5 Options To Replace Seth Rollins As WWE World Heavyweight Champion

While nothing has been confirmed as of this writing, it seems very likely that WWE will soon need to crown a new World Heavyweight Champion.

Seth Rollins appears to have suffered a significant shoulder injury, which most likely occurred during his coast-to-coast diving headbutt on Cody Rhodes at WWE Crown Jewel this past Saturday.

There's naturally going to be some skepticism surrounding any Seth Rollins injury after he faked a serious knee problem earlier this summer. Unfortunately, this injury is reportedly legitimate, and The Visionary is potentially looking at having surgery to correct the issue.

Monday morning's attack by Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed on Raw was reportedly done as a way to write Rollins off of television, as he is currently staring down the possibility of spending the next few months on injured reserve.

Obviously, if that's the case, he will be forced to relinquish the World Heavyweight Championship.

So... who steps up to fill his shoes? Let's start with the most obvious answer.

Bron Breakker

Bron Breakker is going to be the guy in WWE for years to come. It's so obvious to anyone who watches the product on a regular basis. The 27-year-old is going to win multiple World Heavyweight and WWE Championships in his career. The only question is whether the future becomes the now with Seth Rollins likely out of action for the foreseeable future.

Having Breakker carry the World Heavyweight Championship until The Visionary is ready to come back and fight for it makes the most sense from a storyline standpoint. The Badass may not be fully ready for the lengthy promo work and extensive media obligations that come with holding the title, but there's no one better to help him along in that arena than Paul Heyman.

Bronson Reed

The Auszilla is coming off WWE Crown Jewel where he became the first man to pin Roman Reigns in a singles match since Cody Rhodes did it at WrestleMania XL. That's the type of victory that should rocket someone to the top of the card. That loss for Reigns is why The OTC is not included on this list. He's also still listed as a SmackDown Superstar. Though that doesn't matter all that much.

Bronson Reed has proven to have the size, strength and in-ring ability to be a dominant World Heavyweight Champion and he absolutely deserves heavy consideration from the WWE creative team.

That said, if either one of the Brons becomes the next man to hoist the title, it's going to be Breakker. He was the one who orchestrated the turn on Rollins this past Monday, with Reed and Heyman following his lead.

CM Punk

If WWE isn't quite ready to crown a brand new World Heavyweight Champion, it would make a ton of sense to put the title right back around the waist of CM Punk. For starters, he's the current No. 1 Contender. The self-proclaimed 'Best in the World' earned that right Monday Night on Raw when he pinned Jey Uso in a triple threat match. Uso taking that fall, by the way, is why he's been excluded from this list.

Punk has the experience and popularity to slide right into Rollins' spot as the focal point of the Red Brand. His history with Paul Heyman and recent battles with The Vision also make him the ideal candidate to slot in as the main protagonist for the (currently) trio to go up against.

Having Punk win the title back would also complete the story arc from Rollins' Money in the Bank cash-in at SummerSlam, and give him his first real reign in well over a decade.

LA Knight

You may be asking yourself, really? LA Knight? YEAH! Let me talk to you about this one. WWE's booking of the Megastar over the last few years, while still a million times better than Vince McMahon trying to make him a male model manager, has never really put him in a position to be considered the top guy on Raw or SmackDown.

With the World Title picture now completely up in the air, why not go ahead and reward Knight's great character work and his unwavering fanbase?

Despite his inconsistent booking, Knight has been one of the most over acts in the company for years now. He's just always been stuck behind the lengthy title runs from guys like Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes and Gunther, or found himself blocked by the even more popular 'YEET!' movement.

The Megastar still owns the most recent victory over Rollins and he wasn't pinned during Monday's triple threat match. He still has an argument to make for getting a shot at the title.

Gunther

Don't think we've forgotten about The Ring General. Gunther has been out of action since he lost to CM Punk at SummerSlam, but he's due to return soon after undergoing surgery to correct a nose issue. This is a man who is always in the title picture and rightfully so.

Gunther is among the most believable competitors in the sport today and the prospects of him facing the likes of Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, and even Brock Lesnar as the World Heavyweight Champion are very exciting.

There have also been rumors that Gunther is under consideration to be John Cena's final opponent at Saturday Night's Main Event in December. Putting the World Heavyweight Championship back around his waist could set up his second title defense this year against a retiring Superstar. He defeated Goldberg in Atlanta back in July. He could very well do the same to the 'Greatest of All-Time' in just two months' time.

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