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The current WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, is undoubtedly wrestling entertainment's biggest asset in 2021. The quality of Reigns' storylines has skyrocketed ever since he aligned with Paul Heyman last year, thereby kickstarting a newsworthy run as a top heel.
While people mainly focus on Roman Reigns' next major rivals, even the smallest developments can add a lot of credibility to the Universal Champion's current stint. For instance, a few squash matches along the way may help his character gain more heat.
The general principle behind a squash match is to highlight the dominance of one competitor through an extremely one-sided contest. This concept is generally associated with bouts that end quickly. However, some of the most memorable squash matches defy those boundaries — Brock Lesnar and John Cena's squash match from SummerSlam 2014 lasted approximately 16 minutes.
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In Roman Reigns' case, let's take a look at five WWE Superstars he could squash to gain more heat.
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#5 Roman Reigns' potential showdown with Jimmy Uso should be a one-sided WWE clash
The Anoa'i family drama has once again escalated on WWE SmackDown. Jimmy and Jey Uso's contrasting opinions regarding their cousin, Roman Reigns, have introduced an interesting conflict for all parties involved in this situation.
Jey has stuck by Reigns' side ever since he acknowledged the latter as The Tribal Chief last year. Meanwhile, a returning Jimmy Uso believes that his twin brother doesn't need to be Reigns' lapdog to achieve significant success in WWE.
Although the Universal Champion wants Jimmy to acknowledge him and stand by his side, things may become chaotic if both parties don't reach a peaceful agreement.
Jimmy Uso vs. Roman Reigns would be an intriguing encounter, and it could take place sooner rather than later. But if Reigns truly wants his cousin to fall in line, he has to effectively showcase his dominance.
The Tribal Chief succeeded in doing the same with Jey Uso in 2020, where he had no choice but to squash the latter to settle their conflict. It only makes common sense that Jimmy Uso likely won't give up if his potential battles with Roman Reigns end up being quite competitive.
As a result, a slow-burn squash match may once again be Reigns' only option to emerge victoriously, for good, from his latest family dispute.
#4 Roman Reigns could squash Rick Boogs' charisma on WWE SmackDown
At the moment, not everyone is entirely familiar with WWE SmackDown's latest recruit, Rick Boogs. The former WWE NXT star made a good first impression as he recently rocked alongside Shinsuke Nakamura in an exhilarating entrance.
While Boogs still has a long way to go, his charismatic energy could be a huge hit among live crowds. It wouldn't make sense to pair the former NXT star in a feud with Roman Reigns right now. After all, both of them are currently involved in separate storylines.
But when live crowds return next month, WWE must capitalize on a clash between Reigns and Boogs.
As the natural fan-favorite, Rick Boogs may have all the momentum behind him, which is why Roman Reigns will gain a lot of heat by squashing the former inside the squared circle. Perhaps the one-sided nature of this bout will indirectly lead Shinsuke Nakamura into a high-stakes clash against The Tribal Chief.
Even in a squash match, Boogs will at least receive significant exposure by fighting a top superstar like Reigns.
WWE could then revisit their encounter somewhere down the line, especially when Rick Boogs would have gained better main roster experience to put on a competitive match against the Universal Champion.
#3 Murphy's resurgence might have to wait a while on WWE SmackDown
At the moment, Murphy doesn't have a solid creative direction on WWE SmackDown. Many fans hoped that he would receive a babyface push during his storyline with the Mysterio family in 2020. However, Murphy has fallen down the pecking order ever since WWE abruptly scrapped his onscreen alliance with Rey and Dominik Mysterio.
A squash match against Roman Reigns wouldn't exactly be the defining moment of the Australian superstar's career. But it would at least get him some television time, that too, in a clash against SmackDown's top star.
Members of the WWE Universe still hold on to the hope of Murphy's main roster push. As a result, Reigns would only gain more heat by crushing everyone's expectations and squashing the former Cruiserweight Champion inside the ring.
Now that Murphy is a heel, there isn't a lot of scope for a back-and-forth clash between him and Roman Reigns. However, if he eventually receives a solid babyface push, he could have a competitive rematch against Reigns in the future.
#2 WWE SmackDown's Dominik Mysterio should be a sacrificial lamb in the Roman Reigns saga
Roman Reigns and The Usos' storyline isn't the only family-related angle on WWE SmackDown. Rey and Dominik Mysterio have recently made headlines as the first-ever father-son tag team champions.
When done right, family-related conflict can be a remarkably effective storytelling tool. Dominik vs. Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2020 featured an emotional arc between the Mysterio family, which helped Rollins gain a lot of heat as the cunning antagonist.
In a potential singles encounter between Roman Reigns and Dominik Mysterio, WWE should replay Rey and Dominik's emotional arc to highlight The Tribal Chief's ruthless aggression.
Through an intense, slow-burn squash match, Dominik would become a sacrificial lamb to benefit the Roman Reigns saga on WWE SmackDown.
Rey Mysterio's son has been built up as a young, aspiring superstar thus far. Being crushed by Reigns could add a much-needed grittiness to Dominik Mysterio's onscreen persona, which would help him mature as a talent in the long run.
One has to assume that Roman Reigns vs. Dominik will also lead to a dream match between the current Universal Champion and Rey Mysterio. With that in mind, WWE must capitalize on this possibility at some point this year.
#1 Roman Reigns would gain a lot of heat by squashing Goldberg at a big WWE event
Live crowds will return soon, meaning that popular WWE names from the past may soon show up to hear the audience's roar one more time.
Goldberg's WWE contract runs through 2023, indicating that the WCW icon will most likely return in the near future. He previously fought Drew McIntyre at WWE Royal Rumble in January 2021, where the latter defeated him in a short and competitive match. After their bout, Goldberg even endorsed McIntyre as a sign of respect.
It's safe to say that a match between the 54-year-old veteran and Roman Reigns won't feature such mutual respect to a large extent, thanks to the latter's egoistic onscreen persona.
Goldberg has built a career around squash matches, though he's usually the one who benefits in these scenarios. So the narrative would drastically flip if he got squashed with a spear at the hands of Roman Reigns.
Their singles contest was originally supposed to take place at last year's WrestleMania event, but the COVID-19 outbreak led to a change of plans. If both of them ever cross paths again, a squash match benefiting Reigns would create a bigger impact as compared to another standard Goldberg bout in WWE.
Goldberg's hardcore fans may not like this outcome, but the entire point of this writeup has revolved around how Roman Reigns can gain more heat via squash matches.
So what would be your reaction if Goldberg was on the receiving end of his own squash match strategy? Sound off in the comments section below.
While you're here, feel free to check out five facts you might not know about Roman Reigns in the video posted above.
