5 Best Candidates To Dethrone WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns

There was a time not so long ago when the idea of a World Championship reign lasting close to a year seemed like an impossibility.

The lack of lengthy and powerful major title runs has been a troublesome criticism on the minds of many fans for years, but WWE seem to have answered this call, as they have established one of the most dominant and longest running reigns of the PG era.

Roman Reigns has had a very up and down time with the promotion, as his initial babyface push was met with more backlash than management could have ever expected.

This seemed to be his lot at first, but eventually, he took a heel turn and laid claim to the Universal Title, giving him a career-best year and burning away the sour taste of his past.

As of right now, it's almost impossible to think of him losing his championship, as the company have turned him into one of the strongest and most protected wrestlers on the roster. But all things must come to an end, and these are some of the most likely selections for who could pry the belt from him...

WWE has pulled this card plenty of times, as Randy Orton is always a safe bet to dethrone a dominant champion without making them look too weak.

The Viper has been a permanent fixture of the company for two decades now, and in that time, he's become one of the most decorated stars in its history. He's a guaranteed Hall of Famer, so it wouldn't be out of place for him to win.

Orton is currently tied up in a storyline with Riddle and situated on RAW, but Roman doesn't seem likely to lose his grip on the belt for some time, so there's plenty of opportunities for change. It's safe to say that this wouldn't be the most exciting option, as fans are never too far away from seeing an Orton championship run, but his legacy with the company would make it so that Reigns' stock wouldn't be lessened in defeat.

Thus far, the Universal Title is the only World Championship that has eluded Randy Orton in WWE, so seeing him put into a programme on the hunt for it would be logical. Sometimes the safest bet is the right choice to make.