WWE Rumors: Not Kofi Kingston, but a returning legend to face Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35

What's the story?

The speculation regarding Daniel Bryan's WrestleMania 35 opponent has been doing the rounds as we get closer to the grandest spectacle in Sports Entertainment.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Newsletter has revealed that the WWE is considering getting a big name back for a WWE Championship match and have shortlisted seven names who could get the lucrative spot.

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Bryan successfully defended his title at the Elimination Chamber recently where Kofi Kingston stole the show with a breathtaking performance. The New Day's member's exploits in the main event naturally made all the news in the aftermath of the PPV and now, the fans are clamouring for a match between Kingston and Bryan at Mania.

However, WWE may not be in the mood to pander to its vocal fanbase and could instead be looking to cash in on a bigger name.

The heart of the matter

On the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer opened up about the potential identity of Bryan's WrestleMania opponent and was quick to dismiss plans of Kingston getting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to battle for the prestigious title at the biggest show of the year.

The report suggests that WWE has listed the likes of Dave Bautista, John Cena, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, and Bray Wyatt as the superstars who could go up against the eco-friendly heel champion.

Zayn and Owens seem like the most logical options as they are ready to return to action from their respective injuries. Additionally, Owens' rumored new 'regular bloke' gimmick may mesh perfectly with Bryan's current character.

Wyatt is another star who has some history with the former Yes Movement Leader and could seamlessly get a programme going without any extra build up.

As for the other veteran names mentioned, the chances all depend on the negotiations that are happening behind the scenes. Angle is reportedly set to have his retirement match at WrestleMania and a title bout would be a perfect way to bid farewell to the legend.

Cena was originally scheduled to take on Lars Sullivan before the latter suffered a nervous breakdown. That plan can always be revisited if WWE wishes to go down that path.

And then we come to the man who is synonymous with WrestleMania, The Undertaker. The Phenom is currently enjoying his time off and has been making many public appearances, one of which will happen at Starrcast. There are chances that WWE may have contacted the Deadman regarding one last match considering the influence of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) at Starrcast.

Last but not least, Batista's name has regularly featured in the news in the past few weeks as he was rumoured to have had talks with AEW. However, reports further claimed that the former WWE Champion intends on finishing his career in the WWE, ideally, in a match against Triple H, though, a WWE title match against Bryan could also be enough to convince the Hollywood star.

What's next?

While we still hold on to the hope of seeing Kingston get a deserved WWE title match at Mania, WWE may play it safe and go ahead with a major name. However, Kofi might still get another chance at the title, mostly at Fastlane.

Who do you think will it be? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.