5 Feuds Roman Reigns must have when he makes his WWE return in 2024: Dream match, the real dominant heel & more
Paul Heyman kicked off the SmackDown edition of the 2024 WWE Draft by relaying that Roman Reigns recused himself from being eligible in the draft. This took The Bloodline out of the running to be the slam-dunk top pick on Night One.
By doing so, The Tribal Chief becomes a man without a brand - until he decides to return. Since he lost his title at WrestleMania 40, he's expected to take a lengthy hiatus after such a long title run.
When he makes his comeback, he's free to battle whoever he wants. Roman Reigns should feud with the next five stars when he returns in 2024.
#5. Seth Rollins will always be linked to Roman Reigns
Before Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship, Seth Rollins was the last person to defeat him in one-on-one action.
The victory was via disqualification at the 2022 Royal Rumble but still marked an important moment in The Tribal Chief's record-setting run. Jey Uso would pin him in a tag team match, but Rollins and Reigns will always be tied together due to The Shield.
Since The Visionary never got a proper rematch because he technically won, the two former allies need to feud again at some point. Rollins also distracted The Head of the Table in the title match at WrestleMania 40, allowing Rhodes to pick up the overdue victory.
#4. Who was really the most dominant Champion?
About halfway through Roman Reigns' 1,300-day run, Gunther won the Intercontinental title. He became the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history, with a run that ended after 666 days.
While The Tribal Chief was consistently referred to as dominant simply for having a lengthy run, almost all of his wins came with help from The Bloodline. Conversely, The Ring General actually dominated nearly every challenger who came his way.
Gunther could be the next top heel in all of WWE, so he must battle and overcome the man who purported to be dominant at the same time.
#3. CM Punk could have ended the record-setting run
One of the easy dream matches fans talked about when CM Punk returned to WWE was with Roman Reigns. They have a history dating back to The Shield's debut, and both have been the company's top stars at various points.
Punk joined RAW and encountered Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, and others. Since The Head of the Table was on SmackDown, a feud would only happen down the road.
Now that Reigns has recused himself from the Draft, he can feud with Punk regardless of which brand The Voice of the Voiceless joins.
It would be a feud against a version of Roman Reigns who finally found his footing on the mic. He would still, however, be going up against one of the best mic workers in history.
#2. Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa will battle over Bloodline leadership
As it plays out each week, it's easy to see that Solo Sikoa may have some explaining to do when Reigns comes back to WWE.
Even when he returns to WWE, it might take a few months before the two clash. Everyone still knows that the endgame was always a singles contest between The Tribal Chief and The Tribal Heir.
Adding Tama Tonga to the group, and potentially Jacob Fatu, also sets up the potential for the original group to battle the new version. The live audience even chanted for Reigns during one of Solo's in-ring segments.
#1. The Rock's timing set off a chain of events for a dream match
While many fans wanted to see The Rock and Roman Reigns clash at WrestleMania 40, his timing wasn't the best. Cody Rhodes earned his second shot at beating The Tribal Chief. When The Rock waltzed back in, and Rhodes graciously stepped aside, however, it rubbed many people the wrong way.
Factor in how The Rock joined the board of TKO, and it didn't paint The People's Champ in the best light. Instead of battling his cousin, he teamed up with him against Rhodes and Rollins on Night One of 'Mania.
The Rock still plays up the Hollywood version of his character and wants a shot at Rhodes whenever he returns. When The Great One does come back, he must feud with Reigns. The match doesn't need a title to be booked because - as The Rock said - it could be over 'the greatest wrestling family in history.'