Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan Will Emerge from WrestleMania 34 as the Faces of WWE

WWE WrestleMania 34 on April 8 is guaranteed to give fans many memorable moments, but the show should also lay the groundwork for the coming months of programming on Raw and SmackDown Live, with Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan at the helm.

Regardless of your thoughts on either individual, there is no denying the company has plenty invested in presenting both men as big stars. Reigns has been more of a long-term project, whereas Bryan's recent return to the ring will allow him to reclaim his place in the pecking order as a top star.

Based off how they have been booked lately, it's clear they will be their respective brands' leaders following WrestleMania.

Credit: WWE.com

Reigns has been the heir apparent to the throne once occupied by John Cena for years, though the fans have rejected him at every turn. Nevertheless, that hasn't stopped the company from positioning him as the face of WWE, giving him wins against Triple H, The Undertaker and John Cena.

Universal champion Brock Lesnar will soon be added to the list of opponents Reigns has beaten come WrestleMania. It's unknown what his future will hold after the event, but it's all but confirmed Reigns is being groomed for the spot Lesnar holds.

The Big Dog's Universal Championship triumph has been an inevitability for nearly two years, so it should come as no surprise he is bound to be in possession of it for many months following his victory over Lesnar on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

As for the SmackDown side of things, the show is so stacked with star power that there are a handful of guys who could take the ball and run with it post-WrestleMania. WWE champion AJ Styles is chief among them, but he could well be headed to Raw in the next Superstar Shake-up.

In that case, that would essentially solidify Shinsuke Nakamura as the biggest babyface on SmackDown. After all, he will be contending for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania and will likely leave New Orleans as the champ.

However, even if he does capture the title, Nakamura's promos are proof he isn't ready to lead the charge on SmackDown, at least not the same way the ultra-popular Bryan could.

Bryan never had a lengthy stay in the main event scene when he broke through WWE's proverbial glass ceiling. Shortly after headlining WrestleMania XXX, he was sidelined with an injury being before brought back in a midcard role the following year.

Three years removed from his last televised match with WWE, Bryan is still as highly regarded by the audience as ever before. To feature him in anything less than a prominent position would likely cause fans to revolt—again.

For as much as he has done to help elevate the blue brand to new heights in recent years as its general manager, WWE's resident "Yes!" man could do so much more to make SmackDown the A show again with his explosive in-ring style than he can with pointless backstage encounters with Shane McMahon.

Lesnar is the last rival Reigns needs to conquer in order to solidify his status as the face of Raw. He has been long overdue for a lengthy reign as universal champion, during which he could continue to prove himself as an elite athlete by beating the best the flagship show has to offer.

While Reigns dominates the competition on Monday nights, Bryan should serve as the centerpiece of SmackDown and immediately ascend in the ranks after WrestleMania 34. All signs point to the company running with them as WWE's standard-bearers moving forward, which should make for compelling programming on both brands.

The beauty of the brand split is that several Superstars can shine at one time, and with Reigns and Bryan ruling the roost on their respective shows, WWE's future will be in good hands.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.