Stephanie announced on Raw last week that Daniel Bryan should be stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but she didn’t want to have to do that so she told Daniel to be at Raw in person this week and surrender the title. It is completely unknown as of yet if Daniel will do as he is told or if he will continue to fight but if he was to surrender the belt, here are my top five picks for the next world champion.

Triple H

Stephanie mentioned him in her speech last week and it’s no secret that the King of Kings would love to climb back onto his throne one more time. The COO will have full control of who takes the title next and he won’t have to look any further than himself. He and Daniel Bryan had a well-documented feud heading into this year’s Wrestlemania and he would be quite possibly the best person to take the title and walk back into another feud with Daniel Bryan when he returns.

The problem with this is that Triple H already has a feud going on with The Shield and it seems this is feud is nowhere near and end. Also Triple H and Daniel Bryan ended their feud amicably and it wouldn’t be wise to rehash a feud that’s so fresh in the Universe’s minds.

Randy Orton

The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion lost the title to Daniel Bryan at Wrestlemania back in April and it seems Orton still hasn’t activated his rematch clause for the championship. Instead Triple H wanted to face Daniel Bryan the night after Wrestlemania and The Shield saved Daniel Bryan causing the current Evolution v The Shield feud to arise.

Randy, much like Triple H is still embroiled in this feud with The Shield, but if he found out he could be part of a number one contenders match for the title he lost two months ago you have to feel Randy’s ego would get the better of him and he would drop Evolution in favour of another title run.

Batista

Batista returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble and stated he was only returning to win the rumble and the World Title, he did in-fact win the Royal Rumble but failed to capture the world title back in April. Instead of continuing a feud with Daniel Bryan after Wrestlemania, he was instead put into this Shield v Evolution feud and it seems he has become quite annoyed with it.

Out of all three members of Evolution Batista seems like the one with the shortest fuse and looks like he will not only leave WWE to promote his film after Payback but I think he could cut his ties with Evolution if they don’t win next Sunday because he is fed up of being a loser. Him leaving ruins the plan that he could be world champion though, but he is one of the stand out competitors.

Kane

The monster has found his feet again after the travesty that was “Corporate Kane” he is slowly regaining the respect of the WWE Universe and since he is currently in a feud with Daniel Bryan and is the reason the popular superstar is injured, it is most likely that he should be the one to take the title because he can’t continue to hold it.

The only issue is that Kane, much like Batista is also set to go on hiatus after Payback and so can’t be World Champion if he’s not there to defend it.

CM Punk

After the chants that drowned out Stephanie during the speech she made on Raw, I had to include CM Punk into this list, Payback is in Chicago after all and it’s not the most unlikely thing in the world. CM Punk returns and wins the world title, makes up for him not winning the Royal Rumble.

I understand he is set to be married to AJ Lee next month and she is also set to return soon so it would completely make sense if CM Punk did return along with AJ and do what he does best, by carrying the company until Daniel Bryan returns.

This is just my opinion, as yet no one knows if Daniel Bryan will surrender the world title but if he does, there is a healthy breed of talent ready to step up in his absence and the WWE Universe will be back and as fully behind him as ever when he returns.

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