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Saturday, December 31, 2016

2017 predictions

Read on for my predictions for a lot of WWE/TNA/ROH superstars for 2017.

This list isn't exhaustive. I stuck with mostly major names, as I expect a good number of people will pretty much stay where they are currently. 

Adam Cole - Surely he's headed for WWE this summer, right? I can see him playing around on the indies for a little while first, though. Maybe he'll debut at the Takeover before Summerslam?

The Addiction - Normally I'd think a man turning 47 would be winding his career down, but I'm going to say these two will stay active through 2017. The time's coming when one or both will move exclusively into backstage roles, but I think for now they're going to stay as full-time workers.

AJ Styles - I think AJ's going to be an important player for most of the year. He can be someone Smackdown can build around for 2017. I think they'll get good mileage out of him.

Al Snow - I think TNA will continue to use him as a wrestler working with some of the newer talents.

Alberto El Patron - At this point, I'm not 100% ruling out him working TNA. Heck, he might even bring Paige with him by the end of the year! I'd think ROH will still clear, though.

Alexa Bliss - She'll continue to make her mark as an important female in WWE. I could see her being "promoted" to Raw by the end of the year if WWE wants to go that route.

Allie - Knockouts Champion in some way or another. There's an outside chance Billy Corgan and Dave Lagana end up in ROH and sign her and Braxton Sutter. I wouldn't rule that out by any means.

American Alpha - They've got to end up as tag team champions at some point, right? I'd like to think there's a bright future ahead of them as workhorses in the division.

Andrade "Cien" Almas - Almost certainly in the cruiserweight division. I don't know if they'll be utilizing guys his size outside of that division going forward, for better or worse. I hope he doesn't head back to Mexico anytime soon.

Apollo Crews - I can see him holding gold. He has an outside chance of winning MITB, but that might have to wait until 2018 or 2019. Certainly a dependable performer.

Aron Rex - Might as well milk that TNA payday as long as he can. Unless Hollywood or something comes calling with a better deal, I think he'll stick around as long as his checks clear.

Ascension - I can see both being released if WWE has a full enough tag team division. Unless they REALLY need them around as heel jobbers. Or maybe Konnor gets released and Viktor is a singles jobber. I'll be absolutely shocked to see them get a push after all this time.

Asuka - I'll be absolutely surprised if she's not on the main roster by the end of the year. I can see her holding gold for sure.

Austin Aries - Either in the NXT or Cruiserweight Title picture, working with younger guys. That's his primary role.

Baron Corbin - IC Champion with a chance of winning MITB. Or, you know, they could just feed him to John Cena or Randy Orton and wonder why he's not making it any higher on the card.

Bayley - women's champion on one brand or the other. She'll be something of a fixture of the division if she stays healthy.

Becky Lynch - Probably will stay as the fourth horsewoman, but should still do pretty well for herself.

Big Cass - WWE's going to at least try him as a singles star. I can see him holding singles gold and being in the mix for MITB. Heck, he might be in the running to win the Rumble in 2018.

Big Show - It's possible Show does hang it up by the end of 2017, but I expect him to have a pretty full run and keep working international tours at least. 2018 seems more likely to be the year he becomes an ambassador who only steps into the ring on special occasions.

BJ Whitmer - If WWE wants him badly enough, I can see him becoming a trainer there. Otherwise he'll continue as a trainer/manager/producer/occasional wrestler in ROH.

Bobby Roode - I'm going to guess he'll stay in NXT all year, even at his age. Unless there's a big angle for him to come up around Survivor Series, I think they'll wait until 2018 to make him a main roster guy. He's valuable where he is for now.

Braun Strowman - I can see him being U.S. Champion and maybe even in the MITB/Universal Title picture. I'd be surprised to see him go all the way to the top, but I do think he'll get a pretty good run.

Briscoes - It seems like they're perfectly content to do what they do now, i.e. not join WWE or anything. Unless WWE's willing to give them a deal where they can keep their outside business (i.e. not have to move to Florida) and not have to change much about who they are, they'll continue to benefit ROH and NJPW as two of the pillars of ROH.

Brock Lesnar - I don't really see anything changing for Brock. He'll make some sporadic appearances to work a few big matches and that will be that. I can see him facing Cena and Orton again, even though he's a Raw guy. Seemingly Brock vs. Shane has been scrapped.

#BROKEN Hardy Boys - They've got enough money to do whatever they want. From the sounds of things, they're going to finish up with TNA for now and bring their brilliance to ROH for a while so they can get fresh opponents and the like. I'm sure WWE will come calling, but it will be up to them whether they'll head there. I can see Matt continuing to do his thing while Nero tries to get one last run. If that doesn't happen near the end of 2017, 2018 seems pretty likely for Nero to go be an obsolete mule for Meekmahan and the Man With The Three Hs.

Cesaro - I could see him being sent to Smackdown to work some fresh names and maybe be IC Champion. I'll be surprised to see him get a bigger push than that; I expect him to be the next Dolph Ziggler as far as hard work in the ring only taking him so far.

Charlotte Flair - WWE is definitely committed to her being a franchise star. If she stays healthy and out of trouble, 2017 should be a big year for her.

Chris Hero - Might as well join the crowd of people saying he'll head to NXT in 2017.

Chris Jericho - He'll take another break at some point this year, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him stick around to work with Finn Balor first. I think he'll want to work Shinsuke Nakamura at some point, too, but that might not happen until 2018. Either way, I don't see him working past May or so this year.

Club (Anderson/Gallows) - I like to think they'll do something big with Finn Balor when he returns, either with him or against him. It'd be interesting to pair these two with Owens or Joe or someone if they don't reunite with Finn. They're treading water right now, but maybe it's just a case of them "lying in wait" while Balor recovers.

Cody - It looks like he'll be doing a good deal of work with ROH and NJPW. He's in the position to work as long as it's interesting for him to do so. If he keeps getting opportunities he wants to do, he'll stick around for the time being. I don't see him as a long-term part of ROH, but he could end up lasting longer than initially expected. If Cole jumps to WWE, ROH is going to have its work cut out for it coming up with people for Cody to work with after that. Who knows, they might even make him champion.

Colt Cabana - I won't be surprised if he doesn't stick around in ROH all year since they're not really doing anything with him. Maybe Corgan and Lagana come aboard and give him something new and interesting? I'd like to see him join NXT or the WWEPC; it wouldn't shock me if he tried to settle his part of the WWE lawsuit in order to do something like that. The main battle's between Punk and Amann anyway.

Dalton Castle - I'm not going to rule out a TV Title run at all. TNA and NXT should come calling, but I don't know if they will just yet. ROH only has so many rising stars they can slot in that kind of position, so they could very well call his number for a real push in 2017.

Dana Brooke - Finally split from Charlotte, possibly a face turn, and hopefully sent to Smackdown where she might get a decent spotlight. I can see things changing for her if she does well at the Arnold Classic and turns some heads there.

Darren Young - From the looks of things, he'll keep on keeping on where he is now as long as WWE is OK with him being around for the lower-card. WWE has live events to fill out and Main Event is still a thing, so he's safe unless WWE wants someone else to do the exact same thing he's doing. Unless he gets to a Cody Rhodes situation where he has enough money to go work wherever he wants and show what he can do, he should hope WWE doesn't do roster cuts this coming year.

Davey Richards - Apparently he's retiring in 2017. I assume we'll get Davey vs. Eddie for a while in TNA before that happens. I wouldn't be surprised if he just does that angle in TNA then heads off to the indies for the rest of his run.

DCC - I'll be very surprised if they're still all together when 2017 closes. I'll guess Kingston turns face and competes with the other two. I wouldn't rule out singles gold for anyone here, or tag gold once the Hardys move on. That title change could come at the first tapings of 2017.

Dean Ambrose - Dean could very well end up being the No. 3 guy from The Shield, which is surprising. I'd like to see him get a few months off before returning fresh. Otherwise he's going to be "Zigglered" as someone they can shuffle around but not treat as a top player. 

Decay - I wouldn't be totally shocked to see them split, with Abyss being in the Kane/Big Show role and Steve in the mix for singles gold. Rosemary should be fine in the Knockouts division.

#DIY - In the mix for tag team titles on the main roster. That's probably a good thing, because otherwise they'd be among 95 cruiserweights on 205 Live.

Dolph Ziggler - Continuing to try to be a top guy, and continuing to not get there unless he "pulls a C.M. Punk" and threatens to leave unless he becomes champion. I only see him being a top guy if they're really in a fix. He's been solidly positioned as "the guy who can't get it done."

Donovan Dijak - TNA or NXT will come calling eventually. Until then, he'll hang around in ROH working with the regular bland jabronis.

Drew Galloway - I'm going to lean toward TNA giving him enough money to stay and allowing him to keep working outside dates. As such, he'll be one of the top workers the company has going forward.

Eddie Edwards - Feud with Davey, then a presence in contention for all three TNA male singles titles. 2018 might see him going to NXT, but I think he'll stay with TNA for now.

Eli Drake - This could be another case of TNA offering him more money than NXT, leading to him staying there. WWE supposedly wants him back, but I don't think they'll pay as much as TNA will to keep him.

Ember Moon - NXT Women's Champion. She might get the call up in 2017, but I think 2018 is more likely.

Enzo Amore - If he does split with Cass, he should be fine in a Santino/Slater kind of role. I definitely see him sticking around for a while; he stands out from the pack.

Ethan Carter III - A centerpiece for TNA. I don't think WWE will come calling JUST yet, or at least I don't see him getting as big of an offer there as he will to stay in TNA.

Eva Marie - I won't be shocked at all if they give her the Smackdown Women's Championship just to see what kind of heat she can get with it. It will depend on how robust that division is in 2017. 

Finn Balor - Universal Champion and a focal point for the future of WWE. The changing of the guard is something of a gradual process, but we are seeing a different kind of star being spotlighted.

Gail Kim - She can probably retire anytime she wants to. Once she's contributed all she thinks she can to TNA as a wrestler, she could easily join them behind the scenes in some capacity.

Goldberg - If WWE will keep paying him to do the Brock/Taker/Rock/HHH deal, he'll keep doing it! I wouldn't assume WM33 is his last match if WWE thinks they can use him for another big event. I can see Cena, Orton, HHH, and maybe even Taker or Rock as potential opponents through WM34. 

Golden Truth - I'll be surprised if both men are still taking bumps for WWE at the end of 2017. Surely one or both will transition into a producer or trainer role at the end of their current contract. At the same time, both of them are still very much capable of contributing in the ring for the time being, so I wouldn't assume the clock is about to strike midnight just yet.

Grado - I get a feeling he's going to bail in favor of work in the UK. Unless someone in TNA really goes to bat for him, I don't see him being a full-time name there.

Hangman Page - Page is in the position to get a good push for himself in ROH, especially if Cole goes to WWE. He's someone to keep an eye on for years to come, and 2017 could be the start of a big positive change if all the stars align and ROH doesn't blow their chance with him.

Jade - Top Knockout unless she wants to be a big part of Women of Honor or WWE comes calling. I'd like to think she can be successful in any big company.

Jay Lethal - Another year as an important part of ROH/NJPW. He's sliding into that Briscoe position of trusted veteran they can do a lot with.

John Cena - Looks like he's headed for World Title No. 16 and a match with Taker in Orlando. He'll continue paving his own legacy as a franchise star. In some ways, I can see him phasing into being in the Taker/Rock/Brock role himself as his outside endeavors continue to take off.

Kalisto - They've got to put him on 205 Live, right? I don't really see much of a future for him outside of that show. Hopefully he'll do well enough for himself there as WWE continues to try to make their next Rey Mysterio. I wouldn't assume that will be Kalisto, but he has a chance if he does well at that level.

Kane - Same old, same old. Working matches here and there, being an ambassador for WWE, probably not winning any more titles. I don't think he'll retire in 2017, but 2018 is an election year and he'll be keeping an eye on that situation, so he could be plotting his endgame by the time the year comes to a close.

Kevin Owens - Barring a big injury or some other setback, I don't see why he won't be an important player in 2017. They know what they've got with him. I could see him getting a match with Brock and/or Goldberg before the year's up. Not that he'll go over clean or anything...

The Kingdom - ROH will certainly try to make this a lasting thing. I can see them doing pretty well in the new six-man division as the company tries to establish them. 

Kota Ibushi - I don't think we've seen the last of Kota at all. I think he'll work at least one big Takeover or WWE PPV, and if he does sign a contract, he's a natural to win the second CWC. 

Kurt Angle - WWE 2K18 pre-order bonus leading to him being the next guy to pop in for a few big matches. I could see Kurt vs. Brock being set up for WM34 if it doesn't happen sooner.

Lashley - I definitely expect him all around the title pictures. He could dominate the Grand division just for the heck of it.

Liv Morgan - 2017's Carmella/Eva Marie callup. I expect she'll be on Raw. Not really pushed, but we'll see her around.

Madison Rayne - I'm going out on a limb and saying she'll have a surprise retirement or will otherwise stop wrestling for TNA. That could be a precursor to a different role there. 

Maria - Her retiring in 2017 to pursue other interests is entirely plausible. It will be very interesting to see what effect that will have on her husband's career given how closely they're linked.

Mark Henry - By the end of the year, I see him moving fully into a behind-the-scenes role. I don't expect anything significant from him in the ring going forward, as he's been pretty open about retiring.

Matt Sydal - Presumably he goes back to ROH and does more ROH stuff if he stays out of further trouble.

Mickie James - I can easily see her being Smackdown Women's Champion. She's going to be around for several years, so they're not just going to job her out to everyone.

Mike Bennett - If Corgan and Lagana go to ROH, I can see him heading back there. Otherwise I expect him to stay in TNA if the pay's good. I wouldn't think WWE would pick him up without Maria, and he could probably do better for himself financially in TNA than on an NXT deal.

The Miz - I'd like to think WWE's going to have a prominent "indie" name come in to fight on Bryan's behalf at WM34 to dethrone Miz. Then after losing the IC Title there's a chance he goes for the top title on Smackdown. I wouldn't think he'd get it before someone like Orton or Wyatt, but it's not outside the realm of possibility.

Moose - TNA Champion, surely. I think he'll do well there for as long as they've got him. I wouldn't expect him to get a crack at WWE until 2018 or later.

Motor City Machine Guns - If WWE/NXT isn't interested and willing to put forth some serious cash, I assume they'll do fine for themselves in ROH.

Naomi - I wouldn't be altogether surprised if Naomi retires in 2017, given the lack of longevity of female athletes in WWE. It's possible she wants to settle down/have kids before too much longer. I don't see her being a featured performer as more new women come in, at any rate. If she's fortunate, she'll get the kind of gig Alicia has going and make some solid money as a go-to veteran jobber.

Natalya - Like Naomi, one would think it's a matter of time before she's done with the whole taking bumps thing. She's in a tough situation with Tyson having to sit on the sidelines; if that comes to a head she could "pull an AJ" and retire when her husband walks out. I hope I'm wrong and she contributes another year.

New Day - I think it's worth a try to split the group up in a draft this summer with Big E going for singles gold and either Kofi/Xavier continuing the team on the other show or Kofi retiring and Xavier being paired with someone new. They can't print money with the gimmick forever. I'll be very surprised if they're all together at the end of 2017.

Neville - top cruiserweight establishing 205 Live as a brand. I think 2017 is going to see good things for the division.

Nia Jax - It's got to be just a matter of time before she's a champion on one show or the other. Time to pull the trigger and move at least one Horsewoman to a different show. 

No Way Jose - Remember when I talked about pairing Xavier with someone new? NWJ would fit that bill. Either way, I think he's a pretty likely callup. He's good enough to not be a one-note gimmick, and I wouldn't rule out him holding a title next year.

Oney Lorcan - No-brainer for 205 Live. It's just a matter of time. Could also be in the mix of the 2017 CWC to establish him more.

Paige - I'll be incredibly surprised if she doesn't get a third Wellness violation or is otherwise gone from WWE. Then perhaps TNA or LU pick her up. I'll be even more surprised if 2017 is the last we see of her on U.S. TV.

Randy Orton - If he stays healthy, he's set to enter that HHH/Taker tier of top veteran. He might already be at Kane/Show level. A valuable and versatile player, for sure.

The Rebellion - Out the door as soon as HHH returns their texts. CWC and/or NXT bound. In the meantime, continuing to meander.

reDRagon - Fish has the opportunity to join O'Reilly as a top name in ROH and/or NJPW in 2017. A feud between the two can be one of the top angles in ROH this coming year. It's possible they become more NJPW-centric in 2017 and beyond, but they're not with ROH just yet.

The Revival - Tag champs on the main roster. It's time. 

Rockstar Spud - I could see him getting a good offer to join 205 Live, NXT, or the weekly UK series (if that gets off the ground). Or he could get a good offer for another UK promotion. It will be on TNA to ante up and use him effectively, so he could get a push out of all this.

Rhyno - I think he'll stay on full-time for 2017 to fill space on the roster. I don't really expect a push, though. More of a Golden Truth kind of deal.

Roman Reigns - WWE's going to keep trying to establish him. They're invested in his push at this point; it will be hard to convince them to change course. So expect him to be the top champion on one brand or the other in 2017.

Rusev - He's becoming a pretty reliable worker. I think he'll be at least an U.S./IC title level guy in the coming year. If things go well for him, it's possible he goes even higher.

Sami Zayn - It doesn't look like he's going to dethrone Owens, so I'm guessing he'll end up as IC Champion on Smackdown. That's a pretty good spot.

Samoa Joe - The storyline is there for Daniel Bryan to sign him to take the IC Title from Miz at WM33. Joe in the Rumble could work, but they've already got Brock and Goldberg to dominate in that match. I definitely think he's called up by midyear, and midcard champion by year's end.

Sanity - There's a chance Eric Young joins the main roster by the end of the year, but it's not a sure thing. I don't know how the current group will do, but I definitely think Nikki Cross has a chance to break out and make a name for herself due to the faction.

Sasha Banks - One of the top women in the company, probably holding gold again, possibly drafted to Smackdown. I think we'll see plenty of her in 2017 IF she stays off the shelf.

Seth Rollins - Likely a top champion on one show or the other after beating HHH at WM33. WWE has the potential to position him as a big name if he stays healthy.

Sheamus - Once his current team runs its course, I think he can be in contention for (and maybe even win) singles gold. As far as I can tell, he'll keep on keeping on in 2017.

Shelton Benjamin -Working with newer stars on Smackdown in something of a Rhyno kind of role. I don't see him being pushed, but I don't think they'll totally bury him either.

Shera - I don't think it's a stretch for him to be TNA Grand Champion during the tour of India. He'll be an important part of things, at least, as TNA's Indian TV deal is their biggest source of revenue.

Shinsuke Nakamura - No way they can keep him in NXT all year, right? I expect him in a big role on the main roster in time for Summerslam. It's entirely possible he even wins one of the top titles given the push Finn got. He's got a lot of charisma and definitely knows his way around a wrestling ring.

Sienna - I suppose she'll do well enough if she sticks around. It's not like women are falling over themselves to join TNA.

Sin Cara - I can see a situation where he ends up done with WWE after the backstage incidents this past year. I definitely don't see him getting pushed. I hope he has a backup plan and/or keeps his anger in check or Main Event is as high as he'll get.

Steve Corino - Might as well go ahead and call him joining WWE as a trainer. There's an outside chance he becomes a color commentator, which would be interesting.

Tajiri - A valuable veteran presence on 205 Live, helping the younger/newer talents get acclimated to WWE. I don't know how many bumps he has left in him, but he's able to pass on a good deal of knowledge by working with the next batch of stars. 

Tamina - I can easily see her retiring in 2017, but it's possible she does make it all year as an addition to the Smackdown women's division. She'll be good for helping the transition to the next group of women coming up in the years to come. 

Tian Bing - There's a fair chance WWE tries him out on the main roster in 2017, even if it's just as a low-level/tag team guy. I don't see him making a big splash, but it's still early in the Chinese experiment. 

Titus O'Neil- If he stays out of trouble, he should be able to stick around at pretty much the same level for some time to come. I don't see him holding gold, but it seems like he's earned a fine enough consistent spot on the card.

TJ Perkins - There's a chance TJP becomes something of a franchise player in 205 Live. I think he'll turn heel at some point, but given his backstory, experience, and abilities on the mic and in the ring, I think he's set for good things in WWE.

Triple H - Another big Mania match. I know, shocking. I'm actually surprised we haven't seen him in the ring more than we have. I wouldn't rule out him working with Rollins on an additional PPV or two after WM33, and possibly a big match with Goldberg at Summerslam or Survivor Series because every star with any name value who works WWE has to face HHH at some point.

Tye Dillinger - There's a distinct chance he joins the main roster in 2017. I'm leaning toward Smackdown using him. I don't see him being a big player (cue complaints about him being "buried") but he can definitely contribute to things. That's a valuable skill to be able to bring to the table.

Tyrus - I wouldn't rule out Tyrus retiring in 2017 if he gets some good outside gigs, or at least leaving TNA. It feels like he's already more or less a part-time wrestler.

Tyson Kidd - I don't know how long his current deal runs, but I can see him trying to get out of it if he thinks he can get cleared to wrestle elsewhere. A lot of whether he does so will depend on if there's a risk of Natalya being put in jeopardy. Either way, I don't see WWE OKing him to get back in the ring after that really scary injury.

The Undertaker - Stop me if you've heard this one: this could actually be Taker's last year as a wrestler. I suppose that will depend on how he's feeling around the time of WM34 and what kind of pitch they have for him. At any rate, I don't see him wrestling more than a few big matches in 2017. WM33 might be his last if he doesn't think he can deliver at that level again. Going out on a high note is something not everyone gets a chance to do, so he could go ahead and take it.

Usos - WHEN I SAY TAG TEAM, YOU SAY CHAMPS! I guess? There are only so many teams who can really be in the running. I'd like to think that heel turn meant something for them being successful.

Vaudevillains - Jobbing. There's an outside chance someone gets released or injured or something, but otherwise I don't really see things changing that much for them.

War Machine - I expect they'll stay in ROH and do well enough for themselves there. I wouldn't expect TNA/NXT to pick them up.

Wyatt Family - I think Bray can easily end up as WWE Champion. It's not out of the question for Luke to be in that picture, too, or at least IC Champion. Harper could have a pretty good future ahead of him. I expect Rowan will remain the third wheel and kind of meander.

Young Bucks - Superkicks, tweets, caring too much about star ratings. You know the deal. They're going to milk their gimmicks as long as they can. I can see them going to WWE once the novelty wears off in their current markets, but I think 2017 will see them staying indie.

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