Who are the current champions in WWE?
Who do I think will beat them for the title?
Who do I think will beat them for the title?
WWE CHAMPIONSHIP
Current WWE Champion: Daniel Bryan
Prediction for Next Champion: Finn Balor
Explanation: I have no idea. WWE is booking things like someone with schizophrenia. But what the hell, let's go with Finn Balor winning it sometime post-Mania. Total shot in the dark that I have zero faith in. I'll update this sometime around Elimination Chamber when we have a better idea of who could possibly fight Bryan at WrestleMania. Currently, I think it's Rey Mysterio, but I don't think Mysterio will take the belt from Bryan.
WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Current Universal Champion: Brock Lesnar
Prediction for Next Champion: Seth Rollins or Roman Reigns
Explanation: I'm not entirely sold that Rollins will beat Lesnar at WrestleMania. I think there's an extremely high chance Lesnar keeps it and drops it to Reigns either the night after Mania or very soon after, like the Saudi Arabia show on May 3rd, or Money in the Bank.
INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Current Intercontinental Champion: Bobby Lashley
Prediction for Next Champion: Braun Strowman or a SmackDown/NXT star
Explanation: If he drops it at WrestleMania, I think he drops it to Braun Strowman, but I'm not feeling confident in that prediction as nothing at all has been hinted in that direction. If not, then I'm not expecting a new champion until after the Superstar Shake-up will refresh the rosters. In which case, I don't know who the options will be. Aleister Black? Ricochet? The Denver Broncos?
UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP
Current United States Champion: Samoa Joe
Prediction for Next Champion: Rey Mysterio or Mustafa Ali
Explanation: Depending on how the Superstar Shake-up goes down, as well as WrestleMania before it, I think the two most likely options to dethrone Samoa Joe are Rey Mysterio and Mustafa Ali. Mysterio makes sense in that he's a top guy who they might not want to be a world champion again (although there's nothing stopping him from challenging Daniel Bryan or something). Mustafa Ali had a short feud with Samoa Joe that they can bring back into the mix. Plus, Ali is a younger guy who could really benefit from the US title. However, if we get the rosters mixed around, someone else could jump to the forefront as a potential challenger, like Aleister Black or Ricochet. We'll just have to see what the plans are for Mania and the Shake-up. Then again, maybe they just have John Cena win it and drop it soon after.
RAW WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
Current Raw Women's Champion: Ronda Rousey
Prediction for Next Champion: Charlotte Flair or Becky Lynch
Explanation: Triple Threat at WrestleMania. Seems like Lynch is the smart bet, of course, and the way they should do things, but never fully trust WWE to not go in the opposite direction just to upset people.
SMACKDOWN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
Current SmackDown Women's Champion: Asuka
Prediction for Next Champion: Ronda Rousey or Shayna Baszler
Explanation: Asuka fights someone meaningless at WrestleMania. Rousey drops the Raw title at Mania. Rousey moves over to SmackDown and beats Asuka for the SmackDown title, cause there's a connection between Rousey and FOX and that gives SmackDown a boost. Alternatively, if Rousey is taking off more time than just until SummerSlam, maybe they move Baszler up and have her beat Asuka. I'm still more confident in the Rousey move, though.
RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS
Current Raw Tag Team Champions: The Revival
Prediction for Next Champions: Aleister Black and Ricochet
Explanation: It's looking less and less likely that they'll do a redemption arc with The Major Bros. I guess they're just giving the belts to Black and Ricochet.
SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS
Current SmackDown Tag Team Champions: The Usos
Prediction for Next Champions: The Hardy Boyz
Explanation: WrestleMania or soon after.
WWE WOMEN'S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS
Current Women's Tag Team Champions: Sasha Banks and Bayley
Prediction for Next Champions: The Bella Twins
Explanation: It could very well go to damn near any team like Fire & Desire or IIconics, but I'm putting my money on Nikki and Brie winning because WWE loooooves them and they'd want that to be a story for Total Bellas.
CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Current Cruiserweight Champion: Buddy Murphy
Prediction for Next Champion: No clue
Explanation: I honestly have absolutely no idea, but I feel like it wouldn't make a ton of sense for it to be Tony Nese or anybody else on the brand right now heading into WrestleMania.
NXT CHAMPIONSHIP
Current NXT Champion: Vacated
Prediction for Next Champions: Johnny Gargano
Explanation: So often, when WWE has a plan and it goes awry, they go with an alternative option just for the sake of not being predictable, so there's an EXTREMELY high chance Adam Cole wins this title instead of Johnny Gargano. However, they did seem to be building toward Gargano becoming champion by beating Tommaso Ciampa before the injury took place. Either they give it to Cole and keep The Undisputed ERA back down in NXT for a while to give Gargano someone to chase, or they just go with Gargano anyway and figure they'll sort it all out later. Right now, I'll play the safe bet and say Gargano, but my gut is telling me I need to say Cole...
NXT WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
Current NXT Women's Champion: Shayna Baszler
Prediction for Next Champion: Io Shirai
Explanation: Belair was put over in the sense that she lost, but by a technicality. I think that was their way to get her out of the picture and they'll move on to someone else. Belair could win the belt at TakeOver: New York, but I think it will go to Io Shirai next, instead. It's not going to be Kairi Sane.
NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS
Current NXT Tag Team Champions: War Raiders
Prediction for Next Champions: The Forgotten Sons
Explanation: Out of the current crop, they seem to be the next top heels, but I don't think they'll actually win them. I think we'll get a new tag team that will come in to do that job, instead, and since they just haven't been established yet, I don't know what that team is to predict them.
NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Current North American Champion: Velveteen Dream
Prediction for Next Champion: Dominik Dijakovic
Explanation: I didn't expect Johnny Gargano to lose the title so quickly, but now that it's on Velveteen Dream, I'm reverting back to my previous pick of who I thought would take it from Ricochet before the Gagano feud started. Dijakovic has this written all over him in my mind.
UNITED KINGDOM CHAMPIONSHIP
Current United Kingdom Champion: Pete Dunne
Prediction for Next Champion: WALTER
Explanation: Yup. WALTER. TakeOver: New York.
NXT UNITED KINGDOM WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
Current United Kingdom Women's Champion: Toni Storm
Prediction for Next Champion: Piper Niven or Jazzy Gabert
Explanation: Toni Storm is too beloved to lose it to someone like Nina Samuels. She needs to lose it to someone physically bigger, similar to the Pete Dunne and WALTER situation.
NXT UNITED KINGDOM TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS
Current United Kingdom Tag Team Champions: Grizzled Young Veterans
Prediction for Next Champions: Moustache Mountain
Explanation: I'm expecting GYV to beat Amir Jordan and Kenny Williams, as well as Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews, before making their way back around to Trent Seven and Tyler Bate, who they'll lose it to.
