5 superstars who could challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal championship

Brock Lesnar retained his WWE Universal championship in a steel cage match against Roman Reigns at the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia. As Lesnar's rivalry with Reigns potentially reaches its climax, Lesnar will be looking for a new opponent to face in the subsequent period.

Lesnar is rumored to be returning to the UFC despite resigning with the WWE in April, he may, therefore, drop the Universal championship before he does depart and there are a number of Superstars on Raw who could succeed him as champion. When he does eventually drop the title, if he were to lose it in a pinfall defeat, it could elevate his opponent to a much higher level, such has been Lesnar's dominance in WWE.

Since the superstar shake-up, there have been a number of stars who have debuted on Raw and some who have made their return to WWE television. This opens up the possibility for a number of opponents Lesnar could face, some of them for a short-term and others for a longer term feud.

Here are 5 current Raw superstars Lesnar could face.

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#5 Seth Rollins

Rollins and Lesnar faced for the WWE championship at Battleground 2015

As one of the top faces on the Raw roster, Seth Rollins could be the next number one contender for Brock Lesnar's WWE Universal championship.

The Architect has been on a roll lately, winning the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania and retaining the title at the Greatest Royal Rumble in a 4-man ladder match.

Any potential match between Rollins and Lesnar would no doubt see Rollins as the underdog and the face. The two have previously competed at Battleground 2015, however, the match ended in a disqualification after The Undertaker attacked the Beast.

The contrast between Rollins athleticism and Lesnar's power would make an interesting dynamic. Rollins' ability to counter the Beast's power moves with his agility and balance would add nuance to any potential match that Lesnar's bouts with Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe had lacked.

#4 Baron Corbin

It would make sense for Brock Lesnar and Baron Corbin to face given Corbin's relative non-activity and Lesnar looking for an opponent after Reigns.

Corbin's brawling style compliments that of Lesnar's, so any potential match between the two would make sense. The Lone Wolf moved to Raw recently in the Superstar shakeup and this could open the door for a possible feud between the two big men.

Given the lack of top heels on Raw, Corbin can fill this void perfectly given his persona and legitimacy as a dominating bully. The Lone Wolf had lost his way on SmackDown after losing his the money in the bank cash-in match against Jinder Mahal, but if he could beat Lesnar for the title, then it could give him the resurgence he has been looking for.

Corbin could benefit from a big feud to revitalize his character, facing Lesnar would achieve this and if Corbin was tho beat the current Universal champion then it wouldn't be at all undeserved.

#3 Finn Bálor

Bal — Bálor won the inaugural Universal Championship match at SummerSlam in 2016

Any potential clash between Finn Bálor and Brock Lesnar could be an interesting dynamic. It would not doubt see Bálor as the underdog as he tries to overcome the unstoppable beast.

So far Bálor has not been in any major feuds, but any match with Lesnar could elevate him. Moreover, Bálor has struggled to get over with the crowd, but any match with the beast with him in the role of the sympathetic underdog could push him to a higher level.

If Bálor were to get a shock win he could pick up where he had left off when he became the inaugural Universal champion at SummerSlam 2016.

Bálor could unleash his alter-ego the Demon King in any potential collision with the Beast, the theme of mind games could feature prominently in the build-up to this clash given that Lesnar is predominantly used as a part-time star.

#2 Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley recently made his return to WWE television on the night after WrestleMania, where he attacked Elias, establishing himself as a face in the process. In Lashley's previous run in the company, he was one of the leading faces in the company and was a frequent main event level star.

A potential Lashley vs Lesnar clash could be a big money main event to headline any pay-per-view on the WWE's calendar. Lashley is credible enough to not just face the Beast but beat him and win the Universal Championship. Much like Lesnar's matches with Goldberg, any potential bouts between the Beast and Lashley might not be the best matches in terms of technical wrestling, but certainly can be the special attraction on any card.

As Lesnar transitions towards a match in the UFC, which would potentially require him to drop the title, Lashley fits the criteria to succeed Lesnar as the powerful and dominant champion.

#1 Braun Strowman

The next logical choice for an opponent for Brock Lesnar after Roman Reigns is surely Braun Strowman. The monster among men is clearly very highly thought of and has enjoyed much success in his role as a fan-friendly monster in recent times.

If there is anyone to halt the beast's dominance in WWE it is surely Strowman, such is his dominance and believability it would not be a shock to see the Monster Among Men defeat Lesnar for his Universal championship. Strowman was recently victorious in the 50-man Royal Rumble match in Saudi Arabia, he possesses both the credibility and the legitimacy to defeat Lesnar and establish himself as the top guy on Raw.

WWE may well hold out until WrestleMania for this clash, but such is Strowman's momentum and Lesnar possibly moving to the UFC soon, Strowman would be the natural successor to Lesnar and dominate on the Raw roster for the foreseeable future.

Edited by Kishan Prasad