8 Ups & 11 Downs For WWE In 2018 (So Far)
6. The Rise & Rise Of Elias
Elias became an unlikely main roster success story in 2017, his excellent Raw form completely unforeseen after a tiresome developmental run defined by bland matches and endless X-Pac heat. In 2018, the former 'Drifter' has taken it to the next level. He has evolved into one of the company's most consistently entertaining acts, and as such, one of the year's biggest highlights.
Practice and refinement have driven his improvement. Elias gets stronger every time he strums a guitar chord, and few WWE performers are as comfortable in their gimmick. He's now a master of crowd control, and so much more than the midcard sideshow act he was originally cast as, with his audience reactions regularly outstripping all but the strongest main event stars.
John Cena, The Undertaker, Seth Rollins - Elias has trolled them all. That WWE regularly let him work with such huge names shows their faith in a man who's still a work-in-progress between the ropes, and may never be a five-star wrestler, but doesn't necessarily need to be. He is peak Sports Entertainment, a perfect fit for WWE's mould, and a great example of the gems this system can produce when it wants to.