5 signs Roman Reigns will win the Universal title at WWE Payback

Roman Reigns is set to take on The Fiend and Braun Strowman in a triple threat match at Payback for the Universal Championship. There are a few options on the table for WWE to crown Reigns as the next Universal Champion. One example of this would be for WWE to have Reigns pin Braun Strowman, protect The Fiend in defeat and put the title on a heel Roman Reigns.

Or maybe the heel turn is enough on its own and WWE can find a way to protect Reigns in defeat while keeping the title on The Fiend. It doesn't look like Braun Strowman has any chance of winning back the title, which will allow WWE to focus on The Fiend and Reigns.

Here are five reasons Reigns will come away with the Universal title at the pay per view.

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#5 Cement Roman Reigns' heel turn

Will a victory at Payback cement Roman Reigns as a heel?

WWE unveiled an edgier side to Roman Reigns by having him attack Braun Strowman and The Fiend after their Universal Title match, which seems to hint at the company wanting him to be a heel. In fact, with Roman Reigns outright demanding a Universal Title match, it looks like WWE wants fans to hate Reigns.

Keep in mind that this is the heel turn that fans have wanted to see Roman Reigns undergo for years now, which may now come at the expense of The Fiend. If nothing else, this could be the one thing the company could do to get fans to hate Roman Reigns and this is a genius way to do it.

While some fans might argue that this isn't the right time for a Roman Reigns heel turn, what would be the point of WWE doing a heel turn when it was convenient for fans, when they can do it in a way that fans will never forget?

#4 Roman Reigns winning the title will make a big statement

Putting the title on Roman Reigns would be a huge statement by WWE

The name of the game in WWE is momentum and that's why Roman Reigns winning the Universal Title at Payback would be best for business. Not only will it instantaneously cast The Fiend in a sympathetic light, but it also puts Roman Reigns' character in uncharted territory.

There may be some blowback for taking the title off of The Fiend prematurely for the second time, but that's only going to play into the hatred for Roman Reigns later. In fact it might just be the one thing that can turn the needle for Reigns' character and make him the heel that he was born to be.

This will split the older WWE crowd right down the middle with some pulling for The Fiend and others wanting heel Roman Reigns to run the show. If nothing else, that at least keeps the audience watching, lets both characters remain fresh and creates something big for the fall months of the year.

#3 Triple threat stipulation benefits Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns versus Bruan Strowman versus The Fiend. Who wins?

There are a lot of advantages to a Triple threat match and WWE seems keen on utilizing them to benefit Roman Reigns at Payback. A lot of fans will think that three main event competitors stepping into the ring with no rules in place as insane enough, but the booking options are also noteworthy as well.

For example, what if WWE really want to go all in on this Roman Reigns heel character and have him win the title at Payback? A triple threat match between The Fiend, Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns allows the company to do that without The Fiend even needing to take the deciding fall.

In the end, this would protect The Fiend in defeat, get fans angry about him being robbed out of the title and direct fan anger towards Reigns. That would be a great situation for WWE at Payback and could go a long way in investing fans in the product for the fall months.

#2 Roman Reigns aligning with Paul Heyman on Friday Night Smackdown

What does the future hold for Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman?

Roman Reigns aligned with Paul Heyman in the closing moments of Friday Night SmackDown this week and while some had their jaws literally drop on the floor, it all kind of makes sense. In fact, making Heyman Reigns' "advocate" guarantees that he is now a heel and on track for a title victory.

With that being said and Vince McMahon always getting flip floppy when it comes to The Fiend as his top draw, it makes sense for Reigns to win the Universal Title at Payback. At least that way, WWE can rely on a guaranteed box office draw, Heyman gives Reigns' an added layer to his character and WWE does something new.

In the end, it's a sound strategy and legitimately has fans interested in what is going to happen next. If nothing else, that's exactly what the company needs right now and this alliance between Heyman and Reigns could deliver something interesting.

#1 Vince McMahon's original plan for Roman Reigns

Remember Roman Reigns winning the Universal title was the original plan.

Some fans may have forgotten that Vince McMahon's original plans for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 36 was for him to win the Universal Title. WWE even went through the trouble of having The Fiend drop it to Goldberg in order to make it a bigger match, which only angered fans.

Roman Reigns eventually made the decision to drop out of the match due to concerns over COVID-19 and went on to take a four-month hiatus from the company. This left WWE with little choice but to put Braun Strowman in his place and give the title to him instead.

Roman Reigns attacking The Fiend and Braun Strowman, and the subsequent announcement of a triple threat match at Payback, seems to point towards WWE wanting to go forward with this plan. Either that or the company is trying to cram a triple threat match in to make Payback a box office draw, and have no intention of doing something meaningful.