By Ryan Satin
FOX Sports WWE Analyst
A new year is upon us, so let’s kick things off by predicting what could happen in WWE over the next 12 months.
Keep in mind, these 10 predictions are all educated guesses based on my thoughts from watching the shows. These are not the opinions of FOX Sports as a whole.
Translation: Don’t look too deeply into this; it’s just for fun!
The Rock will return
Ever since it was announced that an upcoming WrestleMania would take place in Los Angeles at the brand-new SoFi Stadium, it has felt inevitable that The Rock will main-event the show against his cousin, Roman Reigns.
It just makes the most sense for a stadium near Hollywood to host a match between the top star in WWE and the biggest box office attraction in all of entertainment.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed that event back a year, causing the hype for Rock/Roman to slow down a bit, but my gut tells me things will pick up again as the year goes on and "The People’s Champ" makes his triumphant return to set up a blockbuster match.
RK-Bro will implode
Randy Orton and Riddle have been the most entertaining thing on Raw since they started working together, at least in my opinion, but their storyline has also seemingly been setting the stage for an even bigger second chapter.
I believe this is all leading toward the upcoming Royal Rumble, at which RK-Bro will be among the final four competitors in the men’s match, and Riddle will inadvertently cause Orton’s elimination before going on to win the match.
Then, instead of celebrating the big win for his partner on Raw the next night, Orton will turn on Riddle like we’ve all been expecting, defeat Big E for the WWE Championship at an event before WrestleMania and go on to defend the title against his former RK-Bro partner on "The Grandest Stage of Them All."
Chad Gable will win gold
Former Olympian Chad Gable has been getting a renewed push as of late, and each time the 35-year-old is on TV, he maximizes the opportunity.
That’s why, to me, it feels like 2022 could be his breakout year.
The guy is brimming with talent, and a proper run with United States Championship could be what he needs to get some momentum on his side. His current pairing with Otis is over with fans, too, and they seem to have the support of people behind the scenes as well, so it’s time to strike while the iron is hot.
X-Pac will make a surprise Royal Rumble appearance
WWE Hall of Famer Sean "X-Pac" Waltman recently announced that he has been cleared to return to the ring.
What better place for him to make a splash and be seen by the WWE Universe again than the upcoming Royal Rumble?!? Especially because he hasn’t wrestled in a WWE ring in nearly 20 years and is currently in the best shape of his life.
Just think how cool it would be to see him mix it up with Superstars such as Ricochet, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles in the Rumble, as well as possibly reunite with his old tag partner, Kane, for a moment.
Rick Boogs will get a singles push
There’s just something about Rick Boogs that is electrifying to watch.
The guy exudes charisma from every pore each time he’s on screen, and audiences are getting behind his act more and more, even without many matches under his belt. It’s only a matter of time before that leads to a singles push.
Whether it happens at the side of Shinsuke or not will remain to be seen, but their pairing has been beneficial for both performers, and I don’t think the whole year will go by without Boogs breaking out on his own.
Bianca Belair will regain her women's title
"The EST of WWE" had a stellar 2021, filled with career-defining moments, but her reign was halted due to the return of Becky Lynch. Since then, Belair has had trouble regaining momentum.
If I had to guess, however, I’d predict a renewed push being given to her before the middle of the year and an eventual title match against "Big Time Becks," in which she’ll dethrone the current champ.
Then, hopefully, Becky can return to being a face as "The Man" and eventually set up a big WrestleMania match for 2023. You know, the match we’ve been wanting to see for years now between Lynch and a certain former UFC champ.
The return of Little Miss Bliss will happen
The storyline that transformed Alexa Bliss from happy-go-lucky, coffee-drinking TV show host to possessed, fire-throwing monster was one of the more polarizing angles of the pandemic.
With Bray Wyatt no longer in the company to further it, though, I think Alexa will return to television at some point this year as her former self, and we’ll all pretend the change never happened (which is best).
There’s really no way to pay that story off in a satisfying manner, so it would be wise to just let Alexa thrive as her former self and move on. She’s extremely talented, and her skills would be more useful in other capacities.
WALTER will join the main roster
When WALTER first joined NXT UK, the Austrian-born wrestler made it clear he had no intentions of moving stateside to be on the main roster.
Times have changed, however, and it feels like 2022 is the year when WALTER and Imperium finally arrive on Raw or SmackDown.
The 34-year-old Superstar has gotten into the best shape of his life the past few months and recently returned to the United States for an upcoming match on NXT 2.0, where his Imperium group will take on Riddle and MSK at New Year’s Evil.
Since SmackDown needs a boost to its roster after losing some of the Superstars drafted to the brand in October, my gut tells me Imperium will be brought up next once the team loses their NXT Tag Team titles.
Adam Pearce will participate in a singles match
It was teased once this year, but the recent heel vibes Pearce has been giving out have me feeling like he’ll wrestle at least one singles match for real in 2022.
He has also expressed interest on social media in wrestling another match, so it’s not entirely out of the question.
Personally, I’d love to see the on-screen WWE official get into a feud with a rising star and help put them over by heeling it up in a match against them on pay-per-view. Could be fun with the right story and match.
Edge will win the Money In The Bank contract
The fact that Edge has not won a World title since returning from injury almost two years ago, despite being involved in high-profile feuds in that time, is wild.
I have a feeling that will change this year, though, when the "Ultimate Opportunist" within him will make a true comeback by using underhanded tactics to finally become a world champion again.
Yes, we’ve seen shades of a heel Edge these past two years, but the way to cement it would be to go back to where it all started — winning the men’s Money in the Bank contract and turning heel afterward by successfully cashing in on a popular face following a grueling match.
That’s the Edge we’ve all been waiting to see again.
Ryan Satin is a WWE analyst for FOX Sports. Satin previously appeared on FS1's "WWE Backstage" and founded Pro Wrestling Sheet, where he broke countless news stories as editor-in-chief.
