What's Next For John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Top WWE Superstars In 2017?

John Cena began SummerSlam 2017 by defeating Baron Corbin, and Brock Lesnar ended the pay-per-view by pinning Roman Reigns to retain the WWE Universal Championship. Following the latest episodes of “Monday Night Raw” and “SmackDown Live,” it isn’t difficult to figure out what’s next for WWE’s top stars.

It looks like Lesnar will headline the next WWE PPV against one of the wrestlers that tried to take his title at SummerSlam. Braun Strowman will get a shot at the WWE Universal Champion at No Mercy in Los Angeles next month.

Strowman emerged from the SummerSlam fatal 4-way as the only legitimate contender to Lesnar’s belt. Reigns took the three-count to end the match, and Joe has failed to defeat Lesnar in two consecutive tries. Strowman didn’t factor in the conclusion of the match, but he put the champ through two tables and forced him to be carried to the back on a stretcher before Lesnar eventually returned to score the pinfall.

Strowman is about as hot as anyone in the company, and WWE isn’t waiting to put on a match that could conceivably be near the top of the card at WrestleMania 34. The only question is whether WWE believes it’s time to put the strap on Strowman or if they should wait until New Orleans.

Cena made it clear who he wants in his next big match, appearing on “Monday Night Raw” for the first time since last year’s brand split. The 16-time world champ called out Reigns, though it looks like WWE will wait until WrestleMania 34 to make that match.

In the meantime, Cena could be starting a feud with Samoa Joe. The two went at it during a tag team match in Monday’s main event, and it would give Joe a notable opponent at No Mercy after more than holding his own in two consecutive PPV main events.

That tag match ended when Reigns pinned The Miz, likely giving the former Shield member a shot at The Miz’s Intercontinental Championship. The Miz is one of the few heels on the “Monday Night Raw” roster that Reigns has never feuded with, and the champ is deserving of a major program after fighting on the SummerSlam pre-show.

The blue brand’s next PPV could be headlined by a SummerSlam rematch. Jinder Mahal beat Shinsuke Nakamura to retain the WWE Championship, but he needed help from the Singh Brothers, once again. The Japanese wrestler defeated the Singh Brothers in a handicap match Tuesday night.

Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon are on a collision course towards a match at an upcoming PPV. Owens believes Shane screwed him out of winning the United States Championship as the referee during his SummerSlam match against AJ Styles, and Shane reversed the decision Tuesday night that would’ve given Owens the title.

Hell in a Cell on Oct. 8 is probably too early for Owens to face Shane, but the feud doesn’t seem likely to be drawn out until WrestleMania 34 in April. They could have a match at Survivor Series, where Shane also competed in 2016.

Shane hasn’t had a match since he was defeated by Styles at WrestleMania 33. He’s wrestled in three matches since returning to WWE TV a year and a half ago.