10 stars who might sign with WWE in 2019
These are some of the best wrestlers in the world, but will they be in a WWE ring?
As 2018 draws to a close, fans can look back and ponder the wild year in the world of sports entertainment. From the controversial Crown Jewel show and Roman Reign's illness to Kenny Omega finally capturing the IWGP Heavyweight title from his rival Rainmaker Kazuchiki Okada to the Chris Jericho Rock n Wrestling Rager at Sea, it's been an incredible year for the business.
It seems like nearly every facet of pro wrestling either grew bigger or made some splash in the mainstream media. Longtime low budget indie promotion Ring of Honor stepped up their game and booked a big show for Madison Square Garden.
The WWE's attempts to block the show only gave more attention to the number three North American promotion. Impact wrestling decided to return to its roots and started delivering fantastic matches featuring huge stars like Brian Cage and Pentagon Jr.
And of course, Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks proved that independent wrestling is not only alive and well, but it's also potentially going to upend the business with their production All In.
With all of the shenanigans in 2018, one can only ponder what the next year has in store for wrestling fans. One source of endless speculation is just who will, or will not, sign with the largest pro wrestling organization in the world; The WWE.
Here are ten wrestlers who might end up signing with the WWE next year.
#1.Hiroshi Tanahashi
Naito stated quite clearly that WWE made him an offer shortly after the Dominion event, but he was not interested and turned it down.
However, it has been revealed that two other stars were possibly approached by WWE as well. Looking at who's contract is coming up for renewal, there's an interesting name at the top of the list; Hiroshi Tanahashi.
For those of you unfamiliar with Tanahashi-san, he is in simple terms Japan's John Cena; A good looking muscular wrestler whom the ladies and children adore and who has a lot of crossover media appeal.
His road to stardom was ironically aided by an attempt on his life by a knife-wielding ex-girlfriend. As the saying goes, there's no such thing as bad press, and when Tanahashi recovered for his return match a sold-out arena was awaiting him.
Tanahashi has had ups and downs in his professional career as well. For a period of time he was considered lazy and sloppy in the ring, but since then he's mounted an impressive comeback. Much like Chris Jericho, he makes minor tweaks to his character--such as carrying around a plush toy cat--to stay fresh and relevant.
What he would bring to the table in WWE: Rockstar good looks, impressive size for a Japanese wrestler, and a work rate that would be right at home on NXT. Tanahashi is a veteran, international superstar who might be well suited to the glitz and glamour of the WWE.