10 Wrestlers Who Could Win Their First World Title In 2022
Big things are about to happen for some of these WWE and AEW stars in 2022.
It's a new year, yes it is!
Well, almost. 2021 is very nearly over, and attention will turn to what major companies like WWE and AEW have planned for 2022. The former's usual Royal Rumble-WrestleMania hysteria will see them through the first quarter, but there's significant excitement about what Tony Khan's outfit could have planned too.
This year, names like Big E, Hangman Page, Nikki A.S.H and Bianca Belair won their first 'World Championships'. Other titleholders, like Bobby Lashley, Rhea Ripley, don't count - big Bob had been ECW Champ before (yes, that just about works), and Rhea was previously NXT Women's Champion before joining WWE's main roster.
Who will join the list of firsts over the next 12 months? That's a good question, 'cause there are loads of stars just waiting to break that glass ceiling or grab the "brass rings" Vince McMahon used to bang on about. Some of the men and women here could, in theory, carry their home promotions through the next couple of years.
Not everyone will (or should) become World Champ, but these guys are the most likely candidates for success.
10. Damian Priest
The current United States Champ is someone WWE are rather high on.
Time is shorter than some might think though - Damian Priest will turn 40 next September, so Vinnie Mac might want to get a move on if he fancies seeing what the former NXT man can do in the WWE Title hot seat. His recent run as a tweener shows range though, which is something McMahon adores.
Priest has options here. He can either stick with the babyface routine and hope to grab a run as WWE Champ post-Big E, or he can turn full-on heel and become the New Day member's successor during WrestleMania season. Why not? Damian has shown he's comfortable on the mic despite some seriously crap material, and he's regularly solid in-ring.
It'd be nice to see another ex-NXT favourite work his way up the WWE ladder towards Raw's top prize too. The one-time ROH TV Champion certainly deserves the chance to break through and become an even bigger deal.