5 stars who should be on Vince McMahon's 'Hit List' for 2018
From the rise of NJPW to the flourishing Britwres scene out of the UK (which has helped bring talents such as Pete Dunne into the conversation), the wrestling landscape around the world has undergone a renaissance over the last 5 years and shows little signs of slowing down.
The indy scene around the world is exploding and acts such as the Young Bucks are leading the charge; proving that even without the bright lights of WWE, wrestlers can make a name and a decent living.
Yet, WWE is still considered the 'big time' and, to most modern-day performers, the reason they got 'bit' with the wrestling bug and started their careers. You only need to look at the grandeur of Wrestlemania to realise that even the most loyal journeyman grappler would one day like to ply their trade on the grandest stage of them all.
2017 has seen some of these talents jump to 'New York' and make an immediate impact. Talents such as Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish have carved out a little corner of NXT for themselves whilst former Independent stars such as Seth Rollins, AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan have, over the last several years, climbed the mountain in Vince's 'Land Of The Giants' to attain the some of the highest honours that wrestling has to offer.
So what does 2018 hold? With the success stories of hiring from the independents and other promotions whilst nurturing the next crop of talent in the performance centre, one can only assume that Vince and Hunter are taking stock of their roster and seeing where they can inject more talent.
The following is a list of 5 'can't-miss' stars that you may (or may not) have heard about.
5. Jeff Cobb
The 5'10 wrecking ball from Honolulu, Hawaii is a perfect candidate for the WWE and would make an immediate impact in NXT. After a brilliant 2016 and 2017, Mr Athletic has proven to have the poise and presence of a top star on the independents and recently for NJPW.
Whilst he may not be the tallest, Cobb more than makes up for this with his impressive strength, seemingly able to lift even the heaviest of workers in the ring with incredible ease.
Cobb is also a former Olympian, having represented Guam at the 2004 Summer Olympics before transitioning into a pro wrestling career in April 2009.
Cobb also comes with the experience of working within a television environment, having donned the hood as Matanza in the acclaimed Lucha Underground.
A true powerhouse in the modern day, Cobb's arrival in the WWE is not an 'if' but a 'when'.