Stomping Grounds: 5 Superstars Who Could Be Special Guest Referee

Days away from WWE’s next pay-per-view (PPV), Stomping Grounds, and a huge question mark remains after last night’s RAW as who will step into the role of “special guest referee” for the Universal Championship match between Baron Corbin and Seth Rollins. As speculation runs wild among the WWE Universe, here are some choices on potential candidates.

Shane McMahon

Seems like Shane-O-Mac is the most popular option as of right now. With Elias, EC3, and Eric Young out of the equation last night, Shane could be a likely candidate for a few reasons: he’s a heel who has an alliance to Elias (Baron’s original choice); he has no bonefide role in Stomping Grounds as of right now; his program with Roman Reigns could be wrapping up, with more of a focus on Reigns versus Drew McIntyre; and Shane is seeing a huge push into the spotlight as of right now. So many different things could unravel with Shane as the special guest ref. If Baron Corbin were to dethrone Rollins at the PPV, this could create even more massive heel heat on McMahon (and Corbin). Rollins coming out on top, despite Shane’s involvement, could also close the PPV on a very high note; further elevating Seth and his position as top face on RAW. McMahon seems to be forming a stable of sorts on both RAW and SmackDown LIVE, so adding Corbin to the mix would be that much more interesting.

Brock Lesnar

Could Mr. Money in the Bank also play the role of special guest referee? It could happen, and it would be interesting to see Lesnar “help” Corbin win the championship, only to cash in on him immediately after the fact.

Shayna Baszler

It doesn’t seem like the main roster needs an NXT callup at the current time, as both brands are saturated with talent; however, Shayna Baszler entering the women’s division on the RAW brand could create a nice stir. As it stands, there aren’t many massive female heels to challenge Becky Lynch other than Lacey Evans, with Nia Jax out with an injury, and Alexa Bliss more preoccupied with Bayley and the Blue brand championship versus Becky and her red belt. Lynch defeated Ronda Rousey, who happens to be a friend of Baszler’s, and the two could engage in a very interesting rivalry heading into SummerSlam. What does this have to do with Seth Rollins? We all know he’s dating Becky Lynch, and more recently, they’ve included this real-life relationship within storylines. Baszler is introduced as Corbin’s special guest referee; calls the match in favor of Baron; Lynch interferes; and you have a new and hot women’s program that unravels. Plus, no one is really expecting a woman to pop out as guest ref at this point, so it would offer a true surprise.

Bray Wyatt

It’s hard to ignore that Wyatt is on the cusp of making his presence known in that squared circle. The Firefly Funhouse segments have been incredible; however, it’s time for him to appear in the ring. Some could find it lame if he became Corbin’s special guest referee choice; however, there are so many ways that a setting could all unfold during the match to create a powerful impact for Wyatt’s re-entry into in-ring competition. He could turn on Corbin during the match; be Firefly Funhouse host to start the bout off, and then transform into Fiend during the bout; taunt both Rollins and Corbin with his Firefly Funhouse buddies on the Jumbotron: the possibilities are literally endless.

Sheamus

Sheamus has been out of action for a while now, and it is hard to say if and when he’ll be back working in that ring. If he is ready for a return, he’s well under the radar, so coming back as Corbin’s special guest referee would be very shocking to the WWE Universe, to say the least.