5 unlikely names who could challenge Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns has placed himself in the same category as some of the all-time WWE greats. When the history books are rewritten, Reigns will likely be mentioned in the same sentence as legends such as Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino, and The Nature Boy Ric Flair.

As Reigns approaches 900 days as the current Universal Champion, The Tribal Chief is the standard every other WWE Superstar strives to reach.

With WrestleMania still months away, speculation has already begun regarding who will challenge Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship if he is still the champ, which it appears he will be.

The top name fans are speculating about is The Rock. While that is undoubtedly the most attractive matchup for the Tribal Chief, there's still the possibility that someone else could emerge as a potential challenger for Reigns.

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Today we look at some of the names that might be unlikely but could step up to the plate. Here is our list of 5 unlikely names to challenge Roman Reigns.

#5. First on our list of possible Roman Reigns Challengers is 4-time WWE Champion Sheamus

Sheamus deserves a shot at the top prize!

For over 15 years, Sheamus has been one of the most loyal members of the WWE roster. Throughout his career, The Celtic Warrior has been one of the most consistent powerhouses in the company. The four-time WWE Champion is one of the most well-known names in professional wrestling today.

Sheamus is currently the leader of The Brawling Brutes, a stable that is fresh off a huge win over Imperium at the Extreme Rules event.

One of Sheamus' biggest rivals has been Drew McIntyre. In a recent interview on The Rick and Cutter Show, McIntyre suggested that he and Sheamus should put their differences aside and focus on taking down the current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns. The Celtic Warrior has not spoken about this, but this could hint at things to come for the Irish Superstar.

Sheamus is currently in a situation with the company where he can go in several creative directions. One of those could be a clash with Roman Reigns. He's not one of the first names that come to mind when you think of potential opponents for the Head of the Table, but it could be an interesting story moving forward.

#4. 2-time WWE Champion The Miz

When it comes to WWE Superstars who are dedicated to their craft and loyal to the company, very few, if any, are as dedicated as The Miz. The former WWE Champion has all of the tools needed to be a major star, both in and out of the ring. The Miz has been committed to the sport of professional wrestling for his entire life, and it shows by the way he performs and carries himself.

The Miz's rise to mainstream fame came in 2001 when he was one of the cast members of MTV's "The Real World." During the reality show, Mike Mizanin introduced the world to "The Miz" persona for the first time. From there, The A-Lister would go on to participate in the fourth season of WWE's Tough Enough.

He finished the show as the runner-up to eventual winner Daniel Puder. Despite not winning the 1 million dollar grand prize, The Miz became the first and only tough enough participant to win the WWE Championship and headline WrestleMania.

The former Intercontinental Champion is no stranger to the main event status. With that said, it would not come as a total surprise if he were to emerge as a challenger for Roman Reigns' Undisputed title.

#3. Former WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens could be on a collision course with Roman Reigns.

Before becoming a WWE Superstar, Kevin Owens was a well-established global star. With championship reigns in top promotions such as Ring of Honor, PWG, and CZW, KO was long considered one of the most desired independent stars in the world.

In the summer of 2014, WWE signed Kevin Owens and assigned him to the NXT roster, where he immediately became a top star. During his time with the black-and-gold brand, one of his shining moments came at the Takeover: Rival event, where he defeated then-champion Sami Zayn to become the new NXT Champion.

During a May 2015 episode of RAW, Kevin Owens made his main roster debut. KO made his presence known during John Cena's United States Championship Open Challenge segment.

However, Owens did not challenge Cena for the title. Instead, he attacked The Champ and stomped on his title as a show of disrespect, establishing himself as a top heel. Since his arrival, Kevin has remained at the top of the roster and was most recently involved in a segment on SmackDown in which he stunned Roman Reigns.

This destroyed the notion that Owens would be the mystery partner for The Bloodline at War Games. Currently, KO is set to be on the opposing team at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, which could be the catalyst for a future match against Reigns.

#2. NXT Champion Bron Breakker could challenge Roman Reigns

When it comes to second-generation superstars, some follow in the family's footsteps, and then there are those who not only follow but take the lead. Bron Breakker is that type of generational performer.

Breakker is the current NXT Champion. After taking care of both Ilya Dragunov and J.D. McDonagh at Halloween Havoc, Bron is quickly running out of competition on the NXT roster. For over 200 days, Breakker has dominantly held the title, and it appears no one is going to be able to take it from him anytime soon.

It's only a matter of time before Bron Breakker makes his jump to the main roster. What better way to make an impact than going after the top guy, undoubtedly Roman Reigns? This would set up a matchup between the perennial powerhouses.

#1. 16-time WWE Champion John Cena

There is only one name that might rank above Roman Reigns, and that is the former 16-time WWE Champion and future Hall of Fame superstar John Cena. The Leader of Cenation has not been very active in recent years, with his last appearance coming in June when he celebrated his 20th Anniversary in WWE.

During the show, Cena thanked the fans for the decades of dedicated support that they have given him throughout his legendary career.

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Cena has focused primarily on his acting career. He has starred in dozens of films and television shows throughout the years. The Champ also got married in 2020 as well. At only 45 years old, Cena is still in incredible shape and could easily make a comeback, even if only for a short time, so he can set up a storyline with Roman Reigns.

There's no question when it comes to John Cena's legacy. Since his WWE debut over 20 years ago, Cena has been one of the best all-around stars in the entire industry. The WWE Universe would not be disappointed if the Hollywood star returned to attempt to take down The Tribal Chief.

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Edited by Jeevak Ambalgi