Predicting The Next 10 WWE Universal Champions
Who can follow in the footsteps of a heel Roman Reigns as Universal Champion?
Ever since it was introduced in the summer of 2016, the WWE Universal Championship has never felt as important as it currently does. As it turns out, having Brock Lesnar dominate the scene for about two years won't help the title picture in the long run, particularly when he only shows up once or twice a millennium.
However, at the time of writing, the blue strap now feels more important than the WWE Championship held by Drew McIntyre. With a freshly heel Roman Reigns standing as the current champ, the title once again feels worth paying attention to, which was needed after a fairly dismal feud between former holders Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman.
Flanked by Paul Heyman, 'The Big Dog' will no doubt do wonders with the championship once again placed over his shoulder. Like the title itself, he feels fresh for the first time since his 2014 run. You don't need to be told how the past six years have been for Reigns, bar that period of time when he returned from leukaemia, and everyone loved him again (and understandably so).
But what about the future? Reigns' first title defence as a Paul Heyman Guy is slated for Clash of Champions on 27 September against Jey Uso of all people. However, we're looking years ahead with this article.
10. Big E Beats Roman Reigns
So, surprise, Jey Uso won't be the one to dethrone his cousin. Big E, on the other hand, should.
With New Day brethren Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods out on the injured shelf, the former NXT Champion has been given a bit of a singles push as of late, something fans of the jiving big man have been clamouring for for years. In fact, he was scheduled to be part of the match to decide Reigns' challenger for Clash of Champions, but current rival Sheamus sent him crashing through a windshield to open up a spot for Jey Uso to capitalise on.
There was already a decent story you could build around Big E's ascension to the top of the card, so this ambush from 'The Celtic Warrior' just adds more fuel to the fire. Have him fight back to get to the spot he was in before being sidelined - don't simply relegate him to the mid-card and tag divisions for his entire career.
Big E could do wonders with the strap around his waist. We know he's capable of being serious when the time calls for it, as Kofi's rise to the top proved last year. A Royal Rumble victory for the multi-time tag team champion would open the door for a huge WrestleMania moment. Cue the pancake angels in the middle of the ring.