On the April 24, 2023 episode of Raw, Triple H unveiled the brand-new WWE World Heavyweight Championship. It was also announced that the new champion will be crowned at the Night of Champions PLE. Following the draft, WWE made it clear that the new World Heavyweight title will be exclusive to Raw, as Roman Reigns has been drafted to SmackDown along with the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
At a press conference in Puerto Rico last week, Triple H provided further information regarding the crowning of the new World Heavyweight champion. The Game announced that the World Title tournament will begin on Raw after Backlash. The first stage of the tournament will be two triple-threat matches on Raw. And the winner of both matches would face off later that night, and the winner of that bout would be the finalist.
Moreover, the tournament is not exclusive to Raw superstars only, as the same scenario of matches is announced for SmackDown this week as well. Two triple-threat matches featuring SmackDown superstars will take place, and similarly later that night the other finalist will be determined. At Night of Champions, Both the winners from Raw and SmackDown will be competing for the World Heavyweight Championship.
List of competitors in the World Heavyweight Championship tournament
Following the announcement of the World Heavyweight Championship tournament, WWE recently announced the list of 12 competitors in the tournament. Out of the 12 superstars, six are from Raw:
- Cody Rhodes
- Seth “Freakin” Rollins
- Finn Balor
- Damian Priest
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- The Miz
Who is your pick to win the entire tournament and become the NEW World Heavyweight Champion at #WWENOC? pic.twitter.com/fgIjYHnRIQ
— WWE (@WWE) May 7, 2023
While the title would be exclusive to Raw, the tournament also consists of six superstars currently drafted to SmackDown. List of superstars from SmackDown who will be competing in:
- AJ Styles
- Bobby Lashley
- Austin Theory
- Edge
- Rey Mysterio
- Sheamus
Moreover, fans are wondering what happens if someone from SmackDown wins the World title. Nonetheless, it was made clear by the WWE CCO, Triple H that the new World title would be exclusive to Raw regardless of the winner from either brand. So apparently, if the SmackDown superstar will be crowned the new champion, he will automatically be transferred to Raw along with the title.
Who will be the winner of the World Heavyweight Championship tournament?
While the names of superstars from both Raw and SmackDown have been made official, fans are yet to find out who will be in which triple-threat match. Well, it will surely be made clear with the commencement of the tournament on Raw. Furthermore, the question should be who is the top contender to win the World title out of 12 competitors.
Puerto Rico crowd chanting Seth Rollins name after the world heavyweight title tournament is announced
HE’S HIM pic.twitter.com/802QPuzPo0
— Real-EST (@WrestlinRealest) May 5, 2023
Ever since the new World Heavyweight Championship has been unveiled, Seth Rollins is rumored to be the first champion. However, with the SmackDown superstars also being in the race, someone like AJ Styles, Edge, etc. from the Blue brand could also be a top contender for the title.