What’s in store for wrestling in 2017?
With 2016 now in the rearview mirror, it is time to look ahead at what will happen in 2017.
Or better yet, what could happen.
While even Vince McMahon does not know what will fully happen in the WWE in 2017, it is always fun to speculate what will happen in WWE, TNA, and ROH.
So let蘑菇视频 take a look at some predictions, and remember, these are predictions and not factually proven notes that I have been given as scoops!
n WWE will begin the mega push for the Royal Rumble tomorrow night on Raw, and look for some major names to be added into the Rumble match itself.
n Speaking of the Rumble, Samoa Joe will debut at the event if he has not done so prior on either Raw or Smackdown.
n Fans who attend the ROH show at Stage AE in Pittsburgh on February 11 will be thoroughly entertained.
n Hulk Hogan will be back in the fold with WWE and will appear at WrestleMania.
n Speaking of returnees to WWE, Pittsburgh native Kurt Angle will finally make his return, and he won鈥檛 be the only former WWE wrestler to return.
n And while we are talking about returnees, something tells me that Daniel Bryan will wrestle a match against The Miz in 2017. While he won鈥檛 be 鈥渞eturning鈥� because he never left WWE, he will return to the ring.
n TNA will formulate a new business model to try and save the company.
n AJ Styles will be the top good guy in WWE by the end of 2017.
n John Cena will either defeat Styles for the WWE title at the Royal Rumble or he will tease a turn to rule breaking ways. I鈥檓 not saying he will turn into a full-fledged villain, but if he does not win the title, look for him to be edgier leading into his Mania match against The Undertaker. If the match happens, Cena will win. If Styles loses the title before Mania, he will face Samoa Joe at the show.
n Kevin Owens will face Chris Jericho at Mania, and if it is for the Universal title, Owens will retain.
n Cesaro will receive a Universal title match at a 鈥渟pecial event,鈥� formerly known as Pay-Per-Views, during the year.
n Finn Balor will play a prominent role once he returns from recovering from surgery.
n The WWE will present an eight-women Queen of the Ring tournament based off of the old King of the Ring Format. It will have wrestlers from both Raw and Smackdown.
n When Smackdown returns to Pittsburgh in March, the PPG Paints Arena will barely be half-full.
n Someone whose name is in this column will publish a book in 2017. Who, you ask? If I said who, it wouldn鈥檛 be a prediction because it is a fact and when this person wants the information public, I will have the scoop!
n Pittsburgh wrestling legend Lord Zoltan will continue to enthrall fans with his skills and talent.
n WWE will have a storyline take place that will garner national attention.
n A major news story will break at some point during 2017.
n Smackdown beats Raw in the ratings. Whether those inside the WWE realize it or not, the fact that Smackdown drew a higher TV rating than Raw is big. Yes, WWE owns both brands, but considering that Raw is well-known as the 鈥淎鈥� show and Smackdown is the 鈥淏鈥� show, this allows the rivalry to be played out even more. Granted, Cena蘑菇视频 return played a big part in Smackdown beating Raw and it is unlikely that it will happen often, but it allows the WWE to play off of it.
n Share your wrestling predictions!
Email or tweet me your wrestling predictions for 2017 and I will share some in the column next week!
n 2016 wrestling award winners announced next week
In next week蘑菇视频 column, awards will be given out in several categories. I will award a winner in each category, and you, the wrestling fans, will also give them out!
The categories include Male Wrestler of the Year, Female Wrestler of the Year, Match of the Year, Show of the Year, Most Popular Wrestler of the Year, Most Hated Wrestler of the Year, Most Improved Wrestler of the Year, and Most Undervalued Wrestler of the Year.
Happy New Year!
I would like to wish everyone a safe, prosperous, and Happy New Year!