10 Major Challenges Facing WWE In 2018

10. The Rise And Rise

It was impossible even for WWE purists to ignore the huge buzz around New Japan Pro Wrestling as 2018 commenced, with the anticipation for Wrestle Kingdom 12 reaching heights anew thanks to the years-long consistency of their product and the passing trade afforded by Chris Jericho's clash with Kenny Omega.

The test comes now for NJPW to follow through on the capturing the eyes of the world like never before, but early signs are encouraging.

Korakuen Hall's New Year Dash follow-up event was the city's hottest ticket, whilst the New Japan World streaming service boasted a 35% increase in subscribers.

Crucially for the company, both events delivered in spades. As with the last few iterations of the show, Wrestle Kingdom was another legendary card, whilst New Year Dash made shrewd use of a returning 'Y2J' as well as all the major players coming out of the Tokyo Dome 24 hours earlier.

Like the WWE Network, New Japan World offers fans the opportunity to revisit countless events from their storied history, contextualising characters and conflicts for new followers in a manageable manner. This is only likely to further drag many of the recent subscribers down a bigger rabbit hole. Nearly 20 years after he had to truly fight for attention, how is Vince McMahon braced for battle?