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At WWE TLC, Roman Reigns, with the help of his cousin, Jey Uso, laid to rest the man who had been plaguing him for weeks, Kevin Owens.
And now that the score has been settled, one has to wonder who his next opponent will be, now that WWE TLC 2020 is done and dusted.
As the top heel not only on the SmackDown brand, not only in WWE but in the entire pro wrestling fraternity, Roman Reigns is guaranteed to have more than one babyface nipping at his heels right now.
Here are the five likeliest contenders for Roman Reigns after WWE TLC.
#5 Could Goldberg show up to challenge Roman Reigns for the match that never happened?
Goldberg vs. Roman Reigns was supposed to happen at WrestleMania, but then the match was pulled at the very last minute when COVID-19 happened and the world shut down.
WWE is clearly building to this match, and the only reason why it is so low on the list is that it could potentially happen on a much bigger stage than the Royal Rumble.
Goldberg has been very vocal about having the match, and he even said the following during an interview with Bleacher Report:
If the Roman Reigns match isn't the match at the top of my priority list, then I wouldn't be Goldberg. That's a match that needs to happen. It's a match that's needed to happen for a very long period of time. I wish I would've been able to have that match 10 years ago.
WWE is sure to market it as a battle of the spears, which they did the first time around when this match was scheduled to happen as well.
The only question is whether the WWE Universe will accept Goldberg as a babyface against a heel Roman Reigns.
#4 Could Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns have a match for the ages?
Dave Meltzer from Wrestling Observer recently stated that Daniel Bryan was likely to be Roman Reigns' opponent for the Royal Rumble 2021 pay-per-view.
The same report went into further detail as well:
I mean, there were periods there a couple of years ago when they were going to do the big Roman Reigns-Daniel Bryan program that they never got to. I mean, it just never ended up that way. They brought Erick Rowan into the program and they never even got to Daniel Bryan. So, this could happen again.
Daniel Bryan has been at the very top of the mountain, and he has proved in the past that he can have fantastic matches against Roman Reigns. Plus, he has a score to settle with Jey Uso, which could certainly play into the proceedings, when the feud happens.
Remember that Daniel Bryan could have been the Intercontinental Champion if Jey Uso had not assaulted him in the backstage area during his match with Sami Zayn.
#3 In the sunset of his career, could Rey Mysterio challenge Roman Reigns in a massive showdown?
Rey Mysterio has been wrestling at the highest level since the 90s, and even now, when the bell rings, it almost seems like he hasn't missed a beat. Now, as his career winds down, could he enter into a program with Roman Reigns?
Roman Reigns clearly will not be losing the WWE Universal Championship for some time, so Rey Mysterio is the perfect opponent for him.
The two men could put on a match for the ages, and because Rey Mysterio has nothing to prove to anyone, a defeat will not necessarily affect him.
But there is the added component of 'family', something that has been a central focus for Roman Reigns since he assumed the role of The Tribal Chief and the man who sits at the 'head of the table'.
As with every Rey Mysterio match, he will enter into the match as the underdog, which would earn him the support of every fan watching the proceedings at home.
#2 Murphy and Roman Reigns could remind us how good their last encounter was
Murphy has taken one Shield member down in Seth Rollins, but Roman Reigns is a whole different ballgame. WWE is clearly invested in Murphy and so it is not out of the realm of possibility that Murphy could step up to face Roman Reigns next for the WWE Universal Championship. In fact, this program could, in time, segue into a Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio program, as has been previously discussed in this article.
Plus, if you remember their encounter from the time when Roman Reigns was a babyface, the contest between him and Murphy was hailed by many as one of the best matches that The Big Dog has ever had on live television.
Murphy is young, he is solid, and he is clearly someone that can be a pretty valuable asset over the long haul for the company. A competitive showing against Roman Reigns is the best way to ensure that people see Murphy as a top-tier star over the coming weeks.
#1 Is it finally time for Big E to step up and challenge Roman Reigns?
The Miz caught up with us here at SK Wrestling and told us with the utmost confidence that Big E has it in him to be a future Universal Champion. Could he be Roman Reigns' next opponent?
Yes, we know that Big E is in the WWE Intercontinental Championship picture at the moment, but it just seems like he's meant to be so much more. A feud with Roman Reigns will really elevate him to the next level, where he is meant to be.
While Big E should ideally step up to challenge Roman Reigns right away, another option is for him to win the Royal Rumble and then challenge the current Universal Champion at WrestleMania. But he needs to move out of the mid-card very soon indeed.
Yes, Aleister Black vs. Roman Reigns would have been a good match too, but we know that the contest is not happening because Black hasn't been booked in the right way on the SmackDown brand at all.
