5 Superstars who could be the next Undisputed WWE Universal Champion after Roman Reigns

Who could be the one to dethrone The Tribal Chief?
Who could be the one to dethrone The Tribal Chief?

WrestleMania 38 saw Roman Reigns continue his historic run with a victory over Brock Lesnar to become the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. After a reign of over 580 days as Universal Champion, he now also holds the WWE Championship and seems to be completely unstoppable.

There's no doubt that The Tribal Chief is one of the most dominant world champions of the modern era. But as the saying goes - all good things must come to an end. The question now is who will stop this juggernaut and when?

Let's take a look at five superstars who could dethrone Roman Reigns and become the next Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. Be sure to let us know your picks and predictions in the comments section below.


#5. Drew McIntyre could take revenge for his Survivor Series 2020 loss

Roman Reigns is the biggest heel in all of WWE right now. So who better than the biggest babyface on the male roster to dethrone him? We are talking about The Scottish Warrior, Drew McIntyre.

Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre have an intriguing history and have crossed paths on multiple occasions over the last few years. However, Reigns has come out victorious each time.

It was at Survivor Series 2020 when The Tribal Chief defeated then-WWE Champion Drew McIntyre with heelish tactics, leaving fans wanting more.

McIntyre has teased coming after Reigns and his titles for quite some time now, and we might see WWE pull the trigger on this blockbuster feud soon. If and when that happens, McIntyre would be a clear threat to Reigns' historic title run.


#4. Cody Rhodes could fulfill his dream of becoming a world champion in WWE

One of the biggest moments of WrestleMania 38 was the re-debut of Cody Rhodes in WWE. Although it wasn't really a "surprise" as it had been rumored for weeks, it was great to finally see him return and get a major victory over Seth Rollins.

On the RAW after WrestleMania, Rhodes cut a highly emotional promo and made his intention to go after the top title clear. While we haven't seen him confront Roman Reigns yet, this is a big money feud that WWE will definitely book at some point.

After making a huge name for himself outside WWE, it would be great to see The American Nightmare win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. However, Cody defeating Roman Reigns could lead to the fans turning on him, especially because of his AEW connection.


#3. Seth Rollins could prove he's better than Roman Reigns

Throughout his 580+ days title run, Roman Reigns faced and defeated several top names in WWE. However, there was one superstar he couldn't put down on a premium live event. This was none other than his former Shield brother Seth Rollins, who he faced at WWE Royal Rumble 2022.

Rollins did an amazing job playing mind games with Reigns, who ultimately ended up getting himself disqualified out of frustration. While WWE moved on from that angle and revisited the feud between Reigns and Brock Lesnar, the storyline with Rollins seems incomplete.

The Monday Night Messiah still has unfinished business with The Tribal Chief and WWE should book another top-level angle between these two. Rollins ended Roman's 734-day undefeated PPV run - can he be the one to end his historic title title reign as well?

After all, Rollins has a history of holding two titles at the same time on multiple occasions.


#2. AJ Styles could have one final main event run

One of the biggest stars who hasn't had a proper feud with Roman Reigns over the last couple of years is AJ Styles. The Phenomenal One was mostly busy in the tag team division with Omos during Reigns' meteoric rise in 2020 and 2021, but is now back in the singles division.

A former two-time WWE Champion, AJ Styles might not have many years left in his in-ring career. Before he decides to hang up his boots, he deserves one final run as the world champion, and what better way to do that than to defeat the man who has been running wild over the roster for the last two years?

Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship would be a big money feud for this year's SummerSlam.


#1. The Rock could return and dethrone Roman Reigns as The Tribal Chief

Ever since Roman Reigns debuted his Tribal Chief persona, the one "dream match" fans have been wanting to see is Reigns vs. his cousin and WWE legend The Rock.

The narrative for Roman's character as "The Head of the Table" fits this potential angle perfectly, considering The Great One is also a member of the prestigious Anoa'i family and could easily stake his own claim as The Tribal Chief.

These two are currently rumored to face each other next year at WrestleMania 39, which will take place in Hollywood. It won't really be a surprise if Reigns continues his dominant title run for another year and remains the champion until next year's Show of Shows.

Although these kinds of matches are usually booked for the "passing of the torch" moment, one can't completely rule out The Rock defeating Reigns, becoming the new champion, announcing his in-ring retirement, and relinquishing the title soon after. Or maybe Roman Reigns could win it back from him after WrestleMania 39.

Who do you think will be the one to dethrone The Tribal Chief? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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