Grading all of Roman Reigns' Undisputed WWE Universal Title defenses in 2023
2023 was another remarkable year for Roman Reigns as he continued his unprecedented run of dominance, adding a myriad of new victims to an ever-growing list of fallen challengers.
The Head of the Table defended the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship a total of five times this year, and by hook or crook, Reigns successfully retained the title each time.
On that note, let's grade all of Roman Reigns' defenses in 2023. As evident in the title, the tag team bouts he competed in during The Bloodline's implosion saga have been intentionally omitted.
Note: This listicle solely expresses the views of the author alone.
#5. Roman Reigns (c) vs. Kevin Owens at WWE Royal Rumble 2023
The Alamodome witnessed another Royal Rumble World Title showdown between Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens on January 28, 2023. However, this time, the match revolved around Sami Zayn and his allegiance to both rivals involved.
As expected, The Tribal Chief and The Prizefighter told a memorable story that capped off an eventful evening in Texas.
The Honorary Uce of The Bloodline was at the center of all the drama. Zayn was visibly disturbed by the beatdown on his real-life best friend but also supported the champion in his quest to finish the "KO problem."
As for the action, it was far from disappointing but fell slightly short of their No Disqualification match at the same venue six years before. Either way, kudos must be given to WWE for executing a clean, brilliant finish where Reigns viciously slammed KO's head onto the steel steps and speared him for the pinfall.
However, the match was almost completely overshadowed by the cinematic segment that immediately followed. The Usos ran down to the ring and brutally assaulted the fallen Owens.
As The Bloodline assaulted a handcuffed Owens, an angry Reigns ordered Zayn to attack his best friend. The Honorary Uce refused and smashed a steel chair on The Tribal Chief's back.
Jey Uso walked out on The Bloodline as the remaining members viciously pounced on Zayn. The segment was a cinematic masterpiece, but it overshadowed the title bout it preceded due to its sheer quality.
Grade: B
#4. Roman Reigns (c) vs. Sami Zayn at WWE Elimination Chamber 2023
The cinematic finale of WWE Royal Rumble 2023 set up a colossal encounter between Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn three weeks later in Montreal, Zayn's hometown, at Elimination Chamber.
In terms of storytelling, in-ring action, and drama, Reigns vs. Zayn was the total package. In front of a red-hot Montreal crowd, the two friends-turned-rivals pierced together a masterpiece.
Zayn, the resilient underdog, played his role perfectly, while Reigns excelled as the dominant heel. The Tribal Chief made good on his promise to humiliate the former Honorary Uce in front of his family, but the challenger fought back every time.
The Bloodline drama continued as a conflicted Jey Uso remained ambivalent about his true allegiances and almost cost The Tribal Chief the title.
However, Zayn accidentally struck The Right-Hand Man with a Helluva kick, allowing Reigns to brutally assault the hometown hero with a steel chair and land a third Spear for the win.
All in all, there was little fans could complain about except the fact that KO's return should have occurred during the match.
Grade: A
#3. Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania Goes Hollywood
After dispatching Sami Zayn, Roman Reigns moved on to Cody Rhodes, the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble winner who had not been pinned since his grand return a year prior.
The American Nightmare was hell-bent on "finishing the story" and realizing his dream of winning the World Title on the Grandest Stage of Them All. Thus, Rhodes posed a significant threat to the champion.
At The Show of Shows, Reigns and Rhodes put on a memorable classic that delivered on all tenets. The American Nightmare pulled out all the stops, digging deep into his arsenal. From Pedigrees to Figure-Four Leg Locks and Bionic Elbows, the challenger took the champion to the limit.
The main event reached a climax when KO, Zayn, and The Usos got involved, which culminated in The Tribal Chief eating an emphatic Stunner and Helluva kick.
Unfortunately, The Bloodline turned Rhodes' story into a nightmare. Towards the closing moments, The 2023 Men's Rumble winner was setting up a third consecutive Cross-Rhodes before Solo Sikoa – previously ejected from ringside – Samoan Spiked the challenger while Paul Heyman provided the distraction.
Reigns speared Rhodes to walk out of Mania as champion again, an all-too-familiar sight. However, the conclusion left fans puzzled and took the spotlight away from the amazing preceding events.
It was Rhodes' time to ascend the mountain, but WWE went the controversial route by having Roman Reigns retain.
Grade: B+
#2. Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jey Uso in Tribal Combat at SummerSlam 2023
After The Usos lost the Undisputed Tag Titles at Mania, Roman Reigns grew frustrated with his cousins, setting the foundation for The Bloodline implosion saga.
One by one, Jimmy and Jey voluntarily removed themselves from the stable by Superkicking The Tribal Chief. Meanwhile, their younger brother, Solo Sikoa, stood by Reigns' side.
The implosion angle culminated in a Tribal Combat match between Reigns and Jey Uso at SummerSlam 2023. Fueled by an inspiring and cinematic background storyline, this promised to be a memorable affair, but it failed to live up to the hype.
There were bits of memorable moments, like Reigns accidentally spearing Sikoa, but on the whole, the action left much to be desired. Considering that it went for nearly 40 minutes, the encounter got sloppy at certain points.
Furthermore, there wasn't nearly as much drama as fans expected, especially compared to their emotional bout inside Hell in a Cell. Lastly, the ending fell flat as Jimmy Uso, previously taken out by Reigns and Sikoa, returned with a hood to cost his brother his first World Title win.
Grade: B-
#1. Roman Reigns (c) vs. LA Knight at WWE Crown Jewel 2023
Roman Reigns took a sabbatical following SummerSlam 2023, only returning a handful of weeks before Crown Jewel to build towards his next program.
The "Yeah" Movement was in full swing then, and it felt as if something had to give. Unfortunately for the popular SmackDown Superstar, his night ended in dismay.
Abiding by a long-standing pattern, The Bloodline once again paid dividends for The Tribal Chief. After Knight incapacitated Jimmy Uso with a belly-to-back suplex through the announce table, Reigns speared the challenger through the barricade.
The Head of the Table followed it up with another decisive Spear for the pinfall win. Unlike his previous title defense, this encounter had much more drama as there were numerous near-falls, particularly when Knight countered the Guillotine into the BFT.
The red-hot crowd also added to the quality of the match-up, but the tedious booking pattern of having The Bloodline run interference had grown stale.
Grade: B+