We have previously reported that the Universal Title is scheduled to switch hands at Fastlane. Goldberg is most likely going to walk away with the title leaving Kevin Owens to evolve his feud with Chris Jericho which will culminate with a match at WrestleMania.
If you are wondering who is next in line to challenge the winner between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar after WrestleMania, the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that the most likely two candidates in-line are Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns.
Goldberg is likely to leave WWE after Mania because his current deal is set to expire after April, but Dave Meltzer reports that those plans could always change depending on several variables. It was noted that Goldberg’s deal could be extended due to the fact that his current WWE run has been such a great success so far.
Roman Reigns is slated to face The Undertaker in Orlando and many have thought that this might be Taker’s last match due to his age and the fact that he might need a full hip replacement. He didn’t do much work during the Royal Rumble match, but one thing he did do was lay the groundwork for a match against Reigns. One idea being discussed for Taker’s match with Reigns is for it to be a “generational passing of the torch” which could turn Roman heel in the process.
If WWE goes with the idea of turning Roman Reigns heel via his feud with The Undertaker this could very well provide the perfect opportunity for Reigns to step up to Goldberg if he retains the Universal Title at WrestleMania.
At this point there don’t seem to be any big WrestleMania plans for Braun Strowman, although there is talk of him winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal match, but nothing is set in stone. If Strowman were to step up to Goldberg, it would be an interesting encounter.
At this point, the two options seem to be Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman to be next in line for a Universal Championship opportunity. Who would you rather see challenge for the belt after WrestleMania? Sound off in the comments below.
We’re officially on the Road to WrestleMania, but is it off to a rocky start? On this week’s episode of Still Real Radio we’re talking about what’s to come over the next few weeks and more. Feel free to check out the latest episode below, and if you like what you hear please subscribe to the show on iTunes.
Owens should keep it.