The new Big Dog; Taking care of family business - 5 WWE stars Roman Reigns must face before he retires

WWE fans always fantasize about dream matches in pro wrestling. The Undertaker and Sting should have faced off but Sting was more or less misused during his short stint in the company.

Stone Cold Steve Austin and CM Punk crossed paths backstage a few times but never had an official match. Could that become a reality with Austin wrestling a couple of years ago and Punk back with WWE now?

Roman Reigns has been pushed as the top star in wrestling over the last seven years. His historic run as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion finally ended at WrestleMania 40.

With his career potentially winding down, he needs to face the next five WWE stars before he steps away from the ring for good.

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#5. Bron Breakker joined the main roster this year

As one top star's historic run ended in 2024, another performer's stock started to rise. Reigns had already seemingly switched to part-time status halfway through his record-breaking title reign and will presumably continue to appear sporadically throughout the year.

Bron Breakker won the Intercontinental Championship just six months into his main-roster career. He's been pushed as hard as Reigns was when he started out as The Big Dog.

WWE likes generational matchups, like when Ric Flair faced Shawn Michaels, The Rock faced Hulk Hogan, and Reigns battled John Cena. It's time for Roman Reigns to play the part of a veteran giving back to a current star on the rise.

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#4. Jacob Fatu has made a huge impact in a short run

Jey Uso turned out to be the star to benefit the most from The Bloodline saga before the group's dynamics changed. He's one of the most popular stars in the industry and has had several opportunities to win singles titles.

In Solo Sikoa's group, Jacob Fatu completely eclipses the rest of the new faction. His explosive nature and unbridled athleticism make the rest of his allies look rather pedestrian.

Reigns had the upper hand against Solo and Tama Tonga but lost it the second Fatu appeared. The two will have to face off at some point and it would be a huge accomplishment for Fatu after only joining WWE this year.

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#3. Solo Sikoa will have to face his cousin in an official match

The battle for control of The Bloodline is only heating up as the summer winds down {Image Credit: WWE.com}

When Solo Sikoa was named The Tribal Heir, fans knew he would be battling Roman Reigns in the future. It's the nature of the young and hungry upstarts wanting to take control from the established leader.

Sikoa didn't waste any time in his bid for supremacy, taking over The Bloodline immediately after WrestleMania 40. The two leaders must clash at some point and could even tangle this year.

WWE keeps finding ways to keep The Bloodline saga going. A battle of leaders is just another wrinkle to keep focus on the company's top faction.

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#2. Gunther is one of the top heels in WWE

The current World Heavyweight Champion had a similarly long run as the Intercontinental Champion while Reigns held the world title. WWE constantly posited that Reigns' run was dominant despite having outside interference in nearly all of his title matches.

The Ring General, however, actually dominated all comers and rarely relied on outside interference to keep his belt. That parallel alone would be enough to sell a huge match between two of WWE's top stars.

Gunther is just joining the upper echelon of competitors while Reigns was finally knocked off his perch. It would be another battle of the present battling the past.

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#1. A dream match has already been teased with the Rock

Things were headed toward the second anticipated meeting between Reigns and Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. The Rock threw a wrench into that plan by showing up on RAW Day 1 to tease a dream match with The Head of the Table.

The match is tantalizing for some fans but his tease came at the wrong time, with the WrestleMania main event already planned for over a year. Some good things still came from his involvement, but The Rock still emerged looking better than Reigns and Seth Rollins.

The two legendary members of the Anoa'i family must face off (without a title on the line) before Reigns hangs his boots up for good. It can still happen at WrestleMania 41 or another huge premium live event. If it does, the match will unfortunately take away a main-event spot from a full-time star.