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Roman Reigns squares off against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34. The winner of this mammoth match will be honoured with the Universal Championship, the top prize in all of sports entertainment.
It has been universally acknowledged (no pun intended) that WrestleMania will be the end of Brock Lesnar's reign (no pun intended again). Who else can we see go toe-to-toe with Roman Reigns and future Universal Champions? We pick 5 WWE superstars who can challenge Roman Reigns and other subsequent champions for the Universal Championship.
As always, we invite you to leave a comment in the section below. We would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this!
Honorable Mention: Dean Ambrose
Yes, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose have, of course, squared off in the past. However, there has never really been a full-fledged program between the two. This is because following their initial heel run, they've both been babyfaces. Could Ambrose return from injury as the company's top heel superstar?
Rollins had a full-fledged heel run as 'the man', the instrument of The Authority's abuse of power. Ambrose has always played the lovable lunatic, and one can argue that he needs a major change of gimmick. Ambrose could rise up the ranks from the upper mid-card if he takes on the mantle of RAW's top heel.
So, irrespective of whether it is Roman Reigns or someone else holding the Universal Championship, it may be quite interesting to see Dean Ambrose return. He is the first worthy challenger for the Universal Championship, in this list.
One can argue that Ambrose has always been on the verge of greatness, but something has always held the man back from the summit.
#5 Samoa Joe
The rumors that are doing the rounds right now indicate that Samoa Joe is next to face Roman Reigns. Yes, when Reigns wins the Universal Championship he will indeed square off against the returning Samoan Submission Machine, the rumour mills indicate.
The two men have had some crazy battles in the past. We're certain that they will only get crazier, with time.
Both of the men are powerhouses, who have no qualms about going high risk as well. Plus, Joe is an extraordinary performer who could definitely help make Reigns' title reign feel meaningful.
#4 AJ Styles
It doesn't matter if he's a babyface or a heel. Chances are that AJ Styles will get cheered, irrespective of what role he plays. The same holds true for Roman Reigns. The man will get booed, even if the WWE Universe sees him help an old lady across the street.
Rumours are rife about AJ Styles changing brands and shifting to RAW after WrestleMania is done and dusted. If this were to happen, Styles would immediately enter the conversation to become the Universal Champion. We're almost certain of this because fans would boo WWE creative out of the building if he were not booked in a top spot.
AJ Styles and Roman Reigns can have fantastic matches, as they'd already proved right before the first brand split in 2016. In fact, Styles could have great matches even if Reigns were to drop the Championship to someone else.
Styles could even have a great match with a broomstick...he's just that good a performer!
#3 Braun Strowman
This is one fan favourite rivalry that lit up our TV screens for all of last year. Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns have impeccable chemistry when they work with one another. Both men can take each other to the limit, and beyond. In our opinion, nobody would mind if Strowman and Reigns revive their feud, after WrestleMania 34.
More importantly, fans have believed that Strowman deserves a shot at the Universal Championship for a while now. Strowman has proved, time and again, that he belongs in the conversation to be the top superstar on RAW. The ovation he gets every week certainly proves it. Braun Strowman could hold the Universal Championship and nobody would bat an eyelid.
#2 Finn Balor
Finn Balor was the first ever Universal Champion on RAW. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury during the course of his biggest match and had to relinquish the Championship. While he has been booked at the top of the card since his return, he never received the Universal Championship opportunity he was owed. Which brings us to the current scenario.
We understand that the size difference between Finn Balor and Brock Lesnar may have prevented a Universal Championship match from taking place. However, even though Reigns does tower over him, Balor has faced Reigns in the past. In fact, he's even defeated Roman Reigns, previously.
Fans will ardently be behind Finn Balor to chase his Championship dreams, with Roman Reigns as Champion. Balor would certainly be a great representative for the highly prestigious title.
#1 Seth Rollins
In a very significant development, Seth Rollins pinned Roman Reigns in a 7-Man Gauntlet match on RAW. He went on to pin John Cena as well. It is clear that he is being rebuilt as the top star of the company, right now. Rollins has the fan support that Reigns never really did.
Which brings us to RAW after WrestleMania. Whether or not Rollins is the Intercontinental Champion, following his match on the grandest stage of them all, we're certain that he will be gunning for the top prize on RAW, in coming months. As we have seen time and again, he can have great matches against Reigns.
Rollins is a Universal Champion that all of WWE can get behind. He competes at the highest level and is a babyface that the WWE Universe actually does seem to enjoy watching.
This is provided that he doesn't get drafted to SmackDown Live, following WrestleMania.
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