One of the only men to beat Roman Reigns costs LA Knight at Crown Jewel 2023? Exploring major heel turn

Not only did Roman Reigns' return to SmackDown this week bring excitement among the WWE Universe, but it also revealed a new challenge for The Tribal Chief. After beating Jey Uso at SummerSlam, Reigns is on his way to face LA Knight at Crown Jewel 2023.

If the duo lock horns at the PLE in Saudi Arabia, it will be their first-ever encounter against each other. While fans on social media have already picked sides, there is a chance that WWE could book Roman Reigns to win this match by turning a top SmackDown superstar heel.

The superstar in question is Kevin Owens. During his time on RAW, Owens regularly had episodes of bursting out in anger, which was usually controlled by Sami Zayn. However, given Zayn is not on SmackDown, the Stamford-based promotion could book Owens to lose his mind and turn heel by costing LA Knight at Crown Jewel.

While the angle is speculative, it works well because by making LA Knight lose due to interference, WWE won't tamper with the 40-year-old's momentum. Also, after losing to Reigns, The Megastar will have a massive feud against Owens to explore. It will be interesting to see if WWE goes this route.

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Former WWE Superstar praised Roman Reigns' evolution

Before Roman Reigns could turn heel, WWE projected "The Big Dog" as a face for quite a while. But, during that period, he failed to connect with audiences, and there were many critics of his run. However, once he turned heel and worked on his current gimmick, Reigns experienced tremendous success.

During an episode of Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, EC3 credited Roman Reigns for his run as a heel. The former WWE Superstar drew comparisons between Reigns' previous run as a face and the current run as a heel. He said:

"When we talk about Roman [Reigns], too, Roman was in that position where he was The Big Dog, white-meat babyface. There was just something missing. Like he was cool, but whatever. But then it's him becoming The Head of the Table and developing that as a heel, where you have freedom as a heel, because if what you're doing sucks, it's okay, you're a heel."

EC3 added:

"So, you have the freedom to experiment with things. And his work, he's a very, very good wrestler, but the way he has developed, everything he does has meaning. Like his Superman Punch is a spectacle. When he hits a Spear, it's a spectacle."

Check out the entire video here:

When one examines Roman Reigns' career, it's hard to disagree with EC3. After trying out various gimmicks, his run as The Tribal Chief has served him well. It has helped Reigns become one of WWE's biggest Superstars in history.