Roman Reigns took on Rusev for the United States Championship at Clash of Champions and emerged victorious in an enthralling contest. Despite numerous interferences from Rusev’s wife Lana, The Big Dog was still able to hold his own for the win.
Lana, who was present at ringside, constantly interfered in the match before she was forced to leave by the referee when she pulled the referee out as Reigns had pinned Rusev and looked likely to secure the win.
The victory didn’t come easy for the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion as he had to power out of Accolade, while also having to nail two Spears on The Bulgarian Brute before he pinned him for the win. Reigns also became only the third Superstar to power out of Rusev’s submission move – Accolade – after Zack Ryder and who else but John Cena.
Roman Reigns being crowned the new United States Champion means that he would not be in the main event picture for the near future and will be seen competing in mid-card matches. Here we take a look at the 5 best booking options for Roman Reigns following his coronation:
#1 Rusev
The Bulgarian Brute lost his title after an impressive run which spanned over 4 months. However, given how the storyline has been developed with Rusev fighting for the honour and dignity of his newly wedded wife - Lana - it is highly likely that the WWE would book the two for a rematch at Raw's next pay-per-view - Hell In A Cell.
The whole idea behind having Reigns compete in the mid-card was to help him get over with the fans, as right now all he gets from the fans are boos – not exactly an ideal scenario for the Superstar that is expected to be the guy to carry the company forward.
While the United States championship run might do wonders to him, just like in the case of John Cena, he will not be booked in the mid-card for long and who better to hand the title back to than Rusev – to finally put the rivalry between the two to bed.
Rusev has lost both his dignity and the title and he sure will want some sort of payback. Expect Rusev to demand Mick Foley a rematch against Reigns at tonight’s Raw or something along the lines, which will help further this feud between the two.
#2 Cesaro
The Best of Seven Series between Cesaro and Sheamus couldn’t be concluded at Clash of Champions as their match ended in a no contest as the two Superstars were not in a condition to continue – per the WWE ringside doctors.
A title shot has been guaranteed to the winner of the Best of Seven series, and although the specific title has not been mentioned it can be easily ruled out that either of them would straight away get a shot at the WWE Universal Championship, given that there are already a few Superstars who are and will be in contention for the top prize for days to come.
If Cesaro does win the Best of Seven series, he can be booked as Reigns’ opponent as part of the promised title shot. Even if the Swiss Superman fails to win the series, it would be a booking that would make a lot of sense as it will help Cesaro get over with the fans, having already had a successful title run as the United States Champion earlier.
The two are excellent in-ring workers and are capable of putting truly great matches. Due to the general negativity towards Reigns, Cesaro will get over with the fans and it will also serve as justice for the Swiss who has forever been relegated to the obscurity of mid-card despite putting up great performances week in and week out.
#3 Sheamus
Sheamus’ case is a lot similar to that of Cesaro. We will have to wait to find out who eventually wins the Best of Seven series, but just like Cesaro, Sheamus can also be booked as a potential opponent for Reigns in these two scenarios.
First, Sheamus wins the Series and gets a legitimate title shot at the WWE United States Championship and reclaims it to become the champion for the third time. Secondly, Sheamus is a four-time WWE Champion who has been struggling to find his feet on the current roster and what better way to reinvigorate his career than giving him a mid-card title shot to slowly build himself into a Superstar once again.
#4 Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn lost to Chris Jericho in an eventful yet somewhat meaningless match at Clash of Champions. The feud between the two didn’t have much story and although they put up a great show, it looks likely that WWE are planning to book Jericho alongside Kevin Owens to take on Seth Rollins and one more Superstar.
If that is the case then, Sami Zayn will need an opponent, especially considering the momentum that he has had and also the value he brings to the roster. Moreover, a feud between the two could culminate in Zayn beating Reigns for the title, which will help him get over the fans, while also enabling the Big Dog to restart his journey towards the top of the red brand.
#5 Braun Strowman
Following the brand-split, Strowman is slowly being built as a legitimate threat to the Superstars of Raw. WWE booked Strowman in a series of Squash matches against local competitors, with the former Wyatt Family member annihilating his opponents with his brute force on all occasions.
After the squash matches, it is his current ongoing feud with Kalisto. The Lucha high-flyer is definitely not a rookie but his technique pales in comparison to the brute strength of Strowman. It is unlikely that the WWE will keep booking Strowman in such meaningless matches, for if they do, it will be nothing short of a waste of talent.
It will be interesting to see Strowman booked against a legitimate wrestler who can hold his own against the brute, and who better than Roman Reigns for the job. The feud will help establish Strowman as something more than a squash match specialist and who knows what good a title run down the line might do for Strowman and the rivalry as a whole for Reigns.
