The 5 names most likely to leave WrestleMania 35 as WWE Universal Champion

Before you know it, April 7 will be here and we’ll all be eagerly sitting down to watch the Showcase of the Immortals, the Grandest Stage of Them All: WrestleMania.

Emanating from MetLife Stadium, WrestleMania 35 is so nearly upon us.

First and foremost of course, we’ve got the small matter of the annual Royal Rumble PPV later this month. Following that, there’s still the Elimination Chamber and Fast Lane PPVs to come before it’s fully ‘Mania time. But lets be real – once the Rumble is in the record books, it’s officially the Road to WrestleMania.

While many are expecting WrestleMania 35 to be the first ‘Mania to be headlined by a women’s bout – seemingly Ronda Rousey vs Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair – one of the other biggest matches on the show will be the Universal Championship match.

Right now, Brock Lesnar is the reigning Undisputed Champion, having defeated Braun Strowman for the title at WWE Crown Jewel. Many are expecting Lesnar to still be the Universal Champion heading into WrestleMania 35, but whether he leaves with the gold is a whole other matter.

And then there’s also the fact that Lesnar will first have to defend the Universal Championship against Finn Balor at the Royal Rumble.

With all of these factors taken into account, here are the 5 most likely candidates to leave WrestleMania 35 as the Universal Champion.

#5 Finn Balor

Could Finn Balor recapture the Universal Championship?

It would be a tad remiss to not make mention of Finn Balor at least somewhere in this feature. After all, Balor is now the #1 contender for Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship, and will be challenging Paul Heyman’s Beast at the impending Royal Rumble PPV.

Many are already presuming that Balor is simply in that match to make up the numbers; to serve as an opponent who can make Lesnar look good, while simultaneously it doesn’t mean anything particularly major should Balor lose against Brock. That thought process might well prove to be true, but let’s just imagine a “what if?” situation for a moment.

What if Finn Balor did the unthinkable and slayed the Beast come Royal Rumble? What if Balor went all out, full-on Demon make-up, amped up the intensity, and the WWE decided to go with a fresh face to lead the Raw brand onward towards WrestleMania?

Sounds pretty good, right?

Sure, you’re right in thinking that is an unlikely scenario, but never say never in the wrestling business; especially when the WWE has readily made mention of how they are going to start listening to their fans and shake things up.

How better to shake things up by having the massively popular Balor topple Lesnar, then head to WrestleMania as the Universal Champ?

#4 The Rock

Remember those stories from a few years ago, that The Rock was going to go up against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30? At that point in time, the match was to be set up the night after ‘Mania 29, only Rock instead flew home due to an injury he suffered the night prior. And that was that.

Fast forward to 2018, and one of the hottest insider rumours of the second half of the year was that The Rock was going to be a surprise entrant in the 2019 Royal Rumble, winning the match and facing Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 35. With Roman stepping back to tackle leukemia, those possible plans were now a no go.

What if now we get a mixture of these two scenarios? As in, The Rock does indeed enter and win the Royal Rumble match, but instead finds himself battling Brock Lesnar at the Showcase of the Immortals.

The WWE and Vince McMahon are clearly keen to work with Dwayne Johnson any chance they get, and The Rock is somebody who Brock Lesnar has a whole lot of respect for. Added to that, Rocky still owes Brock one for SummerSlam 2002.

This may be a lot of ifs and buts, but it’s definitely not out of the realm of possibility to somehow see the Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment walk out of WrestleMania 35 with the Universal Championship over his shoulder.

#3 Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre has dominated on the Raw brand

From The Chosen One, to one third of Three Man Band, to one of the hottest acts on the independent scene, to NXT Champion, to now on Monday Night Raw. It’s certainly been a roller coaster ride for Drew McIntyre over the past decade.

Right now however, McIntyre is on the crest of a wave, positioned as one of the biggest stars on the WWE’s flagship show. Since surfacing on Raw last year, McIntyre has gone on to defeat some of the biggest names in the company, and seemingly has a future so bright that you have to wear sunglasses just to look ahead.

As a result of his positioning in recent months – complete with Vince McMahon reportedly being a huge fan – many have suggested that a World Championship could be in the near future for the Scottish Psychopath. And thus, many have similarly earmarked him for a major role at WrestleMania 35.

Could that role at ‘Mania be challenging for the Universal Championship? You never know; particularly with how many have pegged McIntyre as being a favourite to win the upcoming Royal Rumble match.

With such a Rumble victory of course, comes a guaranteed title shot at the Granddaddy of Them All.

#2 Brock Lesnar

Lesnar left last year's WrestleMania as Universal Champion

Brock Lesnar leaving yet another WrestleMania with championship gold in his grasp? Stranger things have happened.

For all of the expert opinion, insider knowledge, behind-the-curtain thinking and smart fans, the wrestling world was left with its jaw agape as Lesnar successfully retained the Universal Championship against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34. After all, Vince McMahon had been plotting for several years for this moment, right?

The moment where the all-conquering Reigns finally topples Paul Heyman’s Beast? Seemingly not, with all of the experts left with egg on their face.

As such, you really cannot ever rule out McMahon deciding to go with Lesnar at any one point in time; whether that’s been Vinny Mac’s long-term plan or he’s had a last-minute change of heart.

It may seem foolish to imagine Brock Lesnar walking into WrestleMania 35 and then later walking out with the belt still around his waist, but there’s always going to be that doubt that maybe – just maybe – Vince is again going all-in on Brock.

Of course, for many of us, we’re all hoping that the Grandest Stage of Them All sees Lesnar finally drop the Universal Championship to this next man…

#1 Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins is one of the hottest stars in the WWE right now

If the online scuttlebutt is to believed, the man who is most likely to challenge for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 35 is Seth Rollins. On the other side of the ring, it’s expected that Brock Lesnar will be the defending champ at the Showcase of the Immortals.

For the past couple of years, fans have been clamouring for Rollins to be made the face of the Raw brand, particularly as audiences looked for an alternative to Roman Reigns. With Reigns out of the picture indefinitely, the WWE was left with a major void to fill where the position of their top guy was concerned.

The standout contenders for that role were Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman, with fans soon choosing Rollins as their choice to be the star to build Raw around. If we’re being completely honest, the bloom has come off the rose a little with Strowman; the hulking Monster Amongst Men not being helped by already losing to Lesnar when it mattered most.

With Rollins the favourite to win the men’s Royal Rumble – and with Lesnar expected to retain against Finn Balor – the pair are on a collision course at WrestleMania, and it finally seems as if the post-Mania season will see Rollins given the ball to lead the company forward as the focal point of the red brand.

Edited by Anthony Akatugba Jr.