6 Positives and 4 negatives from Roman Reigns' 365 days as WWE Universal Champion

#4 Positive: The return of long-term storytelling

"You got @WWERomanReigns on that @BrockLesnar contract?" - @WWEDanielBryan to @HeymanHustle👀 #TalkingSmack @WWECesaro @KaylaBraxtonWWE pic.twitter.com/Q6USHfFuP8

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) February 13, 2021

The majority of Roman Reigns' storylines over the last 365 days have been months and, in some cases, years in the making. Not only does this make for better storytelling, but it rewards loyal fans who have watched WWE’s weekly shows for several years.

WWE often receives criticism for its tendency to suddenly change storylines week by week. This has not been the case with Reigns. With the exception of the Jimmy Uso development, Roman Reigns' storylines are clearly planned several weeks ahead of time.

Paul Heyman’s Talking Smack role also helped contribute toward building Reigns’ next title challengers. Bryan, Cesaro and the current Mr. Money in the Bank, Big E, all informed Heyman months in advance that they were targeting Reigns.

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#3 Negative: Roman Reigns has almost run out of credible title contenders

THIS IS SURREAL.#SummerSlam @BrockLesnar @WWERomanReigns @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/NrmZgv73wO

— WWE (@WWE) August 22, 2021

Granted, Roman Reigns might have helped elevate the people he has worked with over the last year, but what about everyone else?

Looking at the rest of the WWE roster, only Brock Lesnar seems a credible contender to win Reigns’ Universal Championship. Big E also poses a threat to The Tribal Chief’s title reign, but the Money in the Bank holder is lacking momentum right now.

If Lesnar fails to win the title, Goldberg and The Rock are probable challengers in the next 12-18 months. But, much like Edge and John Cena, neither of those legends are likely to dethrone Reigns as Universal Champion.