Predicting The Next 5 WWE Champions

4. Kevin Owens (Royal Rumble 2018)

Kevin Owens United States Champion
WWE.com

While the Kevin Owens/Shane McMahon feud started with the unforgivable derailment of KO's rivalry with AJ Styles, it has evolved to become one of SmackDown's most enjoyable storylines over the past few weeks. Owens has been fantastic throughout, and while the duo's Hell In A Cell match won't be a technical classic, it should be a fun stunt show.

Owens will likely win the rivalry, and he'll be due a big push when he does. There's talk it could stretch all the way to Survivor Series, with the former Universal Champion captaining his team against the SmackDown Commissioner's, and a triumph there would allow WWE to catapult the blue brand's prized heel asset back into the spotlight.

KO and Shinsuke Nakamura have wrestled each other several times since the Japanese star graduated to the main roster, but they're yet to work a fully-formed feud. Both are extremely popular, making this the ideal program to build SmackDown around heading into the Royal Rumble, with Owens coming out on top. If he does, it'll be a suitable reward for being made to work with an authority figure for the past few months.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.