Top 5 contenders if Bryan vacates the WWE WHC

Top 5 contenders if Bryan vacates the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

On Monday’s episode of Raw, Daniel Bryan announced that he has to undergo neck surgery and will be taking some time off from the business to have neck surgery on Thursday.

This has immediately raised a question: What will happen to the WWE World Heavyweight championship? WWE is wisely waiting to see how the surgery pans out before making a decision and we will know this coming Monday Night on Raw when a decision will be made when Raw is live in London England.

If Bryan is unable to compete at Payback, the company in my eyes will have to strip him off the titles. Thankfully, there are a number of contenders who could step up as champion.

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Randy Orton

The WWE’s Apex Predator Randy Orton would seem like a logical choice for the vacant title. However, as Evolution has just reformed makes it difficult. With the Shield and Evolution producing a fantastic rivalry with great matches, it would be a mistake to break the team apart.

Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns will be a big singles star and future face of the company. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that he will be challenging for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at some point in the next 18 months. Now is not the time for the powerhouse of the Shield to go it alone. He is yet to prove his skills as a technical wrestler showing a limited move of skillset. Reigns has all the tools to become champion, but not yet.

5. Dolph Ziggler

Since his 2013 run as World Heavyweight champion was halted due to a concussion suffered at the hands (or should I say kicks) of Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler’s stock has plummeted. He has fallen deep into the midcard and recently shared screen time with Damien Sandow Magneto outfit really does say a lot about his current position in WWE.

But Ziggler remains one of the best in ring talents in the company today. He is brilliant at selling moves better than anyone else and deserves far more from WWE Creative than he is getting.

A shock win in a tournament or a battle royal would be the only way to give him the gold.

4. Kane

This is one of the most logical choices on the list. Kane is in the midst of a violent feud with Daniel Bryan for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The put on a superb match at Extreme Rules and Kane has shown no signs of chasing Bryan, his wife Brie Bella and the championship.

If Bryan does indeed have to vacate the title, The Authority could simply hand Kane the title, or the demon himself could simply steal it from Stephanie McMahon and Triple H. This then could further the angle in which Stephanie is losing control of the monster she unleashed.

Kane is a little past his time, but it could be a way for WWE to say thanks to Kane for all he has done with the company and give him a run with the belt.

3. Cesaro

 Since splitting from The Real Americans and joining up with the villainous Paul Heyman, Cesaro has been on a real upwards trajectory.

The King of swing seems to be a heel character and could fill the void of heel challengers to Daniel Bryan’s crown. A short reigns as WWE World Heavyweight Champion could be the perfect way to truly establish his as a main event talent.

Cesaro deserves success, and he will have it. It’s just a matter of when.

2. Triple H

It’s hard to argue with the fact that Triple H is the top heel in the company right now. His promos and abuse of power have positioned him at the top of the list of people the WWE Universe loves to hate.

It was the Game himself who was the perfect villain to wreck Daniel Bryan’s pursuit of the WWE World Heavyweight throughout late 2013 and the beginning of this year. Triple H also stripped Bryan of the then WWE Championship the first time around and the same thing could happen again on RAW. Bryan works best as an underdog, so an angle in which he had to reclaim his title from the Authority would be another incredible rivalry.

Hunter hasn’t held the top belt since 2009 and he doesn’t get in the ring very often, but a corporate Triple H as champion could be a really engaging position for the WWE.

1. Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar should be the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, if he is indeed coming back after ending the Undertaker’s streak at Wrestlemania in a moment in which we are still trying to get our heads around.

Imagine Triple H is in the ring, bragging about the title he has just stripped from Bryan. Suddenly, Brock Lesnar’s music hits and Lesnar emerges from the curtains accompanied by Paul Heyman and his newest client Cesaro. He then wins a battle royal later in the evening to become champion.

As well as establishing a monster heel as champion in Brock Lesnar, this could also be the fuel to the inevitable Cesaro vs Lesnar feud that will happen at some point.

Adding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to that rivalry would give it a lot of heat. A battle between the 2 Heyman guys would also give their manager a lot of mic time, which can only be a great thing.