Predicting the next 5 Universal Champions
Since it was introduced two years ago, the Universal Championship has had a tumultuous history. The name and design of the title were widely reviled when it was first revealed, and its subsequent lineage hasn't earned it much praise from the "WWE universe" it's supposed to represent.
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The inaugural title holder, the popular Finn Balor, had to relinquish the championship a day after winning it due to injury. Kevin Owens' subsequent reign wasn't particularly endearing either.
Goldberg's win was controversial, and Brock Lesnar's reign, except for a brief span last summer, has been a bust.
For most of the title's history, it hasn't been seen on television. Many fans don't even care if it goes on Curt Hawkins at this point. That's how tarnished the title and its champion have become in their absences.
It will be up to the next few title holders to bring prestige back to the championship. But who will those subsequent champions be?
#1 Roman Reigns
The current rumors are that Lesnar will drop the Universal Championship to Roman Reigns at SummerSlam.
Hopefully, those rumors are true. It certainly doesn't seem like anyone else will be permitted to take the red strap from Lesnar, and his reign needs to end as quickly as possible.
From there, Reigns will have a lot of work to do. Already deeply unpopular with fans, his title reign is sure to be loathed by many.
Thankfully, though, he'll be on TV and defend the title on pay-per-view, making it something other than invisible. His matches will be far better than most of Lesnar's efforts as well.
Expect Reigns to have a long run with the title. If indeed he picks it up in August, he's likely to take it into and past next year's WrestleMania. However, there's already a man being positioned as a serious threat to everyone on Raw. He's biding his time for now, but he'll strike eventually.