Since Roman Reigns returned to the WWE after an extended break due to the COVID outbreak, there has not been another superstar on the roster that has been hotter.
His character development from baby face to monster heel, aided by Paul Heyman, has made for captivating television. Plus, it has also made the Universal Championship the most relevant on programming.
Reigns didn’t take long to win the title, as he won the belt in a triple threat match against The Fiend and Braun Strowman after injecting himself into the match midway through.
Since then, he has been involved in some of the most exciting feuds on WWE television, starting with his back-and-forth with cousin Jey Uso.
His match against WWE Champion at the time Drew McIntyre was one of the contenders for the match of the year, while future rivalries against Kevin Owens and Daniel Bryan have all been captivating.
However, no superstar has yet been able to snatch the Universal Championship away from the Head of the Table. But, which superstar could be the one to break his near year-long stranglehold?
1. Cesaro
Reigns is set to embark on a multi-PPV run against Cesaro over the coming months, with their first match taking place at Backlash. Cesaro has long been one of the superstars that fans have craved to be champion, and we are currently in the midst of his most enthralling run as a singles superstar.
He had his first 1-on-1 match at WrestleMania earlier in the year, as he beat Seth Rollins, and now he looks primed to take the Universal Championship away from Reigns.
It’s unlikely that he will get the gold in the first meeting between the two, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen further down the line.
A showdown between the superstars at SummerSlam could be the perfect opportunity for Cesaro to finally get his moment in the sun. However, Cesaro is not the most popular superstar in WWE roster, therefore it would be surprising if he is the one taking the title from Seth.
2. Seth Rollins
The man that Cesaro beat at Mania could also be waiting in the wings for a title opportunity, and there is no shortage of history between Seth Rollins and Reigns that the WWE could tap into.
The two were formally part of The Shield together, and Rollins won his first WWE Championship by pinning the reigning Universal Champion.
It has been teased on SmackDown recently that the two could be about to embark on a fresh rivalry for the new championship, and that could see Rollins added into the feud with Cesaro further down the line.
Rollins’ run as a heel since his return has been entertaining, but any match against Reigns will likely mean a turn.
It would make sense, as it could once again see Rollins bidding to win back the title he has held on numerous occasions with the fans right behind him. Seth vs Reigns might be a classic match, like Cena vs HBK or Kane vs Undertaker.
The WWE fans want to see more of these partnerships turned rivalries, where both competitors show respect for each other until a certain point when things turn sour. We will be excited to see this happening if it’s in WWE’s cards!
3. The Rock
It isn’t completely off the table that Reigns could hold the Universal Championship up until next year’s WrestleMania, and that could set the scene for one of the biggest matches that we have ever seen.
For WWE fans, The Rock returning would be like Michael Jordan, the best shooting guard ever according to the TwinSpires Edge, return to the pitch for a final game.
Just like Jordan, the man who used to be a bad boy in the ring (or the arena) and complete own the show, now dedicates his life elsewhere.
The Rock is now one of the best paid Hollywood stars, taking part in many mainstream movies and even starring his own show The Ballers. He was also one of the two WWE stars to guest star on Saturday Night Live, the other being John Cena.
So, will The Rock accept to come back to where he started, the WWE arena? Or will Dwayne consider that a step back in his career and a loss in the credibility he so hard tried to built during the past years?
The Rock has already spoken about returning to the WWE for one final match, and it would likely be against Reigns.
The character arc that reigns has been in, which revolves around his Samoan heritage, would link in perfectly with the return of The Rock, and the match between the two superstars would be as popular with the mainstream fans, as it would be with the diehard fans that tune in week in and week out.
Reigns vs The Rock has always seemed like the end goal for the WWE, and it could be the rivalry that cements Reigns’ legacy as one of the all-time best superstars.
Final Thoughts
Here you have it, 3 superstars that we can see in the future dethroning Roman Reigns as universal champion. All of them are capable of doing so, either blasts from the past like The Rock or active superstars on the peak of their careers.
Where will WWE go from here? Will we see a surprise that nobody saw coming? Lately they haven’t been able to produce such plot twists as we saw in the past, but don’t rule out any possibility.
Let’s see how long Roman Reign’s reign lasts as Universal Champion! Right now the one who seems in line to be the next challenger is Drew McIntyre, who was this close to beat Roman in the Survivor Series in November.
However, we doubt that Roman will let go his title so easily, even if we see a rematch with Drew scheduled for an upcoming pay-per-view. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
