Five first-time WWE champions to expect in 2022

WWE continues to look for fresh faces to build around and these are five first-time champions expected in 2022

WWE has a wealth of talent across its roster. While those names may not be utilized well, it’s still a fact that there are many individuals that stand out in this group. Heading into the New Year, there’s a lot of speculation around who will be elevated to main event status in the next 12 months. Here’s a look forward at three individuals and two tag teams that will become first-time champions in the WWE.

Alpha Academy

The WWE Raw tag team may revolve around Team RK-Bro, but Alpha Academy is a group to keep a close eye on. Chad Gable has already experienced gold across all three brands but has yet to do so with Otis at his side. What started as a joke gimmick for both men, has slowly morphed into one of the teams that can put out the best work rate across all three shows. They’ve even shown glimmers of opportunity as individual performers in recent weeks. Fans should keep an eye out Alpha Academy because they can easily become tag team champions at some point in 2022.

Cora Jade

WWE NXT WarGames was all about making new stars. Looking back at the showcase, Cora Jade stole the spotlight during the women’s WarGames match. Playing the injured babyface, she had big spots, including the dive off the top of the cage. That moment was further cemented when she picked up the victory for her team.

With a previous win over Mandy Rose, she’s been slotted as a top contender in the division. She and Raquel Gonzalez will take on Rose in a Triple Threat match at NXT New Year’s Evil on January 4. This is an excellent opportunity for Jade to pick up a surprise win on Gonzalez, with the latter potentially moving to the main roster. Either way, Cora Jade is someone to keep a close watch on as a future champion.

Liv Morgan

Fans have wanted to see Liv Morgan reach main event status for years. This is the closest she’s come to the moment. She faces Becky Lynch at WWE Day 1 with the WWE Raw Women’s Championship on the line. Even though she’s lost some momentum heading into this match due to how she’s booked as a babyface, a strong performance on the PPV can keep her relevant in the division.

In WWE where wins and losses do not matter, Morgan can still be defeated at Day 1 and find herself in a position to take the title from Lynch, especially with the Royal Rumble coming up at the end of January. Morgan’s first title run has the potential to crown a much-needed new face for the women’s division and that can come in 2022.

Austin Theory

WWE leadership is clearly big on Austin Theory. As if being booked opposite of Finn Balor wasn’t enough, Theory is featured in segments with WWE Chairman and CEO, Vince McMahon on a weekly basis. It’s a slot that not a lot of wrestlers have enjoyed in recent years, but Theory is sitting squarely within it. Even as fans continually point out the allegations of misconduct from his past, Theory’s stock continues to rise in the WWE. It would not be shocking if he picked up a mid-card title victory at some point in the next 12 months.

Angel and Humberto

Angel Garza has picked up gold in the WWE before, but his real-life cousin Humberto Carrillo has yet to reach that point. As a tag team, next year maybe the moment where they win a series of big matches to get into that position.  They are used consistently on WWE SmackDown and these two young performers have some of the best in-ring pedigrees on the roster. WWE needs to find a way to continue their elevation up the ladder and put the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Titles on them in the New Year.