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Special Guest Referees are always added to a match for a reason. They are either beloved babyfaces who will call the match down the middle to prevent interference or despised heels who'll throw the match off the tracks to advance the storyline in a certain manner.
Because Baron Corbin will get to pick who the special guest referee will be for this particular match at WWE Stomping Grounds, one has to assume that it will be the latter in this particular case. And because of the same reason, I'll try and identify five such individuals for you.
Let me know your thoughts and comments in the section right below. Who do you think the special guest referee will be?
I want to hear your thoughts and the reason why you've chosen the person.
#5 Brock Lesnar
Of course, we all think and believe that Brock Lesnar is going to be the special guest referee at WWE Stomping Grounds. As mentioned by Alfred Konuwa in the live video that went up on the Sportskeeda Facebook page shortly after RAW concluded, the very fact that they're making such a big deal out of it pretty much rules Lesnar out, which is why he's so low in the list.
Then again, one cannot dispute the fact that he's the ideal candidate for such a spot and such a role. This is because he has the change to become the maestro who can lead the symphony of the match in any direction that he wants to. And when the situation is rife, he cashes in and becomes the Universal Champion.
Only, I don't know if Baron Corbin will want someone like Lesnar officiating his match. From a logical standpoint, he wouldn't want a potential threat in the same ring.
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#4 Paul Heyman
So maybe, it's not The Beast in the Bank but the Beast's advocate who could put on the referee's garb and call the match at WWE Stomping Grounds. Why this is interesting is because Heyman can call the match in such a manner that it favors Baron Corbin and not Rollins. And then when Corbin wins the match, Brock Lesnar cashes in on him.
I like this idea because it will be a storyline twist and it'll also be something that nobody will see coming. Heyman is also a fantastic character and he can be an over-animated figure when the situation calls for it, which can add a whole new dimension to the whole match. Also. the sight of The Beast coming up the ramp is scarier than him being in the ring from the start.
Or maybe Heyman stops the cash-in. And then Corbin becomes his brand new 'guy'.
#3 Sami Zayn (Or Kevin Owens)
The reason why I'm slotting both men into this category is that either of these two Superstars could have stakes in the Universal Championship match at Stomping Grounds.
I mean, on the one hand, you have someone like Sami Zayn, who's already knee deep in the feud with Seth Rollins. There's also Kevin Owens, who could have nothing more to do with SmackDown Live, going forward.
I mean, like it or not, the brand split is dead. The Wild Card Rule is pretty much an indication of this signifying the end of the rule. Either Owens or Zayn could take up this spot and have an influence in this match.
I'd still deem this whole situation anticlimactic because they're both the obvious choices for such a role. But because they're the obvious choices for the role, they cannot be left out of this speculative list.
#2 Rusev
Rusev is far too talented an individual to be sitting on the sidelines while the others get their opportunities. One way to bring him back into the spotlight would be to have him become Corbin's sidekick for the immediate future. By doing this, it ensures that he stays on TV for at least a spell.
Rusev is one of those individuals who will fare much better on WWE RAW than he could on SmackDown Live anyway. There are limited spots on the blue brand and so many superstars end up not getting showcased. I mean you had the Riott Squad split up but Liv Morgan's been absent from the blue brand, since the recent Superstar Shake-Up anyway.
Maybe having Rusev on RAW would at least help him in making a fresh start. Rusev Day was the biggest thing in the world not long ago, and now he's not even on TV.
#1 Shane McMahon
In all likelihood, I think Shane McMahon will be the special guest referee for this huge match. And this is how someone like Drew McIntyre could be brought into the mix as well, considering that it is clear that the two men are tied at the hip, going forward.
A Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre feud for the Universal Championship is just what the doctor ordered following the Corbin feud and we may get it if Seth Rollins retains the Championship. I'm sure Shane McMahon will not call the match down the middle, which may bring the Scottish Psychopath into the mix.
Any of these men could be the special guest referee in my opinion. Which of these men do you think is going to end up as the special guest referee?
Or do you think that it'll be such a surprising name that absolutely nobody will expect at all?
