5 Contenders to the WWE Universal Championship after WrestleMania

In a match that has been in the making for almost a year, Roman Reigns is set to take on current champion Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34 for the Universal Championship. While nothing has been officially confirmed yet, it is rumored that Brock Lesnar will be returning to the UFC after this year's WrestleMania, and will not be renewing his WWE contract.

As of now, a victory for 'The Big Dog' at WrestleMania is almost set in stone. It'll be another chapter in WWE's four-year-long attempt at making Roman Reigns the next big thing in the company.

But what after WrestleMania? With Lesnar out of the Universal Title picture, who will challenge the newly crowned Roman Reigns for the title?

Here are a few Superstars who can give Reigns a run for his money.

#5 The Miz

The Miz is currently having best run he has ever had in his career. One of the few remaining true heels in the company, he draws some very real heat from the fans with his obnoxious promos, the shenanigans of the Miztourage and his chicken-heel persona.

He is also one of the few Superstars who can deliver WWE's scripted promos with passion and commitment and make them feel real. He is a true three-dimensional heel, and definitely deserves another shot at the Monday night main event scene.

And what better time to give him that shot than post WrestleMania? The Intercontinental Championship could change hands to Seth Rollins or Finn Balor at Wrestlemania, clearing the way for the main event push for Mr. Awesome.

Just think of the 3-on-1 beatdowns on Roman Reigns!

#4 Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman is the most over WWE superstar

Braun Strowman is currently one of the most, if not the most over WWE superstar on the current roster. WWE has done their best character development with this Superstar, transforming him from a member of the Wyatt Family to a ginormous monster running through anyone and everyone that stands in his path.

One mustn't forget that Braun Strowman was set to be Brock Lesnar's first Universal title challenger after WrestleMania 33. However, his injury pushed the feud for two months later than scheduled.

Strowman has gladly accepted his transformation from a monster heel to a comical monster babyface role, even making segments with the ones with Elias and a cello, of all things, work.

Strowman draws great reactions from the crowd, and he and Reigns have a very significant past to build a storyline on. The duo had some of the best matches of their careers against each other, throwing themselves into ambulances and garbage trucks.

The momentum Strowman has from eliminating everyone but Reigns at the Elimination Chamber, coupled with his super-stardom makes him an ideal candidate for Roman's next challenge.

I think it's time for Roman Reigns to GET THESE HANDS!

#3 Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins is the hottest Superstar on the roster today. After months of a progressively lackluster feud against Sheamus and Cesaro, while teaming up with Jason Jordan, Rollins' single run has completely rejuvenated his career.

His iron-man performance in the gauntlet match on the go-home episode of RAW for Elimination Chamber was a stark reminder of just how great Rollins can be when he is allowed to.

Needless to say, Reigns and Rollins have a long history to build on for their next feud. The former Shield brothers have feuded over the WWE title for long before. The Shield reunion reignited the sparks between these two.

WWE have continued to build on this, with moments like Reigns eliminating Rollins from the Royal Rumble. Let's not forget that Rollins pinned Reigns clean in the gauntlet match.

Rollins has helped uplift the tag division and is now a part of the Intercontinental Title picture. After WrestleMania is a great opportunity to put the spotlight back on 'The Architect'.

#2 Finn Balor

The leader of the Balor club has not been in the main event picture for a while. However, let us not forget that Finn Balor was the first ever WWE Universal Champion and that he never lost his title. He was forced to relinquish his championship following an injury.

Finn Balor has repeatedly reminded us that he has yet to get his rematch for the title. After being involved in mid-card feuds with the likes of Bray Wyatt and Elias, it might be time for Balor to make the jump to the main event scene.

Balor had a stellar showing at this year's Royal Rumble match, entering at number 2 and lasting over 57 minutes and scoring 4 eliminations before being eliminated by John Cena. Balor has also served the company interests right by putting over Kane for his match against Brock Lesnar and deserves a main event run.

Post WrestleMania might be a good time for Balor Club to take over Monday Night RAW.

#1 Samoa Joe

A lot can be said about Samoa Joe. But the important thing to remember is, Joe is believably a very, very scary man.

Very few wrestlers of his size possess the kind of agility that Joe displays in the ring, and his freakish power lets him come off as a legitimate threat. Joe is a very intense person in the ring and also on the microphone.

His unique in-ring style of Samoan wrestling combined with stiff MMA-style maneuvers and very effective submissions make him a very believable champion.

Joe showed off his prowess in a promo during his feud with Brock Lesnar. Joe cut some of the best promos of the year during this feud, sharing intense words with Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar. He was so good he made us all believe there is a legitimate chance he might take down 'The Beast' for the Universal Title.

Joe also has a lot of respect from the locker room, owing to his technical prowess and time spent in the independent circuit. The likes of Paul Heyman have been reported to be rooting for him backstage. All this makes Joe a perfect candidate for the main event scene.

A return for Joe is bound to happen sometime after WrestleMania, and what better way than to let the two Samoans battle out over the supreme title of Monday Night RAW.

Edited by Kishan Prasad