5 Men Who Could Become the Next Universal Champion

Brock Lesnar is no longer the man who holds the top prize on RAW. Roman Reigns rules the roost and from all accounts, will remain champion for a long time now. Who will eventually be the man that topples him from his throne? In this article, I will look at 5 suitable contenders who could potentially dethrone him.

Let me know in the comments below if you agree with my assessment or not. Do you think Roman Reigns is doing a good job as the Universal Champion? Do you think Brock Lesnar was a better champion than he is?

Whom would you pick as the next Universal Champion? I would love to hear your thoughts in that regard, in the comments.

Here are 5 men who could potentially dethrone Roman Reigns and rule his yard next!

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#5 Drew McIntyre

Could Drew McIntyre potentially defeat Roman Reigns in a singles match?

WWE botched Drew McIntyre's first run in the company. They will do their best to ensure that they do not botch his next run, because he has all the tools to be a top superstar. The fact that he's already captured the RAW Tag Team Championship does point in this very direction.

There will come a time when Drew McIntyre steps out from the shadow of his alliance with Dolph Ziggler and decides to branch off as a singles superstar, for checks and championships, as Booker T constantly keeps saying! I can totally imagine him facing off against Roman Reigns when that happens. McIntyre is one of the few men in the roster who can actually physically match up with Reigns.

Drew McIntyre looks like a superstar and if he doesn't get injured, the world could certainly be his oyster, going forward. I am curious to see how far he can go, and if he can indeed win the strap.

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#4 Braun Strowman

Of course, Braun Strowman is the likeliest contender to win the prize

Braun Strowman did not cash in his contract the traditional way, like most superstars do. Instead, he chose to cash in for Hell in a Cell, where he will meet Roman Reigns, inside the supremely dreaded structure. Why then do I put him so low in the list? How does one even bet against the 'Monster Among Men'?

My decision comes as a result of the rumours floating around that Roman Reigns is supposed to be the champion for a long time. This certainly means that Strowman will not emerge as the champion from Hell in a Cell, next weekend. This does not however mean that Strowman won't be the man to eventually defeat Reigns.

Reigns and Strowman have incredible chemistry when they work against one another. I would love to see another program between the two men.

Could Braun Strowman win the Royal Rumble and challenge Roman Reigns?

#3 Bobby Lashley

As long as he doesn't get booked in such skits, Lashley should be a credible contender

Bobby Lashley has all the tools to be a possible challenger for the Universal Championship. Unfortunately, WWE is intent on making him into a comedy character, though it is clear that comedy isn't his strong suit, every single week. That said, remember how he has a clean win over the Universal Champ? Unfortunately, he picked up a win in a match with no stakes at all.

Maybe Lashley gets inserted into the title picture soon enough, as a heel someday? I would certainly love to see them clash again!

#2 The Rock

Could yet another Samoan win the championship?

There is a lot of speculation about Roman Reigns and The Rock clashing at WrestleMania 35. I can only imagine that this contest will be for the Universal Championship. If so, this is a battle that has money written all over it.

I wouldn't mind seeing The Rock as Universal Champion for a while. This is because of the mainstream attention that the product will get. It will, in simple terms, be best for business.

Could The Rock and Reigns have a good match at this point in The Rock's career, dear readers? I guess it's only a matter of time before we find out!

Honorary mention: The Demon King

Regular Finn Balor has no chance, but

his

alter ego may

We saw The Demon King return at SummerSlam 2018, much to the delight of the WWE Universe in the arena. The character put away Baron Corbin in no time, a man Finn Balor was having competitive matches with, before then.

Could The Demon King return to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship and win? It would be an interesting development, considering how Balor took a pin at the hands of Reigns during his Universal Championship rematch.

#1 Kevin Owens

WWE obviously has some big plans for this popular character!

Let's move from one former Universal Champion to another. Kevin Owens lost the Universal Championship to Goldberg. It was after that that the title became a part time championship. As a result, he never really got his rematch.

Roman Reigns dubs himself a fighting champion, unlike others. I can absolutely imagine him offer Owens a shot at his title, down the line. Maybe the unthinkable happens then.

Paul Heyman helps Kevin Owens win the match. Kevin Owens and Paul Heyman then start a new dangerous alliance on RAW.

Let's be honest, who wouldn't want to see Owens as champion once again?