5 Current WWE Stars who are yet to challenge Roman Reigns
For almost a thousand days, Roman Reigns has been the Universal Champion, defeating chosen ones and WWE Hall of Famers. Still, there are a few top names he hasn't faced yet.
It's true that WWE has booked Reigns as their top star ever since he went solo in 2014. However, it wasn't until the summer of 2020 that he finally proved his naysayers wrong. Fast forward to 2023, and The Tribal Chief has already solidified his status as a generational talent.
In his current reign as the World Champion, he has put down everyone who has stood up to him. From John Cena and Brock Lesnar to Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre, the list just keeps getting longer.
But as stated above, the seven-time WWE WrestleMania main-eventer is nowhere close to running out of fresh opponents. That said, let's take a look at five credible Superstars who haven't yet challenged The Head of the Table during his current title run.
#5 Two-time WWE Champion, Bobby Lashley
I still hopeful The All Mighty Bobby Lashley gets a shot 1 on 1 with The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns ππ―
A heavyweight showdown that is a PLE MAIN EVENT MUST SEEβΌοΈ https://t.co/QiV7ecY0m4
Since Roman Reigns became the Universal Champion in 2020, Bobby Lashley has won the WWE Championship twice. He and Reigns also walked into WrestleMania 37 as the defending World Champions.
Though The Almighty defeated the 37-year-old back in 2018, the two have yet to face each other in singles action since the latter's heel turn in 2020. It goes without saying that the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion is currently in a completely different stratosphere.
Lashley, too, has been booked pretty strongly in the last couple of years. In fact, he is among the few believable names in the company who can end the historic title reign.
Add to the fact that their collision could potentially open the door to a faction war between The Bloodline and The Hurt Business. Thus, WWE has all the reasons to book this match while they can.
#4 Karrion Kross
Doomsday has arrived.
@realKILLERkross sends a message to @WWERomanReigns!
@Lady_Scarlett13 #SmackDown https://t.co/2CS3x0GZS8
Kross proved in his NXT run that he can hang with the best. Unfortunately, he couldn't prove the same in his first main roster run and was let go in late 2021.
But he didn't have to stay away from WWE for much longer as he returned to the company in the summer of 2022. On his first night back, he confronted Roman Reigns. Over the next few months, he would drop hints insinuating that he was coming for the top prize.
He also feuded with top names on SmackDown such as Drew McIntyre and Rey Mysterio. Another decisive win over a top babyface could easily put him in the title picture.
There could be concerns over the fact that they are both heels. However, neither Reigns nor Rollins was a 'good guy' heading into Royal Rumble 2022, and their short program was quite entertaining. So, nothing is out of the realm of possibility.
#3 AJ Styles
6 years ago today, Aj Styles vs Roman reigns had that AMAZING extreme rules match.
This IMO, is still Romans best match ever. https://t.co/wGgGTXAI7N
The Phenomenal One's first year in WWE was nothing short of spectacular. A couple of months into his run, he got to fight Roman Reigns for the World Championship.
The pair displayed insane chemistry in their two encounters and still managed to leave the fans wanting for more. Even more impressive was how they were able to create magic while a huge chunk of the WWE Universe was sour on Roman Reigns.
But those days are long gone. The 2015 Royal Rumble winner has fully tapped into his 'Tribal Chief' persona. He has gotten more comfortable on the mic and more vicious in the ring. And that is a Roman Reigns whom Styles has never faced before.
It's true that The Phenomenal One has taken a backseat to other talents over the last few years. What's also true is that he is a rare gem who can easily be reheated and slotted back into the main-event scene.
#2 Kofi Kingston
"How did KofiMania turn out for you?"
Pretty good, we'd say!
#SmackDown #WWE https://t.co/etERRyrzKL
At WrestleMania 35, wrestling fans around the world found out that Fairy Tales are true. That was the night Kofi Kingston won the big one, after having hustled on the main roster for 11 years.
His title run was decent and he got to share the ring with some of the best. Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, and Daniel Bryan, to name a few. After losing the Championship in a disappointing way, he found himself back in the tag-team division.
Although his stock as a singles star has taken a hit since then, fans are still hopeful to see him become a World Champion again. Standing in his path is The Head of the Table himself, Roman Reigns.
Given that Big E and Xavier Woods have faced Reigns, a case can be made for Kofi to get his one-on-one with The Big Dog too. The best part is that the story of a fan favorite looking to reclaim his throne is such an easy sell. It will take WWE zero effort to get the fans interested in this rivalry.
#1 Gunther
Beste sportliche Leistung ! https://t.co/IhZdrYw2bg
The Ring General's first year on the main roster couldn't have gone any better. Many have already started hailing him as one of the greatest Intercontinental Champions of all time.
With wins over Rey Mysterio, Drew McIntyre, and others, it's only a matter of time before Gunther becomes a main-event fixture. But as Ric Flair said, "To be the man, you gotta beat the man!"
If Gunther is to solidify his status as the next big thing, he has to cross paths with the current face of the company, Roman Reigns. Their clash would seem like an even bigger deal if the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship is up for grabs.
So far, WWE has done an impressive job of keeping the two champions separate. However, The Ring General's uber-fast rise up the card indicates they'll lock horns soon.