Who is Roman Reigns set to face at WWE Royal Rumble 2023?

With no premium live event scheduled until late January, Roman Reigns' next title defense will likely take place at WWE Royal Rumble 2023, inside the Alamodome in San Antonio. Barring any unusual circumstances, the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship will be up for grabs. But the million-dollar question is, who will challenge The Tribal Chief?

For more than eight hundred days, The Head of The Table has stood atop the WWE mountain, taking on all-comers. His victims include John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, Edge, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, Matt Riddle, and even his cousin, Jey Uso. Hence, finding a worthy challenger is quite a task.

Fortunately for the fans, WWE does seem to have plans for his next title match. Following the anti-climactic ending of Survivor Series: WarGames and the subsequent fallout, Kevin Owens seems to be in line for a future title opportunity against Roman Reigns at the Rumble in Texas.

Kevin Owens may have ruptured Roman Reigns' eardrum at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames

In the closing moments of the Men's WarGames match at Survivor Series, KO and Roman Reigns squared off in an intense confrontation. Following a heated staredown, Owens slapped The Tribal Chief, which resonated through TD Garden. The crowd in Boston lapped it up, but the Undisputed World Champion was clearly unhappy and may have suffered a ruptured eardrum, as Dave Meltzer later confirmed.

This was an unplanned incident that drew the ire of sports entertainment's hottest attraction. The Head of The Table was visibly frustrated and livid. He was reportedly seen yelling at Owens backstage. The incident may have sparked a true blue beef between The Prizefighter and The Tribal Chief.

There were some murmurs of Reigns vs. Owens being scrapped as punishment, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful was told that both men would co-exist in the company as professionals. Hence, no creative changes have occurred, and the stage seems set for Rumble.

Furthermore, KO defeated Jey Uso, Roman Reigns' right-hand man, on the Survivor Series fallout edition of RAW. Thus, his narrative with The Bloodline has kicked into second gear, although WWE may just have a back-up plan.

In case of a change of heart, Sheamus, who also has a bone to pick with The Head of The Table, may take Owens' spot as the challenger at Rumble. Before The Prizefighter was chosen, the leader of The Brawling Brutes was considered. With a radical change unlikely, The Celtic Warrior may not get his opportunity in Texas.

The former NXT Champion is on fire at the moment, delivering some of the most passionate promos we've ever seen. Add in his complex relationship with Sami Zayn into the mix and Reigns vs. KO will make for some magical storytelling filled with drama.