5 Most likely WWE Universal Championship opponents for Roman Reigns at Fastlane 2021

By Riju Dasgupta
Modified Feb 22, 2021 12:09 IST
Roman Reigns made short work of Daniel Bryan at Fastlane
Roman Reigns made short work of Daniel Bryan at Fastlane

Roman Reigns is scheduled to face Edge for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania in a major marquee match. That still leaves us with the compelling question of who his opponent will be at Fastlane 2021.

Here are five men who could certainly tussle with Roman Reigns to elevate the WWE Universal Championship in a competitive match in the final stop before WrestleMania 37. This time, the Tribal Chief's challenger won't be weakened from a confrontation earlier on the very same night.

So, who could the lucky (/unlucky?) challengers be then? Let's look at 5 possible contenders and find out!

Something to keep in mind is that whoever Roman Reigns faces at Fastlane 2021 is likely to lose the match since Edge vs. Roman Reigns is the big-money match.

#5 Could Cesaro and Roman Reigns slug it out in a WWE Universal Championship match?

More than one member of the WWE Universe wanted Cesaro to win the Elimination Chamber match this week and face Roman Reigns thereafter. Unfortunately, The Swiss Cyborg came up short in the contest. But maybe that was for the best if you consider how the ensuing Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns match played out.

Maybe the build to Cesaro vs. Roman Reigns begins on the episode of SmackDown that follows Elimination Chamber. For the Swiss Cyborg to enter the WWE Universal Championship picture would be a big step up for him. And he could come up short thanks to Seth Rollins.

This could play the framework for Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro at WrestleMania. Cesaro's WWE Universal Championship feud could lend him the credibility he needs to enter this feud with a lot of momentum. Does Cesaro currently have the credibility to enter a feud with Roman Reigns at Fastlane, in your opinion?

#4 The Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan saga may not be over

'Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan is a feud that really does need a long build'- SK's own Divesh Merani said these words on our in-house chat when Daniel Bryan won the Elimination Chamber match.

Roman Reigns made short work of Daniel Bryan in the contest, and the moment was eclipsed by Edge crashing the party to deliver a spear. It makes one wonder if we're due a major Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns match at Fastlane.

And maybe we will get the build that such a feud deserves. In fact, the two men have faced each other at Fastlane in the past as well, in what was a memorable and titanic clash.

Roman Reigns was victorious when he went up against Daniel Bryan at Fastlane 2015. This is likely to be the outcome once again if this match does indeed happen at Fastlane 2021. It definitely won't be a step back for Daniel Bryan. He can be an important part of the Edge vs. Roman Reigns build.

#3 Rey Mysterio could ride off into the sunset following a major Roman Reigns program

Roman Reigns has been cast as the big bully during his WWE SmackDown stint. If someone has to go up against him, it makes sense for the babyface to be the underdog in the situation.

There hasn't been a better underdog babyface in the glorious history of pro wrestling than Rey Mysterio. And maybe Dominik could get the Roman Reigns rub as well with tag team situations that pit him and his father against The Tribal Chief and Jey Uso.

The essence of 'family feuds' has been very present in every Roman Reigns storyline thus far. Obviously, it's the same case with Rey Mysterio as well, whose family has been heavily showcased on RAW and SmackDown.

Rey Mysterio is nearing the end of his long and illustrious career.

Could it end on a glorious note where he goes up against Roman Reigns, comes very close to winning the WWE Universal Championship but comes up short at WWE Fastlane 2021, next month?

#2 Murphy's campaign could lead him straight into Roman Reigns and the WWE Universal Championship picture

Remember the last time Roman Reigns and Murphy went to war? This was a part of the storyline where Reigns was being attacked backstage by a mystery saboteur, who turned out to be Rowan at the end. But before we arrived at that conclusion, serious doubts were cast upon Murphy, who turned out to be innocent after all.

When Seth Rollins took a sabbatical from TV to focus on being a father, it just seemed like his disciple, Murphy, lost a step or two as well. Unfortunately, even though Rollins is back, his former Disciple doesn't seem to have a spot on the SmackDown roster. So much so, that Murphy sent out the Tweet above when Elimination Chamber was on.

Could this campaign set Murphy up for a potential clash against Roman Reigns? And maybe Rey Mysterio and Dominik can help even the odds against Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, and Apollo Crews. Do not forget that the WWE Universal Champion was spotted with Crews not very long ago.

#1 Roman Reigns vs. Christian is the perfect prelude to the big match with Edge

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We had former WWE head writer, Vince Russo, book Roman Reigns vs. Edge on our YouTube Channel, including the road to the big match. Russo mentioned how important it was to have Christian be a part of the storyline during the chat with Dr. Featherstone.

Russo suggests that Christian should be decimated by Roman Reigns, which, in turn, makes Edge angry. An authority figure could then convey this to Edge:

We saw what just happened to your friend. You guys just had your moment in the sun. You’re not just gonna walk in… because you’re a Hall of Famer and you’re (a part of) history. I’m going to give you this last shot, but this will be your last shot. You lose this match, bro, and it’s game over.

And so yes, Christian vs. Roman Reigns could happen at Fastlane 2021, where the legend gets slaughtered.

In this manner, there's a readymade storyline heading into Edge vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.