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Roman Reigns is WWE's franchise player. Unlike other promotions, the company literally has an undisputed top guy, much like the eras of the past, where a single superstar was mainly the biggest attraction.
There is a reason wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin are still remembered and create an impact whenever they resurface on television.
Having won the Universal Championship back at WWE Payback in 2020 and unifying the WWE Championship with it at WrestleMania 38 earlier this year, The Head of the Table is the bar.
So when he drops one or both belts, it needs to be a superstar that can carry the weight and responsibility that comes with it.
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There have already been talks of splitting the world championships en route to WrestleMania or at the event itself. So, let's look at five credible challengers who can step up and steal the title(s) from The Tribal Chief.
#5. Drew McIntyre needs to emphatically defeat the Head of the Table
It's hard not to draw comparisons between McIntyre and Reigns with two other top superstars of their era.
Despite feuding mostly throughout the Attitude Era, it was the Texas Rattlesnake that mostly found victory in his hands over Reigns' cousin, the People's Champion. The Rock even addressed this on television prior to wrestling Steve Austin at the Show of Shows in 2003.
In a similar fashion, since WrestleMania 35 in 2019, we have seen the Scottish Warrior tussle with WWE's poster boy, but every single time the latter has gone over.
Drew McIntyre came closest to victory over the Undisputed WWE Universal at Clash at the Castle earlier this year. This was also one of those matches that Reigns won with the help of a third party.
If WWE wants to split their world championships en route to the Show of Shows, McIntyre is the perfect fit on the current roster. There is also a plethora of names he could face at the SoFi Stadium.
#4. The Prizefighter and his quest to be a World Champion again
Kevin Owens, in a sudden turn of events back in 2016, was handed the Universal Championship by Triple H, thus becoming the second-ever champion in the belt's history. The Prizefighter defeated Seth Rollins, Big Cash, and Roman Reigns in a Fatal-4-Way match on RAW to win the gold.
He had a great run, for the most part, with the belt. But Owens himself has claimed that he couldn't fully enjoy being at the top of the mountain.
When he returned to WWE programming in the buildup to Survivor Series: WarGames this year, fans were excited to see the Prizefighter as the potential next challenger to the Head of the Table.
Kevin Owens is probably the most deserving wrestler on the roster to win a world championship again.
After single-handedly carrying WrestleMania's Night One main event buildup all the way to the show and then facing arguably the biggest name in all of wrestling at the Show of Shows, Owens had a mostly uneventful 2022. The man has paid his dues and is all set to become a champion again.
#3. Cody Rhodes is the top babyface to represent WWE in 2023
Cody Rhodes is heavily rumored to be the one to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.
Whether the Rock can find it in his schedule to return to the ring at the Show of Shows will determine the positioning of the match, but more or less, it is a given that Rhodes will step up to challenge for the world championship at the biggest show of the year.
He could face Drew McIntyre, Reigns, or even former rival Seth Rollins on the Grandest Stage, win the title and take it to Monday Nights. He has showcased an immense fighting spirit and reinvented himself over the years.
#2. Seth Rollins is always one step ahead of the Head of the Table
Despite the fact that it has been over eight years since the commotion between the Architect and the Big Dog, the latter still holds grudges and unresolved feelings with his former brother and Shield mate.
This is a great story with a hook so powerful that, from a storyline standpoint, it makes perfect sense for Triple H to pull the rug from under the Tribal Chief and hand the title to yet another deserving superstar on the current roster.
The Visionary has, time after time, proven his worth and how the company can totally rely on him to deliver.
Seth Rollins stealing a championship from our double champion and headlining WrestleMania against Cody Rhodes, or even Drew McIntyre, for that matter, would be fitting and a moment that will be revisited for years to come.
Honorable Mention: Solo Sikoa is his own man
Whilst Solo Sikoa is a great option to end the Tribal Chief's summit, it seems too early for him to win the world championship en route to or on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
His cousin Roman Reigns, however, followed the aforementioned pattern despite still being green back in 2015, so one can't rule out the possibility of this happening.
But the fact of the matter is, neither has the company built around Solo's eventual standing as his own man, nor dissension within the Bloodline. There is another optimum option for the company to bank on, one from the family itself, albeit not blood-related.
#1. Sami Zayn finally wins the big one at the cost of the Tribal Chief's summit
To claim that Sami Zayn is destined to come out as the biggest babyface of WWE in 2023 is a bit of a stretch, isn't it? Especially with guys like Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens, and Drew McIntyre still receiving loud reactions.
The Honorary Uce, however, is the kind of underdog that the WWE Universe has always been sentimental towards, as seen many times in the past when ultimate underdogs like Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, or even Chris Benoit finally won the big one.
If WWE opts to go with a Zayn vs. Reigns singles program for the world championship, they should simply go ahead and pull the trigger on the former Intercontinental Champion. Let him run with either one of the world titles, both of which have been eluded from Zayn's entire career.
Sami Zayn for the WWE Championship in 2023!
Are there any other names on the current roster that you believe are worthy of taking down the Tribal Chief and ending his historic reign? Sound off in the comments section below.
Ex WWE writer blasts Liv Morgan HERE
