WWE may not be advertising Roman Reigns for any weekly TV or house shows this summer, but fans can still expect the Tribal Chief will be present at some of them.
The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion’s schedule has been the topic of some debate since the night before WrestleMania Backlash, when he spoke directly to the fans at a house show in Trenton and thanked them while saying that he wasn’t sure he’d be back. Clarification followed in reports of a new deal for Reigns, one that would have him working a lighter schedule while still retaining him as a top star.
But speculation fired right back up again after Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer said it looked like Reigns could be taking the summer off, as he had been removed from all advertising for weekly TV and house shows. In other words, it was possible Reigns would only be at the two Premium Live Events during July: Money in the Bank, on July 2, and SummerSlam, on July 30.
The latest update came when the New York Post cited its own sources Tuesday, stating that “fans can expect Reigns to appear at WWE events this summer.” That suggests removing him from advertising is a precautionary move, allowing him to be used where it makes the most sense while still allowing him to cut back on his overall schedule.
While it might seem suboptimal to have Reigns on TV sparingly while holding both of the company’s most important titles, WWE has shown in the past (particularly with Brock Lesnar) that it can craft narratives around dominant champions even without them on Raw and SmackDown regularly.
That said, it makes the next few months even more intriguing in terms of WWE’s plans for the Tribal Chief, as if he drops those championships during the summer, it seems much more likely he could take an extended break.