5 signs Roman Reigns will have a lengthy reign as WWE Universal Champion
Roman Reigns won the Universal title at Payback, and although the move was a little disappointing after watching The Fiend lose again, it also puts Reigns in uncharted territory as a character. Between his surprising heel turn and his alignment with Paul Heyman, WWE had something big on their hands.
What they do from here remains to be seen and will depend on what they think is best for business, but Roman Reigns as a heel champion is something that needs to be explored. It is also something that will take a lot of time to explore, which is why a long-term championship run can't be out of the question.
With that being said and the writing being on the wall concerning Roman Reigns' future as champion, here are five signs that WWE has him penciled in for a lengthy title run.
#5 WWE picking Jey Uso as Roman Reigns' first opponent
Roman Reigns versus Jey Uso at Clash of Champions might seem like a bit of a mistake, especially since there isn't much to this feud beyond the family aspect, but it is actually a great start for Reigns' title reign. It is the kind of start that points to the company wanting this title reign to go on for a long time.
WWE going with Jey Uso as Roman Reigns first opponent shows that WWE wants to play up the family angle for a while and turn Reigns on his own cousin. It also shows that WWE doesn't really have any other babyface with enough momentum to really hold their own in a feud with Reigns.
If nothing else, WWE seems to want to put the finishing touches on Roman Reigns heel turn before putting him up against some of their other babyfaces. This also pretty much points to WWE playing the long game when it comes to Reign's title run, which could end up lasting until WrestleMania 37 at this point.