Ranking the 7 Most Likely Winners of WWE's New World Heavyweight Championship

During Monday's WWE Raw, Triple H revealed a brand-new championship to the world, but the name of the belt seems to indicate it will carry on the lineage of a previous title.

The WWE World Heavyweight Championship is going to serve as the top prize on Raw so Roman Reigns can keep the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on SmackDown.

The Tribal Chief unified the WWE and universal titles at WrestleMania 38 and has been ruling over the company with a gloved iron fist ever since. For a time, fans thought the company might split the titles again, but that no longer appears to be the case.

Since WWE has a draft coming up on Friday, the odds of the brand split going away anytime soon are slim. Having another top title to fight for is going to create more opportunities for everyone while allowing The Tribal Chief to continue his epic reign past 1,000 days.

The roster is stacked with several names who have been world champions before and could easily win gold again, but there are also a couple of stars who stand out and have yet to win anything beyond a midcard belt in WWE.

Let's take a look at the top choices to become the first holder of the new WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Honorable Mention: Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes was a tricky choice to include on this list because the way WWE has been telling his story has always indicated he will be the one to dethrone Reigns to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

Then again, many of us thought that would happen at WrestleMania 39 and got that wrong, so there is always a chance the creative team doesn't want the story to play out that way.

If The American Nightmare isn't the man to take down The Tribal Chief, then it wouldn't be surprising to see him become the first WWE world heavyweight champion with this new version of the title.

However, that would be a consolation prize. Rhodes should not win this belt because he absolutely should be the one who finally beats Reigns. As great as it would be to see him win this new title, it doesn't make sense from a storytelling perspective.

Having him beat The Tribal Chief would be far more satisfying.

7. Gunther

Gunther is in the middle of an epic reign as intercontinental champion, and if he can hold onto that title for another four or five months, he will surpass The Honky Tonk Man as the longest-reigning IC champion in the history of the company.

WWE clearly sees The Ring General as someone who can carry important matches and feuds, so if it really wants to give him a monster push toward the main event level, having him win the new world title while he still has the IC belt would be a great way to do it.

The number of people who have held a world and midcard title at the same time is low, so giving Gunther that kind of accolade would allow him to stand out as one of the most dominant Superstars in the company.

Even though he would be a great choice to hold both titles, WWE probably isn't going to go in that direction, which is why the Austrian is so low on our list.

6. Sheamus

For the past several years, Sheamus has been one of the greatest workhorses in all of WWE.

The Celtic Warrior has churned out countless excellent matches against opponents of all shapes and sizes, and he has done it all while putting over several people who have gone on to win major championships.

If there is anyone on the roster who has earned a world title run through hard work and consistency alone, it's Sheamus.

His time with The Brawling Brutes has allowed him to have some fun and engage in feuds with other teams, but it's time WWE started to consider giving him another main event push.

The Irishman is a little lower on the list due to not being booked as a realistic contender for a world title in a few years, but his track record and popularity make him a prime candidate to slot back into that position at any time.

5. Drew McIntyre

During the leadup to WrestleMania 36, nobody was hotter than Drew McIntyre. Unfortunately, that was during the pandemic when he was unable to capitalize on reactions from live crowds.

When he defeated Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship in 2020, The Scottish Warrior finally became what Vince McMahon had envisioned for him several years earlier when he was billed as a future world champion by the chairman himself.

While he helped get WWE through a tough time as one of the champions during the ThunderDome era, he has never quite gotten back to that level since losing the belt to The Miz after his second reign.

McIntyre is still a popular star with the ability to carry a brand on his shoulders. He falls right in the middle of the pack of likely choices to claim the new title, but nobody would question the decision if he was booked to win it.

4. Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley may be a former WWE champion, but it has never really felt like the company has thrown its full weight behind him as a top star.

This is a guy who at 46 years old, looks better than 99 percent of the roster, still moves like a man half his age and has the kind of power only a small percentage of human beings possess. He has everything you could physically ask for in a pro wrestler.

Management has been booking Lashley in strong positions for the past few years, so he would make a great candidate to become the first person to hold the new world title.

Whether he works as a babyface or a heel, The All Mighty can be a great asset. If WWE gets its act together and reforms The Hurt Business with MVP, his stock will go up even higher.

3. Brock Lesnar

As much as it may pain some fans who hate part-time wrestlers holding a major title, Brock Lesnar is always going to be considered for spots like this.

WWE has been going out of its way to make the commentators call him the most decorated combat sports athlete of all time, so it might be planting the seeds for him to claim another belt.

The new champion will be crowned in Saudi Arabia on May 27, and Lesnar has typically been present at past Saudi Arabia events. His feud with Cody Rhodes will lead to a match at Backlash on May 6, but both men might be focused on something else after that.

WWE has yet to reveal exactly how a new champion will be chosen, but a tournament seems like a strong possibility. If Lesnar is one of the participants, he will immediately become one of the favorites to win the whole thing.

2. Finn Bálor

Even though The Judgment Day have run into a few bumps in the road, the group has helped keep Finn Bálor on TV and in major feuds for over a year.

Not only is the Irishman someone who should definitely be eyeing the title, but he also has history when it comes to winning a belt for the first time.

Back in 2016, Bálor became the first universal champion when he defeated Seth Rollins at SummerSlam, but his reign was short-lived because he was forced to relinquish the title the following night due to a shoulder injury he suffered during the match.

That was almost seven years ago, though, and The Prince has yet to reach that level again. Like many people, he has held the intercontinental and U.S. belts, but becoming the first person to hold a world title for the second time is something nobody else in WWE history can claim.

If WWE really wants to make The Judgment Day more successful, having Bálor win the World Heavyweight Championship while Rhea Ripley holds the SmackDown women's title would be the perfect way to show the fans the company is invested.

1. Seth Rollins

For the past several years, Seth Rollins has been one of the MVPs in WWE. Nobody on the roster deserves a world title right now more than him.

The Visionary has reinvented himself several times, but the current version of his character has easily been the most popular because the fans can tell he is having the time of his life.

Every time he comes out, the crowd sings along to his entrance music as he dances his way to the ring in whatever ridiculous outfit he can find that week. On paper, it doesn't sound like anything special, but he makes it work.

Rollins has bounced from one random feud to another for far too long. It's time for him to take his rightful place at the top of the mountain again.

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All of the names listed here are realistic candidates to win the World Heavyweight Championship, but there are other deserving names on the roster. Who do you think WWE should crown as its new titleholder at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia on May 27?