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For a man who has been a part of the most iconic faction of our age- The Shield, and a top star ever since; to embark on the best run of his career in his current incarnation speaks volumes of how well WWE has booked Roman Reigns. Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman have formed an alliance we never knew we needed until it happened, and to be fair, they've done a commendable job as a heel tandem.
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But when you carry the most prestigious title in the WWE SmackDown brand, there's always a target on your back, and yes, Roman Reigns could certainly be in the crosshairs of these following WWE Superstars. One notable omission in this list is Seth Rollins, who is doing a fantastic job as a heel at the moment, and it just seems unlikely that either he or Roman Reigns will turn babyface at this particular point in time. Jimmy Uso is not a threat to Roman Reigns' momentum, and neither is Rey Mysterio, who is one of the all-time greats but is in the sunset of his career.
So, with that said, here are 5 potential threats to Roman Reigns and his Universal Championship.
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#5 Remember that Lars Sullivan vs. Roman Reigns could potentially happen
Lars Sullivan maybe a heel monster, but if you look at all the men he's taken out in recent times, he has gone for both good and bad guys. Sometimes, monsters are exempt from the babyface and heel classification and so, it is not impossible to consider that he may target Roman Reigns at some point. Maybe when the furore over his personal life has settled. Lars Sullivan vs. Roman Reigns would be a very compelling contest since it'll be a difficult one to really call.
#4 Does Daniel Bryan have the WWE Universal Championship and Roman Reigns in his future?
Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns is a main-event match that is a lot more unpredictable than say, Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso because Daniel Bryan is a main-event attraction. He is just one of those guys that cannot have a bad match, however hard he may try, and this holds true for Roman Reigns as well, meaning that when they're in the ring together, they can make magic.
As compelling as everything with Jey Uso and Roman Reigns is, at the moment, it makes all the sense in the world for someone like Daniel Bryan to enter the Universal Championship picture in due course of time, because the title picture needs an element of unpredictability.
You want to know that when Roman Reigns is in the ring, there is the threat of him losing the Universal Championship that he holds dear, which is not the case during the feud with Jey Uso.
Could Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns be the big feud after Hell in a Cell?
#3 Remember that Otis is still very much a part of the WWE SmackDown roster
One of the key criticisms of the draft is that Otis remained on the WWE SmackDown roster whereas Mandy Rose was drafted to the RAW brand, and so was Tucker. The only possible explanation for Otis remaining in the WWE SmackDown roster is potentially to have him gunning for Roman Reigns every time the man is down or in a disadvantaged position, waiting to cash in.
Even though it seems very unlikely that it will be Otis that quells the momentum of Roman Reigns of all the great WWE Superstars in the current WWE SmackDown roster, one has to remember that Vince McMahon is very high on him and that when crowds were in the arena, Otis was incredibly over with the live audience.
Otis will never be the face of the company, but if Jimmy Uso is a worthy contender for Roman Reigns from the WWE SmackDown roster, there is no chance why Otis may not. Would you like to see him cash in and become Universal Champion soon?
#2 Could Big E come gunning for Roman Reigns?
Big E is in the midst of the biggest push of his career, so much so, that The New Day, one of the most profitable factions for WWE in recent memory had to be split up. There is no doubt at all that he will be a potential challenger for Roman Reigns at some point down the line, and if he has enough fan support, he may even dethrone the Universal Champion to claim the top prize. Roman Reigns vs. Big E even feels like a dream feud for the Universal Championship that we haven't seen yet.
The Miz told Sportskeeda the following:
When I was in dicussion with him on Talking Smack, I told Big E that he needs to be more serious because that's the way the brass looks at their top tier talents, their main-eventers and Big E got serious with me and started talking to me and without, I don't even think he realized but what he was telling me and the way he was telling it to me, that's the Big E that is a main-eventer. That is the Big E, that if he hones in, he will be a Universal Champion by, I would say, before the end of the year.
Expect to see Big E vs. Roman Reigns sooner rather than later, WWE universe. Expect a total barn-burner.
#1 The latest addition to the WWE SmackDown roster- Aleister Black
Sportskeeda's Rick Ucchino was recently in conversation with the latest addition to the WWE SmackDown roster- Aleister Black and he asked Black about potential dream matches in the company. Of all the Superstars that were mentioned from the WWE SmackDown roster and elsewhere, one name was Roman Reigns:
I look at Adam Cole and I kind of go like, you know... I think there's still some strides here and there between you and I. I look at Big E and I can go, yeah you and I can have competition. I look at Sheamus and I'm like, yeah, I can go with you. There's not one singular person other than perhaps maybe a Roman Reigns, where I would like specifically target myself, other than everyone being a target.
It may take a while for us to get there, but Aleister Black was certainly protected during the initial part of his run on RAW and it's likely that he'll be treated as a big deal in the WWE SmackDown roster too. So, to see him in the Universal Championship picture and going up against Roman Reigns would not be outside the realm of possibility at all.
