SK's Take on Roman Reigns' first opponent after WrestleMania
Well, with Roman Reigns scheduled to take on Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania in a match that sees the only two men to ever defeat The Undertaker on the Grandest Stage of Them All go one on one.
Now, you may or may not be aware that Roman Reigns is the favorite to win this match and The Big Dawg is expected to dethrone Brock Lesnar in New Orleans. For the purpose of this article, we are also going to run with this prediction and say that Roman Reigns walks out of WrestleMania the new WWE Universal Champion.
Not only is it believed that Reigns will be the new Universal Champion, but it's also been rumoured that there will NOT be a rematch for the title with Brock Lesnar's future up in the air, furthermore, if The Beast Incarnate signs a new deal, we aren't expected to see Lesnar immediately following Mania.
So, who will step up and challenge Roman Reigns?
Well, there are a load of options, obviously, as WWE's roster is more stacked than ever before - so let me run through some of the most obvious ones and the likelihood of them challenging.
It was reported yesterday that Samoa Joe is rumoured to be Reigns' first challenger. Joe has been out of action ever since suffering an injury to his right foot while facing Ryhno on an episode of Raw, missing the Royal Rumble Match where he had vowed to go after a certain John Cena.
The former NXT Champion looks the most likely option as he is awaiting the green light from WWE to come back after being cleared, and has even been advertised for live events in the UK and Ireland during the month of May. His opponent? Roman Reigns.
While this looks like the most likely option, and not a bad one at all with Samoa Joe getting the better of Reigns on several occasions and the pair proving they have great chemistry in the ring, we all know plans can change.
So, the next most likely option is one that I now think will be put on the backburner, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't mention Braun Strowman.
We all know, at any time for the next however many years, there's a story ready to be picked back up with just five words.
"I'm not finished with you!"
While Braun Strowman will be competing for the Tag Team Championships, it could still happen - but probably not immediately.
Speaking of unfinished business, a certain popular faction's reunion was cut short earlier this year. While Reigns and Rollins have been amicable, there have been seeds sewn for a future rivalry there - and with Ambrose reportedly not far off of a comeback, we could definitely see either Ambrose or Rollins - or both men - challenge Roman Reigns.
Personally, I'm a HUGE Rollins fan, but I think he could do great things in an Intercontinental Championship rivalry with Finn Balor if Miz takes some time off after the birth of his child, so I'd love to see Dean Ambrose come back and turn heel on Roman Reigns. There's no confirmed date for an Ambrose return, though, so that could be a while away.
And one last option would be for someone not yet on the Raw roster to challenge Roman Reigns. It's rumoured that Bobby Lashley will debut over WrestleMania weekend. Now, he could definitely go straight into the main event scene, but it would feel slightly disjointed. If Batista or Rey Mysterio were to return, too, they could no doubt challenge for the Universal Championship.
But the more likely option? Well, if Shinsuke Nakamura wins the WWE Championship, a move to the red brand for AJ Styles may very well be on the cards - and there would be nowhere else for him to go but straight to the top!
I mean, the possibilities are endless with this one and, while there aren't many people Reigns hasn't already faced, there are definitely new stories to be told! I mean, we could even see Daniel Bryan relinquish his role as SmackDown General Manager and move over to Raw now that he's cleared for an in-ring return.
Either way, while many people aren't excited for Reigns vs Lesnar, the rivalry has definitely picked up the pace and tells a better story than ever, but what comes next... Well, THAT is the truly exciting part.
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