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If I had to make a surprise pick, I'd go with Finn Balor. The Shield Triple Threat could happen, any Brock Lesnar match is going to be big enough, Taker will probably wrestle another match, Triple H and The Rock will be doing something, Sting will probably be there, etc. The deck is stacked and I think someone facing John Cena for the World Title is probably their "franchise" match at the moment. Finn Balor showing up and winning the whole thing would be a "Whoa! This guy is the real deal moment." His entrance at Mania would be huge, and the crowd will be rabid to see him dethrone 16-time World Champion, John Cena.
It's obvious that Balor is the guy they are grooming as the company-friendly face of the next era. He's not only been presented as a mega-star in the NXT realm, but he got the major story of The Beast in the East special. They have his story to the top ready to go. His slow exposure is happening right now. I don't see him debuting on the WWE's main roster as anything but a big deal.
He's not the colored shirts kind of guy, but they'll find a way to market him. And it's not like Cena is going away forever anyway.
Slightly safer pick? Roman Reigns. I can see him being slammed against Cena, but the more I think about it, the more I think the fans might pan that entire match. Even a Money in the Bank cash-in from Sheamus wouldn't save that, because he's another one of those guys that doesn't ignite the smart crowd. I think that if they put Reigns into the World Title match, then you almost have to put him against Seth Rollins. And if you want to include Dean Ambrose, then you probably have to have him win the Money in the Bank briefcase from Sheamus.
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