10 Things That Must Happen Before WrestleMania 35
The long journey to New Jersey begins.
WrestleMania 34 is now behind us, and thus, the long, winding road to next year's event begins.
'The Showcase Of The Immortals' hits East Rutherford, New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on April 7th, 2019. Much will happen between now and then, but given the strong start WWE have made to 2018 (and the general positivity surrounding 'Mania 34), there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the next 12 months.
Not only is Ronda Rousey a shining star in an era largely devoid of them, but a natural between the ropes. Shinsuke Nakamura's heel turn is a breath of fresh air. Though Asuka's streak is over, her match with Charlotte was excellent, and the Revolution looks as strong as ever. AJ Styles remains one of the best in the world, the IC Title scene is in rude health, and Daniel bloody Bryan is back. The list goes on.
Still, WWE's propensity to royally screw things up remains one of their defining characteristics, and there is plenty to do ahead of WrestleMania 35. Let's hope they're able to tick them off, because if they are, they'll be all set for another awesome event...
10. Fix The US Title
This is not the answer.
After an AJ Styles reign built around a lacklustre Kevin Owens' feud, 70 days of boredom from Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler throwing the belt down, and a dopey Bobby Roode vs. Randy Orton storyline based on a fake top 10 list, strapping Jinder Mahal won't help anything.
The United States Title division is a shower of s***. It needs a complete revamp, but 'The Maharaja' will bring more of the same. The matches will be pedestrian, the feuds bland, and the division shall remain an unorganised mess through which SmackDown's least interesting performs will frequently drift.
Mahal, Roode, Orton, and Rusev's Fatal Four-Way wasn't WrestleMania's worst, but it barely broke out of second gear - as has been the case all year. The solution? Crown a champion the fans actually believe in, remove the vanilla stallers, and rebuild it around fun midcard bouts. There are more than enough solid wrestlers on the roster to make it work, though the general malaise that has crept through the brand since Road Dogg's ascension in the writing team makes improvements unlikely.