Who's The Next First Time World Champion in WWE?

[Hard Hit Prince]

In the past few months WWE has really tried to elevate some of their talents and the brand split has been really good in that regard. We've had Dean Ambrose, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens and AJ Styles becoming WWE World Champions for the first time. That's gotta be some record of sorts.

That got me thinking who you think has what it takes to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in WWE. I think you can check out the list of all WWE talent that hasn't won a world title yet and I've put the more plausible ones (that's subjective I know) on the poll, alongside the option of an NXT wrestler that you can point out in the comments.

To me, it just makes sense if it's Sami Zayn. WWE is still focusing on him and his feud with Kevin Owens could very well end up in them trading wins for the belt in the near future. Chris Jericho seems to be the kind of filler that can help Zayn get there and since Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins seem to be busy down the line with either the US Championship or a feud with Triple H, I think that he's the last real option left.

But who knows? Maybe Heath Slater can culminate his rise with a World Title win over AJ Styles (imagine the pop for that fluke! I'm also joking, sadly.) So, your turn. Who's the next first time World Heavyweight Champion?

 

[Terry Gyimah]

My pick for a first time ever WWE World Champion or a first time ever WWE Universal Champion will be an NXT guy either Samoa Joe or Bobby Roode either one of them are my picks should either one of them or both of them be called up to the main roster

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

Tough question. I think it will be a long time before we get a new first time champion, but my bet would be Bray Wyatt.

Wyatt debuted in 2013 and was one of the hottest stars. Wyatt watched Reigns, Rollins, Ambrose, Styles, Owens and Balor bypass him at the line and become champions, while he was there waiting for a chance.

I think it's time for that chance.

If not Wyatt, then definately Rusev, possibly in 2017 as Mr. Money In The Bank.

 

[ISkye]

Wyatt has been all over the place and in a completely honest answer I just want to see him with the belt. I get why he maybe has not gotten it in the past, but looking into the foreseeable future a lot of things in the way of it are cleared out.

 

[Azane]

They'll put the strap on Bray sooner or later, I think he's the top of this list, Cesaro, Vince doesn't like, so he's doomed to always be short, Brauns got months left to stomp before he can even do the midcard, and get booed for being unable to wrestle, Baron Corbin still puts the crowd in a sleeper hold.

Russev is my 2nd choice, I think he's been super entertaining and he's really surpassed what I expected out of a foreign heel. Once the Lana stuff and injuries are all cleared up, he might be in the main event picture.

Sami far 3rd, I still don't get what makes him so great. I loved the Generico Character and antics, but I find the WWE variation of Zayn to be kind of Generic (funny how that works). Only reason I even put him on this list, is they might push KO vs Sami for the 40th time, thinking it's this generations Cena vs Orton.

Then again, topics like this, a year and a half ago, I put Wyatt, so maybe I should stop holding my breath on them letting him do something besides job to the upper midcard.

 

[AegonTargaryen]

I'm going with Cesaro, Sami Zayn and Rusev (that's distant too).

Rusev could definitely be a world or universal champ some day.

And Cesaro- well- it's like I want him to- and yet he has no momentum , he doesn't get loud pops every single arena he steps into- something about him is just MEH. He's one of the Top 5 wrestlers in the WWE right now, and unarguably one of the Top 10 wrestlers in the world. May be even top FIVE (a list contended by the likes of AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura).

I feel Sami Zayn could be the next guy, and even that could take the next 1-2 yrs. He still feels like he has to do things in the Midcard first. Like he isn't ready, character-wise.

Kevin Owens on the other hand, was ready pretty much before Ambrose , but they gave Ambrose those opportunities, despite KO being better in the ring, on the mic, in every way than Ambrose. Nonetheless.

Braun Strowman is an IMPOSSIBILITY, unless they book him intelligently. And I do think they've been booking him well. He was very INTERESTING in the match against Sin Cara. Came across as intelligent. Interesting, to say the least.

Bray Wyatt, well, meh. The guy just lost to Kane.

Baron Corbin, no WAY, before Sami Zayn, Cesaro and Rusev.

 

[jpickens]

Bobby Rode either as WWE or Universal champion he fits the bill as what Vince wants in a champion.

 

[blueskyy]

I hope it's none of the above. You guys complain about booking all the time... Crowding a new champion on a new face this year or within the first half of next year is not good booking. They should focus on developing the feuds between the top guys more, instead of passing the belt around like a hot potato.

 

[stingray11214]

I think the next first time will be crowned at Mania. He will win it from AJ Styles. And his name is SHINSUKE NAKAMURA! His popularity worldwide is up there with Styles. Furthermore, you want to cement the hardcore fan. A Nakamura win will do just that. Everyone else on that list won't touch the Main Event now.

 

[kadroan]

I'd say Samoa Joe. I don't think he has much time in NXT. I could see him if Balor returns in time for WM, be the guy to beat Balor for the title. OR I could see him on Smackdown, he would be the guy that beat AJ for the title.

 

[S.J. Maximus]

Let me preface this by saying that I'm extremely drunk right now and not everything I say may make sense.

I love the OP's choice of Sami Zayn, I truly believe that he has everything necessary to become a top face in this industry and has already proven he can put on 5-star matches with multiple opponents. I, however, voted for the guy who I thought was going to retire as the 3rd best 3rd generation star of all-time Bray Wyatt. While Sami has all the tools and will be a great choice, I feel like Bray is a little bit closer to that first World Title win. Bray, despite having the worst winning % of any "top talent" in the history of wrestling, is unique in the sense that he debuted above the midcard and has never been presented as anything less since his debut. Right now he is arguably the 4th biggest star on his show while Sami Zayn might clock in around 7 or 8 on his. They both will be world champions but I think Bray is a little closer to the top of the mountain and that's why he got my vote.

Honorable mention: Shinsuke Nakamura (if they treat him like Balor he'll be World Champ in no time), Big Cass (The board is behind him, it's only a matter of time), Baron Corbin (If HHH gets more control of the main roster Baron will rise), Bobby Roode (Glorious legend of the business deserves his shot just like AJ)

 

[Xemmy]

Cesaro, Bray Wyatt, Rusev, and Samoa Joe seem like the most likely candidates in my book. It's not that I'm not pulling for a guy like Sami. I just don't see him getting pushed before those 4. Which admittedly is sad. And I feel like Cesaro may be the least likely gent on the list. If Bray stays uninjured for a year, I feel like the WWE title is an inevitable future for him, even with the shit booking. People still take Wyatt as a serious threat, even after all his losses. People still pop for the man. He's still got the best gimmick.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Cesaro

Don't hold your breath. I don't know why people around here just can't seem to grasp the fact that this guy is as boring and bland as you get if he's not wrestling. Period. It's so blatantly obvious to people who can be completely subjective. If he held the title for any longer than a month people would be complaining that fast. Maybe I need to start typing this in 5 languages for people to understand.

Bray Wyatt

Some people would laugh at this. And I agree to an extent that his booking hasn't always been good. But the fact that they still put him in matches against big time wrestlers shows that the company has some faith in him and he could be pushed at any given moment. If he didn't get injured, I think his face turn would've done him wonders. It came at an inopportune time though, because it was so brief before he got injured that him returning as a face wouldn't have had the same impact.

Rusev,

I'd like to see this, because he's great for a power guy. I think he will eventually, but not the next first time champ.

and Samoa Joe

All depends on how they book him. Even though he's spent so much time down in NXT, they could use his dominance as a way to propel him fast.

I'd also throw out that I think Cass will eventually get the title as well. They've already teased him in the main event briefly with that fatal four way, but he was the first eliminated. If/when him and Enzo split, he'll likely be moved up to that level shortly thereafter. He'll also be booed mercilessly if he's not a heel. Because reasons.

Of everyone, I'd have to guess Wyatt would the next first time world champ. I don't know anything about a few of the names people have mentioned from NXT, and no one else is ready now like Wyatt could be. His booking would only take months to fix and get to that level.

 

[Vanilla Midget]

I doubt we see another first time World Champion in 2016, unless significant injuries occur to multiple competitors on each brand.

For Raw it has to be Rusev and for Smackdown it has to be Wyatt, with mid to late 2017 being the nearest time for each.

Wyatt has to prove he can stay healthy for a long stretch before they'll put the title on him. They won't risk putting it on him until he can prove he can stay injury free.

NXT guys should be in the conversation. It took KO just over one year to win a world title, and Styles debuted and won the title in less than one year. Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura all could potentially be World Champions within just a few months to a year. The Styles title win proves this short turn around is possible for the seasoned outsiders.

Raw's title scene will be preoccupied with Owens and Rollins for the foreseeable future, with Balor coming back around for the title he never got to defend. That likely puts the brakes on any new champs there. Zayn may challenge KO on ppv, but he won't win this early.

Smackdown also has the 16th John Cena title win to contend with. They've started talking about it on air. Wyatt could take that 16th title from Cena, but again he's got to stay healthy.

All the picks on this list are highly likely, but all of them are lower down the rungs for priority. We've seen 2016's first time champions already. 2017 seems to be the soonest time possible.

 

[Blade]

I don't think there's going to be another first time World champion this year. We've had, what, 4 already so far? That's a HUGE number for one year. So I think WWE are going to keep on more established guys for the time being.

However, there are two people I could see being the next first timers. One is Sami Zayn, and the other is Samoa Joe. Zayn has been mentioning in his promos that it's his main goal to win the World Title one day. If he'd only said once, I wouldn't have read too much into it; but he said twice in (I think) two consecutive weeks. WWE are building a story there. And I think that, eventually they're going to give him a Daniel Bryan underdog storyline where he overcomes a ton of shit (maybe the Authority) before taking the title. There are definitely some plans there.

The second is Samoa Joe. I think he's likely to be given a monster push when he reaches the main roster. Maybe not to the level of Finn Balor, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Joe get a 2002-era Lesnar push. If he's on Smackdown, at least.

Apart from that, none of the other names mentioned in the poll will be anywhere near winning a World Title anytime soon.