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Remember how Vince McMahon promised us new faces on both RAW and SmackDown Live when the McMahon family ushered in a brand new era for WWE not long ago? To an extent, he has delivered on his promise with Kofi Kingston as the reigning WWE Champion, and others like Ricochet contesting for the US Championship.
However, WWE is not unlike a TV show and while others may play cameos for a bit, you cannot keep the central characters away from the title picture for too long. While other characters stepped up to the fore in the Walking Dead at certain times, the focus would always shift back to Rick Grimes, Michonne, and Daryl Dixon, all of the central characters.
Such is also the case with WWE and I'm here to let you know that you should expect these men and women in the title picture by the time that the year is done. Let me know if you agree or disagree with my assessment.
You know I'm right...
#5 Charlotte Flair
One look at Charlotte Flair and you know that she is the very definition of a WWE Superstar. She has the athletic ability and the lineage to back it up, pretty much explaining why she has been in the title picture for such a long time.
Even now, while she may not technically be in the title picture, it does seem like she's going to take on Trish Stratus at SummerSlam, which is a very high-profile match. Once that program is done, I expect her to take on Bayley for the SmackDown Women's Championship leading up to Survivor Series.
That is unless Ember Moon pulls off the ultimate upset and becomes SmackDown Women's Champion. Moon vs. Flair could also be interesting!
#4 Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is the face of WWE, and you cannot keep such an individual away from the title for far too long, in my opinion. Sure, he's wrestling against Samoa Joe at this point but how do you justify keeping him out of the Universal Championship picture for too long? I'm sure he'll be a part of the same by the end of the year, if not sooner.
I can also imagine him in the WWE Championship picture, possibly taking on someone like Randy Orton sometime later this very year. Reigns and Orton may not appeal to a lot of hardcore fans, but casual fans will dig a clash of this nature. Both men are top tier superstars, and a clash like this could potentially main event WrestleMania.
Roman Reigns does not exaggerate in his promos at all. He is 'the big dog' and WWE truly is 'his yard'.
#3 Kevin Owens
I don't think that Kofi Kingston will face Kevin Owens for the WWE Championship. But there will come a point where he drops the title to a heel, and the moment there's a heel Champion, I have a feeling that Owens will enter the title picture.
It is clear that WWE has big plans for the man right now. Kevin Owens is being portrayed as someone who's a mixture of CM Punk and Stone Cold Steve Austin, and you do not slot such an individual in the mid-card, away from the title picture.
In fact, I would love to see Kevin Owens take on someone like Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. Orton looks like the prototypical WWE Superstar, and if anything, Kevin Owens does not.
It would be the perfect story of a man destined for greatness like Flair, taking on someone who embodies the spirit of the working-class, like Dusty Rhodes.
#2 Alexa Bliss
Alexa Bliss just has a captivating presence that lights up the screen every time she's on the show. The very fact that she's always in the title picture should be indicative of this. Even though she may not be Charlotte Flair in the ring, she's a decent hand and it is clear to see McMahon is a fan!
Even if she does not enter the RAW Women's Championship or the SmackDown Women's Championship picture, I am sure that she'll be a part of the tag team title picture in the weeks that follow. And this is because WWE has already invested far too much time and effort into her current, ongoing storyline with Nikki Cross, to let it go to waste.
I know that a lot of fans believe that she shouldn't be in the title picture because she's not a good worker. Whether or not she deserves it is up for debate, but it's almost a certainty that she will return.
Special mention: Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey may not be in the thick of things right now, but she's primed and ready to make a comeback very soon. And she may not be doing this all by her lonesome, this time around.
As reported by our own Tom Colohue, Ronda Rousey is very anxious to make a comeback to WWE because Paul Heyman is in charge of RAW in the Executive Director Position. Moreover, her husband Travis Browne may join her for a WWE run, to potentially take on Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch in a mixed tag team match.
But if Ronda Rousey does indeed come back, how do you keep her out of title contention? The simple answer is you don't.
I can imagine a very heated rivalry between Rousey and Becky Lynch that could potentially stretch all the way to WrestleMania 36, maybe even in the main event match again!
#1 Bray Wyatt (as The Fiend)
Bray Wyatt has been the WWE Champion before this, but the fact of the matter is that his reign was cut short due to unfortunate booking. He could never regain the kind of momentum he once had, and this wasn't helped at all, with the cheesy 'House of Horrors' match.
It does seem like WWE has a chance to wrong their rights by pushing The Fiend all the way to the top. It is one of the most unique characters in professional wrestling history and fans seem to love it, unlike much of the WWE product these days.
Honestly, I can see Bray Wyatt even taking on the likes of Brock Lesnar with the kind of momentum he has, at the moment. He could definitely be a contender vying for the title that Kofi Kingston has, for the time being.
Unlike the Reigns entry, fans would love this!
