5 potential challengers for Braun Strowman's Universal Championship
Braun Strowman successfully claimed his first WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 36, defeating previous champion Goldberg at the first WrestleMania "too big for one night".
The Monster Among Men, replacing Roman Reigns, defeated the WWE Hall of Famer in an emphatic fashion. After several running powerslams, Strowman defeated Goldberg in a match lasting just over 2 minutes in duration.
After several missed opportunities for the WWE Universal Championship in the past, many were quick to congratulate Braun Strowman on his quick and historic victory on the 'Grandest Stage Of Them All'.
But, such as the fast paced nature of WWE, many were quick to speculate who would be Braun Strowman's first Universal Championship challenger, along with other opponents the 'Monster Among Men' could face for SmackDown's richest prize in the future.
Here are 5 potential challengers for Braun Strowman's newly acquired WWE Universal Championship.
#5. Bray Wyatt
There is a lot of history to this potential feud. Bray Wyatt was once the leader of a young Braun Strowman in WWE. Braun Strowman made his WWE debut the night after WWE SummerSlam 2015, on Monday Night RAW as a member of the Wyatt Family. Dubbed as the "black sheep", Braun Strowman fit right in with Bray Wyatt's collection of backward followers led by the eponymous 'Eater of Worlds' himself.
However, once the 2016 WWE Draft rolled around, Braun Strowman was drafted to RAW and Bray Wyatt was drafted to SmackDown, thus ending their association on WWE television. The duo have rarely crossed paths since, minus a brief confrontation in the build up to Survivor Series 2016.
It would be fascinating to see Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman face off in a 'teacher vs pupil' type storyline. The phrase "I taught you everything you know, but not everything I know" comes to mind here.
In addition to their previous history, Bray Wyatt has yet to receive a rematch for the WWE Universal Championship, since The Fiend was defeated by the previous champion, Goldberg, at Super ShowDown in February.
Therefore, not only does The Fiend have a legitimate claim to the number one contendership for the Universal Championship, but Bray Wyatt also has a history with Braun Strowman. All the ingredients of a compelling Universal Championship feud.