5 possible opponents for Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 35 

This past Friday night at Crown Jewel, Shane McMahon confirmed what we all already knew- that he is the best wrestler in the world, bar none.

I'm joking, of course, but Shane McMahon's surprising victory at Crown Jewel did at least give us some indication of several potential storylines that we could see dominate SmackDown over the coming weeks and months.

It wouldn't be the official start to WrestleMania season if Shane McMahon wasn't involved in some sort of major storyline. The SmackDown commissioner has returned from his six-month absence with a vengeance, and whether fans like it or not, he looks set to be involved in one of the blue brand's most dominant storylines over the next few months, whatever that happens to be.

McMahon's victory and the subsequent brand feud between Raw and SmackDown give the WWE several options as to who Shane McMahon could end up facing at the Metlife next year.

With that in mind, let's take a look at 5 potential matches for Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 35.

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#5 Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler was the biggest loser at Crown Jewel

Shane McMahon's recent actions at Crown Jewel seem to suggest that the SmackDown Commissioner has now officially turned heel, and if that is the case, then this match doesn't appear to be very likely.

That being said, Ziggler is probably going to be very frustrated at McMahon defeating him in the World Cup final, and if the WWE decides to just play McMahon as a babyface going forward, which we shouldn't rule out, then Ziggler attacking him at Survivor Series could set up a match between the two.

There was talk of these two men feuding at some point last year after Ziggler dropped his US title belt and walked out on SmackDown, and even though that storyline was totally dropped without any real explanation, it wouldn't be too unlike the WWE to go back to old plans.

#4 John Cena

Does John Cena have what it takes to defeat 'the best in the world'?

Put simply, there is little to no chance that John Cena won't be involved in WrestleMania 35, and with just months to go before the event, there is no clear sense of the direction for the 16-time World Champion.

Until just a few months ago, it was presumed that Cena would take on The Undertaker in a rematch from last year's event, but following the surprising return of Shawn Michaels, and a possible Mania match between him and Taker, Big Match John could end up getting left out in the cold.

Step forward, Shane O Mac. The SmackDown Live Commissioner has been involved in a major match at each of the last three WrestleManias and given how big WrestleMania 35 is likely to be, there is no chance of him not being involved in some sort of marquee match-up.

At the time of writing, there is no real rhyme or reason for this match happening, other than the fact that these two men are definitely going to be on the card at WrestleMania, and if the WWE can't find anything else for them, then we shouldn't rule this one out.

After all, a match between the 16 times World Champion and The Best Wrestler in the World should sell itself, right?

#3 Jeff Hardy

Hardy could be the perfect babyface opponent for Shane O Mac

Jeff Hardy is beginning to get a little bit lost in the shuffle on SmackDown at the moment.

After winning the US title on his debut on the blue brand back in April, Hardy's stock has steadily declined, and he has spent the last few months being beaten up by Randy Orton at every given opportunity.

Hardy is one of the most popular faces in the WWE, and the company would be foolish to leave him off their biggest show of the year. The problem they are facing, however, is that there is no obvious opponent for Hardy with the build-up to the event getting ever closer.

One route the WWE could take with Hardy is to book him as the whipping boy of SmackDown Live. We have already seen him bullied by Randy Orton, and if someone like Samoa Joe was to follow suit, then Hardy could quickly become one of the most sympathetic babyfaces on the brand.

This could all lead to Hardy confronting McMahon about the constant attacks, only for the Commissioner to continue to book him in horrible match-ups.

The whole authority figure abusing his powers and bullying a sympathetic babyface is hardly groundbreaking story-telling, but it could work for a feud between these two veterans, who would no doubt put on one hell of a crazy encounter on the Grandest Stage of Them All.

#2 Daniel Bryan

Bryan and McMahon were former colleagues in charge of SmackDown

Logic would suggest that the WWE's plan for Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania is to have him dethrone The Miz as the WWE Champion, putting an end to their on-going feud once and for all.

The WWE has seemingly lost a bit of interest in the feud between the two men though, and following his decision to not attend Crown Jewel last week, there is every chance that the WWE might feel as though they can't rely on Bryan to carry the belt, especially if they intend on returning to the country for a post-Mania show, as they did this year.

The two former colleagues have already had a little bit of a run-in on the most recent episode of SmackDown, and given that the WWE teased a feud between the two men last year, this one really wouldn't prove all that difficult to set up.

#1 Kurt Angle

The WWE are telling a bigger story with Angle following his recent losses

Kurt Angle's recent defeat at the hands of both Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre came as a bit of a surprise to the WWE Universe. Instead of giving fans a feel-good return from one of their most beloved heroes, the company has decided to spin a narrative based on Angle perhaps being past his sell-by date, a relic from a bygone era, if you will.

Of course, Angle deserves a happy ending more than any other superstar on the current roster and rest assured, he will get it.

Most fans are presuming that Angle will get the chance to regain control over Raw by defeating Baron Corbin, but what if the WWE instead decides to keep Angle out of that position and set him up as someone who is fighting against a system that continues to repress him?

Shane McMahon could prove to be the perfect antagonist for Angle in this redemption storyline, and given that the two men are likely to come face to face at Survivor Series, the WWE could certainly begin to plant the seeds for this very soon.

Angle and McMahon have a well-documented history in the ring together, and while a match between the two is not likely to steal the show at WrestleMania, it would certainly help put a few bums in seats, and ultimately, that's what matters most in the long-term.