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The Universal Championship is the biggest and the most prestigious title in the WWE. In last year's WrestleMania, Brock Lesnar defeated the WWE legend Goldberg to win the belt in what was one of the most predictable segments which the WWE has had to offer in recent years.
After winning the title in last year's WrestleMania, Lesnar has successfully defended his title against the likes of Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, Kane, and Roman Reigns.
The feud with Roman Reigns has already reached its climax, and now Brock will be looking for a fresher challenge. Brock Lesnar recently signed a new deal with the WWE amidst speculations of him making a grandstand return to UFC.
Brock Lesnar is a beast and his in-ring talents are second to none. The biggest problem is that he is a part-timer.
So from the WWE's point of view, it makes no sense to keep the belt with someone who doesn’t make regular appearances. Expect a title change happening sometime soon.
Here are 5 potential opponents who can throw a serious challenge.
#5 Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins is the biggest baby-face on RAW. He is currently feuding with Elias for the Intercontinental championship. He will defend his belt against Elias at Money in the Bank PPV. Seth could lose the championship to Elias and this may benefit both of them.
Firstly, Elias is a dominant heel and the WWE could reward him for his excellence. Secondly, it frees up Rollins for fresher challenges. Rollins is a fan favorite and deserves to be in contention for the top prize in the WWE.
The Kingslayer has been on a roll recently and it is the right time for the WWE to give him a much deserved push. Seth’s athleticism against the muscle power of Lesnar promises to be an edge of the seat encounter.
Both Rollins and Lesnar squared off against one another on Battleground three years ago. The match ended in a disqualification.
This time the story is different, Seth is an exceptional performer and has become more mature. Potentially, Rollins would be the underdog but he has everything in his arsenal to conquer the Beast.
#4 Finn Balor
Finn Balor was the first Universal Champion. He had a roller-coaster ride but unfortunately he had to surrender his title due to injury.
It seems that payback time has finally arrived for Finn. Since his return to the ring, Finn has been a top performer, he picked things up where he left off. It is the right time for the WWE to give him a shot at the title.
A match between the powerful beast and the high-flying machine is a scintillating concept. It has all the ingredients to be a classic match. The Demon-King avatar of Finn Balor could be utilized to make the build-up more interesting.
Moreover Balor is a huge fan favorite, and he will have the WWE universe on his side. This could be an important factor which would help Balor defeat the Beast and become the champion again. The WWE could top it off by giving Balor a good run with the belt.
#3 Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens was a former Universal Champion. He lost his title to Goldberg about a year ago. This is the perfect time to bring Owens into the title picture.
Last year, Kevin Owens moved from RAW to SmackDown - ‘The land of opportunities’. However, the move did not go down well with Owens.
Kevin Owens was booked in many useless bouts with his buddy Sami Zayn by his side. Someone with the caliber of Kevin Owens certainly deserves all the spotlight.
Kevin was drafted back to Monday Night RAW to reshape his career. Kevin Owens is a tremendous performer and his excellent work with the mic makes him a potential candidate for the championship.
Kevin Owens vs Brock Lesnar is a dream match and now is the right time for the WWE to make it happen. Owens will no doubt be the underdog, but with the help of a distraction from his buddy Sami Zayn, he could pin down the Champion.
A war of words with Paul Heyman would add a lot of fuel to the build up. Kevin Owens is a top heel and deserves a Championship run for his good work.
#2 Jinder Mahal
Jinder Mahal's WWE career took a gigantic U-turn after last year's superstar shake-up. No one expected Jinder to come this far. To everyone's surprise, Jinder Mahal became the WWE champion by beating Randy Orton.
His reign was ultimately cut short by the current WWE Champion, AJ Styles. The WWE tried to set up a match between Jinder Mahal and Brock Lesnar at last year's Survivor Series. However, the modern-day Maharaja was eventually replaced by AJ Styles and the match did not happen.
Jinder was drafted back to RAW with Brock Lesnar, this match was always on the cards. Jinder Mahal vs Brock Lesnar is no dream match. However, Jinder may have all those things which previous contenders lack.
On paper this is a mismatch. However, with Sunil Singh by his side, you never know what is in store. Jinder can even seek help from the Great Khali which could be very interesting.
The WWE may find Jinder to be the right man, and this might be the reason why he was brought back to RAW from SmackDown where he was having a dream run.
#1 Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley has finally made his highly anticipated return to the WWE. Instead of hitting the ground running, the WWE has undertaken an extremely cautious approach while dealing with him.
He has featured in some tag-team matches with his partner Braun Strowman. Lashley is now having a segment with Sami Zayn which is going nowhere. Maybe the WWE is preserving him for the best, only time will tell.
With Lesnar and Lashley on the same show, the dream match can never be too far away. Brock vs Lashley for the ultimate glory can be the main event for any WWE PPV. This match has all the makings of an all-time classic.
The mere thought of these two big men tearing each other in the middle of the ring in front of a sold-out crowd gives goosebumps.
Lashley has all the credentials to beat Brock Lesnar clean and win the title. Brock Lesnar needs to drop the title as the WWE needs a new champion, and Bobby Lashley is the perfect candidate.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
