5 WWE Superstars who could potentially challenge Roman Reigns in 2023
Roman Reigns has been the most dominant Superstar in WWE for nearly three years now. He has smashed and stacked nearly every challenger that has crossed his path for the titles he has held for several months.
Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, and Finn Balor are among the Superstars who faced defeat at the hands of The Tribal Chief. As Reigns continues to prove himself to be the top Superstar of all time, the creative team will look for newer faces to challenge him in the months ahead.
A few major names are yet to face The Tribal Chief in his current persona. Some of these Superstars have never shared the ring with Roman Reigns in the past. This could lead to some dream matches for the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion in 2023.
With that said, look at the five WWE Superstars who could potentially challenge Roman Reigns in 2023.
#5. Johnny Gargano’s WWE return could lead him to some big matches in 2023
Johnny Gargano recently made his return to WWE after some time away from the ring. Gargano left the company last year after his NXT contract expired. He returned once Triple H took over the creative team and immediately made his way to the main roster.
Gargano is one of the best technical wrestlers in the company. He has put on some extraordinary championship matches that helped NXT make waves in the industry.
The Rebel Heart will be looking to win some big ones during his current run in the company. However, the next four to six months will be spent building Johnny Wrestling on the main roster.
In 2023, Gargano could be ready for a rivalry against Roman Reigns. He is among the top babyfaces in the company, and that could allow him to potentially challenge Reigns. The two Superstar’s unique fighting styles could allow them to put on some great matches.
Gargano usually comes across as the underdog in championship matches. That could give the creative team a whole lot more to build on while booking a rivalry between the two men.
#4. Shinsuke Nakamura will be looking to get his hands on Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns and Shinsuke Nakamura have already competed in a few matches in the past. Earlier in 2022, Nakamura won a gauntlet match to challenge Reigns for the Universal Championship. However, The Bloodline ensured that The Artist would not be able to lay his hands on The Tribal Chief.
Nakamura has a history of putting on some phenomenal matches. WWE hasn’t tapped into his full potential since his move from NXT to the main roster. While Vince McMahon seemingly never saw him as a main-event level talent, Triple H has had other opinions.
A recent post by Xero News confirmed that Nakamura could be in line for a push from Triple H. It could lead to him going back to the character that took him to the top of NXT:
"Source has told me that Shinsuke Nakamura will be getting a very decent push either towards the end of the year or early next year. Unknown what the plans are, but Nakamura will be getting a solid push under Hunter, HHH loves Nakamura and his work in and since NXT," reported Xero News.
If The Artist does receive a push in late 2022, the creative team could groom him for a top rivalry against Roman Reigns. It will be something fresh and different for the fans to enjoy in the coming year.
#3. Karrion Kross will likely run through a few top stars in WWE
Drew McIntyre had his eyes set on Roman Reigns and the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship heading into Clash at the Castle. However, his plans were ruined when Karrion Kross returned to target him on WWE SmackDown.
Kross distracted McIntyre during his match against Reigns and recently overpowered him on an episode of SmackDown. It looks like the creative team is building Kross up as a lethal force who can take down Roman Reigns in the months to come.
WWE should not rush into a rivalry between Reigns and Kross in 2022. Instead, they could build The Herald of Doomsday for a few months before pitting him against The Tribal Chief. A good build-up would get him in line for an Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match.
The 2023 Royal Rumble could be the perfect time to have a match between Reigns and Kross. It would keep the former NXT Champion out of the Royal Rumble match while giving him a title shot.
The booking would allow another dream opponent for Roman Reigns to win the Royal Rumble for a future rivalry.
Kross has the potential to give Roman a tough time in the ring. He has already taken down some of the biggest men in the company, and his return will help him kick off with a clean slate.
#2. Tommaso Ciampa could be a top challenger for Roman Reigns
Tommaso Ciampa has proven himself at every level in WWE NXT. He had an extended run on the brand that saw him win the NXT Championship multiple times.
While many believed that he would never compete on the main roster, he made his move earlier this year. His run on RAW hasn’t been as bad as many other former NXT Superstars as he has continued to work with The Miz.
However, Ciampa is known to be a top star who can undo any opponent in the ring. Fans on RAW haven’t seen his ruthless side yet, and Tripe H could look to bring back The Psycho Killer.
With that said, it would be great to see him move up the ladder on RAW heading into 2023. The Blackheart has had a couple of phenomenal reigns with the NXT Title, and that could earn him a rivalry with the company's top champion, Roman Reigns.
Matches between Ciampa and Reigns could turn out to be great as both love to punish their opponents during contests. The Blackheart would prove to realistically be a tough opponent for The Tribal Chief for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
#1. Cody Rhodes could win the 2023 Royal Rumble
It’s always frustrating to see a major star make a return to WWE and suffer an injury soon after. Edge suffered this fate not too long ago, and Cody Rhodes fell victim to the same recently.
Rhodes underwent surgery after a series of matches against Seth Rollins. He could make his return in 2023 and face some dream opponents soon after.
Recent reports suggest that Rhodes will likely make his return at the 2023 Royal Rumble. Historically, Royal Rumble matches have given some top stars a great platform to make their returns. Cody recently spoke about potentially returning at the upcoming Royal Rumble event:
“My Royal Rumble stats are top 10, they’re phenomenal,” Rhodes replied. “So if I was to come back at that event, there is a chance I could actually get up in the top five and I’m all about that …. You never know! We’ll see.”
If that turns out to be the case, Rhodes would be the favorite to win the match and make history once again. A win would allow him to go head-to-head with Roman Reigns, who will likely hold the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship for some time.
A dream match between the two superstars could take place at WrestleMania 39. It could turn out to be one of the biggest WrestleMania matches of all time.