Thanks in large part to Sami Zayn, Roman Reigns and the Bloodline left Survivor Series WarGames looking stronger than ever. But even though Reigns looks like he will sail into 2023 with his grip on both the WWE Championship and Universal Championship as tight as ever, he’s almost certainly going to have to defend those titles before WrestleMania 39 next spring, and WWE may have determined who will get the opportunity to challenge for them.
Specifically, WrestlingNews.co cited its WWE sources in a report this past weekend that Reigns will have title matches at both Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber against wrestlers who figured into the Men’s WarGames match at Survivor Series.
(Last chance to turn back before potential spoilers … )
WrestlingNews.co is told by WWE sources that the current plan for Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble is for him to defend the WWE Universal Championship against Kevin Owens.
A few weeks back we heard discussions about Sami Zayn facing Roman Reigns in a singles match at the Rumble but we’re told that the Zayn vs. Reigns match is not going to happen until the February Elimination Chamber pay-per-view happening in Zayn’s hometown of Montreal, Quebec.
A few other interesting tidbits include the sources saying Sheamus was originally going to get the title shot at Royal Rumble, which makes sense given his personal resurgence over the past few months, and that Owens and Zayn are still planned to unite as a tag team to challenge for the tag team titles at WrestleMania.
None of this is particularly surprising given the tremendous success of the Bloodline saga as a whole and the continually inspired storytelling of having Zayn become part of that group. While he proved his loyalty for the time being at Survivor Series, there remains a sense that over the long haul, his friendship with Owens will emerge as stronger than his need to be part of Reigns’ family. Add in the fact that Elimination Chamber is being held in Montreal, Zayn’s hometown, and these plans, if accurate, seem to be pitch perfect.
As for KO, he’s already revealed that his reason for siding with the Brawling Brutes was his unfinished business with Reigns, particularly his assertion that he nearly ended the champ’s historic title run before it started. If he is indeed the next man up to challenge for the undisputed championship, we could find out before 2022 comes to a close.