Roman Reigns is on the run of his career right now. The Tribal Chief character and his heel turn has made everyone finally recognize something that has been true for a long time: Roman Reigns is the absolute man.
Since returning at Summerslam, Reigns’ character has been a revelation. He is the best heel in wrestling, and has had a firm grip on the Universal Championship since winning it at Payback. Edge, Daniel Bryan, Jey Uso, and Kevin Owens have all failed to get the title away from him. That brings up the question: who should?
This is not me saying that Reigns needs to lose the title soon. If anything, WWE could have him hold it through until Wrestlemania 38. There will come a time when someone needs to take the title off of Reigns. Here are three options for the person to do it.
The On-The-Roster Option: Big E
Back in December of 2020, there were rumors that Big E was going to be pushed to the moon. He won the Intercontinental Championship, looked like a badass in a feud with Sheamus, and the sky seemed to be the limit. Even though WWE didn’t go the Big E route for the Royal Rumble, the fact remains he’s an incredible talent. He is crushing this singles run. WWE seemed to cool to the idea of him being elevated to the main event level. What if they were just waiting?
Let Reigns run through other opponents and have E do so as well on a parallel track. Both men can be positioned as dominant forces who are destined to collide. WWE can give E a big win in the Royal Rumble in 2022, setting up their collision. Reigns can take out his New Day brethren to get heat, and then Big E gets his big moment on the biggest stage.
The Big Push Option: Adam Cole
When Adam Cole gets to the main roster, he’s going to get pushed to the moon. He absolutely should be. Cole was the backbone of NXT for over two years, and his title runs were fantastic. Why not have him boosted straight to the top once he gets to the main roster?
Similar to when Finn Balor was brought up in 2016, Cole should get star treatment right away. Have him win clean against many established stars. Former world champions should be on Cole’s hit list. If we’re wondering why WWE struggles to make new stars, it is because they don’t commit like this often. Cole can be a centerpiece of the main event scene for a long time. What a way to get him over: have him end Reigns’ title run and become the man.
The Best Option: John Cena
Who better to bring down the top dog of SmackDown than the original top dog of SmackDown. WWE has one great John Cena storyline left: the quest to break Ric Flair’s record. Some have suggested that is the perfect way to turn Cena heel. They’re right, but it also will never happen. So for Cena to get cheers while chasing the record, he’s going to need to face the biggest heel they’ve got. That is Roman Reigns.
At this point, fans will love to see Cena return. Reigns seems unbeatable, so it will likely need to be a big name. There may be no bigger name to unseat Reigns than Cena. Have him return and stake his claim to the real head of WWE’s table. Reigns can send the Usos after him, beat him down, and create sympathy for the returning Cena. A match between Cena & Reigns would be a major money draw for Wrestlemania 38.
Those are three options for who could beat Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship. Who do you think should take his title? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter at @FPC_Wrestling.
