Which WWE Superstar has the best chance of becoming the next Universal Champion?

And then there were four....

This week's episode of Monday Night Raw was a gut-wrenching reminder of the very real risks involved with being a professional wrestler. While I myself have never been a wrestler, I have always had a great amount of respect and adoration towards these men and women who place their bodies through so much physical trauma, all for the sake of entertainment. It's a selfless act that doesn't get nearly enough respect.

With the unfortunate injury Finn Bálor sustained at SummerSlam, en route to becoming the inaugural WWE Universal Champion, he was forced to relinquish the title in the opening segment of this week's Raw. As we now know, four finalists will face one another next week, in a fatal 4-way to determine the new Universal Champion.

All things considered, WWE got this one right, in regards to crowning a new champion. While they could've nickel-and-dimed this situation and culminated with a big payoff at Clash of Champions next month, which is the next Raw pay-per-view event. However, it was a wise move on behalf of the company, to go ahead and crown a champion sooner, rather than later.

So, who will it be? Looking at the four finalists, there are a couple of names on there that are heavy favorites. The others are crap shoots. No matter who your favorite is, the outcome is sure to be interesting, to say the least. Let's go ahead and take a look at all four contenders and their respective chances of winning the WWE Universal Championship.

ROMAN REIGNS

Is he ready to reclaim his top spot?

Roman Reigns went out with that suspension at the most inopportune time. Despite dealing with a ton of heat from the fans on a nightly basis, Roman was on top of the world. He was on the verge of what would've very likely been a significantly long push. However, it all derailed in an instant.

It's become increasingly obvious that Vince and his cronies are high in Reigns and understandably so. Even though the fans are blatantly refusing to get behind Reigns, you still can't deny the fact that this guy has the look, the in-ring presence and has improved drastically as far as his ring work is concerned. The issue came about when he won the Royal Rumble last year. Fans all over the world went nuts over Roman winning.

So, what's the real chances for Roman, as far as winning the Universal Championship? Well, pretty good, actually. There's only one other participant in this match with better odds of coming away with the red strap and it's pretty obvious who that is.

BIG CASS

Can Big Cass make it in the singles world?

Here we have quite a unique prospect. Big Cass is someone that has been rumored to have been on Vince McMahon's radar. The idea would be to have Cass enter the singles world and keep Enzo in his corner as his mouthpiece.

This is an idea that could work, but it could also be a terrible idea, considering the high Enzo and Big Cass are riding right now as a tag team. Let's be honest, there's not another team as over as Enzo and Cass, with the exception of the New Day.

Enzo is incredible on the mic, but who's to say he's willing to take the backseat while Cass goes for singles titles? This is a fragile situation and should be handled as such. But at the end of the day, it'll come down to three contributing factors. First off, can Big Cass sustain a long-term singles run? Secondly, is Enzo willing to play second fiddle for his buddy? Finally, is it worth putting the brakes on such a red hot tag team? We'll find out on Monday!

SETH ROLLINS

Is it time for fate to repay the piper?

Seth Rollins is the obvious clear-cut, odds on favorite to walk away with the Universal Championship next Monday. Seth himself knows all too well what Finn Bálor is going through. As we all know, Rollins went through a similar situation, being forced to relinquish his WWE Championship last year, following a freak accident, during a match with Kane at a house show, which resulted in a severe knee injury.

With that said, Seth has always proclaimed that he was coming back to take back what he never lost. Even though it's not the same title he had to vacate, it's still a title on that level and I'm sure he would be content with the all red everything title.

KEVIN OWENS

Is K.O. prepared to carry such a load?

If you're a fan of professional wrestling in general, not just WWE, chances are, you've followed Kevin Owens prior to his WWE or NXT debut. Owens is someone who’s grinded it out for many years before being signed to a WWE contract. With that said, I can't think of one reason why K.O. shouldn't win the title.

It's obvious that he's not the overall favorite to win the match, but when it's all said and done, Kevin Owens is perfectly capable of carrying the load as a top level champion, in the top wrestling company in the world. His ring work is sound and he's capable of working with anyone.

He's unorthodox, sure, but it's 2016, who's not these days? The odds are not necessarily in his favor, but then again, we're talking about Kevin Owens; the odds have always been against him. WWE may very well reward him with for his effort with a run with the title, and that folks, is best for business.