WWE: Who Will Win Their First Title In 2021?

WWE has spent a lot of resources accumulating such a deep roster of talent and, as such, it’s not always a guarantee that everyone is going to get an equal bite of the pie. In fact, one of the main reasons talent take their gifts elsewhere is the lack of success they find within WWE’s saturated pool.

It’s fundamental for any promotion, especially top promotions, to make sure that they are keeping a steady flow of fresh and exciting talent coming through and challenging for their gold to prevent stagnation. As such, starting the year out it always makes good fun to predict who will take the spotlight and claim their first title during the year.

WWE has an immense roster full of elite-level talent and potential. Who this year will convert their potential to title wins?

Dominik Mysterio: SmackDown Tag Team Titles

The son of Rey Mysterio only made his in-ring debut last year at SummerSlam last August, and already looks good for a title run. Although not the cleanest and most polished wrestler, he has a high intensity and workrate and undoubtedly has a bright future in the business. It makes sense for the third-generation star to continue to work the mid-card and partner with his more experienced peers, like Murphy or his father, in order to gain valuable ring time and experience whilst being under someone’s wing.

I predict that in 2021 we will see Dominik team with either Rey or brother-figure Murphy go for SmackDown Tag Team gold, it would be the perfect opportunity to provide Dominik with the platform to impress whilst also showing that WWE is invested in him for the future.

The Riott Squad: WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles

The Riott Squad surely, surely have to win the belts this year. When Ruby Riott’s faction first made its way onto our screens from NXT, the initial consensus was that they were SmackDown’s answer to Raw’s Absolution faction, comprising of Paige, Mandy Rose, and Sonya Deville.

That may have been the case back then, but the team of Riott and Liv Morgan has stood the test of time thus far, despite attempts to repackage them as single stars. Now we enter 2021 with The Riott Squad being the only credible women’s team on the main roster, with current Women’s Tag Team Champions, Asuka and Charlotte Flair, seemingly destined for an implosion of individual interest.

It’s common sense then that The Riott Squad should be the team to inherit the belts and restore a sense of legitimacy to the “team” part of the championships. Despite not being the best competitors in-ring, the hard-work and improvement of Morgan and Riott should be rewarded in 2021.

Mustafa Ali: United States Championship/Raw Tag Team Championship

Oh Mustafa Ali, one of the most talented and hard-working individuals on the payroll at WWE. And yet, he still hasn’t one championship to his credit during his run. His latest run as faction leader of Retribution started off rocky and without direction, but as of late, his promos have started to cut deep and very close to the truth. The faction appears to have a promise shining through and as Ali rather cleverly explains the many criticisms of the team away, 2021 is beginning to feel like the turning point for him and the faction.

We have seen firsthand over the years that Ali has the in-ring ability to go with anyone, and his promo work lately has been brilliant. That’s why I think this year we will see Retribution take over and capture the tag titles and more than likely see Ali capture the US Title flanked by his teammates. It makes sense for WWE to strike while the iron is hot and finally pull the trigger on Mustafa Ali and let him take the belts and run.

Sonya Deville: SmackDown Women’s Championship

Although she probably could have been saved for the Royal Rumble, Sonya Deville returned on the first SmackDown of 2021. Her work throughout 2020 was brilliant, tagging and feuding with former Fire and Desire teammate Mandy Rose, and although her year was cut short due to an incident in her personal life, stood out as one of the top performers both in-ring and on the mic in WWE.

Although unlikely to enter a WrestleMania program, Deville presents a very believable contender for the Women’s Title, able to go in the ring and slay her opposition vocally. More importantly, WWE appears to value her and her potential, and the fans are behind her. The former MMA fighter is destined for gold at some point and given such a fantastic year previously, she may find her reward awaits this year.

Bianca Belair: SmackDown Women’s Championship

My pick to win the women’s Royal Rumble and challenge “The Boss” Sasha Banks at WrestleMania, Bianca Belair is a star that can do no wrong at the moment. A naturally athletic and talented in-ring performer with a superstar aura and charisma, Belair is almost guaranteed to be the future of WWE at this rate.

Up until this point, Belair has been unable to get her hands on a title in NXT or on the main roster, but it would appear that this year will be her year. WWE has shown a genuine interest in building Belair up recently and cementing her at the top of the card, and it’s abundantly clear to see why. The charm with Belair is authenticity; nothing she does feels forced and there’s a resonance with her climb to the top that can inspire. All of that along with her undeniable talent in all veins of her work makes for someone WWE should be building as the future of their division, and it makes too much sense for her push to start in 2021 for it not to happen.