Shaking up the status quo; New challenges ahead - 5 reasons why Roman Reigns must leave WWE SmackDown
While he's been the top star in WWE for over a decade, Roman Reigns has been the focal point of SmackDown for nearly the last five years.
He won the Universal title in the summer of 2020 and held it until WrestleMania 40 this April. WWE posits his run as four years as the Undisputed Champion but that only started after he beat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38 in 2022.
RAW is moving to Netflix in January and several stars will switch brands. Having the previous face of the company move on from the blue brand would upend the status quo. Roman Reigns should leave SmackDown for the next five reasons.
#5. He's been the face of SmackDown since 2020
Vince McMahon and WWE made a huge deal when Roman Reigns moved to the blue brand before the pandemic. They initially teased Elias as the biggest free agent acquisition for SmackDown but it was a ploy for Reigns' arrival.
The Head of the Table has been the focal point of WWE and the blue brand for the last four years, even without weekly appearances. He cut down his work schedule halfway through his run as Undisputed Champion.
Things stagnate if they remain the same for a prolonged period. Moving on to RAW may be best for everyone.
#4. RAW's bigger roster can better accommodate his limited schedule
Reigns feuded with about everyone who's come and gone from SmackDown over the last four years. Since SmackDown has a smaller roster, his pool of opponents shrinks if he's already faced most of them.
Since RAW may be returning to its three-hour format, the roster will be bigger to accommodate an extra hour. That means more possibilities and a spotlight to let feuds breathe out instead of rushing everything into two hours.
He already wastes too much time by needing two entrances whenever he appears, so that would fit better into a three-hour show.
#3. Reuniting and it feels so good on RAW
Jimmy Uso is Reigns' only ally still tied to SmackDown. Paul Heyman is as well but doesn't compete. The WarGames saga reunited The Tribal Chief with his former allies in the OG Bloodline.
However, Sami Zayn and Jey Uso are currently RAW stars and have been for the last 16 months. If Reigns moves over to RAW, it would be a huge talking point. Both Jey and Sami moved on after manipulations inside the Bloodline.
The new dynamics of allying against Solo Sikoa still brought up past issues. A switch from SmackDown could delve deeper into these traumas and perhaps get an actual apology out of The Head of the Table. Would they be able to get along within the new context of RAW?
#2. Cody Rhodes now holds the top spot in WWE and on SmackDown
The simple fact with WWE is Cody Rhodes is the face of the company. He took not only that spot from Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 but also the Undisputed Championship.
Things desperately needed to change and SmackDown has thrived in 2024 under those alterations. Reigns didn't do much media other than hype his matches.
Rhodes does nearly every public appearance for the company throughout the year. Being the face of the company means different things to different people, but it's no longer Roman's world in 2024-2025.
#1. New feuds on RAW
The simplest reason for leaving SmackDown is new feuds. One can only wrestle the same four or five people before it becomes stagnant. Andrade and Carmelo Hayes had a Best-of-7 series but are renowned for their in-ring work.
Reigns has improved since starting with the Shield but still won't wrestle a five-star match like Bret Hart, Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, Will Ospreay, or others. He can still have enticing matches built more on storylines as opposed to in-ring skills.
Both facets, however, are important if he opposes Gunther. Bron Breakker is arguably being positioned to be the next Roman Reigns. He's more athletic and has already won singles gold. The past could collide with the future.
Zayn, Reigns, and Jey could tangle with The Judgment Day, Wyatt Sicks, or Final Testament. Getting away from Solo for some time would be good. Should they face off at WrestleMania 41, the feud can be reignited at the Royal Rumble and then abandoned after The Show of Shows.