15 Rumored Names You Should Expect On WWE Programming In 2019

The WWE roster is in the best shape it has ever been and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Does the company have megastars as it once did with The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, or Hulk Hogan? No, but wrestling simply isn't in the same place it was during and prior to the Attitude Era. That isn't a bad thing, however; instead, the state of the industry as a whole is healthier than ever with independent promotions gaining traction and serving as sort of a feeder system for NXT, which then feeds talent to WWE. That way, when talent finally makes it to the main roster, they're more ready than was ever thought possible. And that's not including promotions like New Japan and Ring of Honor, which, together, are more popular than they have ever been.

Both of those rosters are comprised of super talented in-ring performers who fans would love to see in WWE one day and, while traditional wisdom says some of the biggest stars there won't leave for WWE, did we ever expect to see A.J. Styles, Finn Balor, or Ricochet in WWE? Although the timing might be off in some instances, it always seems as though the best wrestlers need to prove themselves in WWE, and that's what we're expecting moving forward into 2019.

15 Reby Sky

Matt Hardy's wife, Rebecca Hardy, also known as Reby Sky on the independent circuit and in TNA (or Queen Rebecca to members of the Woken Universe) kicks off this list as someone we can almost certainly expect to see on WWE programming at least in some capacity in 2019. Although she has a reputation for being, shall we say, volatile (since her husband has been welcomed back in WWE, she has already started Twitter beef with a WWE seamstress and taken shots at WWE legend, and Matt's ex-girlfriend, Lita), she was already briefly featured once during the Ultimate Deletion match on the March 12 episode of Raw.

Woken Matt and Bray Wyatt are the current Raw Tag Team Champions, but it seems obvious that that partnership won't last and will ultimately result in a heel turn for one of the two superstars.

Regardless of where it goes, we should expect Queen Rebecca to make an appearance at some point in the future to complement the Woken Matt character.

She could also be used to give the Woken Universe a female presence capable of competing in the women's division - she does, after all, have considerable in-ring experience. In fact, this could happen well before 2019.

14 Magnus

Nick Aldis, also known as Magnus during his time in TNA/Impact, is the NWA World Heavyweight Champion and one of the fastest-rising stars on the independent circuit. His presence in NWA has given the Billy Corgan-led promotion some life as has his Aldis Crusade, in which he has successfully defended the championship against 20 wrestlers, including James Ellsworth, in 60 days.

Some in the industry thought he might be brought in for the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament given he's from England and already has an in with the company - he's married to current WWE superstar Mickie James.

To that notion, Aldis, at least for the time being, is happy with his place in NWA, especially having been involved from the start:

"What I find really interesting, I went to the [WWE] Hall Of Fame last year and I will this year, and it's full of guys I used to work with and then people who used to work and are now in the office and they say they really wanted to sign me. I just come to the conclusion, whatever it is, until they resolve whatever the thing is, I wouldn't want to be there anyway because they would just cut my balls off."

While that doesn't sound like someone who would jump at the chance to sign in WWE, it's more or less the same sentiment shared by a lot of big names before signing with the company.

13 Marty Scurll

Another wrestler that the WWE could have seemingly brought in for the United Kingdom Championship Tournament is Marty Scurll, a 29 year old native of England who is one of the best prospects in professional wrestling and a member of the Bullet Club in New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor. He's a one-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and one-time ROH World Television Champion and the perfect worker for WWE. He actually replaced Adam Cole in the Bullet Club, so it would be perfect if, when Cole was called up to the main roster, Scurll replaced him in the Undisputed Era.

While he has stressed his desire to do more in ROH and New Japan, he also sounds a lot more open to joining WWE in the future;

"In terms of 'The Villain' and WWE, I'm pretty sure if they saw opportunity in me to make money, I'm sure they'd let me have a lot of creative freedom. But who knows if they do. I do see a lot of Villain shirts on their programming though. I would love to pick the brain of Vince McMahon. 'The Villain' and the 'Evil Genius' discussing the business over a steak dinner sounds divine."

12 Cody Hall

It's always easier for wrestlers to break into WWE when they already have a relationship with a current or former star. It's like any industry; how many people do you know who only work in insurance because it was a family business? The same can be said about wrestling and, while Scott Hall wasn't always in WWE's good graces, that seems to have shifted since he has turned his life around and been welcomed into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Now his son, Cody Hall, is hoping to follow in his father's footsteps.

People like to make the connection simply based on bloodline, but Cody is a relatively talented big man who obviously knows the industry well, having grown up in it. He wrestled for two years in New Japan Pro Wrestling and was a member of the Bullet Club, but the 26 year old is now a member of Pro Wrestling Noah. He obviously still needs to gain a lot of experience, but he wouldn't be the first big man (he's 6-foot-9, 268-pounds) to join the WWE with a lack of in-ring work; that said, he has been training since 2010 and has come a long way in his development. Given who his father is, it seems likely he'll at least be utilized in some capacity by WWE in the very near future.

11 Laurel Van Ness

Again, relationships play a large role in securing a job with the WWE and Laurel Van Ness is well positioned in that regard. The 27 year old Canadian and former Impact Knockouts Champion is dating WWE superstar Zack Ryder and, in addition to having a connection in WWE, is quite talented in the ring; she was ranked No. 26 in the PWI Female 50 in 2017 and has also won championships in Queens of Combat, Pro Wrestling 2.0, and All-Star Wrestling.

She's currently wrestling for Lucha Underground, but admitted as recently as February that she would be more than interested in fulfilling a dream and signing with WWE:

"It's always in the back of your mind for any wrestler. It was the only thing in my mind when I started with Tough Enough in 2014. But I've grown a little more open and found options I never knew I had before. Now, if WWE calls tomorrow, that would be amazing. If Ring of Honor calls tomorrow, amazing. But now I have options. I never thought I'd say that."

She's going to be competing in the Cody Rhodes-led All-In event on September 1st alongside Jay Lethal, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and several others.

10 Will Ospreay

Will Ospreay is one of the brightest young talents in the industry and has been must-watch worthy in New Japan, but rumors of him coming to WWE are nothing new. This past December, Drew McIntyre hinted at the possibility of the 24 year old current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion joining WWE in the near future. Then, a couple months later, on the Talk is Jericho podcast, Ospreay himself revealed he turned down the opportunity to negotiate a contract with WWE because he was happy with where he's at in his career.

"As a kid you'd always want your WrestleMania, you always wanted to be like yourself [Jericho], John Cena or any of those guys. It's always been in the back of my mind but as I've come here [NJPW] I've grown up more. I had a phone call the other day actually asking about my contacts and stuff like that. I appreciate it but I'm happy here and I love being a part of Japan."

Given he's still only 24 years old, it's hard not to see Ospreay appearing in a WWE ring in the future, especially with the amount of talent being signed from the United Kingdom in recent years.

9 The Young Bucks

This is another stretch given the rocky relationship between WWE and The Young Bucks but, as seen with other wrestlers, fences can be mended and relationships can be rebuilt. The WWE sent out a cease and desist letter to the Bucks less than a year ago for their usage of the Too Sweet hand gesture and the Bucks responded by standing outside of an arena where WWE was hosting Raw, similar to the D-X invasion angle of WCW. However, there have since been signs that signal the Bucks potentially joining WWE in the future.

Nick Jackson responded to Sheamus' open invitation for a match at WrestleMania 34 with "We happen to have that date open..."

They also have a strong supporter in WWE legend and NXT trainer Shawn Michaels:

"I get it that people don't wanna be part of the WWE for one reason or another, and I totally 100 percent understand that. I just want the most talented guys that are doing this line of work to be able to do it in a place where they can reap the most rewards. There are people that think they are making a phenomenal living away from the WWE, and I have no doubt that they are, but I still hope there comes a day where all these guys will come to the WWE and have the opportunity to do it on a bigger stage."

At the very least, the wheels are in motion.

8 Kenny Omega

Shawn Michaels comments above also applied to Kenny Omega, who is undoubtedly the hottest name outside of the WWE as of right now. He's one of the most over wrestlers and is fresh off one of the matches of the year at Wrestle Kingdom against Chris Jericho. While it seemed strange at first for WWE to allow free agent Chris Jericho to compete in New Japan, it may end up reaping rewards as there's no an excitement - and even expectation - that we may see Jericho versus Omega play out in front of a North American audience in WWE. The 34 year old is in his prime and the fact he shares the same hometown (Winnipeg) as Jericho could be a factor in him giving WWE another chance after it let him go from Deep South Wrestling in 2006.

Omega's new deal with New Japan will keep him there until January 31, 2019, but who's to say he doesn't jump ship after that for a match with Jericho at WrestleMania 35? "Right now the answer is no," he said recently when asked about signing with WWE. "I'm just having too much fun doing what I am doing. It really means a lot to me in my profession, to feel like I'm making a difference. I don't want to be a robot. I don't want to be controlled." That could change with a hefty contract offer in 2019.

7 Rob Gronkowski

The idea of Rob Gronkowski as a WWE superstar went from being a bit of a joke to almost being a sure thing and then back to being somewhat of a pipedream. Gronk helped his good friend Mojo Rawley win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33 and, following the 2017 NFL season, began pushing the idea that he'd like to give professional wrestling a shot, with several outlets even reporting he was likely to retire from football. He recently announced he was returning to the New England Patriots for another season, but that doesn't mean the idea of him in a WWE ring is dead.

Gronk will still only be 29 years old after the upcoming season and he would be a massive get for WWE in regard to mainstream popularity.

If he were to put in the work, he could become a top superstar or, at the very least, a solid comedic act. There's mutual interest on both sides and, in February, Rawley was quoted by TMZ saying, "Are you kidding? It's not a matter of 'if,' it's a matter of 'when,' come on now." Gronk also has received support and backing from John Cena, among others.

6 Zack Sabre Jr.

In keeping with the theme of talented English wrestlers, we arrive at Zack Sabre Jr., a 30 year old who should also be on WWE's radar given his accolades. Not only has he had championship success in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Mexico, and several independent promotions, he was voted as the Best Technical Wrestler every year from 2014 to 2017 by readers of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

It appeared as though he would be a part of WWE's future as he advanced to the semi-finals of the Crusierweight Classic, but lost to Gran Metalik, reportedly because he couldn't agree on a contract.

Sabre Jr. also turned down an invitation to participate in the United Kingdom Championship Tournament, with Dave Meltzer citing that the 30 year old had other goals outside of the company that he wanted to achieve in 2017. He recently agreed to a full-time contract with New Japan, but that shouldn't rule out the possibility of a potential move to WWE. Within one year of competing in New Japan, he'll be ready to come to North America and have more leverage in contract negotiations, especially if he is viewed as more than a competitor in the Cruiserweight division.

5 Jay Lethal

33 year old Jay Lethal has been one of the most talented workers outside of the WWE for more than a decade now. The New Jersey native has worked almost exclusively for Ring of Honor and New Japan since 2003 and has won multiple titles, including the ROH World Television Championship (x2) and ROH World Championship. In 2016, Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked him as the fifth-best singles wrestler in the world and you can be certain WWE took notice. He obviously has contacts in WWE with several other former TNA stars like Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, and Kurt Angle signing with the company, so it wouldn't be a stretch to see him sign, even though he seems content with his role in ROH.

In a conversation with Sporting News, he stated he was tired of fans asking him when he would sign with WWE, but didn't rule out the possibility of it happening. His desire to wrestle Daniel Bryan seems to indicate it could very well happen:

"I had my fingers crossed that his contract with WWE would expire and somehow we'd scoop him up. You know, deep down inside, he really wants to wrestle. I was kind of hoping and I think some of the other guys in the locker room kind of had their fingers crossed that could potentially happen."

4 Matt Riddle

Perhaps one of the biggest things keeping Matt Riddle out of the WWE is his use of and advocacy for marijuana, which should tell you a lot about how far the former UFC competitor has come in just a few short years of professional wrestling. Named Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Rookie of the Year in 2016, Riddle has competed for several independent promotions throughout North America and has even shared the ring with the likes of Cody Rhodes and Zack Sabre Jr., who he recently defeated at Evolve 102 to win the Evolve Championship.

His ultimate goal, like most others, is WWE, but he's going to be patient in reaching that goal given his main event status outside of the company:

"If the money was right with [WWE] and they said you have to quit smoking, I'd quit smoking. If New Japan was down, I wouldn't bring weed to Japan - I'm not an idiot," he said regarding his use of marijuana. "Honestly, right now I make six figures. I make my own merch. I'm the main or co-main event of every show I'm on. I get to be me and I get to wrestle like I want to. Can they promise me that? If not, why would I go to WWE to probably make less money and be gone more? By the time they do pick me up, if they decide to, I'll be worth so much more."

3 Kazuchika Okada

While this one might be a massive stretch, there is at least a possibility of Kazuchika Okada signing in WWE given the company was able to pry Shinsuke Nakamura from Japan and has, for the most part, used him to his potential instead of burying him as it has done with past Japanese superstars. Okada is a little different; he's younger and has even more in-ring success as the longest-reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion in history with a combined reign of more than 700 days. With that said, he has already done just about everything there is to do in Japan, so you have to figure he might desire a new challenge in the near future. And just imagine the possibility of a Japanese-style Bullet Club descending upon the WWE.

While he has said in the past that New Japan is "far superior" to WWE, you can bet he would want the international spotlight that the WWE offers.

"There's really no telling what could happen. But just as much as I might feel the desire and the drive to be in a match against Jinder or something at that level at SummerSlam, just like Nakamura did, I might also want to jump into UFC," he said on the Pro Wrestling Illustrated podcast in September 2017. "I might also want to go to Hollywood and try my luck there - maybe as the next James Bond. Also, I might desire to focus on the next challenge against Kenny or whoever here. So, to be honest with you, I simply don't know."

2 Tessa Blanchard

If there's any sure-fire guarantees on this list it's Tessa Blanchard. In fact, it might as well be a sure thing that she appears on WWE programming - whether on the main roster or in NXT - by the end of 2018. Not that she needs the relationship connection, but the fact she is dating Ricochet will certainly help her negotiations with WWE, despite having only recently signed with Impact Wrestling. Blanchard is only 22 years old, but already has a wealth of experience and championships under her belt. Among other titles, she is a former ECWA Women's Champion and was ranked No. 38 on the PWI Female 50 in 2016.

According to Dave Meltzer, WWE officials were scouting Blanchard at Shimmer 100 last month and intend on giving her another shot in the next Mae Young Classic. She lost to Kari Sane in the first tournament, but received plenty of praise from fans and other wrestlers. She previously competed in a handful of matches in NXT against the likes of Alexa Bliss, Carmella, and Nia Jax and, dating back to 2014, was a Rosebud. We might have to wait a year for her contract with Impact to expire, but she'll almost certainly be in WWE in 2019.

1 CM Punk

You never say never in professional wrestling and that especially applies to CM Punk. If there was one wrestler in the world we might expect to never see on WWE programming again it's probably Punk, but again, who expected to see half of the talent WWE now has on its roster? Who expected Eric Bischoff would work for WWE? Who expected the company would mend its relationship with Bret Hart? Who expected A.J. Styles to be one of the faces of the company? Punk has been out of WWE since 2014 in pursuit of a career in UFC, but that hasn't exactly gone all that well. He's going to fight at UFC 225 in his hometown of Chicago and another first-round loss there could have him singing another tune in regard to his future.

While he stressed he has no more passion for wrestling on numerous occasions, his one regret has been the fact he hasn't headlined a WrestleMania. His return, combined with the wealth of potential exciting opponents he could face, could very well give him the opportunity to achieve that dream. Although, if you think about it, he was part of the main event at WrestleMania 34 as fans chanted his name during the disappointing Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar bout.