Like him or hate him, Seth Rollins now stands on the mountaintop as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. The question is, with Brock Lesnar now suspended indefinitely, who is most deserving of the opportunity to knock him off?

Roman Reigns is certainly in contention, in the wake of an absolutely extraordinary year. He won the Royal Rumble Match, earned a Slammy Award as the Superstar of the Year, and has Speared and Superman Punched his way through the locker room with the help of his powerful arsenal. Moreover, he had his one-on-one title opportunity ripped out from under him when Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania. Add the fact that these two Superstars have a personal history together, and a showdown between them becomes almost impossible to pass up.

Then, there's the Superstar that actually pinned Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 31. Randy Orton is a 12-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He has already made overtures on SmackDown that he should be next in line, and he has a very strong argument. In addition to nearly taking Rollins’ head off with a mid-air RKO on The Grandest Stage of Them All, The Viper still speaks of never receiving his WWE World Heavyweight Title rematch last year. It’s worth mentioning that his adversarial relationship with The Authority reduces his chance at getting such an opportunity. But, if Triple H and Stephanie McMahon truly believe in doing what is “best for business,” they can do a lot worst than WWE’s Apex Predator.  

Of course, there are other champions in the equation that would pose tremendous challenges to Rollins. United States Champion John Cena is a 15-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion who is truly at the top of his game. Not only did he capture the U.S. Title back by handing the undefeated Rusev his first pinfall at WrestleMania, but he instantly reestablished himself as a fighting titleholder by starting the “John Cena US Open“ that would allow anybody to challenge him.

Need another choice? “YES!” Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion and new Intercontinental Champion Daniel Bryan and his “Yes! Movement would make an awesome contender for Rollins, one that the WWE Universe would be 100 percent behind.  Not only does he know what it takes to overcome adversity, but he’s also one of the most technically sounds Superstars on the roster with an incredible arsenal at his disposal. Plus, Bryan – who never actually lost his WWE World Heavyweight Title, but was forced to relinquish it due ot injury – was very close to facing Brock Lesnar at The Show of Shows, falling just short in a very tough match to Reigns at WWE Fastlane.

Among the many other Superstars with strong arguments, there are a handful of competitors that are hotter than they have even been before. Big Show, for instance, triumphed in the WrestleMania Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and, though he might be in league with The Authority, The World’s Largest Athlete would certainly not turn down a chance to recapture championship gold. Sheamus also deserves strong consideration, returning not only with a new look, but with the renewed aggression of a true world heavyweight contender.