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With the Big Dog now roaming SmackDown Live, no one would have expected to see Roman Reigns involved in a heated rivalry with Shane McMahon. The "Best in the World" has been a significant thorn in the former Universal Champion's side ever since he joined the Blue Brand, and has used his position to bring in other mercenaries on the roster.
Elias, The Revival and Drew McIntyre have all aided the Prodigal Son in his crusade against Reigns, leaving him nearly unconscious at the feet of Shane McMahon several times. On both SmackDown and Raw, McMahon's group has beaten Reigns mercilessly before setting him up for a spear by Shane-O-Mac himself.
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When Reigns always has his eyes on Championship gold and dominating the "yard", he's going to have to get through McMahon on Friday night before he can move onto his next opponent. However, if the former Hardcore Champion manages to defeat Reigns, it will not only severely harm the credibility of the face of the company, but it will also continue to prove that McMahon is truly the Best in the World.
After all, if he's able to defeat the man that has beaten Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker, Triple H, John Cena, AJ Styles, and other top Superstars, it would be hard to dismiss that claim.
#5 Shane McMahon out spears Roman Reigns
Twice now, Shane McMahon has left Roman Reigns gasping for air in the middle of the ring. And although those moments were preceded by assaults from Drew McIntyre and The Revival, the final exclamation point on both nights was a massive spear from The Best in the World.
While Reigns is clearly a superior athlete to McMahon, both in strength and athleticism, Shane-O-Mac has had his number on several occasions, leaving many to wonder if the Big Dog will have what it takes to finish the job in Saudi Arabia.
With the possibility of McIntyre and The Revival interfering lurking in the back of his head, Reigns may be more distracted than he'd like to be at WWE Super Showdown, and the McMahons have always been able to take advantage of cases like this.
We saw a similar moment play out this past weekend at NXT TakeOver: XXV, when Adam Cole tricked then NXT Champion into thinking the rest of the Undisputed Era was coming out to interfere in the match. That distraction allowed Cole to steal a win and the title. In Jeddah, Shane McMahon may pull that same ploy in order to overcome Roman Reigns. And what better way to put down the Big Dog than with his own move?
#4 Drew McIntyre lays waste to Roman Reigns
As mentioned in the previous page, Drew McIntyre will most likely be on the mind of Roman Reigns during this matchup. While Reigns defeated the Scottish Psychopath at WrestleMania 35, he's continued to harass Reigns on a weekly basis. Claymore after Claymore has left Reigns on his back, counting the lights, for nearly two months now.
Reigns will get another opportunity to end McIntyre's never-ending assaults later on this month when they face off again at WWE Stomping Grounds. Knowing that, Reigns will have to believe that his monstrous rival will be looking to make an impact and send a message at WWE Super Showdown.
What better way to get into the mind of your opponent than to cost him a victory at one of the biggest shows of the year? McIntyre knows that, if he strikes at the right moment on Friday, he'll have won an important battle in his ongoing war with Reigns. And that may lead to another victory at Stomping Grounds.
#3 The Revival lend a major assist to Shane McMahon
The Revival has been handing out beatdowns to Roman Reigns for nearly a year now. After the duo returned from injury last year, they found themselves in tag team competition facing off against Reigns and Bobby Lashley throughout last summer.
The Top Guys were always a step ahead of the impromptu duo and managed to pick up an impressive win over the two titans of Raw. They may have lost a rematch down the line, but without Lashley to back him up now, and experience in dealing with the former Universal Champion, Dawson and Wilder will try to get involved at some point.
Arguably the greatest tag team in the world, what we've always seen from them is how well they're able to keep a referee's attention while simultaneously taking a shortcut during matches. It's a key part of their playbook. Even better is that they're working with one of the dirtiest performers on the roster in Shane McMahon, meaning he'll do whatever he has to do to ensure a victory at Super Showdown.
It wouldn't surprise anyone to see Roman Reigns laid out with a Shatter Machine while the referee's back is turned.
#2 The Usos stop The Revival in their tracks
The Bloodline has reunited thanks to the WWE Wild Card Rule. The Usos and Roman Reigns ride together once again, this time to battle some common enemies. The Revival, Drew McIntyre, and Shane McMahon have united as a group hellbent on sabotaging the careers of the A'noai family.
Knowing this, Jimmy and Jey Uso may be watching their cousin's back when he takes on McMahon in Saudi Arabia. With The Revival now at the beck and call of The Best in the World, the former SmackDown Tag Team Champions will be sure to take out the Top Guys should they try and assist the owner of SmackDown in any way.
A well-timed distraction from Shane McMahon is all it would take for Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder to attempt a Shatter Machine. If the Usos lie in wait, they may find themselves with the perfect opportunity to eliminate the former Raw Tag Team Champions from the field, lining up a clear one-on-one situation for Reigns and McMahon. Odds are, they'll lean the Big Dog's way.
#1 Roman Reigns overcomes the odds
As we've covered, Roman Reigns has a lot to handle in Jeddah. While not officially part of the match, Shane McMahon's cronies will do whatever they can to help him pull one over on the Big Dog. However, if there's one thing we've learned about Reigns in the past, it's that he prefers fighting against the odds.
Just like when he was battling the Authority and the League of Nations, Reigns will prove that he can take on any challenge, no matter how imposing, and come out on top. It's a tale as old as time. We've seen it with guys like John Cena, Stone Cold, and Hulk Hogan in previous decades.
There was even a more recent case where Reigns, with a hurt partner in R-Truth, managed to defeat Elias & Drew McIntyre, all the while dropping Shane McMahon with a few right hands and keeping an eye on McIntyre to avoid the Claymore.
When Reigns is on his game, it's hard to put him down. McIntyre and The Revival will definitely try and take out Reigns at some point in the night, maybe even injuring him prior to the match. We saw McIntyre lay waste to Reigns on his way to the ring on SmackDown Live this week. He may pull the same trick in Saudi Arabia, forcing him to compete at a severe disadvantage.
Again, we've seen what happens when Reigns is backed into a corner. Like the vicious competitor he is, he fights back and more often than not comes out on top.
