which shows the company does have an interest in him, however, due to the fact he is best known for having an extremely hardcore style, it would be a surprise to see him in a PG WWE environment.

19 Obvious: Kaitlyn

WWE is really keen to push its female division, especially on the back of WWE's Evolution PPV and therefore the company is trying to bring in as many top talents as possible in order to grow the strength in depth.

WWE now uses the Mae Young Classic tournament as a way to bring wrestlers in from around the world to test the waters before signing any official deals, and one athlete who took part this year was former Divas Champion, Kaitlyn.

It is fair to say that the WWE Universe welcomed her back with open arms and Kaitlyn looked better than she ever has. Given her experience and popularity, it seems a perfect fit that she has one more run with the company.

18 Surprising: Jay Lethal

For years Jay Lethal has been one of wrestlings greatest stars, alongside people like Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, and Daniel Bryan, Lethal has constantly been heaped with praise and accolades as one of the very best wrestlers in the world.

Lethal is often seen as the face of Ring Of Honor and currently holds the World Championship for the company (at the time of writing), and his pedigree speaks for itself, with WWE being fully aware of how good he is.

While he might be a little too old to now give a major push to on the main roster, bringing him in for a run in NXT to put over some of the younger talents and help establish the brand even further, it is certainly a possibility.

17 Obvious: Pentagon Jr.

It has been touted that WWE is incredibly interested in signing Pentagon Jr, who is one of the most talented wrestlers in the world, with Triple H reportedly being a huge fan of his work in Lucha Underground and IMPACT Wrestling.

Since Triple H has gained more control in WWE it seems like whoever he wants to sign, he gets as he clearly knows how to attract the very best wrestlers in the world and that is likely going to be the case with Pentagon as well.

He would be a perfect fit in NXT with his unique character and superb in-ring work making him exactly the type of wrestler that the NXT Universe would lose their minds for and at some stage in 2019, you can expect him to pop up at Full Sail.

16 Surprising: Austin Aries

This one might seem like a strange example given that it wasn't too long ago since WWE actually released Austin Aries, citing his backstage attitude as one of the main reasons that he was let go by the company.

However, someone of Aries' talent is always useful, even if it's in a non-wrestling role. After all, Aries shined during his time on commentary for 205 Live due to his eye issue and that is something that WWE may look into in the future.

As we mentioned at the top of the article, Vince McMahon is more than willing to let go of former issues and the problems between WWE and Aries weren't that bad too begin with, and given that he is gone from IMPACT once again, anything is possible.

15 Obvious: Dalton Castle

In recent years WWE has gone on a consistent raid of former Ring Of Honor champions, with the likes of Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Adam Cole and a whole lot more all being signed to the point where winning the title seems like a precursor to a WWE contract.

One of the most recent champions is the charismatic Dalton Castle, someone who WWE is likely to be very interested in. Castle offers WWE a fantastic gimmick with loads of personality while also being an incredible in-ring worker.

He has proven himself as a top star in Ring Of Honor and has admitted that his contract with the company is coming to an end, therefore it would not be a surprise to see him picked up by NXT in the near future.

14 Surprising: WALTER

WALTER is another of Europe's absolute best wrestlers right now and is a major player for PROGRESS Wrestling, where he is World Champion, a company which just so happens to have a close link with WWE.

WWE is reportedly very interested in signing WALTER, but he currently has no desire to move to America, something that he has stated countless times in interviews, which might put a stop to any plans WWE has for him.

However, despite his worries about moving to America permanently, WWE may have found itself a way around the situation, with reports claiming that the company will look to bring him into the NXT UK brand instead, something that would suit him better as he already works in the UK a bunch.

13 Obvious: James Storm

The Cowboy, James Storm is someone who WWE fans have been expecting to debut for WWE for quite some time, really ever since he last left IMPACT Wrestling and it seems very obvious that 2019 will be the time.

Storm made several appearances for NXT several years ago but opted to return to IMPACT due to family issues. However, the stated the door would always be open for a return and with his former tag team partner Bobby Roode still in the main roster, it feels like everything is lining up for it.

Storm has even teased it several times on his social media and now it is simply a waiting game for his eventual return to the company, with the only question being if he will go back to NXT or reunite Beer Money with Roode.

12 Surprising: Will Ospreay

WWE has made a big push to sign as many of the UK's best wrestlers, picking up incredible talents such as Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, and Trent Seven, but the company has been unable to get its hands on the best UK wrestler; Will Ospreay.

Ospreay has always stated he doesn't have any interest in joining WWE and has been proving himself in New Japan instead. However lately Ospreay has tweeted about being unsure on his future and what is next for him.

This could very easily open the door for him to follow his greatest rival, Ricochet to WWE and put on matches the which of like WWE has never seen. It would be a major signing if the company could pull it off, but Ospreay's reservations do make it seem unlikely.

11 Obvious: Cody Rhodes

Despite how many times Cody Rhodes wants to protest that he is sticking it out on the indies for a little while longer, everyone knows that his true home promotion is WWE and eventually those ties are going to lead him back.

Cody needed to prove himself to the company in order to be treated differently upon his return and he has certainly done that, becoming a megastar during his time away from Vince McMahon's corporation, but now he needs to go back and prove himself in WWE to go full circle.

Rhodes was trained in WWE, met his wife there, has countless friends and of course a family legacy to maintain within the company. There's no doubt Cody has given plenty to the independent scene, but 2019 will be the time he returns to WWE and proves exactly what he can do on the grand stage.

10 Surprising: Juice Robinson

When WWE initially released Juice Robinson, who worked in NXT under the name of CJ Parker, there was very little fanfare or surprise from the WWE Universe regarding the decision, however, since then, he has quickly proven himself as a top star in the sport.

Robinson has made a huge name for himself working in New Japan Pro Wrestling where his charisma has been clear to see, while he has been able to put on many brilliant matches with the likes of Kenny Omega.

WWE is reportedly interested in bringing back Robinson and it will be interesting to see what happens in 2019, as New Japan has clearly also got big plans for the young superstar, which would make it surprising, but certainly possible to see him return to WWE.

9 Surprising: Sami Callihan

Similarly to Robinson, Sami Callihan, who worked in NXT under the name of Solomon Crowe, failed to make a major mark during his time in WWE which is why a lot of fans weren't very surprised when he was released by the company.

However, Callihan has also used his time away from WWE to become a top superstar again, especially through his work with IMPACT Wrestling where he has shown a real hardcore style to get himself over.

He has done such great work that it would certainly make sense if WWE wanted to bring him back into the company, but it would be a surprise to see Callihan himself make the leap back to WWE.

8 Surprising: Flip Gordon

Flip Gordon is sort of an unofficial/official member of the Being The Elite group, something that has seen his stock totally soar and has allowed him major opportunities to work for the likes of Ring Of Honor and New Japan.

Both companies are starting to trust Gordon more and more and therefore he is being given higher profile opportunities, which is why it would be a surprise if he decided to jump ships and move to WWE.

However, there is no doubt an attraction from WWE's standpoint as the company would no doubt like to sign someone so talented as early as possible in his career, allowing all of his greatest moments to take place and if the rest of The Elite move, the chances are it might happen.

7 Surprising: Joey Ryan

Let's face it, seeing Joey Ryan work for WWE would be a major surprise as anyone who has watched Ryan work knows that he doesn't exactly fit into the company PG image with the majority of his gimmick based around things that wouldn't work in WWE.

For those who aren't aware of Ryan, simply googling him would explain why most of his gimmick wouldn't fit in WWE, but given how much personality he has and how popular he is among fans, it would make sense if WWE was interested in him.

While there would need to be some major tweaks to what he does should WWE bring him in, there is no reason why he couldn't prove himself in a PG environment, showcasing how much talent he has.

6 Surprising: Emma

When you look back at recent releases by WWE, Emma's is probably one of the most surprising, going for working a singles feud against Asuka one day to being unemployed the next which many fans didn't see coming.

Instead of becoming bitter about the situation Emma smartly started to brand herself as the biggest name in women's wrestling and someone that every company should want on its roster and has continued proving why she was such a key part of WWE's women's evolution.

While it wouldn't be a surprise in the sense that Emma certainly belongs in WWE given her talent, it would be a surprise to see her back in the company so quickly after being released, but it would be a positive decision if WWE decided to do that.

5 Surprising: Hangman Page

Adam 'Hangman' Page has been one of 2018's rising stars and therefore it wasn't a surprise when it was revealed by Dave Meltzer that WWE had offered him a contract before ALL IN took place.

Hangman didn't turn down the deal either, instead, putting the decision on hold, likely waiting to find out what the rest of The Elite group do, wanting to stick with the people who helped raise his name around the world.

While he may want to stick around with the group, if Hangman has an offer on the table he may make the decision to jump ship and become a major star on WWE on his own, but it would be a surprise if he leaves without The Elite behind him.

4 Surprising: Brian Cage

Even though the era of the big man seems to be gone in WWE, with very few huge superstars dominating the sport now, unlike in the past where Vince McMahon would push people depending on if they had huge muscles or a great look.

Brian Cage fits that old WWE stereotype to perfection as a huge monster of a man, but he is able to back that up with some brilliant in-ring ability and he has made a name for himself through his work with IMPACT Wrestling lately.

It would be a surprise to see Cage join WWE though, as someone of his size and look isn't a natural fit in the NXT environment, which has always focused on smaller more agile talents, but given his talent, there could be a stunner coming to Full Sail next year.

3 Surprising: MJF

MJF has had a fantastic 2018 where he has been able to become one of the most talked about superstars on the independent scene, using his cocky and confident attitude to become a name that every company is wanting to use.

Cody Rhodes had plenty of praise for him earlier in the year, which is why he brought him in to be featured at ALL IN and that only put more eyes on him, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, who brought him in for his podcast.

It would be a surprise to see WWE sign him so early on in his career and for MJF himself to make that jump without gaining a little more experience, but MJF is a real talent who can back up his attitude in the ring.

2 Surprising: Tessa Blanchard

At one point it seemed like Tessa Blanchard was destined to work in WWE and many thought she already would be by this point. Having competed in the first Mae Young Classic as well as making countless appearances in NXT, it just seemed like a waiting game until she signed an official contract.

However, WWE opted to not sign Blanchard with her attitude being reported as one of the main reasons, despite the fact she is one of the best wrestlers in the world and she has instead ended up working for IMPACT Wrestling.

Blanchard has proven herself as a top star in IMPACT and shown WWE exactly what they missed out on, but Triple H isn't one to ever give up on a talent and he will no doubt be looking to bring Blanchard in eventually. But as a major part of IMPACT's plans, it would be a surprise to see that happen anytime soon.

1 Surprising: Kenny Omega

While some members of The Elite seem fairly obvious, with Cody being previously mentioned, one that is a little harder to pinpoint is Kenny Omega, as he is arguably the biggest star out of the entire group.

In terms of in-ring talent, he is certainly the best and he is one of New Japan's leading names as the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and he has a genuine love for the Japanese culture and the way wrestling is treated there.

There's no doubt that WWE is highly interested in signing The Cleaner, after all, his talent speaks for himself, but whether or not he joins next year is a tough one to predict and if he does it is certainly going to surprise the entire wrestling world.