Miz - also undefeated at mania so is is passable
ADR - couldn't garner a pin drop, Taker and the streak deserve better
Wade - too green and would need to be carried
Randy - I could like that with his new work ethic
Dolph - he could be the guy with the way he is progressing
Christian - he's a joke and doesn't belong in the same ring at Mania with Taker, wat too low class
Booker - I don't see why, They don't even have huge history
Sheamus - yeah he can do it but I much rather picture him in a title match
Henry - makes sense with the Hall of Pain as he is the dominant force in the company
HHH - they have history, years of it, and he resulted in Taker being carted off
Kane - years of history, brothers, buried him alive twice actually
Cena - would have been my first choice but hey he has Rock
Jericho - he is a jobber to the stars and not credible or important enough
The thing people keep overlooking when you say they have that match, is that it alone isn't enough. They want and need to stack the deck to launch the channel that night. HHH/Taker is more important and bigger than anything that card can produce outside Cena/Rock. For the money they have put into the network, you go big, not just big enough.
You have to fit the criteria to challenge the streak now
- Credible, not just a jobber or transitional guy (axes out Christian)
- An actual draw who the fans care about (leaves Randy on the the fringe, axes Jericho)
- A guy who is safe enough to work with Taker and not hurt possible future matches, when he hasn't had a match in a year (bye Wade)
- the people must care about you (poor Alberto)
That match is money to casuals and even celebs, and you don't trust it to a guy who can't draw, isn't over, or is too wet behind the ears to keep Taker safe no matter what even with some rust.