Top 5 Roman Reigns Matches That Still Need to Happen
Photo Credit: WWE
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If you would’ve guaranteed me before the COVID-19 pandemic happened, that we would be in the current situation we are in with the face of WWE, I would’ve taken you to Vegas and the cash would just be flowing. No one could have seen this coming. Not even the great, wise Vince McMahon, who has turned many superstars over the years into cash cows, could’ve seen this. Don’t believe me? Let me catch you up.
The Shield splits in 2014 and 3 of the brightest superstars in the wrestling industry are on their own (Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins). Seth Rollins was the one that found the most immediate success as he was paired with Triple H, won Money in the Bank, cashed in for arguably the greatest moment in WrestleMania history and became World Champion. From there a major knee injury set him back but upon his return, was doing even better work as a babyface, won the title again, had some hiccups but ultimately, after becoming a 2x Grand Slam Champion, is now one of the most popular wrestlers in the company. Dean Ambrose had many hiccups of his own, but also won the World title, IC title, tag team title and became widely popular. Creative differences reared their ugly head, thus resulting in Ambrose leaving the company in 2019 to join a start-up company called AEW under his former indy scene persona, Jon Moxley. And for those of you keeping up, I think that worked out pretty well for him. But then there’s Roman Reigns. The man who was seemingly supposed to be the star of the trio but yet, it just wasn’t happening. No matter how hard the creative and writing team tried, the people just were not buying Reigns. WWE went as far as to having Roman win the 2015 Royal Rumble and had his cousin, The Rock, raise his hand at the end of the night. Now, on that night, the people wanted someone else (Daniel Bryan, imagine that), so it ultimately made things worse for Reigns. Everyone thought he would dethrone Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31, which made the fanbase even more upset. But the aforementioned Rollins moment happens and Roman is left in limbo. Fast-forward, Roman wins the title, loses it, wins it back and loses it again. He would also defeated the Undertaker at WrestleMania, fall in defeat to Brock Lesnar the following year, which was his fourth consecutive WrestleMania main event. But still, no matter how many legends WWE threw his way and how great creative made him look, the fanbase wasn’t buying it. But then tragedy strikes and Roman’s real-life battle with cancer comes back which forces him to take time off. He returns and it seems the fan base is more supportive after his time away, so we see him back in the main event picture until the COVID-19 pandemic hits. This forced Roman to the sidelines again as not only was he taking care of himself but his family as his wife had just given birth to twins.
But on August 23, 2020 at SummerSlam, we would see Roman Reigns return, and capture the Universal Championship on August 30, 2020 at Payback. However, this was a different Roman Reigns, aligning himself with Paul Heyman and adopting “The Tribal Chief” persona. Roman Reigns was finally a heel but it was in front of no one. This gave Roman time to craft his character, his promos, his mannerisms and everything that went into this character, so that when the live crowds came back, Roman was a whole new person. And the people loved it. Now, Roman did get booed because he’s the heel and wrestling fans know to play along, but Roman has been so widely accepted since this turn that he is now truly the face of the company. Oh, and he’s still the Universal Champion, and has not lost it once, despite facing the likes of Edge, Daniel Bryan, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins and so many more. On May 26, 2023, if Roman Reigns is still the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, he will reach the 1,000 day mark, a feat only 4 other wrestlers in the industry’s history has reached. Many wrestling fans anticipate this streak continuing well passed the 1,000 day mark; some even believe we could see Roman hold the championship until WrestleMania 40, which would allow him to surpass Pedro Morales and Bruno Samartino (the first of his two runs). In order to become the longest reigning champion in the history of WWE, Roman Reigns would have to hold the championship until May 4, 2028. Now, most wrestling fans don’t anticipate that happening but as they say in wrestling, “never say never.”
With that being said, while this reign of the Tribal Chief continues, there are the Top 5 opponents we still need to see before Roman is finally dethroned. Much like my other articles, these are my personal choices for Reigns matches. This specific list is not something I found on a list from WWE, or find this on another site; this is strictly my opinion. But I would love to hear your feedback, so comment below or follow me on Twitter (@chrisbelcher24). Also, much like my other lists, before we get to the actual countdown, there are a few honorable mentions that didn’t quite make my Top 5.
Honorable Mention: Bray Wyatt
Let’s start the list with some controversy, shall we? Bray Wyatt has been one of the most polarizing figures in the history of WWE, as most people look at everyone he has worked with and claim they just aren’t the same afterward (both positively and negatively). You could certainly make that argument when it comes to Bray’s Fiend persona. Recently, reports surfaced that allegedly Bray was set to battle Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania but the Beast refused to work with Wyatt due to the above reason. Upon Bray’s return to the company in October 2022, many fans were excited to see this new version of Wyatt but despite injuries, illnesses, and rumored backstage politicking, we have yet to see the full character on display. But as wrestling fans, we also know that the popularity and mystery of Bray Wyatt would be an interesting challenge for the Tribal Chief. Many fans do want to see this and for them, I include Bray as an honorable mention. I certainly believe he is worthy of a World Title shot but Bray is a character you really have to be careful in your booking decisions. I just think putting him against Roman Reigns during this run would actually do more harm than good for both of them.
Honorable Mention: Shinsuke Nakamura
This one is one we thought we were getting late last year. There was a brief tease and a match for Tribute to the Troops, but not a long-term feud. After the one encounter, Nakamura went to Japan to face The Great Muta in his last 1-on-1 match, and then took a hiatus until his recent return. I believe this is a match that most fans have been clamoring for since Nakamura eliminated Roman to win the 2018 Royal Rumble. Since that night, one could make the argument that Shinsuke is not relevant enough to challenge Roman. I think given the right push, the right build and the right story, this would be a very compelling match. These two have such an interesting contrast in styles, and it would really interesting to see how they work together.
Honorable Mention: Sheamus
Much like Nakamura, this is a match we thought we would get towards the end of 2022 and potentially at the Royal Rumble. 2022 was an absolute banner year in WWE for Sheamus, one many could argue is the best year of his career. So what better way to top that off than a match with the Head of the Table? Well we didn’t get it but I believe if the story presented itself again, the match would feel just as big as before. Even as a heel, Sheamus has always been well-respected in the business, both my his peers and by fans. Not just respect but widely popular as well. This would make for a great dynamic in the match because it seems like most of Roman’s best matches have come against people who are very popular with the fans (Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Drew McIntyre, etc). And when it comes to in-ring talent, combining Sheamus’s hard-hitting style with the power of Roman Reigns makes for a great matchup.
5. Pat McAfee
I started the Honorable Mentions with controversy so I may as well begin the actual countdown with controversy. Since Vince McMahon bought the WWF from his father in the early 80s, he has had a clear goal of integrating professional wrestling into pop culture. And an easy way to do that is bring celebrities into the world of wrestling, whether that’s a one-off appearance or actually getting in the ring. In 2020, we saw the emergence of former NFL punter turned sports talk show host Pat McAfee in NXT. McAfee would feud with Adam Cole, compete in War Games and ultimately land the color commentary spot on Friday Night SmackDown and find his way into several big matches on the main roster as well. Normally, celebrities are very protected, put in tag team matches or other situations where they can really succeed. But Pat McAfee has shown that he’s capable of performing on the big stage, both in-ring and on the mic. So why does that make him a viable contender for Roman Reigns you ask? Because the fans absolutely love Pat McAfee! His infectious energy, charisma and zeal for life is very contagious, not to mention how entertaining he is. It would certainly be a different matchup for Roman but one that I think would be very believable. I mean, Logan Paul had a fantastic match with Roman, why not have Pat McAfee get a shot? Just imagine the promo wars that would take place!
4. Bobby Lashley
Now that both Roman and Bobby Lashley are on the SmackDown brand, I think it is highly likely we see this feud. And it may even be Roman’s next feud for Night of Champions, but as of the time of publication, nothing has been announced or even hinted at. I know that I am certainly in the minority when I say this, but when Lashley returned to WWE in 2018, he had a series of matches with Roman that I thought were really good. Most people do not look at it that way because of the way everyone perceived Roman at the time, which was he’s been shoved down our throat and we don’t care how “good” he is. Those handful of matches are the only time we’ve seen these two powerhouses square off. And since then, both men have really found their character, found what works for them, and now it’s time to bring it back. I could see a scenario where the Hurt Business is brought back (even if it’s temporarily) to help combat the Bloodline in this feud. I know that the Usos vs. Cedric Alexander/Shelton Benjamin would be incredible! And since MVP is representing Omos, if you added him to the group, I know it would be quite the spectacle to see the Nigerian Giant face Solo Sikoa. Regardless of how creative books this, I can’t believe we’ve gone this far in this version of Roman Reigns and have not seen him face Bobby Lashley.
3. Randy Orton
Talk about another superstar that you would think would have already faced Roman Reigns yet but has not. The Viper, the Legend Killer, the man that seemingly every new champion must feud with – Randy Orton. I will preface this portion of the article by saying I know Randy is currently injured and we’re unsure as to when he will return, which has also held up the match. This initial feud did happen shortly after the Shield split but nothing since. But, I will say that I’m glad we haven’t seen this match on this run yet, with the reason being it wouldn’t have had the same effect. I truly feel that Randy Orton’s popularity has surged even more since his partnership with Matt Riddle and because he’s been gone with injury. The combination of those two things has really allowed the fan base to appreciate Randy even more. We know Randy can go and can get the most out of Roman Reigns from an in-ring perspective. If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you know the accolades and accomplishments of Orton, so I don’t have to justify why he is deserving of this match. As many legends that Roman has knocked off, both returning and still active, Orton is probably the biggest name yet to fall victim to the Tribal Chief.
2. AJ Styles
And then, there’s this man, AJ Styles. He came on the WWE scene in 2016 and was quickly put into a feud with Roman Reigns after WrestleMania 32 for the WWE Championship. And it was these 2 matches that really solidified (I believe) AJ Styles as a main event player. AJ’s in-ring work speaks for itself, but I think the reason he was solidified is because he was able to elevate Roman Reigns with those performances. The two matches they had were two of the best matches Roman Reigns has ever had in the WWE, and yes, that includes this current run as champion. If you read between the lines as to what has happened with AJ, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows and Paul Heyman, then it would make sense as to why this match hasn’t happened yet. As of now, for the first time since those disagreements came to light, AJ Styles and the Good Brothers are on the same brand as Paul Heyman. I think it’s only a matter of time before AJ gets his shot at Roman. And again, much like Lashley, because they’re on the same brand, I think we’re headed this way soon. But as of time of publication, nothing has been announced or hinted at. Much like Lashley as well, AJ has Anderson/Gallows to fend off the Usos and if you really wanted to be interesting, Mia Yim can hold off Solo Sikoa. I truly believe when Roman’s run as champion is over, we can look back on the Reigns vs. AJ Styles match and say it was the best match of the entire run.
1. The Rock
If you’re a wrestling fan reading this article, then you had to know who the number one person on this list would be. I mean, this is the match that has been rumored since Roman embrace the Tribal Chief character and the Bloodline faction was formed. Everyone knows The Rock is part of Roman’s actual bloodline, so it’s only a matter of time before The Rock challenges for that spot as the Head of the Table. Many reports indicate online that Rock turned down the match this year because “he couldn’t get in shape” in time. But whatever you choose to believe, the fact still remains that Rock draws money, draws fans and would be the absolute best person to face Roman Reigns. This doesn’t need much explanation, it just needs to happen.
As I stated earlier, this list is my opinion and was not copied from WWE or another source. I would love to hear your feedback on my list, so hit me up on social media (@chrisbelcher24). Also, if you enjoy what you’re reading and want to hear more, check out the Pipe Bomb Wrestling Podcast, hosted by myself and fellow WrestleBuddy colleague Andy York. The show drops every Friday with the audio version being available wherever you find your podcasts and the video version on our YouTube channel.
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