2017 was an interesting year, to say the least. Jinder Mahal won the WWE Championship. Luke Harper was almost in the main event of Wrestlemania, and then he became a Bludgeon Brother. Elias hit Finn Balor with a guitar. There is no doubt that a handful of stars were made in 2017.

Will 2018 be good to some people? I certainly hope so.  Here are some people I think have a chance to make it big come 2018.

 

Aiden English

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Many people wondered how much potential Aiden English had after the Vaudevillains split up. He was a jobber. His defeat against Tye Dillinger seemingly cemented his spot at the bottom of the card. He wouldn’t stay there, though.

English has quickly become one of the most entertaining parts of Smackdown. His tag team with Rusev shouldn’t really work, but both men are so talented that they have made it their own. Now they’re in the Tag Team title picture. They probably won’t win, but it’s definitely something.

Come 2018, I expect both English and Rusev to become stars. Rusev was already established, what with him being a two-time US Champion, but this is a big boost to English’s stock. I expect big things from him next year.

 

Elias

Funnily enough, Elias is one NXT’s most successful call-ups. People boo the hell out of this guy, which is exactly what needs to happen. Sure, he and Aiden English kinda do the same thing, but they’re different enough that they’re not carbon copies of each other.

Right now, Elias isn’t doing a heck of a lot, but in 2018, that could all change. His Intercontinental Championship match against Roman Reigns was actually really good. Both men delivered in that match, and Elias came out of that looking like a star.

All that Elias really needs is that one feud. It doesn’t have to be a main-event feud. It just has to be a good one. Once that happens, he’ll be a made man for sure. People weren’t really expecting much out of Elias, but he has proved them all wrong and has a chance to become one of Raw’s biggest stars.

Drew Gulak

When the Cruiserweight Classic was on last year, who impressed the most? Answers will vary, of course, but no one is going to say Drew Gulak. Everyone else was a much better wrestler. Everyone else was more athletic and flashier.

Fast forward to around one calendar year later, and now Gulak is one of 205 Live’s best characters. In a division where character is lacking, Gulak has it in spades. His campaign for a “Better 205 Live” has allowed him to show his personality. He has nailed his character perfectly. Whether it’s through Powerpoint Presentations or dodging Michael Cole’s questions on commentary, one can expect big things from Drew come 2018.

 

Mojo Rawley

Now many of you are shaking your heads in disbelief. “Mojo Rawley? Becoming one  of Smackdown’s big stars? Give me a break!” you say as you chuckle and lean back in your chair. Yes. I believe Mojo Rawley has the potential to make it big.

First he needs to have a good match with Zack Ryder at Clash of Champions. Ryder’s actually really good, and Rawley is no slouch in the ring as well. The match shouldn’t be anything less than passable.

But I truly believe Rawley can become a big deal. He’s eloquent and well-spoken. He is in touch with who his character is supposed to be.

Once his feud with Zack Ryder is over next year, don’t be surprised to see him in the US title picture. 2018 could be the year of Mojo Rawley.

Steve Carrier

Steve is the Founder of RingsideNews. He has been writing about professional wrestling since 1996. He first got into website development at the time and has been focusing on bringing his readers the best professional wrestling news at it's highest quality.

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