Top heel to defeat Roman Reigns? - 5 early candidates to face the Undisputed WWE Universal champion at Royal Rumble 2023

WWE Undisputed Universal champion Roman Reigns is set to compete in the men's WarGames match at Survivor Series 2022.

The Tribal Chief and his Bloodline will face The Brawling Brutes, Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens with nothing on the agenda but settling personal scores. The Brutes, McIntyre and Owens have all been wronged by The Bloodline at one point or another, so WarGames is set to be a heated affair.

So what's next for Reigns after Saturday? Royal Rumble 2023 is the next premium live event after Survivor Series, and since it's a Big Four event, The Tribal Chief should feature on the card.

Who will his opponent be? Given that his possible dethronement is likely to be a WrestleMania affair, his Alamodome opponent should be a big name who won't be hurt too much by a big match loss.

Here are five early candidates to face Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Royal Rumble 2023.

---

#5: Karrion Kross has had his sights on Roman Reigns' Undisputed WWE Universal title since returning to the company

Karrion Kross returned to WWE in August 2022, immediately setting his sights on Drew McIntyre and firing a warning of intent to Roman Reigns.

After Reigns narrowly survived McIntyre, The Scottish Warrior turned his attention to the Herald of Doomsday. The duo battled at Extreme Rules and Crown Jewel, coming away with a win apiece before going their separate ways.

Kross is now embroiled in a mini-feud with Madcap Moss, but he still seems intent on facing The Tribal Chief. If WWE's creative team intends on ending Reigns' historic run at WrestleMania 39 at the hands of someone other than Kross, Royal Rumble might be the place for the two to clash.

It would cement the challenger as a main eventer in the Triple H era and give the champion a formidable threat to overcome before his 'Mania feud.

---

#4: Kevin Owens put Roman Reigns on notice on WWE RAW

Will The Prizefighter make it a Royal Rumble trilogy with Roman Reigns?

Former WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens returned from injury on SmackDown to announce himself as the Bloodline's fifth WarGames opponent. Three days later on RAW, The Prizefighter put the world on notice about his intention to dethrone The Tribal Chief.

Owens and Reigns faced off in the pandemic era, with The Head of the Table narrowly surviving via Paul Heyman's assistance. It was one of the most entertaining feuds of the pandemic and both men's careers. Should WWE wish to revisit the feud, a third Royal Rumble clash after their incredible 2017 and 2020 outings would be as good a choice as any.

With Sami Zayn potentially added to the mix, the storyline could get infinitely more compelling.

---

#3: The Survivor Series 2022 hostilities between Sheamus and Roman Reigns could boil over to Royal Rumble 2023

Sheamus and Roman Reigns know all about each other. Reigns' very first WWE world title win ended with The Celtic Warrior successfully cashing in his Money In The Bank contract. Fast forward to now, the duo are set to lead their teams into Survivor Series WarGames battle.

Sheamus and Reigns are in the prime of their respective careers and are yet to face off in their current standing. Having them settle the fallout from WarGames with a singles match at Royal Rumble 2023 would make for an incredible match with an electric atmosphere. Both men would then roll into WrestleMania with huge momentum under their wings.

---

#2: AJ Styles has not faced the Tribal Chief version of Roman Reigns

Could we finally get a sequel to the iconic Extreme Rules 2016 match?

AJ Styles has been out of the main event scene for a while, but he is still one of the biggest stars in WWE. The two-time world champion has settled into the midcard veteran role excellently, but he is still a top name with top-notch ring ability. He faces Finn Balor at Survivor Series in a singles match set to conclude his seven-month squabble with The Judgment Day.

The Phenomenal One has no quarrels with The Tribal Chief, but he is one of the few former world champions yet to fall to the champion. This could drive him to challenge The Head of the Table at Royal Rumble 2023, with The O.C. going after The Usos.

Styles vs. Reigns is always an incredible match, so the WWE Universe would certainly be thrilled to see them trade blows once more.

---

#1: Bobby Lashley could emulate Seth Rollins by defeating Roman Reigns

A showdown for the ages!

Bobby Lashley has been on a rampage since narrowly losing to Brock Lesnar at WWE Crown Jewel 2022. The All Mighty utterly dominated The Beast Incarnate in Riyadh and looked very strong in defeat by making his legendary opponent pass out in The Hurt Lock.

He has since ragdolled any United States title hopeful in his path en route to a triple threat championship match at Survivor Series. The two-time WWE champion could reclaim the iconic midcard title on Saturday, but if he doesn't, he could pursue the Undisputed Universal championship next.

Lashley's booking is arguably the strongest it has ever been, so it might be the best time for him to cross paths with Reigns. If he were to defeat The Tribal Chief by disqualification like Seth Rollins did at last year's Royal Rumble, he could come out even stronger.

Additionally, this would be a rare moment of weakness for The Tribal Chief upon which his WrestleMania feud could be built.