Ranking all of Roman Reigns' WWE Universal Championship title feuds
Roman Reigns won the WWE Universal Championship on August 30th, 2020. In five weeks, Reigns will enter WrestleMania 38, looking to unify his Universal Championship and Brock Lesnar's WWE Championship.
Over the last 500+ days, Roman Reigns has successfully defended his championship 20 times, en route to becoming the longest reigning Universal Champion in WWE history.
days and counting.
.
History-making. Record-breaking.
@WWERomanReigns is officially the longest-reigning #UniversalChampion at 5️⃣0️⃣4️⃣ days and counting.
Acknowledge the ☝️. https://t.co/yao4srTPIR
During his streak, Reigns has successfully defended the title against every other man who has ever held the Universal Championship. The list includes Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, and Bill Goldberg. However, those seven men only make up half the list of superstars that he has beaten.
While not every feud has been top-notch, Reigns has been involved in some quality clashes.
Let's see how each of his feuds stacks up as we look at all of his title feuds ranked from worst to best.
#13. Roman Reigns vs. WWE Hall of Famer, Bill Goldberg at Elimination Chamber (2022)
Just when you thought @WWERomanReigns was about to connect with HIS #Spear ... HERE COMES @Goldberg! #WWEChamber https://t.co/WwyTvRWamF
Goldberg kicked off this list at the bottom because it was essentially a filler feud that got us to WrestleMania. Some of the feuds on this list created moments in which fans thought that Reigns might lose. It's hard to believe that anyone truly believed that Goldberg was going to leave Elimination Chamber with the WWE Universal Championship.
The bottom line here is that Goldberg had one match left on his contract and the people of Saudi Arabia love to see the legends.
The build-up to the match was pretty basic. The pop for Goldberg's return was fun, and the match itself wasn't all that bad. It told a short story, gave Goldberg a few moments to shine, and got us to where we needed to be. Had this match taken place when Goldberg first returned to WWE, it would likely be a little bit higher on this list.
#12. Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn on Friday Night SmackDown (2021)
The Head of the Table makes short work of a battered @SamiZayn.
@BrockLesnar will get what he wants... #TheBeast will challenge @WWERomanReigns for the #UniversalTitle at #WWEDay1. @HeymanHustle @WWEUsos https://t.co/OMtyHKAqA8
Roman Reigns' title defense against Sami Zayn on SmackDown is going to follow the same line of thinking as the first few men on this list in that we knew he wasn't going to lose. That being said, the setup for this match was entertaining, thanks to Brock Lesnar and Zayn.
Zayn has the ability to shine in almost any role he is given, and he was great in the short build-up to this title match. Reigns, of course, did his thing and made quick work of Zayn, but we all knew that was going to happen.
The Conspiracy Theorist stood out here because of his character and this title defense was used to add another layer to the story between Lesnar and Reigns.
#11. Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio, inside Hell in a Cell on Friday Night SmackDown (2021)
ms.spr.ly/6014nyujK
.@WWERomanReigns conquers @reymysterio in #SmackDown’s historic #UniversalTitle Hell in a Cell Match. @HeymanHustle
Full results 👉 ms.spr.ly/6014nyujK https://t.co/TUTf8zezlP
Again, we have Roman Reigns defending the title on SmackDown in a situation where we know he isn't going to lose the belt. That being said, this was a pretty entertaining match, and the short story that got us here wasn't bad either.
Seeing Hell in a Cell on SmackDown for the first time ever opened the door to allow us to think that something special might happen.
That did not end up being the case, but Rey Mysterio did have a few high spots and close calls during the match.
#10. Roman Reigns vs. The Swiss Superman at WWE WrestleMania Backlash (2021)
Face to face with the Tribal Chef #SmackDown https://t.co/qmSgRdouz3
Some might say that Cesaro didn't stand a chance here, but many would argue that this is the first title defense in this ranking in which they wondered for just a moment. WWE and the fans were pushing Cesaro hard during this feud, and it looked like the Swiss Superman was in for a revival of his career.
In the end, Cesaro was simply in line to be fed to Roman Reigns. After the loss, Cesaro slipped back down the card and then eventually off the card. It was announced last week that Cesaro would leave WWE after not being able to agree to a new deal.
#9. Roman Reigns vs. The Monster Among Men on SmackDown (2020)
Roman Reigns pins Braun Strowman to become the new WWE Universal Champion
#WWEPayback https://t.co/2Z2J4iLWOh
Strowman challenged Roman Reigns early on in his reign when we did not quite know the longevity that this new character was going to provide. While fans were embracing the heel turn, it's unlikely that many felt we were in the early stages of a 500+ day championship reign.
One of the challenges with a powerhouse like Reigns is that it usually requires another powerhouse to take them down.
Braun Strowman fit the bill, and as a result, it was more than plausible for Reigns to drop the belt to him. While it would have been strange for the title change to happen on SmackDown, it could have led to something bigger happening at the upcoming Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.
As we know, Strowman lost, and soon after, he left WWE.
#8. Roman Reigns vs. Seth "Freakin" Rollins at the Royal Rumble (2022)
"I created you... and I can destroy you." - @WWERollins
#SmackDown @WWERomanReigns https://t.co/410bdyo9ni
Oh, how fun this little feud was between Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns!
Although the feud was short, the storytelling between the two was off the charts. Rollins as The Visionary and Reigns as The Tribal Chief elevated the quality of this feud. The entire build for this match was done well, despite it being a little rushed.
Rollins bringing The Shield into the fray, including the use of their music for the match, was fun. Reigns allowing Rollins to get into his head and take him out of his game made you wonder. If Reigns beats Lesnar at WrestleMania, there should be another chapter between Rollins and Reigns.
#7. Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso at WWE Clash of Champions and Hell in a Cell (2020)
What could @WWERomanReigns mean by "highest of stakes"? #SmackDown Jey @WWEUsos https://t.co/IasSjrgTe0
There are not many times in WWE where storylines make you believe more than you own eyes do. Most fans knew that Jey Uso was not winning the Universal Championship.
In fact, the idea of him even being in that picture right now seems absurd. But the story that Uso and Roman Reigns told had fans believing the impossible was going to happen.
Uso stepped it up, both in the ring and on the microphone, during this feud. His promos hit all the right emotions, and his work in the ring made him look to be on the same level as Reigns at times.
The use of Jimmy Uso was an added layer of story that made the overall angle one of the best on TV at that time.
#6. Roman Reigns defends the Universal Championship against Kevin Owens three times (2020 and 2021)
The road to @WWERomanReigns vs. @FightOwensFight at #WWETLC hits a brutal stop on #SmackDown! https://t.co/kdbgEw6gj4
The rumors swirling around Kevin Owens at the time of this feud were that he might be on his way out of WWE soon. With that in mind, would WWE put the belt on him to convince him to stay?
The feud took place towards the end of 2020, which was still early on in Reigns' championship reign. As a result, it wasn't out of the question to think Owens had a shot.
Aside from the belief that Owens might win, this feud was great because of the mic work between the two. Roman Reigns stepped up his promos as a heel, and Owens is usually gold on the mic every night.
The two of them trading barbs made this feud red-hot. It also helps that both of their matches were above average, sans the weird ending with Paul Heyman and the handcuffs.
#5. Roman Reigns vs. Finn Balor on Friday Night SmackDown and at WWE Extreme Rules (2021)
.@WWERomanReigns meet THE DEMON @FinnBalor.
#SmackDown #ExtremeRules @HeymanHustle https://t.co/Th2sSoR64A
The first title match between Finn Balor and Roman Reigns was awesome because the return of Balor was unexpected. Balor is the type of talent that can show up at anytime, insert himself into the main event, and be considered a threat. Given that their first match was on SmackDown, it was no surprise that Reigns retained.
Enter the Demon.
Their second match took place three weeks later at Extreme Rules in an Extreme Rules match. Whenever Demon Balor comes out to have a match, one can usually expect big things, and this was no exception. Reigns' match with Demon Balor is easily top-five of all of his title matches during his reign and one of the main reasons that Balor is fifth on this list.
#4. Roman Reigns defends the Universal Championship against Daniel Bryan four times (2021)
Can @WWEDanielBryan overcome the odds and defeat @WWERomanReigns for the #UniversalTitle?!?! This match is 🔥🔥🔥 #SmackDown https://t.co/w9ch0PHkpc
Daniel Bryan is the ultimate underdog in WWE, which makes it all the more surprising that he went 0-4 against Reigns for the Universal Championship. Bryan lost his first title match at Elimination Chamber via submission. That loss led to his second title shot at Fastlane, which he also lost.
After this, Edge inserted himself into the title picture, which should have been the end for Bryan.
However, WWE decided to add Bryan to the WrestleMania main event, making it a triple threat match. This, of course, led many to believe that WrestleMania history was going to repeat itself for Bryan. However, Reigns left Mania with the belt and successfully defended it against Bryan on SmackdDown.
What kept this feud interesting was the belief amongst WWE fans that Daniel Bryan will always reach the top of the mountain in the end.
#3. Roman Reigns vs. John Cena at SummerSlam (2021)
Signed, sealed and delivered! @JohnCena @WWERomanReigns @HeymanHustle #UniversalTitle #SmackDown https://t.co/OYuEL9SdHm
John Cena returned to challenge Roman Reigns at a time when fans were wondering who was left to take the belt off of him in a way that would make sense.
Cena's return was wild, and he was able to immediately captivate the WWE Universe. The battle of words between Reigns and Cena was on-point from beginning to end in this feud.
Heading into SummerSlam (a premium live event perfect to end a long heel title reign), all signs pointed to Cena taking down Reigns. The feud was so well-built that Reigns ended up with even more heat from fans for beating Cena.
It's hard to imagine WWE getting to a place in time in which Roman Reigns was booed for beating John Cena. Well done, Vince McMahon, well done.
#2. Roman Reigns vs. The Rated R Superstar at WrestleMania 37 and WWE Money in the Bank (2021)
.@EdgeRatedR seems pretty confident in beating @WWERomanReigns and becoming Universal Champion at #MITB.
#SmackDown https://t.co/EGwrTOx4WN
If you did a quick poll of the WWE Universe during this feud, you would likely find a large percentage of them willing to lay money on Edge taking down Reigns.
After all, how could Edge return the way that he did and not win the Universal Championship at WrestleMania? Not only did he not win the belt, he disappeared from WWE TV for about two months.
Upon his return, Edge reinserted himself in the Universal Championship picture. At this point, it looked like destiny for him to regain a world championship in WWE.
Edge and Reigns tore down the house in the main event of Money in the Bank, but Reigns came out on top. Edge secured the runner-up spot on this list because it truly did seem like he was going to win both times against Reigns.
#1. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar at WWE Crown Jewel and WrestleMania 38 (2021 and 2022)
The Winner Take All, Championship Unification Match #WrestleMania Contract Signing ends in chaos after #WWEChampion @BrockLesnar wipes out a team of @WWERomanReigns’ security guards.
@HeymanHustle #SmackDown https://t.co/I2SHGD3r02
Then there is the beast incarnate, Brock Lesnar. Lesnar lost a WWE Universal Championship match to Reigns in October 2021 at the Crown Jewel event. While it might have been surprising to some that Lesnar lost, most might have figured WWE was waiting to let the win happen over in the states. Fast forward six months, and that time could be upon us.
Lesnar vs. Reigns at WrestleMania is literally years in the making. If you take out their previous two matches, their current feud alone goes back more than six months.
For those who say WWE cannot handle long-term storytelling, this feud is proof that they can when they want to. Lesnar takes the top spot because Lesnar still has a chance to beat Reigns. When you become as good as Reigns has been, sometimes your best feud is one that you don't win.
Which feud do you think Reigns has had with the best title defense Reigns has had during his Universal Championship reign? Let us know in the comments below.