The WWE just wrapped up Backlash, and is already putting its foot on the gas while aiming for the next big event on the horizon for both of its primetime TV brands. Triple H announced that a tournament will be held to crown the first World Heavyweight Champion of the new era, and that a number of fan-favorite superstars will compete for the honor to be the first to hold the new belt, as well as being the face of Monday Night Raw.
Thankfully, the WWE has officially already unveiled the names of those set to compete for the gold-plated glory, and the list contains a mix of superstars who are currently spread across both Monday Night Raw and SmackDown. Ultimately, two of these Superstars will go head to head for the final match in this tournament, which is set for the upcoming WWE event Night of Champions, but who will make it to the end?
Who Will Compete In The World Heavyweight Championship Tournament?
The WWE released a video announcing the names competing in the tournament for the World Heavyweight Championship, and if one of these guys wins, I'm going to need to alter my list of moves I liked and disliked from the 2023 draft. While we don't have a look at the tournament bracket just yet, here's the stacked roster fans will see filling out the tournament spots in the upcoming months:
- Seth Rollins
- Cody Rhodes
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- The Miz
- Sheamus
- Damian Priest
- Edge
- Rey Mysterio
- Finn Balor
- AJ Styles
- Bobby Lashley
- Austin Theory
WWE fans certainly shouldn't be surprised to see some of those names making the cut. Cody Rhodes is still red-hot in the WWE, despite losing to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, and marquee athletes like Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley will always be in the conversation when it comes to major titles.
One surprise to me was the inclusion of AJ Styles, who's been largely absent from the ring since breaking his ankle near the end of 2022. Styles truly seems like a great choice to win it all as the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion, especially as someone in this lineup with no clear storyline at the moment. Assuming he stays healthy enough to do it.
I think the gut reaction many wrestling fans probably have is that this will turn into another win for Cody Rhodes, and that point-of-view gained cred after his decisive win against Brock Lesnar at Backlash. At the same time, it's been pointed out that the former AEW star winning the World Heavyweight Championship would not be "finishing the story" by way of Roman Reigns.
Since Reigns himself is not listed among the contestants in this tournament, it would seem the undisputed Universal Champion is ineligible for this honor while he holds two other titles. Similarly, Cody could ultimately be ineligible to challenge Reigns should he win the Heavyweight belt. Cody's brother Goldust pointed out the WWE is seemingly making him "earn" another title shot against Reigns, so would winning this tournament and being ineligible hurt the odds of that happening?
WWE's Night of Champions pay-per-view is happening on Saturday, May 27th, which means the tournament will begin with two triple-threat matches across respective upcoming episodes of Monday Night Raw and SmackDown. The winners of each brand's two triple-threat matches will then face each other, with the winner advancing to the final at Night of Champions.
Ultimately, viewers will need a Peacock Premium subscription to watch the championship match outside of normal PPV avenues. While it's possible that someone from SmackDown will win the title, we've already been assured by Triple H that this title will remain a part of Monday Night Raw. That means the SmackDown superstar will have to switch brands if they win, which I can't imagine they'll be upset about, given the circumstances that would have to occur for it to happen. We're in for an exciting couple of weeks, and I can't wait to see who will be the champion!
Catch the beginning of the World Heavyweight Championship tournament on Monday Night Raw on USA on Monday, May 8th at 8:00 p.m. ET. The second half of round one will kick off on SmackDown over at Fox on Friday, May 12th at the same time. Tune in, and see superstars throw down for a chance at making history.
