WWE SmackDown: 5 reasons why Bray Wyatt is Braun Strowman's first Universal Championship opponent

We wondered who WWE would go with as the first challenger after they decided to put the Universal Championship on Braun Strowman at WrestleMania 36. The Monster Among Men wasn't scheduled to be on the card, but Roman Reigns pulling out of the event meant that Strowman would be put in that spot in the last minute - squashing Goldberg in a matter of 2-3 minutes to finally capture the Universal title that has eluded him for close to three years.

At the start of SmackDown, he was confronted by former Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, who he faced in the main event in a non-title match. Despite Cesaro's presence, the Universal Champion got the job done.

However, his celebrations were cut short as the Firefly Fun House popped up on screen, with Bray Wyatt reminding the two of their history together and asking Strowman to apologize.

Wyatt will be Strowman's first challenger for the Universal title and here are five reasons why.

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#5 Their history together

Strowman at Wyatt at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)

We'll get the most obvious one out of the way to begin this list. The entire basis of this feud is the fact that the two have a history together. From August 2015 until July 2016, Braun Strowman was a part of the Wyatt Family - the platform for his debut.

He even skipped the entire NXT process and just wrestled a bunch of live events before getting the call to RAW. In hindsight, he did great to learn the job, but being with The Wyatt Family was a great start.

While he's grown much more in his singles run, it's not easy to brush aside their history together. The timing is great and the two have a great reason to feud against each other.

#4 Most logical opponent right now

“At anytime you want, I’m ready to LET YOU IN!” - #UniversalChampion @BraunStrowman to @WWEBrayWyatt #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/oC0u6QBGsC

— WWE (@WWEIndia) April 11, 2020

With Roman Reigns, we can never be sure when he's going to return. Tom Colohue reported that WWE had to scrap a lot of plans with Roman Reigns gone and there's no telling when he will return.

For all we know, Reigns could be off TV for months. It's not that he's sick, but he reportedly felt 'dizzy' in his last set of tapings before WrestleMania 36 and requested to be withdrawn from the match against Goldberg.

Colohue stated that there are no plans right now to bring Roman Reigns back. He said that WWE themselves aren't certain as to when he will return to the ring. However, given his pre-existing health condition, it's probably better that he stays at home rather than attending tapings.

Right now, WWE programming can do without him and with The Big Dog not around, this frees up space to have the most logical first rivalry for Braun Strowman. Simply put, there isn't anyone bigger on the roster to challenge for the Universal title.

#3 To put the title back on Bray Wyatt

The inevitable?

If you go back to February, the one thing you would likely change is the decision made to have Goldberg beat 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt clean in 5 minutes and win the Universal Championship.

With Reigns pulling out of the match, it seemed even worse in hindsight and many would agree when we say that Wyatt should never have lost his title in the first place. Perhaps WWE realized this, albeit a bit late, and decided to start a feud that puts 'The Fiend' right back into the mix for the Universal Championship.

This would also mean dropping the title to him, as sad as it might be. While Strowman is an important figure, WWE will most likely go with 'The Fiend' over him, but we can also see a situation where they have a match with an inconclusive finish leading to an extension of their feud.

However, it's not hard to see a scenario where WWE pulls the rug from underneath Strowman. After all, he was never supposed to be the Universal Champion by this point.

#2 A long-term storyline and Braun Strowman's character

Could we see a big character change?

One of the best parts about 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt's character is the impact that he has on other Superstars. As we've seen with Seth Rollins and The Miz, they would turn heel not too long after losing to Wyatt, while Daniel Bryan remained a face.

Braun Strowman has been a popular Superstar for years now, but there's going to come a time when he needs a major character shift or at least progression to stay fresh. Now that he's the Universal Champion, that change needs to come sooner rather than later.

Which Superstar is better to fuel that character progression than 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt? Either he loses to Wyatt and has a character change, or wins and it adds to his character in a big way. That's one department where Strowman needs to focus on it to avoid getting the 'Seth Rollins treatment' last year.

Perhaps the two could even be in for a long-term storyline - one where Strowman possibly aligns with Wyatt.

#1 SmackDown will be dominated by a trio for the next year

Braun Strowman could be one of the three main stars on RAW

Given how things were going before WrestleMania 36, it was clear that the two most prioritized stars are Roman Reigns and 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt. It made sense since Reigns is still popular in a large demographic while Wyatt has been the most consistent and entertaining character on WWE TV over the past 11 months.

Braun Strowman becoming the Universal Champion has added him to the top mix, and the World Championship picture on SmackDown will be dominated by three men - Strowman, Reigns, and Wyatt. They're the right picks as well and even if there's a major draft that comes into SmackDown soon, we don't see them taking up one of those spots.

Bray Wyatt challenging Braun Strowman could simply be the start of a year dominated by the trio of top-tier stars. It's going to be interesting to see how all of it progresses and who comes out looking strong.