Predicting The Next 5 WWE Champions

1. Bobby Roode (SummerSlam 2018)

Kevin Owens United States Champion
WWE.com

It looks as though Bobby Roode will follow a similar career trajectory to Shinsuke Nakamura on the main roster. 'The Glorious One' started with a couple of squash victories, and has now moved into a feud with the lowly Dolph Ziggler, much like Nak. He'll inevitably win this match (though WWE will no doubt force Roode to work a heatless 50/50 contest with 'The Show-Off'), before presumably moving on to bigger things.

WWE supposedly have grand plans for Roode, and it's easy to see way. He's a safe, clean wrestler who uses a classic heel style, and his character work has been flawless since arriving. This makes him exactly the kind of wrestler that the company love pushing to the top, but while there's a chance he'll be established as a main eventer long before SummerSlam 2018, Bobby may have to wait for a WWE Title run.

Roode and Nakamura have familiarity from their time in NXT. Those matches weren't perfect, but they came with a strong face/heel dynamic and a clear contrast in characters. This will likely be the case if they wrestle on the main roster too, though Bobby would need to revert back to his natural villainous role beforehand.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. 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.