Who Will Be The Next WWE Champion? Rusev, AJ Styles Could Win ‘SmackDown’ Title

Randy Orton won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 33, defeating Bray Wyatt in one of the card’s top matches. The 13-time world champion probably won’t drop the belt soon, but WWE has given an indication regarding which superstar might eventually beat Orton in a title match.

It appears that Rusev, who was sent from “Monday Night Raw” to “SmackDown Live” in WWE’s Superstar Shake-up, might be getting a shot at the show’s No.1 title. In a video on Tuesday’s show, the Bulgarian Brute announced that he wouldn’t wrestle for the blue brand unless he gets a championship match at Money in the Bank on June 18.

Rusev didn’t specify which championship he was referring to, but it’s pretty clear that he wasn’t talking about the United States Championship or the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. “SmackDown Live” commissioner Shane McMahon and general manager Daniel Bryan have yet to make a decision, though it seems that WWE is positioning Rusev for a title match.

A WWE Championship match certainly doesn’t mean Rusev will win the belt. Just look at Jinder Mahal, who’s scheduled to face Orton for the title at Backlash on May 21. Even though Jinder is getting the biggest push of his career, there doesn’t seem to be any real chance for him to win.

Rusev, however, is a different case. He’s one of the most talented wrestlers on the main roster with the chance to be one of the company’s top heels. WWE showed how high they were on Rusev when he began his career with a lengthy undefeated streak, and he was pinned for the first time against John Cena at WrestleMania 31.

Currently off TV as he recovers from an injury, Rusev should be one of the biggest heels on “SmackDown Live” in the second half of 2017. The show is in desperate need of heels that can perform in the main event, following the departures of Bray Wyatt and The Miz to “Monday Night Raw.” Getting Kevin Owens in the shake-up certainly helps, but that is essentially canceled out by AJ Styles’ babyface turn.

If it isn’t Rusev that takes the belt off Orton, Styles is probably the best bet. He’s arguably the best wrestler in the world at the moment, and his first year in WWE was about as good as any in recent memory.

Styles had tremendous success as a heel in 2016, and his match with Cena was maybe the year’s best. In 2017, WWE will look to capitalize on his popularity, and he shouldn’t be away from the WWE Championship picture for too long.

Styles has an upcoming United States Championship match against Kevin Owens. The loser of the feud could very well go on to fight for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2017.