4 positives & 3 negatives from Roman Reigns' record-breaking run as WWE Universal Champion

Roman Reigns has officially become the longest-reigning Universal Champion in WWE history. He surpassed Brock Lesnar's record of 503 days and doesn't look like slowing down.

Right from the moment he defeated Braun Strowman and The Fiend at Payback 2020, The Tribal Chief has been relentless in his dominance over WWE. He is the undisputed top star in the company while performing at a level fitting for the accolade.

The past 504 days have displayed the best Reigns has ever been, whether he had Paul Heyman by his side, The Usos with him, or all of them together. However, it hasn't been completely perfect, at least from an external standpoint. There have been a few issues among this all-time great Universal Title reign.

Let's take a look at three positives and three negatives from Roman Reigns' record-breaking run as Universal Champion.

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#7 Positive: Roman Reigns has elevated several stars

WWE has done a good job in building up challengers for Roman Reigns on SmackDown, particularly at the start of his Universal Title reign. Several stars have been made to look incredible opposite The Tribal Chief, even if their pursuit of gold ended in defeat.

Jey Uso reached a level nobody thought was possible through his feud with Reigns, as the cousins told a fascinating story of emotion and pressure. He and Jimmy Uso are now dominating the blue brand alongside The Head of the Table.

Every superstar to step up to the Universal Champion has raised their game in the ring and as characters. Even if he always wins, Reigns has been quite unselfish during this run. He always makes his opponents better.

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#6 Negative: WWE has neglected some of them after losing to Roman Reigns

While several stars were elevated to face Roman Reigns, WWE hasn't always done a good job in booking them after their defeat to The Tribal Chief. Established names like Rey Mysterio and Edge did not suffer this fate, but the likes of Cesaro and Kevin Owens certainly have.

The Swiss Superman felt like a megastar during his match against Reigns at WrestleMania Backlash. However, he slid back down the card afterward, losing multiple matches to Seth Rollins and languishing in the mid-card.

Kevin Owens also fell slightly off the card after a hard-fought rivalry with the Universal Champion. It is one thing for WWE to push certain stars into world title contention, but Vince McMahon needs to do a better job in following up with them after their feud with Reigns.

#5 Positive: Roman Reigns' dominant summer in WWE

The period that cemented Roman Reigns' Universal Championship run as one of the greatest in WWE history came during the summer of 2021. As fans returned to arenas, The Tribal Chief reached another level, both in the ring and on the microphone.

Reigns defeated Edge in a storytelling masterclass at Money in the Bank, three months after another dominant victory over the Hall of Famer in the main event of WrestleMania 37. He pinned Edge and Daniel Bryan at the same time at The Show of Shows, before running the latter out of the company.

Anyway, immediately after seeing off The Rated-R Superstar, John Cena interrupted Roman Reigns. His return kept the big matches coming for the Universal Champion, as Reigns defeated Cena at SummerSlam.

And then, Brock Lesnar made his surprise return and confronted The Tribal Chief. Reigns would eventually beat him as well, although their match at Crown Jewel is likely to be followed up with a WrestleMania main event. These big wins did the Universal Champion and his reign a world of good.

Sometimes, Reigns himself needs to be elevated. The summer of 2021 did just that, as multiple WWE legends were made to acknowledge him.

#4 Negative: The Roman Reigns-Finn Balor feud

WWE has nearly booked Roman Reigns' 504 days as Universal Champion to perfection. As a result, his feud with Finn Balor sticks out like a sore thumb. The Prince initially challenged Reigns for SummerSlam, only to be attacked and replaced before the match could be made official.

Balor got multiple shots at The Tribal Chief after the event. He brought back 'The Demon' for his Extreme Rules Match against Reigns and while the match was good, the ending was extremely poor. With the arena filled with red light, The Demon lost after the top rope snapped when he was on it.

This bizarre incident was neither explained nor brought up again - a rare mis-step during Roman's reign. Finn Balor was severely damaged by this outcome, more so than he would have been if he had lost clean at Extreme Rules.

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#3 Positive: WWE's long-term storytelling has been excellent

As mentioned above, almost everything about Roman Reigns is perfect. This is thanks to the perfect amalgamation of history, drama, and suspense. From the family saga with Jey Uso to Paul Heyman being caught between him and Brock Lesnar, Reigns has been at the core of WWE's best angles in recent history.

The Tribal Chief has also rehashed some old rivalries, with Kevin Owens and Daniel Bryan coming close to defeating him. Even his current feud has a lot of history behind it, as Seth Rollins hopes the past repeats itself and he can dethrone Reigns yet again.

#2 Negative: WWE is running out of full-time challengers for Roman Reigns

While we mentioned WWE doing a good job at elevating talent to feud with Roman Reigns, the current SmackDown roster lacks stars who can step up to The Head of the Table. This might be why Seth Rollins had to come over from RAW to challenge for the Universal Championship.

Drew McIntyre seems like the only full-time SmackDown Superstar who can challenge Reigns right now, but he is currently out injured. Jeff Hardy could have had an exciting program with The Tribal Chief but his release threw that out the window.

There is concern that nobody will be left to face Roman Reigns if he remains Universal Champion beyond WrestleMania. It remains to be seen how his storyline with Brock Lesnar progresses following his match against Rollins at the Royal Rumble.

Reigns himself stated that he is in "God mode," with WWE actively proving how far above the rest of the full-time roster he is. The end doesn't seem to be in sight. Some of his matches have suffered from having predictable outcomes, although the next few months may spring a surprise or two.

#1 Positive: Roman Reigns has been cemented as an all-time great in WWE

All things considered, WWE has finally succeeded in making Roman Reigns the biggest star in the industry. All the company had to do was turn him heel and allow a degree of creative freedom, especially with Paul Heyman playing a big role in the proceedings.

Reigns now has the aura of a megastar, making every action of his a big deal. It is a rare feat for a WWE Superstar, especially during an era where Vince McMahon considers the brand more important than its wrestlers.

The Tribal Chief has matured into such a fine performer, mastering the art of subtle storytelling in so many ways. Reigns has been responsible for most of the company's best matches and moments in the past year. Even when the booking isn't the greatest, he delivers in the ring.

When all is said and done, people will look back at Reigns' record-breaking Universal Championship run with undisputed fondness. As long as the shortage of viable contenders is fixed, The Tribal Chief doesn't seem like slowing down at all.

This title reign has proven how good the overall product can be on RAW and SmackDown if every story is treated with care and attention. Roman Reigns deserves to be acknowledged as one of the greatest of all time. Believe that!