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Edge is set to face Roman Reigns at Money in the Bank 2021. Edge vs. Roman Reigns was the original main event of WrestleMania 37 Night Two, but Daniel Bryan was added to the mix, making it a Triple Threat match.
Although Bryan benefited from having a spot in the WrestleMania main event, he admitted that Edge vs. Roman Reigns was a big enough match and that he wasn't needed.
A month before SummerSlam 2021, WWE will have crowds back for only the second pay-per-view this year. The Rated-R Superstar could have a chance at defeating Reigns, although the vast majority of fans wouldn't prefer it.
Even then, we will play the devil's advocate and look at reasons why Edge should be the one to dethrone Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship and why he shouldn't.
#3. Should dethrone Roman Reigns: Edge is a special attraction with a lot of benefits
Edge winning the Universal Championship from Roman Reigns would be a big deal. If he does win the title then he will be another "part-time" champion, leading to a lot of complaints.
But what many WWE fans don't realize about him is that he isn't like the average part-timer. When he has a run-in WWE, he is present week in and week out. Compare it to Brock Lesnar or Goldberg, for example, who don't need to appear every week even when they are actively in a feud.
John Cena is another name that does this, although his appearances have drastically reduced in the past year. However, since his part-time run started in 2015, he was a part of regular programs for a few years until his appearances started to decrease more.
Edge doesn't have the same obligations in Hollywood, and when he has a run-in WWE, he appears frequently. This doesn't necessarily mean that he would be a full-time superstar since he would still only be likely to wrestle at pay-per-views.
Edge would be a big change from Roman Reigns, but he is a special attraction that can bring ratings for the Blue brand. Since the SmackDown on FOX deal is the biggest that WWE has ever had, they have made it the true A-show of the company.
The Rated-R Superstar fits the bill and is a big enough star to carry the SmackDown brand from Reigns, even as a part-time Universal Champion. All WWE needs to do is avoid making the same mistakes that they did with Brock Lesnar during his 500+ day Universal Championship reign.
#3. Shouldn't dethrone Roman Reigns: The Universal Champion is untouchable now
Many words can be used to describe Roman Reigns in his current run and one of them is "untouchable". Ever since the start of his Universal Championship reign nearly a year ago, he has felt untouchable.
It's clear that he's doing the best work of his career and his momentum has carried on to 2021. Consistency has been key and Reigns is undoubtedly the best part of WWE.
It's the heel run that we've been waiting for and Roman Reigns as a dominant Universal Champion has worked well. It will be interesting to see how it translates to the crowd when they return this week, but the cream always rises to the top.
Reigns is now showing all the potential that some fans knew he had while WWE was trying to force him down people's throats as a babyface. He is rightfully the most protected superstar in the company and it needs to stay that way.
As good as Edge is, he isn't the best option to dethrone Roman Reigns in his current run.
#2. Should dethrone Roman Reigns: A shocking title change for when the crowds return
When Edge and Roman Reigns face off at Money in the Bank 2021, it will only be two days after the crowds return. The first show with crowds back will be on SmackDown and the main event will feature Reigns and The Usos against Edge, Rey Mysterio, and Dominik Mysterio.
In all likeliness, the babyfaces could win to make it seem like The Rated-R Superstar has a bigger chance than he does. But what if the chances are higher than most WWE fans think? It seems impossible that the company will take the Universal title off Roman Reigns, but they're also known to make bizarre decisions to cause some buzz.
It would be the biggest shock that WWE could pull off, but it would be a statement made. Reigns getting dethroned two days after crowds return means that the promotion made the change because they wanted to create a buzz about it.
While it's understandably not a strong enough argument to end Roman Reigns' epic Universal title reign, it could still happen as a big twist on SmackDown.
#2. Shouldn't dethrone Roman Reigns: A part-time superstar shouldn't pin him
It's been a long time since we've seen Roman Reigns take a pinfall loss. The last time he was pinned was nearly two years ago at TLC 2019 to Baron Corbin.
He even got pinned by Corbin on SmackDown a month before that. In a bit of a boring and underwhelming match, Baron Corbin pinned Roman Reigns with The End Of Days. It was, of course, a victory tainted by interference from Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode.
It was a part of the never-ending Reigns-Corbin feud that bored fans in late 2019 and early 2020. Thankfully, things are different now and it seems unlikely that Baron Corbin will be involved with Roman Reigns in any way.
Edge, however, isn't necessarily the right superstar to break that streak. When a superstar pins Reigns next, it's going to be a huge deal. In all likeliness, it may not even happen in 2021.
If things play out well in the long run, maybe Reigns shouldn't be pinned for the rest of the year. We've seen Bobby Lashley take numerous pinfall losses even as the WWE Champion and it shouldn't be done.
Perhaps a full-time superstar will benefit more from being the first man to pin Roman Reigns since December 2019.
#1. Should dethrone Roman Reigns: A fresh change of scenery on SmackDown
Edge dethroning Roman Reigns could mark a change of direction on Smackdown. WWE is aware that change is constantly needed to keep the product fresh. They don't always act on it, especially on RAW.
However, Reigns has been the face of SmackDown for nearly a year now and has done the best job possible. While it's a good sign to continue in that direction, WWE may feel the need to change directions.
This would mean a Universal title reign for Edge - presumably as a babyface. After seeing a dominant heel champion for nearly a year, the company may feel that fans will appreciate a change of scenery on SmackDown.
This is perhaps the strongest argument to make The Rated-R Superstar the man to dethrone Roman Reigns for the Universal title. It would be interesting to see the direction WWE goes in with Edge as the champion.
More than anything, timing is key. With crowds back, the company may feel that having a popular legend as the World Champion would be an appropriate
#1. Shouldn't dethrone Roman Reigns: The John Cena match at SummerSlam
The biggest reason Edge shouldn't dethrone Roman Reigns is that there's a better program waiting for The Tribal Chief immediately after. It has been heavily rumored for a while now that Roman Reigns vs. John Cena is the expected main event of SummerSlam 2021.
If so, it justifies the company hosting SummerSlam in the massive Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. It will be the highest-attended WWE show this year and it looks like it could be the most stacked card we've seen in a while.
In addition, it's also the perfect opportunity for WWE to re-do the Reigns-Cena feud. The two men crossed paths in the summer of 2017, but the circumstances were different. The two men didn't lay a finger in the build to their No Mercy match, but there were a few problems that plagued the feud.
Firstly, Roman Reigns was a babyface and he was getting bombarded and humiliated by John Cena in his promos. It was a bad look for him. Secondly, it wasn't even the main event of No Mercy - Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman was. Thirdly, the match was simply not up to the mark and it was boring with a predictable outcome.
The SummerSlam match may have a predictable outcome as well, but the circumstances are different. Reigns can now hang with Cena and has a far stronger character foundation than he did a few years ago. The rivalry will have more heat to it and the crowd reaction to their match will likely blow the roof off the Allegiant Stadium.
Bayley gives us a HUGE update on a top Superstar's upcoming return RIGHT HERE.
