10 Early Wrestling Predictions For 2019
The Elite, Or The 'E?
Last year's article didn't go well.
Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega (10) did set the world on fire; the Alpha recognised his athletic shortcomings and emphasised his blackly hilarious heel game in a match as funny as it was brutal. Roman Reigns didn't win the Royal Rumble match (9); that honour was bestowed upon Shinsuke Nakamura, who then didn't win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. He did wrestle in the midcard slot, however, so that enduring tradition was honoured. WWE did ruin Asuka (8) because of course they did. We didn't see WarGames on the main roster (7). The Saudis are '90s daft, so this might be delayed a year. 205 is still Alive, in a way (6). Nobody cares, but it still exists. Shane McMahon didn't face Randy Orton at WrestleMania 34 (5), but instead portrayed himself as more of a gutsy hero than his partner, Daniel Bryan (!). We didn't see a UK PPV (4). Jinder Mahal did nosedive (3), but he has made peace with his new jobber role.
Shanti.
Braun Strowman did not rule SmackDown (2); he turned heel to get Roman over. Balls to optimism. Impact Wrestling exists, and in decent financial health, via the new storylines > stars and salaries strategy (1).
But, since all we have left to look forward to for the remainder of 2018 is about 2018 Shield Vs. Dogs Of War six-mans, let's look ahead to when wrestling has to try again...
10. The Elite WON'T Go To WWE
This is the major story heading into 2019. Cody, The Young Bucks, and Kenny Omega face a life-changing decision.
If they stick with New Japan and Ring of Honor, promotions over which they hold a degree of creative influence, they are free to exist as the best versions of themselves. Cody remains the man who holds the cards, free to participate in - and promote - major shows across the globe. Kenny Omega remains free to wrestle (and most importantly, craft) the marathon epics with which he has entered the ******* realm. The Young Bucks, bluntly, won't become instantly devalued by virtue of their very tag team act.
If they succumb to the advances of WWE...
Kenny isn't going an hour and ten minutes against a performer as seminal as Kazuchika Okada. He won't supplant Roman Reigns as the top dog. Cody will doubtlessly damage his brand as wrestling's entrepreneur du jour.
The choice is as stark as Matt and Nick's prospects as a tandem: art versus money.
Cody, a phenomenal worker, is of course working every last wrinkle of wrestling's hottest shoot angle, most recently by revealing that such a move is "pretty possible". He knows the game well enough to reinvent it. He's leveraging. Kenny has cited a desire to work with Seth Rollins and Big E at some point in his career, but his Best Bout Machine nickname is pointed. A self-confessed Japanophile, he strives for a level of excellence and the attendant critical acclaim.
The lure of New York and its riches is tempting, but the fact that they can create yet more, legacy-enriching history in WWE's real NYC home of Madison Square Garden over WrestleMania Weekend should persuade the Elite to stave off the advances for a year yet.