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A Phenomenal former champ, Celtic Warrior - 6 former WWE Champions who haven't faced Roman Reigns during his historic title run

While Roman Reigns has been the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion since last April, he hasn't faced competition every month. Before the two titles were unified, however, he defended the Universal Championship every month.

Once the titles were combined, his defenses became more sporadic. After unifying the titles at WrestleMania 38 last April, his first official defense didn't come until June against Matt Riddle.

He also defended the titles against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam and Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle. Throughout his historic run, Reigns also battled former champions like Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Edge, and Daniel Bryan.

The Tribal Chief has faced many of WWE's top stars, but there are several former WWE Champions he didn't encounter during his record-setting modern run.


#6 The Miz has been with WWE for nearly 15 years

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The Miz is best at playing the heel in any given feud. It helps get newer stars over while giving the veteran a role in WWE. He may not be considered a megastar on the same level as Reigns, Rollins, or Cody Rhodes, but he is a former WWE Champion.

With The Tribal Chief ruling over SmackDown, the Miz was one of several RAW stars to hold the WWE Championship. He cashed the Money in the Bank contract on Drew McIntyre but soon lost the title to Bobby Lashley.

The Miz is probably well past being a credible threat, so not facing Reigns makes sense. He's still a former champion who didn't oppose the current Undisputed Champion.


#5 Kofi Kingston drifted back into the tag team division

Kofi Kingston hasn't reached the same level of success as KofiMania.
Kofi Kingston hasn't reached the same level of success as KofiMania.

Of the three members of the New Day, it's strange that Kofi Kingston is the only one who didn't face The Head of the Table. Big E faced him at Survivor Series one year, while Xavier Woods had a brief match with him after winning King of the Ring in 2021.

Kingston has been in and out of action as he's had a few injuries. The Sami Zayn saga has also kept him away from the Bloodline.

With the tag team division smaller due to combining the titles, Kingston could have easily challenged Reigns at a premium live event. Once the titles are separated, he should be in the running for the title of his brand.


#4 Sheamus was reinvigorated with the Brawling Brutes

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Like others on this list, Sheamus has faced off with The Tribal Chief. He did challenge the Usos for the Undisputed Tag Titles but never faced Reigns for the Undisputed Championship.

The Celtic Warrior has experienced a career renaissance, putting on "Match of the Year" candidates with Gunther over the Intercontinental Championship.

He didn't have to beat Reigns, but with their history, it would have been an easy feud to write about. His reinvigoration would have had the crowd in his corner for a potential match.


#3 Randy Orton is a 14-time World Champion

The Legend Killer is currently out with an injury.
The Legend Killer is currently out with an injury.

Alongside Matt Riddle, Randy Orton's main interaction with Roman Reigns and the Bloodline was in tag team action. RK-Bro lost the RAW Tag Team Titles to The Usos last May.

As noted earlier, Riddle was the first challenger for Reigns after he unified the belts at WrestleMania 38. The Legend Killer is one of the top stars in WWE but never had a title shot during the historic run.

The Viper was rumored to face The Tribal Chief at last year's SummerSlam but was out of action due to injury. His back injury has kept him out of a WWE ring since the summer of 2022.


#2 AJ Styles continues to produce year after year

Styles debuted in the 2016 Royal Rumble when Reigns' title was up for grabs.
Styles debuted in the 2016 Royal Rumble when Reigns' title was up for grabs.

Styles was actually Reigns' first challenger after he defeated Triple H for the WWE title in 2016. They've squared off since then, but not during this current title dominance.

One big reason is that Reigns has been on SmackDown while Styles has been a member of RAW. Without a major title to chase on RAW, The Phenomenal One has been used against Judgment Day and Austin Theory.

If the Undisputed Championship was defended more than it was, Styles would have been a good foil for The Head of the Table.


#1 Bobby Lashley is a physical threat to anyone

Lashley has been one of the top stars in WWE over the last few years.
Lashley has been one of the top stars in WWE over the last few years.

Like Styles, Lashley has gone toe-to-toe with Reigns in years past. He hasn't, however, stood across the ring from The Tribal Chief while he's held both of WWE's major titles.

With Reigns on SmackDown, The All-Mighty ruled over RAW, holding both the WWE and US Championships in the first year of Reigns' historic run. Since they are top stars on different brands, a potential match could be saved for a big event.

The two stars have faced similar booking as each man had a prolonged feud with Brock Lesnar. They also stood across the ring from Drew McIntyre over the last few years.

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