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Following the devastating news on Seth Rollins, who are the best options to replace him as WWE World Heavyweight Champion?
Yesterday at the WWE live event in Dublin, Ireland, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins suffered what was thought to be a tweaked knee in a match against Kane. Rollins went for a sunset flip powerbomb from the top rope but landed very awkwardly on his right leg. He finished off the match with a powerbomb through the table but had to be helped away by doctors.
Unfortunately, the prognosis on Rollins’ leg was not good.
ESPN’s Jonathan Coachman broke the news that Rollins suffered a torn ACL and MCL. He will be sidelined for 6-9 months and have to drop the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
BREAKING: Last night in Dublin, IRL, @WWE Champion @WWERollins suffered right ACL/MCL/medial meniscus tears; out 6-9 months.
— The Coach (@Thecoachrules) November 5, 2015
WWE will now be holding a tournament at Survivor Series to determine a new champion.
.@WWE to hold tournament at #SurvivorSeries to crown a new #WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
— The Coach (@Thecoachrules) November 5, 2015
All this was obviously the worst case scenario for Rollins and WWE. The former NXT Champion had made so much progress in becoming one of the new faces of the company. Now he’ll have to be sidelined for nearly a year to rehab a serious injury.
But with Rollins out, we have to look at who could win the tournament at Survivor Series to become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Click below to see our 5 best choices to become the new title holder.
Next: No. 1
Courtesy of WWE.com
Roman Reigns
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Roman Reigns already won the right to become the No. 1 Contender for the title at Survivor Series, so his placement on this list is obvious.
WWE has big things in store for Reigns and he’s probably the favorite to win this tournament and become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Many thought he would win the title at WrestleMania 32 in Dallas, TX next year, but with Rollins now injured, everything has changed. They could easily decide to put the title on Reigns and let him go with it for however long.
Putting the title on Reigns may be the best thing to do if anything. With Rollins, John Cena and Randy Orton all out, WWE needs someone to carry the load for a long time. Giving the former Shield man his time to shine may be the best case scenario. Risks have to be taken and the reward with Reigns could be high if he can live up to the hype that WWE management has for him.
Reigns still has a lot of work to do as an in-ring performer and a potential face of the company. His promos are still clunky and his wrestling isn’t quite “elite.” But then again, neither is Cena’s and he has led WWE for over a decade.
So if not Roman, who could replace Seth Rollins as WWE World Heavyweight Champion?
Next: No. 2
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Dean Ambrose
Dean Ambrose would seem to be the clear No. 2 in this race to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion at WWE Survivor Series. He is one of the top babyfaces the company has with John Cena and Randy Orton out, so there’s a chance the former CZW star gets a shot with the top title.
Ambrose has been no stranger to the main event scene since The Shield split in June 2014. He headlined WWE Hell in a Cell 2014, WWE Elimination Chamber 2015 and WWE Money in the Bank 2015 one on one with Rollins and proved to hold his own. The fans love him too, probably more than Reigns. They got behind him during his main event matches with Rollins and surely would if he got a chance to be the WWE WHC for the first time.
Ambrose was set to go into a WWE Intercontinental Championship feud with Kevin Owens, but those plans are probably scrapped now.
Ambrose and Roman Reigns could easily meet in the finals of this tournament whenever the details come out for it. This could be the beginning of a rivalry between these two with one turning heel. Would WWE pull the trigger on it? At this point, possibly, since Rollins is out and anything is probably an option right now.
Next: No. 3
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Kevin Owens
After losing his push towards the end of the summer, Kevin Owens has rebounded. He continues to win matches or not get pinned and is clearly being protected by WWE. This led to him winning the Intercontinental Championship from Ryback at WWE Night of Champions and successfully defending it at WWE Hell in a Cell a few weeks ago.
But with Seth Rollins now hurt, the plan could be changed for Owens. Could it mean him being pushed to the main event scene?
Owens is world-class on the microphone and heavily underutilized on it. He can cut a promo that’s better than anyone else on the roster. The crowds have also shown to get behind them when he feuded with John Cena during the summer. Plus, KO’s wrestling skills are fantastic. He showed them off during his series of matches with Mr. HLR, putting on three Match of the Year candidates that people will talk about in a month when it’s time to determine what was the best bout of the year.
So why not give him the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and let him showoff the skills that he displayed against Cena? We know it’s there, WWE knows it’s there, so it’s a matter of the latter giving him the push and making him the top title holder.
Next: No. 4
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Sheamus
Fans will be scratching their heads at this choice.
Sheamuswas being pushed as a top mid-card heel and even won the Money in the Bank briefcase at the WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view earlier this year. However, the Celtic Warrior’s use on TV has been questionable to say the least.
When Seth Rollins held the Money in the Bank briefcase, he made it feel important. While Sheamus has held it, it’s felt pointless. He hasn’t wrestled on a PPV since WWE SummerSlam (the kickoff at Hell in a Cell doesn’t count) or been involved in a feud since that show. So why not make the MITB briefcase important and give Sheamus a shot at being the champion?
The Celtic Warrior could cash-in on the Survivor Series tournament winner and become the new champion. He needs to use briefcase at some point before he becomes completely irrelevant. At this point, what’s the problem with him getting a chance at being the WWE World Heavyweight Champion? There’s not many options left with others hurt or out of action for other projects. WWE might as well see what he can do as a heel champion for however long he holds the belt for.
Next: No. 5
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Brock Lesnar
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Brock Lesnar may not be scheduled to return until Royal Rumble season, but at this point, what’s the harm in calling up arguably WWE’s biggest draw to return?
Lesnar had a WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign from WWE SummerSlam 2014 to WrestleMania 31, when Seth Rollins cashed in on him. While Lesnar was the title holder, he didn’t show up often due to the dates WWE assigned for him in his unique contract. The reign didn’t go over well with fans who wanted to see a champion always on TV. However, Lesnar delivered in his title defenses and put on spectacular matches with Cena, Rollins and Roman Reigns during this time.
Putting the title back on Lesnar would mean him getting more money for showing up for extra dates. If WWE wants to get a big attraction as their champion, though, it means putting the belt on Brock and going from there. He can hold it until WrestleMania 32 where Reigns would win the belt (the original plan for WrestleMania 31).
Lesnar is needed badly right now. It’s just the question of if WWE would pony up the cash to get him on TV.
Next: 3 Ways Seth Rollins' Injury Could Change Survivor Series
So who do you think is the best option to replace Seth Rollins as WWE World Heavyweight Champion? Let us know below.