2: Asuka
Asuka’s debut match at TLC had many fans worried about the way that the WWE was going to handle her. Asuka ran riot through the NXT women’s division and Emma, a glorified jobber in the WWE, getting to look competitive against her was not an overly promising sign.
Those initial worries faded fast, though, and Asuka has been booked to look like the dominant star she is ever since. Her performance at Survivor Series was emphatic, and it looks as if she is on a one-way journey to the women’s title at next year’s Wrestlemania. While she has not delivered a great match in her time in the WWE yet, her booking has been pretty damn good over the last month or so and the future looks very bright indeed.
1: Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe arrived with a lot of hype following this year’s Royal Rumble event, and while his initial matches with Seth Rollins may have been so-so, his impact was instant. Taking out the former WWE champion on his Raw debut, Joe was booked to look dominant from day one and has exceeded all expectations in his debut year.
His feud with Brock Lesnar this summer was one of the year’s highlights, and his performances since he returned from injury in November have seen him continue exactly where he left off. While Joe may not be able to move up the roster too much because of Lesnar’s continued presence, expect Joe to get his first taste of WWE gold fairly quickly in 2018.
