It’s that time of year where I get to tell you guys what I think is in the cards for the WWE and I may even throw in some bold predictions for the year, because we all know that the WWE is capable of throwing some curveballs. If you want an idea of what to expect in the article, here is an example from 2019. I decided to look back at the article about a month ago to see what I got right, wrong, and basically just get feel for what I was thinking a year ago. I hope you guys enjoy this and if you missed it, I recently wrote an update of my 2019 preview, here it is. Without further ado, let’s get this started.

I want to preface this article by saying where I think the state of WWE is at the moment. I personally think that they’re in a great position. Last year there was a little bit of concern, but nothing extravagant. I’d like to think that they’re in full control of what they want to do in 2020. Fans are always going to be ridiculously picky when it comes to storylines and who should get a push and who shouldn’t, but I think they’re in a great position to have a wonderful year.

· 2020 is the Year of Roman

Unless something drastic happens with the next couple of months, Roman Reigns is poised to have a massively successful year. After having to take a medical leave of absence in October of 2018, things were totally uncertain for The Big Dog. He finally returned to TV in February of 2019 and returned to action in March. For the whole year, he hasn’t had one single title match, unless you count that Intercontinental Championship match against Shinsuke Nakamura a few months ago. Don’t expect that to be the case in 2020. He is clearly their star moving forward and for good reason. He can carry a brand and he is a guy that has the look and the talent of a long-standing champion. Fans still don’t overwhelmingly cheer him, but they’re never going to. All that matters is that he garners a reaction and he does that overwhelmingly. He is the current favorite to win the Royal Rumble match later this month and they could go a number of ways, but Roman winning makes the most sense at the moment and he should play a huge role at WrestleMania 36.

· More Title Belt Redesigns

I think we can expect to see some more titles get a new look in the WWE. In 2019, the Intercontinental Championship got a new look, they changed the color of the Universal belt and they even introduced the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships and the 24/7 Championship. I don’t expect there to be any more titles added unless it is a minor women’s belt, but I’m not expecting it. I do however, expect the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Championships to get a new look. I personally thought this was going to happen in 2019, but I think 2020 will be the year it happens. The United States Championship has been working with the same design basically since 2003 and it could use a little touch up. With the tag belts and the US, they’ll definitely continue the trend of putting side plates on the belts.

· Will This be the Year that The Undertaker Steps Away?

The Phenom has been in the WWE since 1990 and he has had an unimaginable career. For 30 years, he has been at the forefront of wrestling and he has done everything in the wrestling industry that imagination could possibly conceive, other than that Sting match, but that is another story. I think 2020 could be the last we see of The Undertaker. Granted, we haven’t seen him wrestle in nearly 6 months and over the last 3 years, he has only been in 7 matches. His retirement is inevitable, but it isn’t a certainty in 2020, but I certainly think it is a strong possibility.

· Continual Growth of NXT as a Brand

This seems too obvious, but it has to be said. NXT is now seen as the third brand and 2020 will solidify that notion. As long as AEW: Dynamite is on Wednesdays at the same time, NXT will be pushed and that’s all there is to it. We should see them have a more legitimate shot at winning at the Royal Rumble and we should see them in a prominent role at WrestleMania 36. At the moment, I don’t know of any show with a better women’s division in all of wrestling. There is still a great deal of untapped potential for the brand and I feel like it is a sure thing we will see more of it this year.

· Returning Legends in 2020?

I have a feeling that we could see some legends returning in 2020. CM Punk has to be fresh on the mind of everyone, but I don’t think there is a good chance for him to return in 2020. The biggest possibility that I can see making a return to the ring is Edge. There have been rumors going around that he has potentially been cleared for a return, but every time he has denied it. I don’t want him getting seriously injured, but I would like to see him back for another run. Sting is also another possibility, but I view it as highly unlikely. I feel like he would only come back for a match with The Undertaker. Also, Hulk Hogan has expressed interest to compete in one more match. He is currently 66 years old and hasn’t been in a match in 8 years. He hasn’t competed in a WWE ring in over 13 years, so I’m interested to see what he could possibly be capable of. He is still in great shape. Another possibility could be Shawn Michaels getting in the ring with someone from NXT.

- Bold Predictions

In this section, I’m going to predict 10 things that I think could happen during the course of the year that may be a little off the radar.

· With her contract ending in the Summer of 2020, I think Tessa Blanchard will be a WWE Superstar by the end of the year

· Braun Strowman will win a World Title in 2020

· Ronda Rousey will not return in 2020

· Big E will get a major title shot

· At least one current AEW performer will sign with WWE by the end of the year

· Becky Lynch will be SmackDown Women’s Champion by the end of the year

· Isaiah “Swerve” Scott will win the NXT Championship in 2020

· Nikki Cross will win a Women’s Championship in 2020

· At least 3 superstars from RAW or SmackDown will move to NXT prior to the Superstar Shake-Up

· John Cena will break Ric Flair’s title record at Wrestlemania 36

Yacs

WWE: A Look at 2020