5 WWE Stars Who Could Be the Jinder Mahal of 2018

Jinder Mahal had the best year of his career in 2017. He went from being used in a comedy segment at WrestleMania 33 to holding the WWE title for the better part of the year.

His rise to the top came out of nowhere, so naturally, the WWE Universe argued the merits of his championship reign from the moment it started in May until he lost the belt to AJ Styles in November.

The Maharaja was built up into a classic WWE villain. He rarely won without cheating, and The Singh Brothers were always by his side to take bumps for the sake of helping their boss.

WWE fans always talk about how management needs to build new top talents, and that is exactly what it did with Mahal in 2017. Just because some of us disagreed with the decision doesn't mean the company didn't try to do what we have been asking.

Mahal's title reign proved anyone can find themselves in the main event scene under the right circumstances. This article will look at five Superstars who could get the same unlikely treatment as The Modern Day Maharaja in 2018 and win a first world title.

Apollo Crews

If the WWE Universe was given the opportunity to design a Superstar from the ground up, he would probably end up being just like Apollo Crews.

The Titus Worldwide member is a gifted technician with an amazing combination of high-flying skills and raw power.

He isn't the tallest Superstar, but what he lacks in height he more than makes up for with talent. It's strange WWE hasn't found a better way to use him.

With the right storyline, Crews could go from being a glorified enhancement talent to a top contender for the universal title in a matter of months.

Anyone who was familiar with Crews' pre-WWE work knows he is capable of so much more than WWE is allowing him to do. He just needs a chance to prove it.

Zack Ryder

Zack Ryder has been toiling away in WWE for over a decade, but he has never been given a shot at a main event push.

The closest he came was at the height of his Z! True Long Island Story  YouTube series in 2011, when WWE booked him to become United States champion.

He was involved in a high-profile storyline with Kane, Maria Kanellis and John Cena, but once it was over, Ryder was slowly turned into a jobber.

His tag team with Mojo Rawley, The Hype Bros, helped him find new life in NXT, and once their post-breakup feud is over, the Broski could find himself with a renewed singles push.

Ryder is the kind of Superstar who is perfect for the Money in the Bank briefcase because it's the only way fans might buy him as a contender for the WWE title.

Rusev

When Rusev first arrived on the scene in 2014, it seemed like nothing could stop him from becoming WWE's next great heel champion.

He had a lengthy undefeated streak and scored an early win over John Cena. However, WWE chose to derail his rise to the top.

It's tough to say why his push was killed. He is an intimidating powerhouse with hidden speed and had one of the best managers to come along in quite some time in Lana.

The Bulgarian Brute has had some missteps along the way, but his partnership with Aiden English may have inadvertently turned him into a babyface.

Fans have been loving the whole Rusev Day shtick in recent weeks, and WWE could capitalize on his momentum by building him back up into a real threat to the top champion on SmackDown Live.

Xavier Woods

The New Day isn't going to break up anytime soon, but that doesn't mean WWE can't build one member into WWE Championship material while the other two members keep pursuing the tag titles.

Big E and Kofi Kingston would be great champions, but Xavier Woods is the best option out of the three members of the group.

Not only is he the best of the three at delivering promos, but he is also immensely talented in the ring. Ever since his days in TNA as Consequences Creed, Woods has been impressing fans with his unique offense.

As the unofficial leader of The New Day, Woods could guide the group into a new era as WWE champion, and unlike when Mahal won the title, the WWE Universe might cheer the decision.

Chad Gable

Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin have turned into a great team, but the former is destined for more than the tag team division.

His wrestling style is exciting, and he put on great performances against opponents of all shapes and sizes in 2017 in both singles and tag team matches.

The former Olympian might not be Kurt Angle's illegitimate son like Jason Jordan, but he has adopted Angle's penchant for suplexing everyone in sight when he gets going.

If WWE decides it wants to build a new underdog star, Gable would be a perfect choice. His size automatically puts him at a disadvantage compared to Superstars like Rusev, but his wrestling ability always evens the odds.

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The five Superstars on this list all have the potential to be great WWE champions, but so do a lot of other competitors. Which Superstar would you like to see rise to the top in 2018?