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We're now more than halfway through 2018 and WWE is still yet to crown any new world champions. In fact, both Brock Lesnar and AJ Styles won their respective belts in 2017, meaning we have not seen any title changes since November - some eight months ago.
To be fair, although this situation is fairly unusual, there isn't really much to complain about. AJ is a fantastic choice as SmackDown's figurehead and continues to shot it week in, week out with stunning performances in the ring and competent promo work outside of it. On Raw, meanwhile, Brock Lesnar's mega run (dull though it may be) is set up perfectly for a momentous conclusion.
That said, freshness is always exciting. While longer title runs help to give the belt a bit of meaning, nothing in wrestling can really rival the excitement that comes with a rookie winning their very first world title after months of tense, well-orchestrated build-up.
With less than six months to go until 2019, of course, there's a finite window for WWE to make this happen before year's end. As such, we're looking at no more than two or three realistic candidates. Here are the same:
#3 Rusev
It's been a long time coming, but Rusev has finally earned himself a shot at the WWE Championship. He challenges AJ Styles for SmackDown's biggest prize as early as next week when the company heads to Pittsburgh for Extreme Rules.
After relatively little build-up, it seems unlikely that the Bulgarian Brute will take the title in their first encounter. However, with the right crowd reaction there's every chance he'll get another opportunity the following month at SummerSlam.
Let's not forget that, for all the pessimism around Rusev's career, he's still hugely popular among large sections of the audience. That alone can take you a long way in the world of professional wrestling, as his opposite number on Sunday has proven over the last two and a half years.
#2 Shinsuke Nakamura
After watching him up short against AJ Styles on three separate occasions, many fans have now written off Shinsuke Nakamura's chances of ever wearing world title gold while performing for WWE.
You can definitely see the logic behind this sentiment. If Vince McMahon and his creative team didn't believe he was ready to lead the company following his Royal Rumble win, it instinctively seems unlikely that they will change their mind any time soon.
However, it's worth remembering that we're still relatively early into the King of Strong Style's heel run. He's still growing into the role of a bad guy, and if he continues to improve at his current rate, he will have to be a candidate to take the belt at some point in the near future.
#1 Braun Strowman
Admittedly, it doesn't exactly take a genius to figure out that Braun Strowman is the heir to Brock Lesnar's throne. Already in 2018, he's won the first ever Greatest Royal Rumble and picked up the Money in the Bank briefcase.
When and where he cashes in his title shot remains to be seen. Some expect him to challenge the Beast Incarnate at SummerSlam, while others would prefer he waited all the way until WrestleMania 35.
Regardless, there's little question that he's going to be wearing the Universal Championship in the near future, and, quite frankly, there are few better candidates in the entire company. He's exactly the sort of guy you should build Monday Night Raw around every week.
Agree with our list? Disagree? Tell us in the comments below!
