5 new challengers for Brock Lesnar and the WWE Championship

The 2019 WWE Draft came to a close on Monday night, and the rosters for Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown have been set. There are some interesting new match-ups that can be created now that the brand split is back in full effect. SmackDown was able to secure several top-tier male and female Superstars, including WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, who won the title on the first episode of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX back on October 4th.

Going all the way back to his first championship victory in August 2002, Brock Lesnar has always been one of the strongest, most difficult-to-defeat champions in WWE history. With the SmackDown roster set, there is now a list of men lining up for a shot at their brand's top prize, even if the opponent is the 'Beast Incarnate'. Here are 5 men who can be new challengers to Brock Lesnar's WWE Championship.

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#5. Ali

Ali could potentially be one of the greatest WWE underdogs of all time.

Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion, the man who was known as the "Heart of 205 Live" was moved to the SmackDown locker room seemingly out of nowhere, at the beginning of 2019. He started a very quick rise to the top before a very unfortunate injury took him out of the running for a shot at the WWE Championship inside the Elimination Chamber.

We all know what happened next. Ali was injured, and Kofi Kingston took his place. Kingston was unable to win the WWE Championship inside the Chamber but did come away successfully at WrestleMania 35. His dream run came to an end when he lost his title to Lesnar on the first episode of Friday Night SmackDown.

Now that he's back to being completely fit, Ali can grab that WWE Championship chance that was taken away from him at the beginning of 2019. Does he have a chance at defeating the monstrous WWE Champion? Maybe not, but if nothing else, they could have one heck of a match.

In recent years, Lesnar has become known for his amazing matches against smaller wrestlers, such as AJ Styles, Finn Balor, and Daniel Bryan. Ali is a great wrestler, and even if he doesn't win the match, the fans would love to see this encounter.

#4. Cesaro

It could be time for the Swiss Superman to save us from Brock Lesnar.

Even though he has been with the company for nearly seven years, Cesaro is still something of a hidden treasure within WWE. He has held the United States Championship and is a 6-time Tag Team Champion, but many fans have wanted to see more from the talented Superstar. Fans have been disappointed seeing him come so close to becoming a singles star on multiple occasions.

He didn't even get drafted during the initial two nights but was placed on the SmackDown brand on Wednesday, two days after the official draft ended. Cesaro has been on his own for a while since his long-time tag partner Sheamus has been out with injuries, but other than having a few outstanding matches, he hasn't done much of note.

The new SmackDown on FOX vs. RAW on USA feud could script a few good things for Cesaro's future. He may not have been placed on a show during the televised draft, but he's on SmackDown now and he may be one of the only men who could possibly match Brock Lesnar's strength inside the squared circle.

He definitely has the speed and agility edge on the WWE Champion. Cesaro has always had a ton of fan support, and maybe now, just shy of his 39th birthday, it's time for the Swiss Cyborg to step out of the shadows and challenge for the biggest prize in WWE.

#3 Big E

Big E is a great tag team wrestler and has a promising singles career.

Before he found his biggest success as a member of the wildly popular New Day, Big E appeared primed to be a big-time singles Superstar. He came very close to being the guy who would hand Rusev his first loss back during the Bulgarian Brute's year-long winning streak. He also became the Intercontinental Champion but was staggered and stalled out. Eventually, he was found and saved by Xavier Woods, and the rest is history.

Big E is just shy of 34 years old and has a ton of time left in his career. The New Day were drafted together this year to Friday Night SmackDown, which lends even more credence to the idea that the group may split up.

As soon as Kofi Kingston won the WWE Championship, so many people were sure that Big E would turn on him, but it hasn't happened yet. Maybe Big E will earn an opportunity to challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title and be unsuccessful, and that is what leads to the turn on the New Day. It would be a different take on the jealousy angle, and it could be brilliant.

#2. The Miz

The Miz is a former WWE Champion. Could he defeat The Beast?

Stranger things have happened. The Miz is a well-respected performer in WWE and worked very hard to get where he is today. As a babyface, it makes him a perfect foil for the new WWE Champion. Brock Lesnar was handed everything from the start, because of his looks, because of who he had in his corner (Paul Heyman), and because he was a product of what many call the best class of WWE developmental history (Randy Orton, John Cena, Batista, Brock Lesnar).

The Miz had to work extraordinarily hard to get to where he is today. He was treated as a joke at the beginning of his WWE career, and it took him a long time to shake off and breakthrough. He won Money in the Bank and even defeated John Cena in the main event of WrestleMania 27. He was still thought of as a fluke even after a multi-month reign as WWE Champion, and very few people took him seriously.

Years later, The Miz is one of the most respected members of the roster, and he was drafted to FOX's SmackDown roster because the network thinks of him as a big star. His confidence has never been higher, and the crowd is behind them. Could that be enough to propel him to defeat 'The Beast Incarnate'?

#1. Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt could be the destructive force that could end the terror of Lesnar.

After he will challenge Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship one more time in Saudi Arabia on October 31st, Bray Wyatt (and, we assume, The Fiend) will become a full-time member of the Friday Night SmackDown roster.

One would expect that The Fiend would be the most formidable challenger for Lesnar's WWE Championship. With the news that FOX was very keen on getting Wyatt on their show on Friday nights, it's evident that they think of him as a big Superstar. Does that mean that he is being primed to be the face of the Friday night brand?

If so, it could mean that Wyatt may get fast-tracked to the top of the card -- and seated at the top of the card is Brock Lesnar. The Fiend vs. Lesnar is surely a dream match and will make for the main event in any arena.

No matter what transpired at Hell in a Cell, or the fact that the Firefly Fun House may have been burned to the ground, Bray Wyatt is still a man that the fans are intrigued to see, and many people would be keen on seeing Wyatt take on Brock Lesnar. That would be two of the biggest forces of evil butting heads, and it could be one of the most unique matches in WWE history.