4 Ups & 3 Downs Of WWE Universal Championship

3. New Opportunities For New Stars

One of the big advantages of installing a secondary title is that it gives wrestlers an opportunity to hold a world title that might not have otherwise existed. Christian, Rey Mysterio, Jack Swagger, and many more rose-up to claim the World Heavyweight Championship during the original Brand Split. While a number of these reigns fell flat in the long-run, those wrestlers wouldn’t have been World Champions in the first place had the second belt not existed.

WWE fans can expect more of the same this time around. The likes of Swagger were never really ready for the mammoth pushes they received, and there’ll always be a fear that WWE will repeat the same mistakes with the current Brand Split, but the early signs are positive.

With John Cena and Randy Orton around, SmackDown’s title scene is already looking a little top heavy. Still, there are clear opportunities for the likes of Bray Wyatt to finally progress to the main event status that has eluded him thus far, and AJ Styles has already proven himself as one of the roster’s most talented wrestlers who could be elevated at the drop of a hat.

Raw, however, contains many more candidates for ascension. From Finn Balor and Kevin Owens to Sami Zayn and Cesaro, the Monday night roster is packed to the brim with exciting new talent who have all the ability required to make an impact in the title scene. We’re going to see a top belt around these competitors’ waists a lot sooner than we would’ve a few months ago, and it’s all thanks to the WWE Universal Championship.