5 most likely opponents for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37

By Divesh Merani
Modified Jan 12, 2021 16:48 IST
Many Superstars could face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37.
Many Superstars could face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37.

As WWE approaches Royal Rumble and WrestleMania season, a lot of Superstars will be stepping their game up. One of them who has remained at the highest level is Roman Reigns. Ever since turning heel and winning the Universal Championship in August, he has been the best performer in WWE.

Reigns has had compelling matches and feuds with the likes of Jey Uso, Drew McIntyre, and Kevin Owens so far. He has been magnificent as the Head of the Table, with all of the subtle things he does adding up to make him the most compelling character.

There are a plethora of options for Roman Reigns to face at WrestleMania, where he is likely to be in the main event. It would be a just reward for his excellent run with the Universal Title. Several current Smackdown Superstars could step up to the Tribal Chief at the Show of Shows, especially with how things have played out on the Blue brand.

This list will focus only on full-time talents since Goldberg is unlikely to challenge Reigns after setting his sights on Drew McIntyre. Meanwhile, Brock Lesnar is also linked with a return to RAW and may face McIntyre at WrestleMania.

Here are the five likeliest opponents for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37.

#5 Seth Rollins could face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37

Despite WWE initially advertising his return for the New Year's Day edition of SmackDown, Seth Rollins is yet to be back on TV. This might lead to a surprise return in the Royal Rumble Match, where the 'Friday Night Messiah' could emerge victorious. It would certainly be a popular decision among the fans.

It seems like Rollins might be turning babyface upon his return, and what better way to mark it than with a main event match against the biggest heel in WWE at WrestleMania? He and Roman Reigns have a lot of history together, being linked through the various incarnations of The Shield.

However, Reigns and Rollins haven't had a proper feud since mid-2016. The match would be relatively fresh, especially considering both Superstars' alignments. The Tribal Chief could place an emphasis on his family having his back, unlike when Rollins betrayed him and Dean Ambrose in 2014.

While there are likelier options, Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns would be a great WrestleMania main event. Also, the two have clashed (somewhat) at the Show of Shows - when Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and pinned Reigns to win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 31.

#4 Shinsuke Nakamura could face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37

Last week's episode of SmackDown might have had possible WrestleMania implications for several Superstars, including Roman Reigns. A gauntlet match is almost always booked to create a new babyface star, with the latest Superstar to get that treatment being Shinsuke Nakamura. He will likely have a part to play in the Universal Championship scene in the near future.

Nakamura went from a midcard tag team heel to a babyface star in one night -- all thanks to his incredible performance in the gauntlet match. He may have lost, but there is more to come. NakaMania may take off and gain some steam.

Of course, there is the possibility of Nakamura simply replacing Adam Pearce in the title match at Royal Rumble. However, the power of social media cannot be ruled out, and the fans could force WWE's hand into booking Roman Reigns vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania.

Shinsuke Nakamura feels like his former self again, and depending on how this story between him, Adam Pearce, and Roman Reigns plays out, he might have a very prominent role to play on the Road to WrestleMania. One thing is for certain -- Nakamura will challenge Reigns for the Universal Title. It is just a matter of when he does so.

#3 Kevin Owens could face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37

There is a possibility, with Kevin Owens possibly written off WWE TV for now, that KO will be the one who ultimately faces Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. His last appearance on SmackDown ended with Reigns throwing him off the platform of LED screens through a table.

However, just like Shinsuke Nakamura, Owens might return as early as this week and challenge the Universal Champion at Royal Rumble. That being said, there is a lot of meat on this bone. KO's feud with Reigns has told an excellent story, one that might be worthy of headlining WrestleMania.

The two have proven to have brilliant chemistry in various incarnations of their feuds over the years. That would guarantee a classic at 'Mania, as Roman Reigns richly deserves. It would feel epic if Kevin Owens returns in the Royal Rumble Match and wins it, en route to dethroning Reigns at WrestleMania.

In terms of stories, not many are more poetic than that. Owens has proved how good he is as a face opposite The Tribal Chief, which might be why WWE decided to write him off at the start of 2021. KO certainly has enough sympathy with the fans to come up against the Universal Champion one more time.

#2 Big E could face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37

Despite currently holding the Intercontinental Championship, Big E might be headed straight to the main event of WrestleMania 37 against Roman Reigns. He is surely on a collision course with The Tribal Cheif, whether that is at 'Mania or beyond. The former New Day member has been on the up over the past month or so.

Big E could still win the Royal Rumble and challenge Reigns at WrestleMania, with or without the IC Title. He may lose it in the lead-up to his big match or simply walk into 'Mania as the Intercontinental Champion. This may be a worthy sequel to the Ultimate Challenge from WrestleMania 6.

Roman Reigns vs. Big E is a mouth-watering prospect, both from an in-ring perspective and with the story. The above promo from Paul Heyman on Talking Smack perfectly set the stage for a big-time match between the two athletically superior stars.

Big E is probably the likeliest Superstar to defeat Roman Reigns and win the Universal Championship. It could happen at WrestleMania, although SummerSlam seems a more plausible option. However, there is one Superstar who might have the biggest chance of facing the Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 37.



#1 Daniel Bryan could face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37

The one Superstar who seems the best bet to challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37 is Daniel Bryan.

The Leader of the Yes Movement has not quite been a fixture at the top of the card since his excellent WWE Championship reign as a heel. He did challenge The Fiend last year, but besides that, Bryan has consistently brought others up to his level and put them over.

He did it as recently as last week, when Shinsuke Nakamura pinned him to advance in the gauntlet match. However, the thing about the best of the best is that no amount of losses can overshadow their worth as a Superstar. Daniel Bryan just needs one big victory, and he'll become a credible threat to Roman Reigns and the Universal Championship.

That one big victory should come at the Royal Rumble, as Bryan is set to enter a match he has never won. It would be great to see him finally fulfill his Royal Rumble destiny and go after the Tribal Chief at WrestleMania. He is one of the best storytellers in WWE history, as is his possible opponent.

There are so many layers to this story between Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns - dating back to the 2015 Royal Rumble, where the fans' overwhelming support for Bryan caused them to turn on Reigns. It would be the ultimate fight between "good" and "evil".

The match would also be brilliant, as evidenced by their Fastlane 2015 encounter. Whether he wins or loses, Daniel Bryan needs to get another big moment in the spotlight. And while the other options on this list would be fun WrestleMania matches, this has the potential to truly be special and epic.

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