Shane McMahon and the 5 Most Important People of WWE WrestleMania 34 Season

It's almost January, which means WrestleMania season is drawing near and that WWE's biggest card of 2018 is slowly beginning to take form.

Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan continue to slow-play their silent feud as Clash of Champions came and went without a heel turn from either authority figure. This seemingly endless jockeying for position between Bryan and McMahon figures to come with one of the more intriguing payoffs at what could be Bryan's final WrestleMania for now.

It still looks like all systems go for a showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, with Lesnar running through the Raw roster while Reigns is still in search of his first Universal Championship reign.

As per usual, WrestleMania will be a marathon broadcast with an impressive lineup. But five WWE Superstars and personalities will define this anticipated showcase.

Shane McMahon

Shane McMahon has become a focal point on SmackDown Live as an ambiguous babyface whose obsession with ridding WWE of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens is sapping him of his once foolproof popularity.

WWE has created several lanes for the long-term future of the McMahon character, but the most likely result is yet another heel tyrant from wrestling's first family.

McMahon has worked the past two 'Manias, and there's little reason to believe he won't be competing at WrestleMania 34. But after facing off against Kevin Owens inside Hell in a Cell, and with Daniel Bryan unlikely to be medically cleared to compete by WWE, there are limited options for an intriguing Shane McMahon match in New Orleans.

Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan will continue to be one of the most important and interesting WWE Superstars for the remainder of his WWE contract, which is set to expire in September, according to a tweet sent out by Bryan himself.

Bryan is knee-deep in a well-paced feud with Shane McMahon that, in any other world, would culminate in a match between the two at WrestleMania.

But in this world, WWE and Bryan are at an impasse. The former WWE world heavyweight champion is doing everything in his power to get cleared to fight while WWE continues to do right by its doctors, specifically Joseph Maroon, by keeping Bryan on the shelf, per F4WOnline (h/t Kevin O'Neal of Wrestling Inc).

Bryan's role at WWE's biggest show of the year will be pivotal. If another WrestleMania comes and goes without in-ring participation from one of its most popular stars, the chances of Bryan leaving for greener pastures figures to increase.

Asuka

WrestleMania will be critical for the ongoing streak of Asuka, assuming WWE has not shockingly ended it by then. 

If The Undertaker's unthinkable loss to Brock Lesnar in 2014 is any indication, no streak is safe in WWE, especially when the company is hungry for a WrestleMania moment. 

Asuka and her streak will be made more important should all these Ronda Rousey rumors come to fruition. The announcement of a women's Royal Rumble has come with ubiquitous speculation on whether Rousey will be involved. If she is, she would effectively chart her course to a potential match at WrestleMainia 34.

And while Charlotte Flair has told Arash Markazi of ESPN of her desire to headline the event alongside Rousey, Asuka represents the former UFC women's bantamweight champion's most compelling prospective opponent.

Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar has competed in the past five WrestleManias and is on pace to compete in his third world title match at the event should he retain the WWE Universal Championship through April.

Lesnar is a fixture of WrestleMania season, and the part-timer reared his head for every big-four pay-per-view of 2017.

Next year's WrestleMania will mark the one-year anniversary of Lesnar winning the Universal Championship from Goldberg, whom he defeated in a short—albeit highly entertaining—matchup.

As the longest-reigning universal champion of all time, the potential end of both his dynasty and WWE run will be a story to monitor throughout WWE's first two quarters of 2018.

Roman Reigns

As the biggest full-time star in WWE, every WrestleMania season doubles as Reigning season.

The history-making top star could be well on his way to becoming the first WWE Superstar since the immortal Hulk Hogan to headline at least four WrestleManias.

Reigns has been palling around with The Shield of late, a move that has succeeded in silencing his stubborn contingent of detractors. But Dean Ambrose is set to miss multiple months with a triceps injury, according to Mike Johnson of PWInsider (h/t Marc Middletion of Wrestling Inc).

Reigns is heavily rumored to be facing Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 34, with Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reporting as much (h/t Middleton). After their instant classic at WrestleMania 31, this potential rematch should have no problem silencing any of its critics once the bell rings.

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report and Forbes. Like him on Facebook.