5 signs Roman Reigns will have a lengthy reign as WWE Universal Champion

Roman Reigns won the Universal title at Payback, and although the move was a little disappointing after watching The Fiend lose again, it also puts Reigns in uncharted territory as a character. Between his surprising heel turn and his alignment with Paul Heyman, WWE had something big on their hands.

What they do from here remains to be seen and will depend on what they think is best for business, but Roman Reigns as a heel champion is something that needs to be explored. It is also something that will take a lot of time to explore, which is why a long-term championship run can't be out of the question.

With that being said and the writing being on the wall concerning Roman Reigns' future as champion, here are five signs that WWE has him penciled in for a lengthy title run.

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#5 WWE picking Jey Uso as Roman Reigns' first opponent

Roman Reigns will defend his title against Jey Uso at Clash of Champions

Roman Reigns versus Jey Uso at Clash of Champions might seem like a bit of a mistake, especially since there isn't much to this feud beyond the family aspect, but it is actually a great start for Reigns' title reign. It is the kind of start that points to the company wanting this title reign to go on for a long time.

WWE going with Jey Uso as Roman Reigns first opponent shows that WWE wants to play up the family angle for a while and turn Reigns on his own cousin. It also shows that WWE doesn't really have any other babyface with enough momentum to really hold their own in a feud with Reigns.

If nothing else, WWE seems to want to put the finishing touches on Roman Reigns heel turn before putting him up against some of their other babyfaces. This also pretty much points to WWE playing the long game when it comes to Reign's title run, which could end up lasting until WrestleMania 37 at this point.

#4 Roman Reigns replacing The Fiend in the title picture

Isn't it crazy how WWE took The Fiend out of the title picture in favor of Roman Reigns?

Roman Reigns won the Universal title at Payback by pinning Braun Strowman in a triple threat match, but it was The Fiend that lost the most here. Not only was he ousted as champion a week after finally gaining it back, he was also quickly shoved out of the title picture by WWE.

This was a very good move on WWE's part and points to the company wanting to save their rematch for later down the line. It also hints at the fact that the company saving it for later means a considerable amount of time will pass before they have their next encounter in the squared circle.

In the end, this means WWE is going to do a lot of unique storytelling between now and then, which should help further Roman Reigns as a heel and set up The Fiend to be the eventual conquering babyace. It also could mean that WWE likely has quite a long title run planned for Reigns.

#3 A plethora of dream matches for Roman Reigns

The Rock versus Roman Reigns. Who wins?

It's no secret that Roman Reigns as a heel opens the door to a plethora of dream matches. WWE could use this opportunity to take their time in seeing these dream matches to fruition. The Rock, The Fiend, and maybe even Matt Riddle are possible options WWE could use as opponents for Reigns

Furthermore, there are other WWE Superstars like Goldberg, Edge and maybe even Keith Lee, who would all serve as interesting box office draws against a heel character like Roman Reigns. It might even be enough to pat out some of the B-level pay per views and help make the big four pay-per-views even better.

If nothing else, WWE has essentially captured lightning in a bottle with Roman Reigns turning heel at SummerSlam and have quite a few options going forward. They also have the attention of the WWE Universe at the moment, which is going to drive up Friday Night SmackDown's ratings as time goes on.

#2 Roman Reigns having a long reign will establish a new babyface

Roman Reigns is the kind of guy that someone can make a name off of.

Roman Reigns is the biggest heel in WWE right now and there are several ways WWE could go with his current run. Reigns is now in uncharted territory as a bad guy and with WWE needing a future top Superstar, the company is in the best position to build a new star.

Not only is that evident by the fact that Roman Reigns can quickly gain heel heat by surpassing other Superstar's records with the title, but also by how much fans will then yearn for someone to beat him. While doing this for months or even a year might sound tedious, it won't be if there are plenty of different options.

For example, what if one of the matches during the title reign was a bout against The Rock? Or what if WWE revisited Roman Reigns versus The Fiend a little bit later down the line? Either way, WWE will slowly be setting the stage for what should be the next big changing of the guard moment.

#1 Roman Reigns as a heel is must-watch television

Roman Reigns as a heel is must-watch television.

Where can WWE go with Roman Reigns as a heel character? While the company already had him winthe title from The Fiend and align himself with Paul Heyman for good measure, that only seems like the beginning. Furthermore, with Roman Reigns still a very polarizing figure in WWE, it feels like something big is on the horizon.

A Roman Reigns heel turn has never been done before, which puts Reigns in uncharted territory as a character. It also gives WWE a wide open playbook of options that they could do next, which could be some of the best television that fans have seen in quite a while.

In the end, Roman Reigns as a heel is must-watch television and is something that WWE is going to want to use to keep fans to tune in to SmackDown. It is also a chance to do some of the things that WWE thought they would never do with Roman Reigns storyline-wise, which will also be interesting to watch play out.