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Everyone expected the episode of WWE RAW that followed AEW Double or Nothing to be absolutely exceptional indeed, to prove to the world that they're still the top dogs. Instead, the episode that followed was a drab and underwhelming affair that left a sour taste in almost everyone's mouth.
Perhaps the only notable talking point to come out of the show is the fact that Baron Corbin is the new Number 1 contender for the WWE Universal Championship. Why was he chosen ahead of all of the other talents in the current roster, many have been asking!?
I will try and answer the question in this very article. Let me know your own thoughts and views in the comments section below.
Do you think Baron Corbin can become the next WWE Universal Champion down the line?
#5 Top babyface vs. top heel
If you break it down to the essentials, WWE has literally booked a match between their top babyface and their top heel. Seth Rollins is the Universal Champion, he's beloved by the WWE Universe (such is not the case with Roman Reigns) and the crowd will cheer him on to win the match.
He goes up against Baron Corbin, a man who always gets a negative reaction whenever he steps out to compete or even cut a promo. I mean Corbin is easily the most hated man in the roster because even the other heels like Ziggler and Kevin Owens don't get the same kind of heat that Baron Corbin does.
So, in a market like Saudi Arabia, where the crowd cheers for the babyfaces and boos the heels, this makes for a perfect match. Do not forget that they've wrestled some good matches in the past.
So, their chemistry should not be doubted at all.
#4 To actually have the crowd cheer a Brock Lesnar cash-in
The WWE Universe cheered Seth Rollins all the way to the top, from winning the Royal Rumble to his big win at WrestleMania. They pushed for Kofi Kingston to become the face of SmackDown Live, which is a truly historic feat in itself. One of the reasons that people still flock to the arenas is because, occasionally, WWE does listen to them.
But then again, sometimes WWE books Brock Lesnar to become Mr. Money in the Bank. How does he cash on one of these two highly popular WWE Superstars and still not have the crowd turn on him? In this scenario, he cashes in on Baron Corbin.
Let's assume for a moment that Corbin defeats Rollins at Saudi Arabia to become the next Universal Champion of the world. Before the crowd can respond negatively, Lesnar cashes in and becomes the Universal Champion again.
#3 The others were not really viable contenders
If you actually consider the pool of talent that competed in the Fatal Fourway match to become the next Universal Championship contender, it is easy to rule out the other three participants. I mean Braun Strowman should have been Universal Champion by now, but he's received far too many shots at the title.
Moreover, if you consider the rumors, there's a lot of backstage heat that he's facing. Which brings us to Lashley, who just does not seem ready for the top spot.
As long as he had Lio Rush in his corner, he had someone who was quite competent and exemplary on the microphone. But now that he's all by his lonesome, he needs a manager to speak on his behalf.
Which leaves us with The Miz, who is 'awesome' (no pun intended), but can you really imagine him as the face of WWE RAW?
#2 The injury to AJ Styles
There's no way to tell if WWE would have booked yet another angle between Seth Rollins and AJ Styles. But considering that at a time when the WWE product is getting universally panned by the entire fanbase, Styles vs. Rollins was praised by one all, I did not think that the feud was over. Unfortunately, the injury that AJ Styles sustained seems to have put an end to any such plans.
All we can do for the time being is hope that AJ Styles comes back in time and that the damage done is not very severe. I mean after Rollins and Roman Reigns, Styles is pretty much the top babyface on WWE RAW. And without him in the mix, WWE is seriously lacking in firepower.
Well, when a door closes for someone, it opens for someone else. Let's hope Corbin capitalizes on this opportunity.
#1 Vince McMahon really believes in Baron Corbin
What a lot of people tend to forget is that Vince McMahon is a big fan of Baron Corbin behind the scenes. I mean you don't have Corbin defeat Kurt Angle clean in his last match until and unless you believe that Corbin is the future of the company.
What I really do believe is that Vince McMahon believes that Corbin has worked his way up from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the food chain in WWE. Which essentially means that McMahon believes that Baron Corbin belongs in the Universal Championship picture.
Corbin has been content to do whatever Vince McMahon has asked of him. I mean he pretty much took the blame for declining ratings last December, even though he was just an on-screen character and not an actual Authority Figure.
And hence he is your new Number 1 contender!
