WWE's powerhouse developmental brand has been hitting home runs since Triple H's conception of the company's future back in 2012.

Five years later, it is now a recognizable name in sports entertainment. Showcasing current WWE greats like Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, and even Samoa Joe and furthering the depth of their roster with names like Kassius Ohno and Adam Cole, the brand has been on fire since a TV show began back in 2012.

Promoting this sense of providing WWE with the stars of the future in a more condensed environment, NXT has had an incredible 2017 with events like #DIY breaking up, Andrade 'Cien' Almas winning the NXT Championship, and even Adam Cole running roughshod through the brand with his Undisputed Era cohorts, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish. With 2018 on the horizon, here are a few predictions that can possibly happen in the new year for NXT. "Are you ready?"

1. Women's and UK Divisions increased presence

With the addition of the WWE UK Championship back in January, WWE has dropped hints of a UK division throughout the year: Tyler Bate going the distance with Pete Dunne at NXT Takeover: Chicago, UK wrestlers facing off on NXT TV, and even the appearance of UK wrestlers on 205 Live and such. For NXT's roster, the increased presence of UK wrestlers would benefit not only audiences but also the chance to make another division that rivals the singles, women's and even the tag teams.

For the women's division, 2018 is perfect timing for WWE to showcase more women on their program. After Asuka left NXT behind, including her championship, a major loss occurred. Sure, Ember Moon is going to be a great champion and can carry the company, but women like Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, and even Nikki Cross are just the backbone to a division that can present more women to it. Tessa Blanchard can definitely work full-time while other great women wrestlers can come to NXT and bolster that division.

It's only a matter of time before both of these divisions increase their TV time and create some more memorable moments for this already impressive brand.

2. Feud of the Year: Gargano vs Ciampa

It was an absolute shock when #DIY split after an incredible ladder match at NXT Takeover: Chicago this June. Tommaso Ciampa shook the audience with a mind-blowing betrayal of his best friend Johnny Gargano. Gargano was immediately seen as a face while Ciampa took the first steps in becoming a great heel.

However, their feud was put on the backburner when Tommaso Ciampa actually suffered an injury that night in Chicago, thus preventing their inevitable rivalry. Although Johnny Gargano is still making a name for himself in the singles division (including an impressive win over Kassisus Ohno in an NXT Championship No. 1 Contender qualifying match), 2018 will be the year of probably one of the best feuds that will happen in NXT.

3. Kassius Ohno's inevitable heel turn

Chris Hero made a name for himself in the independent scene back in the mid-2000s with other stars like Kevin Steen, CM Punk, and even Bryan Danielson. When he debuted in NXT in 2012 as Kassius Ohno, people were pleased to see how capable he'd be as a singles star. However, when he was released a few months later, Chris Hero reemerged in the independent scene to continue his success as a great wrestler.

Earlier this year, Ohno returned to NXT in shocking fashion but remained a face. After incredible matches with Lars Sullivan, Hideo Itami, and Johnny Gargano, Ohno has maintained his dominance as a great performer but is lacking in character development. Thus, a heel turn is in order for the elbow-slamming wrestler, and it would sure make his career better. As a heel, Ohno could provide more of an edge as a powerful wrestler with a devastating forearm elbow smash that could then help him become NXT Champion and run with it for a long run. Plus, it would be a great way of improving NXT's singles division with a marketable heel champion that can back up his mouth with that elbow.

4. Undisputed Era's continued rampage through NXT

It's unanimous: the Undisputed Era is a force to be reckoned with after their impressive victory at NXT Takeover: WarGames. Additionally, Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly have added to their dominance with an incredible match that won them the NXT Tag Team Championship a few weeks ago. As Adam Cole sets the pieces for his inevitable run with the NXT Championship, Undisputed Era is THE force that will continue their dominance heading into 2018.

Here's how the faction would make 2018 their year: Adam Cole wins the NXT Championship in a fatal four-way match that includes current champion Andrade 'Cien' Almas, Johnny Gargano, and someone in need of their rematch, Drew McIntyre; Fish and O'Reilly defend their titles against a host of great tag teams that culminate in a TLC match at a future Takeover event; and a shocking turn of events when Roderick Strong turns heel and joins the faction in the middle of a tag team match against the team. Either way, Undisputed Era will make 2018 their year at a time where wrestling will become cool once again.

5. Aleister Black's coronation

Aleister Black (fka Tommy End) came into NXT with a lot of expectations, and he has exceeded them to a T. Still undefeated, Black has garnered an impressive 2017 record against greats like Kassius Ohno, rookies like Velveteen Dream, and an incredible bout against Hideo Itami at Takeover: Brooklyn III. This will set up his inevitable run as NXT Champion sometime in late 2018, and the events leading up to it will be memorable.

As a potential threat in the singles division, Black would create magic with Drew McIntyre in a match to determine a No. 1 Contender that sets up Drew's rise to the main roster while Black would defend his undefeated streak against a powerhouse in Lars Sullivan. However, it would be interesting if Black and Velveteen Dream became allies and won the NXT Tag Team Championship in some fashion. Regardless, Black will have a successful 2018 capped off with some championship win.

6. Expansion to two hours and the TV Title creation

In WCW and even ECW, a Television title was a prominent accolade for mid-carders trying to ascend to the rank of world champion. Chris Jericho and Booker T became recognizable names after winning the TV title in WCW, and Rob Van Dam's long reign as ECW TV champion is still seen as an incredible accomplishment. For NXT, a television title would help mid-carders and even lowly wrestlers in need of television time become more prominent for the brand. Imagine a TV title match every episode of NXT that would steal the show and make more wrestlers more credible. Another championship for NXT would also bring in more opportunities for those in need of a push.

At the same time, NXT's next big accomplishment would be expanding the TV show to two hours. It can be possible due to the show being on WWE Network, and with that more wrestlers and storylines could be developed instead of waiting for the next television taping a week later. With two hours to fill, we could see even longer matches and perhaps the increase of those divisions mentioned at the beginning of this. Either way, the creation of a TV title and expansion to two hours is in the cards for NXT's 2018 calendar, and no one would be upset about that.

NXT is an incredible platform for future WWE stars, and with these predictions, it's certain that the brand itself will become more than a developmental branch of the company: it will be THE brand of WWE.