WWE predicted which stars would go on to become the biggest stars in the industry in 2014, with mixed results.
The company was in flux at the time, with the popularity of WWE NXT showcasing who could take on the mantle of plenty of departing stars.
The likes of Triple H and The Undertaker were slowing down their careers, with several names looking to take their place.
WWE.com predicted bold things for John Cena and Roman Reigns and they weren’t much closer when they named the ‘future of WWE’.
The ‘future of WWE’ in 2014 was headed up by Roman Reigns and Charlotte Flair
Luke Harper, Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose, Charlotte Flair, Finn Balor, Hideo Itami, Cesaro, Baron Corbin, and Roman Reigns were named by WWE.com as the future of the company.
Only four names still remain with the company, with Balor, Flair, Reigns, and Zayn still pivotal members of the roster in 2025.
Zayn is the only one of those stars who is yet to win a World Championship within WWE, although there are whispers of the star winning next year’s Royal Rumble match so it could be coming soon.
| WWE.com’s ‘The Future of WWE’ list from 2014 |
| Luke Harper (Brodie Lee) |
| Sami Zayn |
| Dolph Ziggler (Nic Nemeth) |
| Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley) |
| Charlotte Flair |
| Finn Balor |
| Hideo Itami (KENTA) |
| Cesaro (Claudio Castagnoli) |
| Baron Corbin |
| Roman Reigns |
Reigns and Flair are the only two names you could truly say have become the face of WWE, with several World Championships between them.
Flair has held 14 World Championships, while Reigns dominated the entire landscape of WWE with his 1000+ day reign as champion.
As for the rest of the stars, some achieved success in WWE, but they certainly didn’t become the face of the company.
What happened to the other six WWE stars?
Some of the names who have since departed the company have still become World Champions within WWE.
Ziggler and Ambrose, now named Jon Moxley, both held World Championships before departing to TNA and AEW, respectively.
Elsewhere, Luke Harper moved to AEW in 2020 and won the TNT Championship in Tony Khan’s company, but his career was tragically cut short by lung complications.
Claudio Castagnoli also left WWE to pursue a career in AEW, where he is currently in The Death Riders faction.
Baron Corbin, meanwhile, never became a World Champion in WWE and was released from his contract in 2024.