The past year has been one of the most exciting periods in modern wrestling history, especially with all the massive changes we’ve seen play out in WWE. Vince McMahon stepping down, only to return, Triple H taking over the creative side of the company, the Endeavor merger, and more returns than anyone can count are just some of the big stories from the past 12 months.
But one of the biggest surprises came in April 2023, when it was announced that WWE was bringing back the World Heavyweight Championship nearly a decade after the original “Big Gold” belt was combined with the WWE Title.
A 12-man tournament was announced with some of the company’s biggest stars, which led to the upcoming finals match between Seth “Freakin” Rollins and AJ Styles at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia. We don’t yet know how things will play out in the much anticipated match, but there are a few options we’d like to pitch for the championship’s future over the next few months. Let’s break it down…
Seth Rollins Wins The World Heavyweight Championship And Brings Back The Open Challenge
If Seth Rollins is victorious over AJ Styles at Night of Champions, I would love to see him bring back the open challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship the following week, on Monday Night Raw, to establish both the new WHC and Rollins as a champion.
When utilized in the past, the open challenge has led to some amazing matches and career-defining moments, including Kevin Owens’ main roster debut with the John Cena U.S. Open Challenge. Rollins has had some fun with the concept over the years, taking on challenges like Gunther (when he was still Walter), Dominik Mysterio before he had nuclear heat, and countless others. Plus, it could be a great way to have fun matches with up-and-comers and veteran superstars, and even offer some surprises.
AJ Styles Wins The WHC And Enters A Championship Vs. Career Feud Culminating At SummerSlam
In the event that AJ Styles defeats Seth Rollins to capture the World Heavyweight Championship, it would be cool to see the leader of The O.C. take a different route than the open challenge, and instead continue his feud with Edge. Not only have the two former WWE champions put on some incredible matches over the years, the Rated-R Superstar has a long history with the original version of the WHC, a title he was forced to relinquish upon his initial retirement back in 2011.
In a video posted to his Twitter shortly before the semifinals match in the WHC tournament, Edge said he now has a chance to get the title back and finish his story. This is a SummerSlam feud waiting to happen, one where AJ Styles defends his belt against Edge, who is forced to put his career on the line. This story pretty much writes itself.
Gunther Challenges The World Heavyweight Champion To A Title-For-Title Match
Gunther is a future world champion in the making, and it’s only a matter of time before the leader of Imperium, and current Intercontinental Champion, is at the top of the proverbial food chain in WWE. It doesn’t have to be next month, at SummerSlam or even by the end of the year, but it would be great to see Gunther challenge the eventual World Heavyweight Champion to a title vs. title match.
This could be a marquee match for Wrestlemania XL next April, and there’s a way to get there: the 2024 Royal Rumble. After Gunther’s record-shattering performance at this year’s Rumble, he’s a heavy favorite heading into next year’s 30-man match, and hopefully he’s still the IC Champ at the time. You know what other WrestleMania match featured a matchup like this? Oh, just Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI.
Cody Rhodes Challenges The World Heavyweight Champion
Though Cody Rhodes fell short of defeating Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 earlier this year, he’s still one of the top stars in the company (he headlined Backlash against Brock Lesnar in May). That being said, it’s all but guaranteed that the American Nightmare will be in contention for the World Heavyweight Championship at some point down the road.
Rhodes and Rollins have a lot of history, with great moments like their WrestleMania 38 bout and the subsequent feud that led to their show-stealing Hell in a Cell match a few months later. Rhodes and Styles have never fought, but they were both involved with the Bullet Club at various points in their respective careers, with Rhodes joining the NJPW-based group not long after its former leader, Styles, left for WWE in 2016. A challenge would just be too sweet.
Brock Lesnar Enters The Room And Challenges For The Belt
Brock Lesnar has won the WWE Championship an impressive seven times, and the Beast Incarnate has taken home the Universal Championship on three occasions, but he’s never been declared the World Heavyweight Champion. Sure, he’s won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, the UFC Heavyweight Championship, the NCAA Division 1 Heavyweight Championship, and various other accolades, but the “Big Gold” has never been around his waist.
It’s only a matter of time before that changes. We’re not saying it’s going to be next week, next month, or even this year, but there are few things in life that are guaranteed: death, taxes, and a Brock Lesnar title reign. Honestly, what is a title belt without spending some time with him and his sporadic TV appearances?
Roman Reigns Eventually Challenges The World Heavyweight Champion To An Epic Showdown
And then there is Roman Reigns, who has reached the very tip top of the WWE mountain the past couple of years. Though he’s currently in the middle of his historic title reign as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, it wouldn’t be all that shocking to see the Tribal Chief square-off against the World Heavyweight Champion somewhere down the road.
It doesn’t have to be title defense by either party (it would be pretty sweet to see Reigns have all the belts like Ultimo Dragon back in the day), but instead a “bragging rights” match between the champs. This would be especially meaningful if Seth Rollins wins the WHC at Night of Champions, and we see the former Shield stablemates have a friendly, or not-so-friendly, encounter in the future.
Only time will tell what will happen with the World Heavyweight Championship, Seth Rollins, and AJ Styles, but the only way to know for sure is by watching Night of Champions when the upcoming WWE event airs live, Saturday, May 27th. Just make sure your Peacock Premium subscription is active, as that is the only place to watch the big show in the United States.
