Baron Corbin Beginning to Prove He Could Be Main Event Star on WWE SmackDown

With WWE SmackDown consistently billing itself as the land of opportunity, 2017 will be a big year for some of the company's midcard talent, and that doesn't apply to anyone more than Baron Corbin.

Since coming up from NXT earlier this year and winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32, his time on the main roster has stalled.

Corbin had lost the edge that seemed to make him stand out at first. Rarely had someone lived up to a moniker like Corbin's "lone wolf" persona. He was his own guy and looked to have all the tools to make it in WWE. Being drafted to SmackDown only increased the chances of him becoming a star.

But in recent months, Corbin's stock took a hit. He was in a back-and-forth feud with Kalisto, was on the pre-show fighting guys like Apollo Crews and was even thrown into a rivalry with Jack Swagger before turning his attention back to Kalisto.

However, things have started to take a turn for the better lately. Per the Internet Wrestling Database, Corbin's run of form has been sensational; he has lost just twice on TV since September, and both were via disqualification.

There is no 50-50 booking with Corbin—at least not of late. His victory against Kalisto at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs was backed up by another strong performance the following Tuesday on SmackDown, when he beat his old adversary once again, perhaps breaking free from the former Lucha Dragon.

So what next? With the turn of the year just around the corner, there's every possibility that 2017 could be a true breakout year for Corbin—to the extent that he finds himself in the company's main event scene.

This was discussed online last week, with Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats noting we can expect Corbin to move into the title picture on SmackDown in the first half of 2017.

Here's the thing—it's not like Corbin is overdue for a run at the top of the card. He has been on the main roster less than a year, after all. But of all the guys who have stepped up from NXT this year, Corbin feels like the one who—with his gimmick, attitude and in-ring style—would do well in the main event field of SmackDown.

Corbin is also a genuine heel—a guy people find it easy to dislike. He acts like a heel with his sneak attacks. He talks like a heel on the mic with his lack of respect for anyone but himself. He just is a heel. The company may have two heel champions at the moment in Kevin Owens and AJ Styles, but WWE fans love and adore them so much, and Corbin would bring something different to the table.

His promo on Talking Smack earlier this month was good, and it established him as a future star both in and out of the ring. It didn't go unnoticed by WWE fans, either:

The challenge now for WWE is to build him up as a credible force in the build to WrestleMania next year. Why not send Corbin on a tear through the SmackDown midcard, with him going on a lengthy unbeaten run?

The way he was booked before he was removed from Team SmackDown at Survivor Series was ideal. Costing the blue brand the cruiserweight division before being confronted by Daniel Bryan backstage and telling the general manager all he cares about is himself was great. Many expected the cruiserweights to be moved to Tuesday nights at that point, and using Corbin as the reason why they didn't was a smart, subtle piece of booking from WWE.

With The Miz likely to be keeping the WWE Intercontinental Championship for a while, it probably rules out a run at that title, but that doesn't matter. Corbin is legitimizing himself in WWE without the need for a championship at the moment, and if John Cena returns to win the WWE World Championship at WrestleMania, he could have a great first opponent in the rebellious Corbin.

There's still work to be done, but right now, there's every reason to suggest 2017 could be the year of Baron Corbin.