3 WWE wrestlers who could still win their first world title in 2018
We're now more than halfway through 2018 and WWE is still yet to crown any new world champions. In fact, both Brock Lesnar and AJ Styles won their respective belts in 2017, meaning we have not seen any title changes since November - some eight months ago.
To be fair, although this situation is fairly unusual, there isn't really much to complain about. AJ is a fantastic choice as SmackDown's figurehead and continues to shot it week in, week out with stunning performances in the ring and competent promo work outside of it. On Raw, meanwhile, Brock Lesnar's mega run (dull though it may be) is set up perfectly for a momentous conclusion.
That said, freshness is always exciting. While longer title runs help to give the belt a bit of meaning, nothing in wrestling can really rival the excitement that comes with a rookie winning their very first world title after months of tense, well-orchestrated build-up.
With less than six months to go until 2019, of course, there's a finite window for WWE to make this happen before year's end. As such, we're looking at no more than two or three realistic candidates. Here are the same:
#3 Rusev
It's been a long time coming, but Rusev has finally earned himself a shot at the WWE Championship. He challenges AJ Styles for SmackDown's biggest prize as early as next week when the company heads to Pittsburgh for Extreme Rules.
After relatively little build-up, it seems unlikely that the Bulgarian Brute will take the title in their first encounter. However, with the right crowd reaction there's every chance he'll get another opportunity the following month at SummerSlam.
Let's not forget that, for all the pessimism around Rusev's career, he's still hugely popular among large sections of the audience. That alone can take you a long way in the world of professional wrestling, as his opposite number on Sunday has proven over the last two and a half years.