10 Early Predictions For The 2019 WWE Hall Of Fame Class

1. HEADLINER: JBL

JBL Snarl
WWE.com

There are very few viable headliners left, provided WWE maintains the tradition of only honouring the non-active or formally retired.

Batista has one more run left in him, which hopefully doesn't materialise as a WrestleMania main event with Randy Orton you know all too well Vince McMahon still thinks is a good idea. If The Rock can't clear his calendar for a 'Mania main event, he's hardly going to sit through an hour-long Aksana spiel. Triple H isn't going in yet; after his superb performance at WrestleMania 34, even those who feel he is overrated cannot begrudge him the Grandest Stage. All bets are off re: The Undertaker. At this point, until he is ground to dust, he will appear at WrestleMania - and he might even do so in the capacity of an urn, given that his performance level is no longer of any concern. Is Rob Van Dam worthy of the headliner slot? Or, more pointedly, does WWE deem him worthy of the headline slot?

Far more popular within the office, and thus far more likely, is John Bradshaw Layfield. He enjoyed - rather too much, if you're a Palmer Canon or a Justin Roberts - a lengthy, decorated and very divisive stint in WWE, that last, inescapable aspect of the narrative surely acting as the only barrier to his inclusion at the most exposed level. But, since WWE is largely tone-deaf to its own lurid history, it probably doesn't matter.

Sound the bullhorn.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!