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Braun Strowman has always been a superstar who WWE was hesitant to pull the trigger on. By mid-2017, he was the hottest star in WWE and was too popular to remain a heel. Despite failing to capture the Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar at No Mercy 2017, he regained his momentum after turning face and remained the most popular superstar in early 2018.
His momentum would get squashed on the road to WrestleMania 34 despite a history-making performance inside the Elimination Chamber. It would mark his last attempt at the Universal title in a while and even in early 2020, he didn't have too much going for him.
He had a brief Intercontinental title reign and lost it to Sami Zayn in a 3-on-1 handicap match also involving Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura - the superstar who he beat to win the title. In hindsight, the decision turned out to be a good one, as Sami Zayn won his first WWE title in 4 years while Strowman is finally the Universal Champion.
Since Goldberg isn't expected to return anytime soon, here are six possible opponents for Braun Strowman as the Universal Champion.
#6 Sheamus
Sheamus seems like an unlikely opponent for the Universal Championship, but if WWE wants a filler feud, there's nobody better to look to. Sheamus doesn't have to win either, but many will be surprised to find that he'll be able to keep up at a World Championship level even after a decade in WWE.
He was supposed to compete in the Men's Elimination Chamber match, but the bout was scrapped in favor of a tag team and women's match. He hasn't done much since his return, but he would be a fresh opponent for Braun Strowman.
#5 Daniel Bryan
Before anyone claims that Daniel Bryan shouldn't be challenging for the Universal Championship due to his WrestleMania 36 loss against Sami Zayn, we must remind you that Braun Strowman just squashed Goldberg after losing the Intercontinental Championship to Zayn a month earlier.
Daniel Bryan can compete at the top level anytime and nobody doubts it because he's still among the best wrestlers in the world - even if he isn't challenging for the World Championship.
Out of everyone on this list, we would be most excited to see Strowman vs Bryan because of the size difference and the dynamic that comes with it. Bryan can give Strowman the best match of his career and he could also make him look great while protecting himself in defeat.
There's no doubt that a feud between Bryan and Strowman would be a great one and it would help The Monster Among Men legitimize his reign as Universal Champion. The two haven't crossed paths before, so it would be fresh and exciting.
Moreover, Bryan's partnership with Drew Gulak has kept him in a fun storyline.
#4 John Cena
It's easy to forget that John Cena and Braun Strowman did cross paths a couple of years ago on RAW. There was no conclusive finish, which was likely to protect both superstars and save the actual match for a bigger occasion.
We're not sure who's going to win the Firefly Fun House match between Cena and 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt, but we expect the former Universal Champion to win. Even if Cena loses, that doesn't mean he can't challenge for the Universal Championship.
He's gotten World title shots just for "being John Cena" and he doesn't even have to beat Wyatt to challenge for the Universal Championship. It's not a feud that needs to be Strowman's first title defense, as Cena will mostly not stick around after WrestleMania 36.
But a feud against Cena would be a great one and there's no doubt that Cena would do his best to help put Strowman over as Champion. If anything, his squash match against Brock Lesnar was an example of his willingness to put someone over big.
#3 Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns was Goldberg's original opponent at WrestleMania 36 and we believe that Reigns would have won the match as well. Ultimately, Braun Strowman ended up being the biggest beneficiary of Roman Reigns pulling out of WrestleMania 36 - which was due to unfortunate circumstances.
However, health is more important than any Championship and Reigns made the right call to pull out, though we're a bit surprised at how WWE waited until the last minute to deal with it. Either way, this is the most logical feud to go with after WrestleMania 36. It all depends on Roman Reigns' health and the prevailing circumstances, but the best option WWE can go with is Strowman vs Reigns.
They had an unforgettable rivalry in 2017 where both came out looking great and Strowman himself admitted that Reigns was his best rival. The two have proved to be perfect opponents for each other and a good way to keep fans hooked during this odd time is to have an exciting Universal Championship feud on SmackDown.
#2 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt
While a feud against Daniel Bryan is among the most exciting for Strowman and a feud against Roman Reigns is the right one, the most interesting feud for Braun Strowman as the Universal Champion is one against 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt.
It's been three and a half years since Strowman separated from The Wyatt Family and went on his own path and he's not looked back since. Given their year-long history together and the fact that they're both on the same brand, it seems inevitable for them to clash horns.
With Strowman being the Universal Champion, Wyatt has two reasons to go after him - first, to get back at him for leaving The Wyatt Family, and second, to regain the Universal Championship.
Again, it all depends on who wins the Firefly Fun House match between John Cena and Bray Wyatt, but one would imagine that 'The Fiend' vs Strowman could have the perfect dynamic.
We can't say for sure whether it'll happen right after WrestleMania, but it's a rivalry that needs to happen down the line.
#1 The Undertaker
Even a few days ago, we would never have imagined or even entertained the idea of The Undertaker challenging for a World title in 2020. He looked as though he should have retired years ago, but as it turned out - good physical health and a gimmick change were exactly what he needed.
He returned as The American Badass in the main event of night one. The Boneyard match was shot in a cinematic style and it worked perfectly for the story they were telling. It was the best Undertaker match in seven years and his change in gimmick worked perfectly.
He beat AJ Styles in a match that saw him mix up his old gimmicks. It was refreshing to see, and since he's The Undertaker - he doesn't have any assigned brand. We see no reason why WWE shouldn't book Strowman vs The Undertaker for a big PPV.
Even if The Undertaker doesn't win, seeing him face Strowman with a new gimmick is an exciting thought.
