'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Over the past couple of weeks, WWE has entertained us thoroughly with some great shows one after another. WWE SummerSlam was another brilliant pay-per-view in 2019 which was followed by a couple of decent Raw and SmackDown Live episodes.
The main event of SummerSlam for the Universal Championship between Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar ended up with the Architect winning the gold and beating the Beast Incarnate for the second time in as many matches.
It felt like a big moment for Rollins as this time, he didn't need a low blow to gain an unfair advantage over Lesnar. Instead, he beat him as clean as it gets.
On Raw this week, Paul Heyman confirmed that there will be no rematch for the Beast. This means that it may be a long time before we get to see Lesnar in a squared circle again.
On the Red Brand, we didn't really get many hints as to who would be the next challenger to Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship. So, in this slideshow, we take a look at the five most likely challengers for the Architect.
#5 Cesaro
After Cesaro and Sheamus split up from their tag team, the Bar, the Swiss Cyborg has been working as a singles Superstar, putting on terrific matches both on SmackDown Live and Raw.
His recent feud with Aleister Black saw some brilliant matches and it's time Cesaro gets a big title opportunity. The Swiss Cyborg deserves this chance as for a long time he hasn't been getting many title opportunities.
The match between Rollins and Cesaro would be an absolute classic if it were to happen. The WWE Universe loves Cesaro and if he was to win the Universal Championship, it would be some story.
This a very long shot, though, and that's why he is the fifth on this list.
#4 Ricochet
After losing his United States Championship to AJ Styles, Ricochet couldn't win it back at SummerSlam as he lost his match to the Phenomenal One. Ricochet has lost too much momentum in the past one month or so and it is difficult to see him challenging for the United States Championship again.
AJ Styles is facing Braun Strowman for the United States Championship on Raw next week and it seems as if Ricochet is now left with no feuds to work with. This could be the perfect opportunity for Paul Heyman to insert Ricochet in the Universal Championship mix. Ricochet has proven himself to be a great performer and he would definitely put on a thrilling match against Seth Rollins.
#3 Samoa Joe
After losing to Kofi Kingston in a match for the WWE Championship on Extreme Rules, Samoa Joe has been pushed down to the mid-card again. For such a skilled performer, seeing Joe involved in not a single feud is disheartening. The Samoan Submission Machine has the capability to put on classic matches with any WWE Superstar.
Joe is a brilliant heel and now that WWE has an opportunity to put him in the Universal Championship mix, they should take it. The feud between Joe and Rollins would be absolutely brilliant and with the kind of quality that Joe has on the mic, he can make this feud very personal.
#2 Braun Strowman
A feud teased by the WWE this week on Raw involved Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins. Even though Strowman is involved in the United States Championship match against AJ Styles next week on Raw, no one can really see Styles losing the match. Although that could mean Strowman is set for a feud with Styles for the United States title, it doesn't necessarily rule out the possibility of Strowman being involved in a feud with Rollins.
Strowman's popularity has died down over the last couple of months but that doesn't make him an average Superstar. He is one of the very best athletes going around in the WWE and he simply deserves this opportunity. With Paul Heyman making most of the creative decisions now, I can really see the match between Rollins and Strowman happening.
#1 Drew McIntyre
Even before you started reading this article, you would have definitely guessed that the name of Drew McIntyre would pop up somewhere. So, here he is, the first on this list and definitely the most likely opponent to Seth Rollins. McIntyre has been built up by the WWE as a premier heel and this is the biggest opportunity WWE will get to put McIntyre in the Universal Championship picture.
The reason why this feud can happen is because of the fact that this would be a proper face vs heel battle and no one will necessarily be an underdog in this match. McIntyre needs a feud like this to help him gain some much-needed momentum as he has lost a lot of that lately. Drew, in my opinion, will most likely be the Architect's next opponent.
