WWE posted the video below just recently, predicting 5 superstars who could win their first world championship in the not too distant future.
While the WWE.com division of the company operates without knowledge of future storylines or superstar pushes, their predictions still do carry some weight.
Who Does WWE.com Predict Are Future World Champions?
Don’t have time to watch the above video? I’ll save a few minutes.
Samoa Joe
The first superstar mentioned as a possible future world champion is Samoa Joe. It’s hard to argue this point, as Joe is a former NXT champion who has been protected since debuting on the main roster. Since coming to Raw Samoa Joe is 5-0 in singles matches, including wins over Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn (2x), Cesaro, and Chris Jericho.
Baron Corbin #2 on the list is Baron Corbin. There’s no doubt the company is high on Corbin, but considering he lost clean to Dean Ambrose at WM33 it’s not certain if the ceiling placed on him is lower than world champion level. Not sure about this pick, but it’s possible.
Sami Zayn
#3 on the list is Sami Zayn. This seems probable, but not certain. Should it happen it would the culmination of the ultimate underdog story, with Zayn finally accomplishing his dream. It wouldn’t be a long run, and he’d be pushed down the card immediately after as Vince would feel his character has nothing left to chase.
Shinsuke Nakamura
#4 is Shinsuke Nakamura. If a world champion run never happens for Nakamura in WWE, it would be shocking and upsetting for fans.
Cesaro The #5 entry on this list sounds more like wishful thinking more than anything else. Considering Vince McMahon’s statements regarding Cesaro and brass rings not too long ago, the company would most likely have to fully be under Triple H’s control for this to happen. Many fans hope it does someday however.
Roman Reigns’ VIP autograph signing event at WrestleMania Axxess in Orlando reportedly had fans lining up an hour and a half early. Recent RAW signee Samoa Joe didn’t attract as many fans at Axxess, and Reigns’ lines were so long that they used Samoa Joe’s autograph area for the overflow. Joe’s signing ended a half-hour early. Nikki Bella’s line also reportedly had fans waiting over an hour in advance.
The autograph sessions were at 8 AM on Saturday, just one day out from WrestleMania 33.
As previously noted, Reigns is currently the top merchandise seller of WWE’s full-time performers.
– RAW star Samoa Joe will be answering questions from fans during the WWE Network’s Fastlane Kickoff show tonight, starting at 7 PM ET. Fans can ask him questions by writing them on Twitter with the hashtag #AskJoe.
– The latest “Canvas 2 Canvas” feature on WWE’s YouTube channel was uploaded on Sunday, and gives us a look at artist Rob Schamberger painting the late, great Eddie Guerrero. You can watch it here:
– Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman both sent out tweets on Sunday hyping their match at Fastlane. Strowman first tweeted that he was going to make the “Roman Empire” crumble, and used a hashtag calling himself a monster. Reigns tweeted later in response that he doesn’t believe in monsters.
– Drew Gulak also took to Twitter on Sunday to comment on Neville’s upcoming Cruiserweight Title defense against Jack Gallagher at Fastlane. Gulak compared Neville to a Game of Thrones character, and Gallagher to a Mary Poppins character.
Following Monday’s episode of WWE RAW, Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn and Nia Jax vs. Sasha Banks have been added to the main card for Sunday’s WWE Fastlane PPV.
In cruiserweight action, Noam Dar & Brian Kendrick vs. Akira Tozawa & Rich Swann has been announced for the pre-show.
WWE Fastlane 2017 will feature:
– Kevin Owens defends the WWE Universal Championship against Goldberg
– Bayley defends the RAW Women’s Championship against Charlotte
– Gallows & Anderson defend the RAW Tag Team Championships against Enzo & Cass
– Neville defends the WWE Cruiserweight Championship against Jack Gallagher
– Braun Strowman goes to war with Roman Reigns
– Samoa Joe battles Sami Zayn
– Sasha Banks looks for revenge on Nia Jax
– Akira Tozawa and Rich Swann face Brian Kendrick & Noam Dar on the pre-show
Fastlane takes place this Sunday from Milwaukee. Join us for live PBP beginning at 7pm.
– Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn is expected for the 3/5 WWE Fastlane PPV after Joe attacked Sami on RAW this week. Joe vs. Seth Rollins was originally booked for Fastlane until Rollins injured his knee.
– NXT Champion Bobby Roode recently spoke with Philly.com and commented on his 12-year journey to WWE. Roode says he has no regrets on how he made it to WWE as he got to work with some of the best wrestlers around the world. Roode commented:
“I firmly believe not just in business but in life that everything happens for a reason. Not getting hired back in those days fueled the fire a little bit to go out there and get over and go different places and work harder. I have no regrets. I got to work with some great people over the last 12 years.
The experience that I gained and the people that I met and the travels that I did, I wouldn’t change that for the world. I think it’s made me a better worker. It’s made me a better wrestler. It’s made me a better person. I think in sports entertainment timing is everything. It was a learning experience for me back in those days. I obviously wasn’t ready and I got to go to a different spot and for over 12 years kind of work on my brand and become somewhat of a household name and get better and get older.”
– R-Truth is busy working on his hip-hop career during downtime from WWE. He posted the following video from a recent studio session working on his “I Got It” single, and a photo from Monday’s music video shoot for his “Back Against The Wall” single:
– WWE Champion John Cena will be on this Thursday’s “Off the Top Rope” ESPN SportsCenter segment with Jonathan Coachman.
Cena achieved a major milestone when he tied Ric Flair’s record for the most world championship reigns by defeating AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble, but WWE did not make a huge deal out of Cena tying Flair’s record. We’ve heard from multiple people that a more elaborate celebration was planned, but WWE wound up writing it out of the show. WWE did acknowledge Cena tying Ric Flair’s record and Flair was on hand to congratulate the champ, but what we saw was far from the original plan.
Cena defends the WWE Championship this Sunday inside the Elimination Chamber and a short-title reign could be the reason for the lack of recognition at the Rumble.
– WWE posted this slow motion video from Samoa Joe’s RAW debut last night against Roman Reigns.
Speaking of Joe’s RAW debut, Triple H tweeted the following after Joe defeated Roman Reigns in the main event of the evening.
– Last week’s “This Was The XFL” 30 for 30 documentary on ESPN drew 917,000 viewers and was the 8th most-watched show on cable for the evening. This was on the low end of viewership for the series. The installment focusing on MLB players Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry (July 2016) drew 1.196 million viewers, the ‘Cleveland’ 30 for 30 (May 2017) did 844,000 viewers and the ‘NBA Orlando Magic in the 90’s’ special (April 2016) did 1.509 million viewers.
– Samoa Joe is expected to start working RAW house shows soon, according to Wrestling Observer. Joe vs. Seth Rollins was booked for house shows until Rollins went down with the injury. Joe made his official in-ring debut on last night’s RAW and defeated Roman Reigns.
– Bubba Dudley revealed on Twitter that he and Devon are opening a second Team 3D Wrestling Academy in the Northeast later this year. Their first school in Florida has been open since 2007.
Samoa Joe is officially a member of the RAW brand after signing his contract in the opening segment of tonight’s RAW. That segment was interrupted by Roman Reigns, leading to Joe vs. Reigns as tonight’s main event.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com with thoughts on Samoa Joe’s main roster debut and Impact Wrestling officially dropping the letters “TNA.”
Joe made a surprise appearance in the closing segment of Monday’s RAW, serving as Triple H’s henchman and taking out Seth Rollins. JR thinks WWE made the right call by keeping Joe out of the Royal Rumble if he wasn’t booked to win.
“Who Joe wrestles at ‘Mania is TBD at this time, unless it is ‘leaked,’ like Randy Ortonwinning the Royal Rumble match,” Ross said. “Are these leaks predetermined or is some one just happy to ‘share info?’ RAW was a much better debut for Samoa Joe than if he only participated in the Rumble match unless he won it which wasn’t in the cards this go around.”
JR also broke some news, noting that Impact Wrestling will be officially dropping the TNA initials in the near future.
“My sources tell me that Impact Wrestling is going to permanently ditch the TNA initials and that their TV tapings going forward in Orlando will be done in four day increments which will make the talents and crew happier and more productive.”
Other topics discussed include Randy Orton’s Royal Rumble win, WWE’s Cruiserweight Division, Kurt Angle and calling next weekend’s WCPW “True Destiny” event next week in the UK. Head over to JRsBarBQ.com to read the full blog.
The latest on Seth Rollins’ knee injury is that it could be a torn MCL, which would keep him out of action for about 8 weeks. Rollins’ scheduled match against Samoa Joe at Fastlane on 3/5 is obviously off and it it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to work WrestleMania on 4/2.
WWE held a creative meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss alternate WrestleMania plans. Triple H has been training to compete at WrestleMania and he could face Shane MCMahon or even Samoa Joe if Rollins isn’t cleared in time.
Finn Balor, who is recovering from a shoulder injury suffered at the hands of Seth Rollins at SummerSlam, sent Rollins a get well soon card:
A rumor going around this week is that WWE Champion John Cena will be teaming with girlfriend Nikki Bella at WrestleMania 33 against The Miz and Maryse. Earlier this week, Dave Meltzer reported that he heard about Cena’s WrestleMania match and implied that fans wouldn’t be excited about it. Cena working an inter-gender tag match with his girlfriend does fit that description.
Cena defends the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber later this month against AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, The Miz, Baron Corbin and Dean Ambrose. After Randy Orton’s Royal Rumble win, it seems to be a foregone conclusion that it won’t be WWE Champion John Cena vs. Orton at WrestleMania. Orton is rumored to be working against Bray Wyatt at Mania, so Cena’s record-tying title reign may be a short one.
It’s also worth noting that in the fallout of Seth Rollins’ knee injury, there has been renewed talk of John Cena feuding with Samoa Joe. Prior to Joe’s surprise debut on RAW, WWE had given serious consideration to Joe working on the SmackDown brand.
Discussion: What do you think of John Cena teaming with Nikki Bella at WrestleMania?
WWE announced today that Samoa Joe re-injured Seth Rollins’ right knee during their brawl on Monday’s post-Royal Rumble RAW. Video has been released of Rollins leaving RAW on crutches.
Rollins missed last year’s WrestleMania after blowing out his knee at an overseas live event back in the fall of 2015. Rollins is poised to feud with Samoa Joe before moving on to a WrestleMania program with Triple H, so the stakes are very high for everyone involved.
SEScoops has confirmed the injury is legitimate and Rollins is currently in Birmingham, Alabama to get examined and determined how serious the injury is.
Samoa Joe wasted no time addressing Rollins’ injury. Joe, who made a surprise debut on RAW and beat the life out of Rollins at the behest of Triple H, commented:
Samoa Joe has arrived on the WWE main roster. The former NXT Champion made his RAW debut in the closing segment of Monday’s show. Triple H gave Seth Rollins the chance to finally confront him in the ring, but that’s not exactly how it would go down. As Rollins was making his way to the ring, Samoa Joe appeared from the crowd and decimated Rollins. Triple H left the ringside area and encouraged Joe to continue the beatdown.
There’s a lot of talk behind the scenes about Samoa Joe coming up from NXT to the main roster soon. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE officials are reportedly considering a “monster push” on the main roster for Joe, one that would see him in one of the top matches at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando.
Joe likely will not be appearing on NXT TV before the Royal Rumble, which adds to the rumors of a surprise Royal Rumble appearance for the former NXT Champion.
– For the second consecutive week, there were no RAW or SmackDown Live pre-shows on the WWE Network. The shows were recently cut from 30 to 15 minutes, so WWE might have pulled the plug.
– Tonight’s NXT episode will be another two-hour episode with footage from the recent NXT house show in Melbourne, Australia. Matches confirmed to air include:
-Steel Cage: Samoa Joe vs. NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura
-TM-61 vs. NXT Tag Team Champions DIY
-Ember Moon vs. Billie Kay vs. Liv Morgan
-Murphy & Tye Dillinger vs. Elias Samson & Bobby Roode
– Below are previews for tonight’s Total Divas with The Bella Twins discussing the wine business and Nikki reconnecting with John Cena for date night:
– “Blow Your Mind” by Ohana Bam is the official theme song for the 2017 WWE Royal Rumble PPV.
– ROH star Scarlett Bordeaux made her WWE debut last night on RAW from Chicago, which is her hometown. She played the role of a Sasha Banks fan who was destroyed by Nia Jax in a quick squash win. Check out video from the match below:
Next Wednesday’s NXT on the WWE Network will be a two-hour special with the matches from this month’s NXT house show in Osaka, Japan. WWE announced the following details today:
If you weren’t able to make it to Osaka, Japan, earlier this month for NXT’s debut in the Land of the Rising Sun, there’s no need to fret! Tune into WWE Network this Wednesday at 8/7 C for a special two-hour edition of NXT featuring incredible matches from the Edion Arena, including Shinsuke Nakamura’s incredible NXT Championship victory over Samoa Joe.
The night of action will feature:
-Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe (NXT Championship Match)
-Asuka vs. Nia Jax (NXT Women’s Championship Match)
-#DIY vs. Tajiri & Akira Tozawa (NXT Tag Team Championship Match)
-Liv Morgan & Aliyah vs. Billie Kay & Peyton Royce
-Oney Lorcan vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas
Don’t miss your chance to see NXT’s Japan debut for the first time ever on WWE Network, this Wednesday at 8/7 C. Plus, on January 4, WWE Network subscribers will get the opportunity to watch NXT’s action-packed event from Melbourne, Australia, featuring Nakamura and Joe in a Steel Cage Match for the NXT Championship, and much more!
Samoa Joe appeared before the main event of last night’s NXT house show in Riverside, CA and announced that he was unable to compete. Joe then watched the main event as Shinsuke Nakamura and Tye Dillinger defeated Bobby Roode and Andrade Almas.
NXT has not announced an injury to Joe but he’s worked every house show on the tour of Australia from this past week. After the steel cage match with Nakamura on 12/8 in Melbourne, Joe teamed with Roode and Elias Samson and lost to Nakamura, Murphy and Dillinger on 12/10 in Newcastle. Both Joe and Nakamura were limited in this match. Joe also appeared at the 12/12 NXT house show in Gold Coast, teaming with The Revival to face Joe and TM-61. It was noted by fans in attendance that The Revival and TM-61 worked most of that match but there was not a lot of involvement from Joe.
Joe then worked the 12/13 house show in Sydney, teaming with Roode and Samson to take on Nakamura, Dillinger and Murphy. This match was originally supposed to be Nakamura vs. Joe vs. Roode vs. Dillinger in a fatal 4 way but it was changed at the last minute, forcing boos from the crowd and a hijacking at one point.
– Following ROH’s announcement that Nigel McGuiness has resigned as the company’s matchmaker, Dave Meltzer reports that McGuiness is likely headed to WWE to work as a trainer. Big picture, WWE is getting aggressive bringing in new talent whether it’s in-ring or at the Performance Center.
– Here’s what happens when you chant TNA at Samoa Joe at an NXT live event:
Samoa Joe got his rematch against new NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura at today’s house show in Melbourne, Australia but lost. The steel cage match will air next Wednesday night on the WWE Network.
Nakamura will now defend at TakeOver: San Antonio against the winner of a Fatal 4 Way. Participants for that Fatal 4 Way will be decided with qualifying matches set to begin next week – No Way Jose vs. Andrade Almas, Eric Young vs. Tye Dillinger, Bobby Roode vs. Oney Lorcan and Roderick Strong vs. Elias Samson.
Samoa Joe’s next feud for the NXT Championship will be Bobby Roode.
A series of matches were held at tonight’s NXT tapings to determine a new #1 contender – Tye Dillinger over Eric Young by DQ, Roderick Strong over Elias Samson, Roode over Oney Lorcan and Andrade Almas over No Way Jose. Those 4 Superstars then competed in a Fatal 4 Way to determine Joe’s opponent. That Fatal 4 Way is expected to air on 12/21.
This has not been confirmed but it appears Joe vs. Roode will take place on 1/28 during Royal Rumble weekend in San Antonio at TakeOver.
Bobby Roode is the next high-profile feud for Samoa Joe, but it’s worth noting that former NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura will get a chance to reclaim his title this weekend when he challenges Samoa Joe at the NXT live event from Osaka, Japan.
– The dark match prior to Tuesday’s SmackDown Live saw The Hype Bros defeat Breezango with The Hype Ryder. As we noted earlier, WWE is now taping Main Event on Mondays and Superstars has been dropped in favor of 205 Live.
– As seen on Tuesday’s WWE 205 Live premiere, Austin Aries has joined Corey Graves and Mauro Ranallo for weekly commentary. Aries is currently out of action from NXT after suffering a broken orbital bone.
– NXT Champion Samoa Joe and MMA star Josh Rafferty had a training session on Tuesday as Joe prepares to head out on an international tour with NXT. The Muscle Madness Youtube page, which has also recently published videos featuring John Cena and Ryback, posted the following on Wednesday morning:
– Retired WWE Superstar Christian turns 43 years old today while Naomi turns 29 while Japanese wrestling legend Jushin “Thunder” Liger turns 52.
– The following matches were taped during Survivor Series weekend for tonight’s NXT on the WWE Network:
NXT Champion Samoa Joe vs. Tye Dillinger
Women’s Champion Asuka vs. an enhancement talent
No Way Jose vs. Eric Young.
– As noted, Alexa Bliss vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch at Sunday’s TLC PPV will now be a Tables Match after Bliss put Becky through a table on SmackDown last night. This backstage video features Bliss going on about the match, promising to take the championship and humiliate Becky.
– NXT has announced that Samoa Joe will defend the NXT Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura at the 12/3 house show from Osaka, Japan. The match will air on the WWE Network at some point.
– Both John Cena and Cesaro continue to make progress on their shoulder injuries one year later. They both tweeted these updates from the gym yesterday: