4 Reasons why Roman Reigns' absence is hurting WWE

Roman Reigns has remained one of WWE’s biggest names despite Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, and John Cena’s return. However, The OTC failed to win the 2025 Men’s Royal Rumble Match, much to the disappointment of his fans.

The company greatly benefited from putting the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on Reigns for several months. Not only did it allow him to break personal records, but the company also sold record merchandise and tickets.

After his disappointing exit at the Royal Rumble, The OTC has been off television again. The company seems to be selling his injuries, which may be coming at a major cost.

Check out the four reasons why Roman Reigns’ absence is having a negative impact on the company.

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#4. SmackDown is struggling to book its top heels

Roman Reigns' babyface turn to counter Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline was one of the best character changes in a while. He finally took down the former Enforcer, who returned on last week’s SmackDown again.

With very few babyfaces on SmackDown, the creative team has continuously relied on Cody Rhodes to fight off the heels week after week. Surprisingly, no one else without a title in the back wants to step up to fend off the top heels of the brands.

Had The OTC been around, he could have helped with the dirty work. Instead, fans see Drew McIntyre, Jacob Fatu, Solo Sikoa, Kevin Owens, and other top heels run havoc on the show, with Cody Rhodes playing the only defender.

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#3. Ratings have taken a hit in Roman Reigns' absence

Ratings have always been topnotch whenever Roman Reigns appears over the past several years. WWE used him in a Tribal Combat Match against Solo Sikoa on RAW’s Netflix premiere to showcase its star power.

The OTC’s appearance at Royal Rumble would have also helped the company achieve record ticket sales. Without his appearance, SmackDown seems to be struggling a bit.

While Cody Rhodes, Charlotte Flair, and Jey Uso appeared on last week’s SmackDown, ratings still took a hit and were down from the week earlier. The OTC’s appearance could have boosted ratings, and WWE seems to be struggling to book massive shows without big names like Roman Reigns appearing every week.

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#2. A Triple Threat Match may be waiting for him

The 2025 Men’s Royal Rumble kickstarted some new rivalries for WWE. Arguably, the biggest one still has a lot more work left to do.

Seth Rollins and CM Punk eliminated Roman Reigns from the match, and the three men had an epic spot outside the ring. The Visionary attacked both men to make an impact and show how much he hates them.

In the episode of RAW, after the Rumble, Rollins and Punk come face to face again. However, it looks like the creative team has eyes on a Triple Threat Contest involving Roman Reigns.

With The OTC off television, it’s difficult to sell the feud with conviction. His return could help WWE give the feud the boost it needs ahead of WrestleMania 41.

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#1. The Road to WrestleMania is missing one of WWE’s biggest names

John Cena appeared at the 2025 Men’s Royal Rumble and was the runner-up in the elimination match. Right after the match, he declared himself for Elimination Chamber before stating that he would be off-screen for some time.

Similarly, Roman Reigns’ storyline injury has kept him from the Road to WrestleMania. As WWE’s biggest star, he must return to build toward his match for the massive PLE.

As mentioned earlier, WWE is hinting at a Triple Threat Match between Reigns, CM Punk, and Seth Rollins for the show. Without The OTC, the buildup for the match won’t be as special, even if Paul Heyman shows up to do the work for him.