5 opponents "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt could face after losing the Universal Championship

So, it happened. Our worst fears have come true. The Fiend lost the Universal Championship to Goldberg at Super ShowDown in pretty lackluster fashion.

While how it happened was questionable, Bray Wyatt's alter-ego might be better off without the title. It makes more sense for him to do the hunting without a target around his neck in the form of a championship.

There is still so much left for The Fiend to achieve in WWE, with a lot of unfinished business to get to. The purpose of this character is to get back at those who wronged Wyatt in the past. Maybe that's where we are heading.

The Fiend looked lost and desperate against Goldberg, an opponent he never faced before. But now that it's over, we could see him tangle with some familiar faces from his past.

Wyatt's WrestleMania match seems to be set in stone, as you will see, but there are many options for him after the Show of Shows. Losing the Universal Title makes The Fiend much more dangerous, as you never know when he will strike.

Here are five opponents "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt could face after losing the Universal Championship at Super ShowDown.

#5 John Cena

This is Wyatt's likely WrestleMania match

Let's start with the obvious one. John Cena will make his WWE return on today's episode of SmackDown, with rumors running wild that he will have a major match at WrestleMania. The Fiend seems to be penciled in as his opponent.

It makes all the sense in the world for Bray Wyatt's first big feud after losing the title to be against the man who delivered him his first big loss. As we all know, The Fiend is all about 'hurting' past enemies and 'healing' from those damaging defeats.

Cena hasn't had a meaningful WrestleMania match in years, so this would be a redemption of sorts for him. But the big story will be The Fiend, recovering from a damaging defeat by knocking off one of the biggest stars in WWE history and finally getting his WrestleMania moment.

With John Cena conquered and WrestleMania out of the way, "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt could target several different Superstars for the rest of 2020.

#4 Braun Strowman

The Wyatt Family was a very interesting stable and had tonnes of potential. Every iteration of the creepy bearded swamp-dwellers could have sent Bray Wyatt over to the next level. Right in the middle of the group's run came Braun Strowman, a giant that nobody had ever seen before.

Strowman was a key member of Wyatt's cult for a year between 2015 and 2016, before being separated from his 'family' via the Draft. Since then, the two have hardly interacted. Strowman and Wyatt did have a confrontation at Survivor Series that year, with the Monster Among Men going after his former leader.

The Fiend did attack Strowman last fall, but nothing came of it. It seems like a no-brainer for both men to face each other later in the year, with a built-in story to it.

A match with The Fiend would be much better than anything Braun Strowman is doing currently as the Intercontinental Champion, while he would be another great victim for The Fiend to add to his collection.

#3 "The Demon" Finn Balor

This match doesn't need to happen immediately, with Finn Balor enjoying himself in NXT. Let time heal the wound before the PRINXE returns to confront his biggest "demons" on the WWE main roster. This could be as compelling a story as anything in the past few years.

Bray Wyatt's first match as The Fiend came when he disposed of Finn Balor with relative ease at SummerSlam, sending him back to NXT. Balor's heel turn on Johnny Gargano legitimized the effect that The Fiend has on his victims.

After a few months, perhaps at SummerSlam, Balor should return to the main roster and challenge Wyatt to a special match between their respective alter-egos. It will undoubtedly be a spectacle, with the winner gaining a massive notch and the loser undergoing self-evaluation.

Seeing how protected Demon Balor has been, a loss to The Fiend would strike the perfect balance between freshness and damage. This match could even spark a face turn for Bray Wyatt and The Fiend, with Finn Balor retaining his heel persona for this epic confrontation.

#2 Goldberg

Wait, what? Goldberg again? Yes. Only this time, it will work. Let us look at the facts for a minute.

The sole purpose of Goldberg beating The Fiend to win the Universal Championship is to transition the belt over to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, making it a necessity for WWE. Also, The Fiend is all about gaining retribution over those who have wronged him.

Add the two together, and WWE can very easily right this wrong later this year. Without the anchor of the Universal Championship holding him back, Bray Wyatt can go after whoever he wants. And now that he has faced Goldberg before, the issue is there.

The Fiend can 'heal' himself by defeating the WWE Hall of Famer at Crown Jewel, or whatever the next Saudi Arabia show is. Goldberg will not be the Champion then, neither will Wyatt, presumably.

So one can only assume that the young Superstar will get his win back against the old part-timer. It would continue the evolution of the Fiend character, going after someone who defeated him, instead of someone who defeated his previous form.

#1 Randy Orton

Hopefully, he gets what is coming to him

Despite the amazing work that Bray Wyatt has done, the best heel in WWE today has to be Randy Orton. He just gets it. His subtle movements, psychotic outbursts, and easily hated persona make him one of the greatest villains in recent wrestling history.

Along with his treacherous assault on Edge on the RAW after Royal Rumble and dastardly ways opposite Jeff Hardy, one of Orton's most recent acts of evil came when he was supposed to be Wyatt's ally. He burned down Bray Wyatt's house after infiltrating the Wyatt Family.

It was a foolproof plan worthy of the snake that Orton is, one that sparked the beginning of the end for Bray Wyatt as a top star at the time. The Viper soundly defeated his former "leader" to win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 33.

Now, all these years later, he remains the single biggest Superstar who is due a mauling at the hands of the Fiend. There's even a painting of a burning house in the Firefly Funhouse. Wyatt hasn't forgotten, and when the time is right, revenge will be sweet.

There can be a no bigger target for The Fiend than the man who literally burned his house. Also, this could help transition the ever-popular Fiend into a face, as previously mentioned.

Who do you think should face The Fiend? Sound off in the comments section.