10 Bold Predictions For WWE In 2018

5. Braun Strowman Doesn't Win A WWE/Universal Title...

Triple H Universal Champion
WWE.com

Braun Strowman's lone crack at the Universal Title in 2017 was an utter disaster. The butterfly effect of his tepid No Mercy defeat against Brock Lesnar was perhaps even more destructive.

By virtue of his convincing taming by 'The Beast', Strowman had to evade even more death-defying circumstances on his clamber back to the top of the card. He did so by disposing of waste in a way a literal waste disposal unit couldn't to him.

Turning babyface after being turned on by his team at October's Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view, Strowman bulldozed through The Miz, his Miztourage and The Bar with relative ease, and was permitted to remain alongside Raw lord and saviour Triple H at the climax of the Survivor Series main event. With another believable hurdle required though, WWE hurriedly rebuilt Kane (at the criminal expense of Finn Bálor) just to give 'The Monster Among Men' (or alternatively Brock himself) a bug to squash in the Royal Rumble Universal Title match.

WWE has already constructed a road to WrestleMania made of crazy paving, seemingly looking to shunt Strowman down a side exit marked 'HHH' in order to free up Brock Lesnar for Roman Reigns. Should 'The Big Dog' dethrone 'The Beast', a babyface battle with Braun dwindles in the distant future. Unlike, say, one ever-present threat...

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett