5 reasons why Shane McMahon might actually be the next WWE Champion

When Shane McMahon shockingly returned to WWE in 2016, everybody thought that he would be the one to bring back the ratings for Monday Night Raw. The show did improve after WrestleMania 32, with the initial stretch of the revived brand split remaining as one of the best times on the WWE main roster in recent memory. Three years on, the brand split is well and truly doomed. And with a few months to go before Smackdown moves to Fox, WWE isn't in the best position at the moment.

Interest is at an all-time low, as are the ratings. There could be many problems to talk about, from the Wild Card rule to the generic booking. But one of the worst things every week is the fact that Shane McMahon gets close to an hour on TV, on both Raw and Smackdown combined.

There is no WWE superstar overexposed more than the former commissioner of the Blue brand. He is the poster boy of WWE's problems today, and if the rumours are to be believed, it could get even worse!

Shane McMahon beating Kofi Kingston to win the WWE Championship would instantly become one of the most unpopular booking moves in WWE history, but it, unfortunately, is not completely out of the question. Here are five reasons why the chairman's non-wrestler son might actually win the biggest prize in sports entertainment. These are scary times.

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#5 He hasn't been defeated in 2019

Okay, Shane McMahon has been on the losing side a couple of times this year. However, they were in Smackdown tag title matches where the Miz was the one getting pinned by the Usos. So Shane O'Mac has still not been pinned or submitted in 2019. He even turned heel on the Miz after the second defeat at Fastlane.

Since then, Shane has been booked like a legitimate top wrestler. He has wrestled on every pay-per-view so far this year, beating the likes of the Bar, the Miz and Roman Reigns.

That victory over Reigns in Saudi Arabia opens up the conversation, just how far is WWE going to go with this 'Best in the World' schtick? Shane McMahon's last defeat came when he was facing three-on-one odds against Braun Strowman, Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre at Survivor Series. To make matters worse, Shane McMahon only won two matches from his 2016 return before the WWE World Cup final at Crown Jewel. He is now being presented as a serious contender.

#4 He is the focal point of every show

It is a really unfortunate state of affairs when the biggest star on WWE programming on a weekly basis is a 49-year-old man. It is even more unfortunate when it is a non-wrestler. That is exactly what is happening right now. Every Raw and Smackdown these days is "graced" with a 20-minute Shane McMahon segment. They range from celebrations to long monologues, with Greg Hamilton's vocal cords remaining the only good thing about them.

Sometimes, it benefits a performer when they are paired in a dominant group in the spotlight. That has unfortunately not been the case for Drew McIntyre. He has been nothing more than a henchman for the heel authority figure.

McIntyre has still failed to recover from his decisive defeat to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, and this is certainly not the way for him to reclaim his momentum. Anyway, the point is that Shane McMahon is consistently the focal point of every show he is on at the moment, a possible scary foreshadowing of things to come.

#3 There isn't another top heel on Smackdown who could take the WWE title from Kofi

WWE programming, in general, has not been the best in a while. The evident lack of stars, and general fault-ridden booking, contributing to an all-time ratings low. Aside from a few names, everybody feels stale and boring. A victim of this downturn in creative is Kofi Kingston, who had an incredible chase to the WWE Championship heading into WrestleMania. Since that incredible high, his reign has not exactly been a memorable one. Kofi has defended his title in multiple good matches, but that's about it.

Right after the Superstar Shakeup, there seemed to be quite a few interesting candidates who could dethrone the New Day member. However, there doesn't seem to be a heel strong enough to do the job. The New Day is not breaking up, Daniel Bryan is in the tag team division, Roman Reigns will not turn heel, Kevin Owens already lost to Kofi and Mr Money in the Bank, Brock Lesnar will probably cash in on Seth Rollins. There seems to be nobody left. Aside from the Best in the World. Of course.

#2 A desperate attempt at improving ratings

As mentioned earlier, WWE is in a severe ratings crisis. The product could not be more stale and uninspiring. They need a real shot of crazy to revive themselves, especially as the Fox deal is approaching. That shot of crazy was not the Wildcard rule. That shot of crazy was not Brock Lesnar winning the briefcase. Vince McMahon might be considering making that shot of crazy in the family. Shane McMahon winning the WWE Championship will certainly send the Internet Wrestling Community ablaze and would certainly be a major talking point.

However, the reaction may turn out to backfire on WWE. There are more ways to regain viewers other than shock value. Especially if it is one just for the sake of the surprise. Shane McMahon winning the WWE Championship could tilt the viewership for WWE programming either way, good or bad. This could be the last straw for many WWE fans on the fence about the company, while it could also potentially spark a barrage of intrigue among the masses. Either way, WWE might be taking a major risk this summer.

#1 So Roman Reigns gets cheered when he wins the WWE title

Roman Reigns is still WWE's most valued star. Shane McMahon might be at the centre of everything at the moment but deep down, we all know that this is building towards another big victory for the Big Dog. Reigns has defeated Triple H and the Undertaker in WrestleMania main events, before finally vanquishing Brock Lesnar at last year's SummerSlam. Now, his next major uphill challenge is Shane O'Mac. And having already lost to him at Super Showdown, there is no doubt that the Big Dog's revenge is coming.

Also, with Smackdown moving to Fox in October, they will need to put on one hell of a program to mark a new era for the Blue brand. Roman Reigns winning the WWE Championship will probably be the thing. However, the company will not want him to be booed while winning the title once again. So, having him defeat a man who is even more hated than him might just be their answer. And there is no heel more hated than Shane McMahon, at this point in time. But at that point, would anybody really care anymore? They would just be glad that the nightmare is over.

Hopefully, WWE thinks better of it and Shane McMahon does not win the WWE Championship.