10 Things WWE Fans Have To Look Forward To In 2018

9. More Gloss

Spiteful Man
WWE.com

WWE is systemically unable and unwilling to produce gripping, coherent long-term content.

The best we can hope for in the short-term is WWE applying lipstick to a pig. Even if Extreme Rules materialises with yet more rematches, as is rumoured, at least we'll see the roster wound one another with actual weapons, instead of suffering the wounds opened by a murderous creative regime.

If Shinsuke Nakamura defeats AJ Styles at Money In The Bank, the dreaded automatic rematch clause will rear its head at Extreme Rules, most likely. Even if "Shin" fails yet again, WWE will probably shoehorn another opportunity his way. In any event, the theme of the pay-per-view should guarantee an actual lawless clash, as opposed to the lawless clash promised at Backlash that ended with a contravention of the rules that weren't in place (!).

If Daniel Bryan is subjected to the 50/50 treatment - in a programme with Big Cass! - we'll at least see the Yes! Man drive more than a knee into his untalented face. The inevitable stipulation should yield a more gruesome dose of catharsis than that delivered at Backlash where, in literally record time, Bryan's submission victory was erased. WWE still does two things very well, even in this rotten period: multi-man matches and weapon wars.

Kendo sticks excepted, obviously.

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!