WrestleMania 28 Results: Sheamus and the Top 7 Challengers for the World Title

Sheamus is the new World Heavyweight Champion after defeating Daniel Bryan Sunday night at WrestleMania 28.

In 18 seconds.

For this writer, that's another column for another day.  Chances are, fans will be reading Bleacher Report analysis on that particular match for months to come.

This one is about the man who is now wearing the gold, and the men who may just be lining up to challenge for that gold.

To be honest, not all of the men on this list may be in the world title picture right now, but they surely could be.  Anytime a new champion is crowned, it's anyone's game, and who knows what will happen on SmackDown this Friday night.

With that, here we go.

7. Wade Barrett

Okay, so Wade's on the shelf with an injury.

So what?

The fact is, Wade and Sheamus have had some nice heat in the past, heat that has not really led to any satisfying conclusion.

What better way to capitalize on their past feud than to throw the world title into the picture?

Sheamus brings a vicious ferocity to the ring, and that has always paired nicely with Wade's calculated intensity.  They have had some good matches before, and that history would bode well in a rivalry when Wade returns from injury.

Wade was once thought to be one of the next top guys, and this could very well be a chance for him to reach that level.

But, one thing at a time, as the real excitement and drama here would be in the rivalry itself.

6. Randy Orton

I know what you're thinking.

An injured wrestler at No. 7, and a guy who lost in WrestleMania at No. 6.

I know.  Go figure.

But, here's the thing.  When Randy Orton is in your locker room, and your name is Vince McMahon, then you always have an option.  If Sheamus were to get injured and you needed a go-to guy, then Orton is there, ready to go.

He is a proven commodity, and despite the fact that he has not worn the gold since dropping to Mark Henry last year, he could reemerge at any time as a contender for the top championship.

Then, there's always the possibility that he could turn heel again at some point, which would create even more drama between him and Sheamus.

Randy has not been "the man" in quite a while.  Is his time coming again soon?

5. Mark Henry

The last time Sheamus had a war with Mark Henry, the two men went through the ringside barricade.

Now that is intensity.

Two strong, physically intense brawlers going at it tooth and nail, destroying everything in their path, all in the name of annihilating each other.

Though Henry has not been in the title hunt for a while, now that Sheamus is the man on top, there is every reason to believe that these two will hook up again, hopefully sometime in the near future.

Sheamus is at his best when he is physically tested by an opponent who cannot only take a beating, but deliver one as well.  Few men on the SmackDown roster can do that like Mark Henry can.

The World's Strongest versus the Great White.  Something tells me that match would go a lot longer than 18 seconds.

4. Big Show

Big Show is the new Intercontinental champion, and despite the way things are done in WWE, the fact is, the secondary title is usually the stepping stone to the top.

Plus it's Big Show.  How can he not be considered a threat?

Yes, he's a face like Sheamus.  And, no, they have not had a problem with each other as of late.  But, when the World Championship is in play, all bets are off.

Besides, in this day and age of WWE, faces work each other all the time and can leave the match with their characters still intact.  This could be the case if Show were indeed pitted against Sheamus.

And, if you thought Mark Henry and Sheamus could tear the house down, what about Sheamus and Big Show, especially with the world title at stake?

3. Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes' Intercontinental Title loss at WrestleMania to some fans means that he is no longer the champion, and his spot may now diminish on the program.

To me, however, this only means that now his waist has room for another championship.

For the better part of two years, all of the talk about Cody is that he is heading up the ladder.  Every match, every win, every opportunity that he has had, is all leading up to something big.  It's all leading to his eventual rise as the next big superstar in the company.

It may not have come just yet, but now that a baby face is once again world champion, and Cody is no longer the IC titleholder, then the time may be perfect for Rhodes to rise to the occasion.

Cody's mind games may not have worked on Big Show, but they were entertaining, and to see him take it to Sheamus would be another level of drama for both men.  They match up well, and this could very well be Cody's chance at world title immortality.

2. Kane

With his victory over Randy Orton at WrestleMania, Kane is once again back in the winner's circle of WWE.

And it's about time.

Following his feud with John Cena that did virtually nothing for him, Kane seemed to be heading down as quickly as he rose up since he returned in the classic masked gimmick.

But now that he has a quality win under his belt against one of WWE's top guys, he is once again on an even playing field.

A playing field that includes the world title perhaps?

Sheamus versus Kane would be a great matchup.  Kane's style is one that would complement that of Sheamus, and for the new champ, nothing is better than an all-out fight to make his day.

Kane's heat with Orton may indeed continue, but after it's over he could set his sights on Sheamus, and for me that would be a great step in the right direction for the Big Red Monster.

Big Red versus Great White.  Good stuff there.

1. Daniel Bryan

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Probably not what Daniel Bryan was saying when he was told the match would last only 18 seconds.

For me, the most disappointing part of that loss was the fact that many of us wanted to see Bryan perform as champion on the grand stage of WrestleMania.

But, of course, that did not happen.  

However, despite how fast he lost, or why it was done in that fashion, Daniel Bryan has to be considered the first guy in line for a world title shot against Sheamus.  He is the man whose waist is still warm from wearing the gold after all, and it seems that this feud with Sheamus was just getting started.

Daniel Bryan may or may not recapture the world championship, but he is surely the man at the top of the list for Sheamus' first title defense.