10 WWE Wrestlers Who Grabbed The Brass Ring In 2019

At the start of 2019, if you'd have suggested that Bray Wyatt was going to become Universal Champion and be the most talked about wrestler of the year, I'd have laughed in your face and told you that Dean Ambrose leaving WWE is a work... which tells you all you need to know about how good I am at predictions.

Nevertheless, Wyatt has gone from WWE afterthought and punchline to at one point this year the hottest commodity in wrestling.

I must admit I wasn't immediately sold on his new gimmick when they began teasing it immediately after WrestleMania. The numerous hard resets of Wyatt's character over the years haven't helped, and yet the sinister segments of the Firefly Fun House which were entertaining, self-reflective, and genuinely creative built an aura around this character and his 'Fiend' alter-ego which grabbed fans' attention and got everyone talking.

The initial feud with Finn Bálor was ideal too; Finn needed time off TV and who better to eliminate him than this ominous, creepy character who had also attacked legends like Mick Foley, Kurt Angle, and Jerry Lawler?

SummerSlam saw The Fiend's debut, and after an unforgettable, nightmarish entrance he made short work of Bálor in a sensational performance that put the entire roster on notice and was the talk of social media. This in turn led to Wyatt being catapulted into the world title picture immediately, attacking Universal Champion Seth Rollins after he overcame Braun Strowman at Clash of Champions.

The bloom came off the rose somewhat due to some inexcusable booking in the feud with Rollins, but Wyatt is set to end 2019 as Universal Champion on WWE's biggest television show having started the year in complete obscurity.

Grabbing the brass ring is an outdated phrase in modern day WWE, but Wyatt developed a unique, engaging and creative character when the writers had nothing for him, and has become one of the biggest stars in the company today as a result. If that's not grabbing the brass ring, I don't know what is.