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The Universal Championship was launched shortly after the most recent brand split. From the very beginning, it seemed like the title was cursed with Finn Balor having to relinquish his Championship shortly after he won it.
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Very few men have held the title since then. I think 2019 will be the year when the WWE Universal Championship is booked like it always should have been.
And this will happen because Brock Lesnar is almost guaranteed to lose the Championship this year. If not at WrestleMania 35, then sometime later during the year. I have a feeling that the division will be a lot more competitive this year.
Here are 5 men who're likely to become Universal Champion at WrestleMania 35. Feel free to dispute my claim in the comments.
But I could personally imagine any of these men as the face of the red brand, going forward.
#5 Seth Rollins
Let's get the obvious one out of the way first. Seth Rollins is almost certain to defeat Brock Lesnar and bring the title back to WWE RAW on a near-weekly basis once again. He will be a Champion that the people believe in and based on his performance, a Champion that management believes in as well.
The only thing that makes me think that Seth Rollins may not get his moment at WrestleMania, is the fact that so many babyfaces are lined up to win the big prize at WrestleMania 35.
I mean you can't have Kofi Kingston and Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins win at the same show, can you? When was the last time, WWE gave the fans everything they wanted?
That said, it would be absolutely criminal if Rollins loses. I'm surprised that Rollins has never been Universal Champion thus far.
#4 Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns actually became Universal Champion for a brief spell last year after defeating Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2018. And he was a fighting Champion, who actually defended the title on the very next night. It did seem like the WWE Universe had finally accepted Reigns as their Champion and would get behind him at last.
But then tragedy struck and Roman Reigns had to relinquish the Universal Championship owing to the return of his leukaemia, a disease he has been battling for eleven years now. Bear in mind that Roman Reigns never lost the Universal Championship to begin with and that he's certain to get another shot. Especially if Seth Rollins holds the title, going forward.
If Dean Ambrose is leaving after WrestleMania, then it means that The Shield will be no more. It's almost certain that Reigns vs. Rollins will be the feud that carries the red brand.
#3 Braun Strowman
WWE has had a chance to make Braun Strowman the Universal Champion on more than one occasion, but they've refused to pull the trigger. I'm guessing that the reason for the same is that he's always been portrayed as being weaker to Brock Lesnar.
But if Seth Rollins is Universal Champion, I can imagine him and Braun Strowman waging wars for the top title in the business. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see Strowman holding gold that he doesn't have to relinquish the next day because his partner is in the fourth grade, for a change.
Braun Strowman is a proven commodity and he has a look that certainly looks good on WWE posters. I would personally be very surprised indeed if WWE does not award him the Championship at some point this year, considering that he's delivered at almost every occasion.
I still wonder why he's in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
#2 Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre is just one of those men that spells 'superstar' from the moment you first look at him. He's chiselled like a Greek God, is a fantastic promo and is also a great hand in the ring, delivering on almost every single occasion.
In fact, the very fact that he has a match at WrestleMania against Roman Reigns is indicative of how much the company believes in the man.
So yes, I can see him become the Universal Champion this year. I wouldn't even be surprised if he turns babyface at some point. Because he's a fantastic worker as well, the crowd is almost certain to get behind the Scottish Psychopath.
The thing about Drew McIntyre is that he can have great matches with big and small guys, adapting his style according to the situation. Maybe it'll take a while but I'm pretty certain that by the time Survivor Series comes around, Drew McIntyre would have been Champion at least one time.
#1 AJ Styles
I genuinely feel like AJ Styles has done all that he can on SmackDown Live for the time being. He really needs to shift to RAW after WrestleMania to keep his character fresh and still relevant. Well, the thing is that if he does shift to RAW, he'll be in the main event picture straight away. He's been a main eventer through his time on the blue brand.
And therefore, I can absolutely imagine him as the Universal Champion later this year. AJ Styles hasn't faced the likes of Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley and McIntyre in WWE and they could all be fresh matches for the legend. And he's a proven commodity that Vince McMahon believes in wholeheartedly.
At the same time, I want to hear what you have to say. Do you think one or more of these men will be Universal Champion later this year?
Voice your thoughts in the comments section below.
