Overdue title changes, restoring prestige - Predicting the holder of each title in WWE at the end of 2022
It's a huge accomplishment to win a championship in WWE. It is also a big deal when a star dethrones an unstoppable force. Both Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins achieved the feat by taking a title from Brock Lesnar at different WrestleManias.
The latest unstoppable force presented by WWE has been The Bloodline. Roman Reigns and The Usos have held titles for over a year. For Reigns, he's been Universal Champion for nearly two years.
Their dominance has cemented their spot in history, but several other stars should also get their chances as champions.
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Unifying the titles took one major championship off of RAW. USA Network executives have reportedly asked WWE to put one of the major belts back on Monday night. It makes sense as each brand used to have its own set of championships.
While some current titleholders will end the year with the gold, others will change between now and December. Here are the predictions for each title holder in WWE at the end of 2022.
#7 Will Dakota Kai and IYO SKY be crowned the new Women's Tag Team Champs?
WWE started the tournament to crown the new Women's Tag Champs in August. The eventual winners will be crowned on the last RAW before September. With a new duo winning the belts, the chances of keeping them at year's end are high.
The tournament seems to have been built around Bayley and her faction. Both Dakota Kai and IYO SKY are fantastic performers who were valuable to NXT. However, how they would have been used under Vince McMahon is likely why they weren't in a rush to join the main roster.
The team of Kai and SKY seem like the best and most logical choice for winning the tournament. They should hold onto the titles through the new year if that's true. If WWE wants to make those titles prestigious, the title reigns need to be relatively long and fruitful.
Prediction: IYO SKY and Dakota Kai end the year as Women's Tag Team Champions.
#6 Gunther has already become an imposing force in WWE
The Intercontinental and United States Championships have fallen by the wayside over the last few years. Many deserving titleholders (Sami Zayn, Ricochet, Shinsuke Nakamura, Big E, and Apollo Crews) have had lackluster reigns with the belt.
The IC Title, however, hasn't been booked for a premium live event since WrestleMania 37 in 2021. In that match, Crews won the belt from Big E. Neither man is currently active on SmackDown.
Booking Gunther as an unstoppable heel for a lengthy period should be a no-brainer. With Triple H in charge of creative, The Ring General should have a long run to re-establish the title's prestige.
Prediction: Gunther chops his way into 2023 as Intercontinental Champion
#5 Lashley is an important piece on RAW
Lashley is another top star and former WWE Champion who has missed out on another run with the title. He has been given a strong push as the United States Champion with exciting matches against AJ Styles and Ciampa.
One benefit of a lack of a major belt on RAW is how the US Title has recently been booked. Since he's the brand's lone male singles Champ, Lashley has enjoyed a strong run with the title.
He easily defeated Theory twice for the belt and only won it in July. The All-Mighty has already restored some prestige to the title. He's an excellent torch-bearer as RAW's lone singles champion until a world title is returned to the Monday Night Show.
Prediction: Lashley leads RAW as the United States Champion
#4. Options to dethrone the Usos are dwindling
If Triple H maintains continuity with the years of work between Reigns, Kevin Owens, and Zayn, this would be a great accomplishment. KO was one of the early challengers during Reigns' run as Universal Champion, but interference and controversial finishes plagued his chances of beating The Tribal Chief.
While Owens has been on RAW, Sami Zayn has been the most entertaining person in all of WWE. He's played alongside the Bloodline, doing their bidding when necessary. Zayn's even taken a few hits to protect the Usos and Reigns, but they don't really appreciate his efforts.
The Street Profits seemed like the best chance to dethrone the Usos. Since they did not, the team that does it will probably be two singles stars.
Owens and Zayn are real-life friends, have great chemistry, and have a history with the Bloodline. Under Triple H, they will hopefully team up to end the faction's reign of terror.
Prediction: Owens and Zayn team up to win tag gold from the Usos.
#3 Bianca Belair has many challengers for the RAW Women's Championship
The EST of WWE has joined the upper echelon of the women's division in her two short years on the main roster. The Horsewomen of NXT (Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Bayley) have traditionally dominated the title scenes on both RAW and SmackDown since the brand split in 2016.
WWE had also gone to Asuka in times of need, most notably when Becky Lynch took time off due to her pregnancy. Since Belair is now one of the top women in WWE, she has won a title at the last two WrestleManias.
At this point, she is still the RAW Women's Champ. Both Money in the Bank cases has been used on the titleholder other than Belair. Since she has been heavily pushed and protected, the earliest she could lose her title would be the Royal Rumble in early 2023.
Prediction: Belair keeps the RAW Women's Championship at year's end.
#2 The fate of the SmackDown Women's Championship
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Like some of the former female Money in the Bank winners (Nikki A.S.H., Alexa Bliss), Liv Morgan wasn't likely meant to be SmackDown Women's Champ for a long time. Her cash-in was probably booked to set up a program with Ronda Rousey for a few months.
Even with new people in charge, it seems like Morgan is working on borrowed time. She's likable, but it's hard to take her defeating Rousey and Shayna Baszler seriously.
Baszler should easily win the title at Clash at the Castle. She and Ronda Rousey can battle over the belt over the next few months. The Queen of Spades, however, should have a lengthy reign.
Prediction: Baszler ends the year as SmackDown Women's Champion.
#1 The future of the Unified WWE Universal Championship
This one could be a bit more difficult to predict. Will the unification end so that both brands once again have a major title?
WWE should still separate the two titles, but they may not do so. Considering that the Unified Championship could remain intact until the next Draft, there are a few people who could dethrone Reigns.
Karrion Kross returned with a bang and immediately inserted himself into the main-event scene. It would be a shock if he did dethrone Reigns, but the man who has been primed to do so for a long time is Drew McIntyre.
Due to the pandemic, he didn't get to win the title in front of a massive crowd in 2020. Clash at the Castle is taking place on his home turf. Reigns don't need the titles anymore, but McIntyre does.
Prediction: Drew McIntyre finally ends the run of The Tribal Chief.