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WrestleMania 40 is in the books and the general consensus is that this was one of, if not the biggest in WWE history. Some stories concluded, some new ones started and legends were made.
A new era was established and moving forward, fans should expect the Triple H regime to deliver some of the best professional wrestling and entertainment we have seen in a long time.
Several major title changes took place at WrestleMania this year. The Judgment Day lost their tag team titles, Seth Rollins dropped his World Heavyweight Championship and Gunther's historic Intercontinental Title run came to an end.
These were just a few of the title changes that took place in Philly this year, on The Grandest Stage of Them All. Now we look ahead to what's next in the title scene. Here is our list of predictions for the next WWE champions, following WrestleMania 40.
Next Women's World Champion - Raquel Rodriguez
Since the Triple H era started, the main roster title scene has strengthened tremendously. Roman Reigns' championship reign was the centerpiece of the new regime, but the Women's World Title reign by Rhea Ripley was arguably one of the greatest of all time.
Ripley was forced to vacate her title recently, thanks to an unfortunate injury and now WWE is looking for a new face of the Women's Division.
Raquel Rodriguez signed with the company in 2016 and has spent most of her time on the NXT roster. A main event highlighted her run with the developmental brand win at the 2021 NXT Stand and Deliver event where she captured the NXT Women's Title.
Raquel appeared to be headed for main-roster superstardom until she was recently diagnosed with a rare immune disorder called MCAS. It's unclear when she will return to action, but she will certainly be hungry to reclaim the momentum she once enjoyed.
Next WWE World Tag Team Champions - Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga
On SmackDown after WrestleMania, Tama Tonga made his surprise debut at the end of the show, when he attacked Jimmy Uso, aligning himself with Solo Sikoa and seemingly becoming the newest member of The Bloodline.
Prior to signing with WWE, Tama was one of the top stars on the NJPW roster. He has also been a member of the iconic stable known as The Bullet Club in Japan. Tonga is a seven-time IWGP Tag Team Champion and the adopted son of wrestling legend Haku.
At WrestleMania 40, one of the most exciting matches and arguably the most underrated was the Six-pack Ladder Match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Titles. The Miz and R-Truth prevailed, making Awesome Truth the new World Tag Champs, while Theory and Waller took their respective titles to Smackdown.
Miz and Truth are incredibly popular with the WWE Universe, but will likely not have a long title reign. With the Draft just days away, the RAW roster could potentially welcome The Bloodline, if Solo and Tama get sent to RAW. If that does happen, this would present a perfect opportunity for Tonga and Sikoa to showcase their dominance with a feud against Miz and Truth. Solo and Tama could rise to the challenge and bring new titles to The Bloodline.
Next WWE Tag Team Champions - The Usos
The Bloodline saga has been the most compelling and exciting storyline in recent years. To quote The Rock, "The Bloodline made wrestling cool..." Two of the key figures of the angle are Jimmy and Jey Uso. With eight WWE Tag Title reigns to their credit, The Usos are undoubtedly among the true greats in tag team wrestling history.
Despite having friction in their relationship at the moment, it appears Jimmy and Jey are nearing the end of their bitter family feud. Fans witnessed an epic culmination of their rivalry at WrestleMania 40 as Jey defeated Jimmy on night one. While Jey is currently on RAW and Jimmy is on Smackdown, the draft is looming and both could end up on SmackDown, which is the roster where the WWE Tag Titles are represented by A-Town Down Under. Theory and Waller prevailed in the Six-Pack Tag match at WrestleMania, winning the WWE Tag Team Championships.
Next United States Champion - Randy Orton
The WWE Universe was ecstatic last November when Randy Orton returned after being out of action for almost 2 years due to a severe back injury he suffered during a match on an episode of Smackdown. Orton is now back and looks as good, or better than ever.
Logan Paul is the current United States Champion, but Orton seems to want that title. Logan retained his title at WrestleMania in a Triple Threat Match, thanks to the help of his ever-present PRIME Bottle at ringside. Paul has had an incredible WWE run thus far, but The Viper has proved time and time again that he is capable of disrupting anyone's momentum.
Next Intercontinental Champion - Kevin Owens
Wrestling fans were privy to one of the most historic title reigns in wrestling history while Gunther triumphantly carried the WWE Intercontinental Championship for nearly 700 days, smashing the old record of 454 days which was held by Hall of Famer The Honky Tonk Man.
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens have one of the longest-standing relationships within the pro wrestling industry. The two Superstars have seen wars between them that have carried over from company to company, all the way to WWE. For over 20 years, these two stars have entertained fans worldwide, and now they could be headed towards a feud for the Intercontinental Championship.
Next World Heavyweight Champion - Drew McIntyre
Last year Triple H revealed that WWE would be bringing back the World Heavyweight Championship. The idea was to make sure both RAW and Smackdown each had their top title. The company held a tournament in which Seth Rollins won, becoming the first title holder. The current champion is Damian Priest.
Drew McIntyre has had his share of highs and lows during his WWE career, but the current version of The Scottish Warrior is arguably him at his absolute best. Drew had an extreme case of a rollercoaster ride at WrestleMania, winning the title and then immediately losing to Priest. Wrestling fans should expect McIntyre to seek revenge soon and go after the Championship that he held for only seconds.
Next WWE Undisputed Universal Champion - CM Punk
The WWE Universe exploded when CM Punk made his return at last year's Survivor Series. Punk came back to more support from the fanbase than ever and appeared to be on the fast track for the Championship. Sadly, Punk tore his tricep at the Royal Rumble in January and while there is no official timeline for his return, he appears to be ahead of schedule and when he does return, he could become a real "nightmare" for The American Nightmare.
Roman Reigns concluded his historical title reign at WrestleMania when Cody Rhodes turned the page, and "finished his story." While this particular story may indeed be complete, Cody is currently writing the first chapter of his new book, which is sure to be an exciting ride for wrestling fans. At some point, however, his title reign will come to an abrupt halt, where CM Punk could very well be standing.
