5 WWE wrestlers who should be World Champion after WrestleMania XL
WrestleMania 40 is already off to a great start, with the first night of WWE's grand spectacle finishing up on Saturday. New champions were crowned, such as Sami Zayn becoming Intercontinental Champion and the teams of Awesome Truth and A-Town Down Under winning titles from their respective brands.
"The Man" Becky Lynch failed to capture the Women's World Championship from Rhea Ripley. But many fans expect that multiple World Titles will change hands during WrestleMania Sunday later tonight.
Plenty of wrestling fans in the WWE Universe predict that Drew McIntyre, Bayley, and Cody Rhodes will walk away as brand-new titleholders before The Show of Shows is finished in 2024. The fans' predictions may come true, but who will become a top champion after WrestleMania XL?
Following this year's Showcase of the Immortals, which wrestlers will get a massive push to the top of their respective divisions? Without further ado, let's take a look at five WWE Superstars who should become a World Champion after WrestleMania 40.
#5. Five-time WWE World Champion CM Punk
The Straight Edge Savior is currently out of action following his participation in the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble match. CM Punk sustained a torn right triceps and is currently recovering from his injury. However, Punk is still announced to take part in WrestleMania Sunday as a guest commentator during the World Heavyweight Championship match between current champion Seth "Freakin" Rollins and challenger Drew McIntyre.
Punk currently has separate issues with both Rollins and McIntyre. There's a good chance that The Second City Saint will wrestle both of them in the future if he is healthy enough to compete.
Since returning to wrestling, Punk has sustained numerous injuries. Shortly after winning the AEW World Championship for the first time, Punk suffered a foot injury. He would return and win his second AEW World Title at 2022's All Out, but he'd sustain a torn left triceps at that event. As previously noted, Punk tore his right triceps competing at WWE Royal Rumble this past January.
Considering that Punk appears to be injury-prone in his 40s, perhaps a short title reign would suffice for The Straight Edge Savior sometime in the not-so-distant future. Another reign as World Heavyweight Champion for Punk could be used to help get over a rising star like "Señor Money In The Bank" Damian Priest or whoever wins the 2024 Men's Money In The Bank match.
Punk is reportedly aiming to return to in-ring competition during the second half of 2024, which would likely mean that Priest's time as the briefcase holder would have expired by then. Regardless, Punk could help elevate Priest with or without the MITB briefcase still being in Judgment Day's possession.
Punk is also looking to main-event WrestleMania, which could indicate that another reign as World Heavyweight Champion could be in the cards for Punk in 2024 or 2025.
#4. The longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion of all time, "The Ring General" Gunther
Gunther ended his reign as Intercontinental Champion during WrestleMania Saturday against Sami Zayn in a highly emotional match. The Ring General defeated numerous competitors during his 666-day reign as IC Champion, besting former WWE Champions like Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, and The Miz.
He has seemingly done it all with the Intercontinental Title. After losing his championship to Zayn at WrestleMania XL, Gunther ought to move on to greener pastures and challenge for the top male singles title of either RAW or SmackDown.
In 2023, Gunther entered the Men's Royal Rumble as entrant number one and lasted to the end of the match, becoming the final man eliminated by that year's winner, Cody Rhodes.
In 2024, if Rhodes becomes the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, he may have to contend with The Ring General looking to take away his coveted title. Similarly, if Drew McIntyre becomes champion at WrestleMania, Gunther may be looking to spoil the Scotsman's reign as World Heavyweight Champion.
As previously noted, Gunther has defeated McIntyre during his historic reign as Intercontinental Champion. The Ring General bested The Scottish Warrior in a critically acclaimed triple threat match at WrestleMania 39 and in a singles match at 2023's SummerSlam. The Ring General would certainly be a threat to the Scotsman's gold if McIntyre defeats Rollins at WrestleMania.
Similarly, if either Rollins or Roman Reigns emerges victorious during WrestleMania Sunday, The Ring General might come knocking for a title opportunity.
#3. "Señor Money In The Bank" Damian Priest
The Judgment Day's Damian Priest and Finn Balor lost both the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania Saturday to Awesome Truth and A-Town Down Under, respectively. However, The Archer of Infamy is still Sr. Money In The Bank, and he can cash in his briefcase at any time up until 2024's Money In The Bank premium live event.
As a member of The Judgment Day, Damian Priest has proven himself as a top competitor on Monday Night RAW. 2024 might be the year when Priest successfully cashes in to become the WWE Champion or the World Heavyweight Champion.
He has already found championship success during his time with the Stamford-based promotion, holding one reign apiece with the WWE United States Championship and the men's NXT North American Title. He's also a two-time Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion. However, he's yet to win a title in the main event division.
Priest's MITB briefcase stipulates that he calls the shots when it comes to championship opportunities. He could cash in on a vulnerable champion and/or insert himself into an ongoing title match, much like Seth Rollins in the main event of WrestleMania 31. The Archer of Infamy is more than deserving of a top title reign in the singles division, and the WWE Universe could see him successfully cash in sooner rather than later.
#2. Former WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Chelsea Green
There's a case to be made that, in 2023, Chelsea Green was the standout star of WWE's women's tag team division. During her 154-day reign as champion, Green held the gold with Sonya Deville and, later, Piper Niven. The distinguishably charismatic Hot Mess arguably carried the entire division on her back throughout much of the year.
2024 may be the perfect year to pull the trigger on Chelsea Green and catapult her to the top of RAW's women's division. In one-on-one singles competition, Green appears to be no match to "The Eradicator" Rhea Ripley, the current Women's World Champion. However, if Chelsea were to become Ms. Money In The Bank, she'd gain the upper hand and be able to pick the bones of a vulnerable champion, with the potential to cash in at the most opportune moment.
Whether it's RAW or SmackDown, Green would be a credible threat to any women's singles champion as Ms. Money In The Bank. Chelsea could follow in the footsteps of Iyo Sky, going from a prominent star in the women's tag team division to becoming a top champion on the main roster.
#1. Former one-time RAW Women's Champion "The Irresistible Force" Nia Jax
Since her return in 2023, Nia Jax has become one of the top women's wrestlers on the main roster. The Irresistible Force is a standout villain on Monday Night RAW, improving in both her in-ring work and abilities on the microphone. The only thing she's missing is a solid reign as Women's World Champion.
Nia Jax has found championship success in the past. Alongside "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler, Jax became a two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion. In 2018, The Irresistible Force became WWE RAW Women's Champion by defeating her bully, Alexa Bliss, at WrestleMania 34. That title is now simply referred to as the WWE Women's Championship.
Jax wasn't able to wrest the Women's World Title from Rhea Ripley at either Crown Jewel 2023 or Elimination Chamber: Perth. However, Nia's luck might turn around after WrestleMania 40. If WWE is building towards an eventual Becky Lynch title reign, there's arguably a greater story in The Man dethroning the woman who once broke her nose rather than the current storyline with Rhea Ripley.
Jax briefly took Lynch out of action with a bloodied nose in 2018, preventing The Man from battling Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series in a 'champion vs. champion' match. WWE could once again revisit this moment via a title feud between Becky and The Irresistible Force.