5 potential partners for Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 34 

This week on Smackdown, Shane McMahon came down to the ring to announce that Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens would be going one on one at WrestleMania. After months of tension, Shane finally believed he had finally thrown a wedge between the duo, and that he could take a step down from his activities as Smackdown commissioner.

While that would have been a somewhat underwhelming end to a feud that has been brewing for the best part of 8 months, fans would have likely just been happy to see the whole debacle come to an end.

As it turns out, though, Zayn and Owens have been conspiring together again, and the duo attacked Shane, viciously taking out him with a chair around his neck, before dragging him backstage and hitting him with a powerbomb on some equipment.

The WWE is playing up this angle, and Shane will likely be out until the Smackdown before Wrestlemania, but he will want vengeance, and that vengeance looks as though it will now come in the form of a tag team match at WrestleMania.

Except, Shane is going to be in need of a partner, and taking a look at the current SmackDown roster, it's not clear who that is going to be.

With that in mind, let's take a look at five options for Shane McMahon to choose from, however unlikely they may be.

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#5 John Cena

John Cena has issued his Wrestlemania challenge, but everyone needs a backup plan

Big Match John looks all set for a showdown with The Undertaker at this year's Wrestlemania, and after this week's Raw, it's fairly safe to assume that will happen.

For just a minute, though, let's entertain the idea that The Undertaker is not going to accept Cena's challenge. If that is the case, then Cena will still be in desperate need of a match at Mania, and Cena loves nothing more than defending a noble cause, especially when that cause is such an integral part of the company.

With his big bad brother-in-law Triple H tied up at Mania, Shane is going to need someone legitimate in his corner at Mania, and Cena would be the perfect option for him.

#4 Dolph Ziggler

The Showoff is currently without a match in New Orleans

Rumors began to circulate online last week that Ziggler and Shane were set to do battle at WrestleMania and that an angle between the two would likely be set up at Fastlane.

Nothing came to fruition between the two at Fastlane, and after this week's Smackdown, we can safely assume that the rumor was false. What if there was a fraction of truth in the rumors though, and that Ziggler and Shane are going to share a ring in New Orleans, just in the same corner.

Ziggler's character is oddly ambiguous at the moment, and it wouldn't take a lot in the storyline to set up a feud with Shane. An assault at the hands of Sami and Kevin would be enough to ensure that the two men share the same enemy, at the very least.

The former US Champion is currently without a path to WrestleMania, so a big tag match like this would be a nice reward for his recent efforts. If nothing else, Ziggler would deliver in the ring, ensuring that this feud gets to bow out with some sort of dignity.

#3 Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho still has unfinished business with his former best friend

Yes, I know, Chris Jericho and Fozzy are touring the same night as WrestleMania, but it wouldn't be unlike Jericho to troll his fans and already have arrangements made to somehow do both.

In many ways, Jericho is by far the best option on this list. He has legitimate reasons to want to take on Zayn and Owens, and he is also likely to guarantee that this match is worth seeing. Jericho just had his first ever WON 5-star match with Kenny Omega this January and fans are waiting in eager anticipation to see what his next move is going to be.

This would also get a massive pop on the night, if the WWE decided to not reveal Shane's partner until the match itself.

#2 Vince McMahon

Will this angle come full circle at WrestleMania?

This one shouldn't be ruled out. While Vince is certainly far too old to be competing in any major matches, the WWE owner has never been one to shy away from the limelight, and certainly not from a big Wrestlemania match.

Vince has legitimate reasons to want revenge on Zayn and Owens, and it does seem awfully coincidental that Shane referenced Owens' assault on his father for the first time in months this week, especially with the Chairman returning to WWE television on Raw this past week.

This match would have a novelty factor, as it has been a very long time since we saw Vince McMahon step foot inside a WWE ring as a performer, but there is no chance (in hell!) that this would be a good match-up.

Shane would likely have to take some major bumps, and there is no way that anyone would buy Shane and Vince picking up a victory over Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.

#1 Daniel Bryan

Will WWE fans finally get to see Daniel Bryan return to the ring at WrestleMania?

With Daniel Bryan's contract running out with every passing day, the WWE is likely going to be continuously assessing his situation and doing all that they can to keep the SmackDown general manager in employment. A match at WrestleMania would be a long shot, but it's one that we shouldn't rule out just yet.

Imagine the crowd's reaction if Shane welcomed his partner at WrestleMania and Daniel Bryan's entrance music hit. It would go down as one of the all-time great WrestleMania moments, and fans would instantly forget what a terrible, drawn-out mess this whole storyline has been.

The company really teased a Bryan return at the end of last year, and while that has died down in recent months, maybe it has all been a ruse, and the company has one huge surprise up their sleeve in New Orleans.