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Roman Reigns has been the top performer in WWE for over two years. With the help of The Bloodline, Reigns has managed to retain his Universal Championship for well over 800 days. Furthermore, The Tribal Chief defeated Brock Lesnar to unify the Universal and WWE Championships at WrestleMania 38.
For over a year, fans have been anticipating who should defeat Reigns for the title. Many top superstars such as Edge, Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, and Seth Rollins have failed to take the title from The Head of the Table.
Meanwhile, wrestling legends have also thrown around names of wrestlers from within and outside of WWE who could defeat Roman Reigns. While the list of wrestlers who could take on Reigns for the title is never-ending, some big names could get a shot at Reigns in the coming months.
With that being said, let's take a look at the five veterans who have named their picks to defeat Roman Reigns for the undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
#5. Dutch Mantell put his weight behind WWE NXT Champion Bron Breakker
Bron Breakker has made a mark on NXT with his consistent performances in the ring. Tommaso Ciampa helped the young superstar get to the top and improve his mic skills in the process. He is currently proving himself in the ring against the upcoming wrestlers in the company.
On a recent episode of Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell spoke about a variety of topics. The former booker believed that the company had to bring back stars like Brock Lesnar and John Cena because it failed to build new faces.
Mantell also suggested that building Bron Breakker to challenge Roman Reigns for the title would be a good move. He further noted that Breakker could defeat The Tribal Chief for the top title to carry the company forward.
"He's got the genes for it. He's been in and around the wrestling business all his life. He's kind of got the vibe of it. I've heard some of his interviews, and he's not bad. A little more experience and he could be good," Mantell said.
Breakker is the complete package, as he has the looks and charisma to make it big. He could soon turn out to be a potential contender for Roman Reigns’ title.
#4. GUNTHER should defeat Roman Reigns, according to Tommy Dreamer
GUNTHER has become one of the most dominant forces on WWE SmackDown. The Intercontinental Champion has overcome several big names to defend his title over the past few months.
The 35-year-old has impressed fans and higher-ups with his performances in the ring, with several WWE legends seeing him as the future face of the company.
On a recent episode of the Busted Open podcast, ECW legend Tommy Dreamer mentioned that GUNTHER should face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39. Dreamer believes the company should let The Ring General take the titles away from The Tribal Chief.
"It was great [Gunther vs. Rey Mysterio]. It helped Gunther because we're talking about Roman Reigns. We're talking about Logan Paul. If Roman Reigns beats him, eventually — then I say the person they have to go to is Gunther versus Roman at 'Mania. Because then I'm like, 'Who else can do it?' And I don't know who else can do it."
GUNTHER is a tough superstar who can stand his own against the biggest names in the company. He could be a fan favorite to become the next undisputed WWE Universal Champion in the months to come.
#3. Teddy Long sees Nick Aldis as the next undisputed WWE Universal Champion
English wrestler Nick Aldis has competed in some of the biggest wrestling promotions in the world. He is someone who must be under WWE’s radar, as he is an excellent performer in the ring.
Roman Reigns has faced nearly all the top names in WWE since winning the Universal Championship in August 2020. Former SmackDown manager Teddy Long believes that a performer from outside the company should be brought in to defeat The Tribal Chief.
Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's One-on-One, Teddy Long stated that Nick Aldis could join the Stamford-based promotion and challenge Reigns for the top title. Teddy also added that Aldis should make his presence known by immediately dethroning Roman Reigns as the undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
"That's money right there. But I'll kind of do it the other way around. I'll have Nick come in first and take the belt from Roman Reigns. I'd do it that way, and then he's out there celebrating, and of the out blue, here comes Cody," said Teddy Long
Aldis has a history with Cody Rhodes, and Long believes that the company could use that in a storyline to captivate fans after he wins the title.
#2. Goldberg wants Brock Lesnar to defeat The Tribal Chief
Brock Lesnar has been one of Roman Reigns’ fiercest competitors for a long time. The two men have battled it out on countless occasions, and Reigns has found a way to overcome The Beast Incarnate in recent years.
Reigns unified the two top titles after defeating Lesnar at WrestleMania 38. Their match was dubbed one of the biggest contests of all time. However, WWE legend Goldberg believes that Lesnar should be the one to dethrone The Tribal Chief in the coming months.
Speaking on WWE's The Bump in late September 2022, The Icon explained that he thinks the man to defeat Reigns should be Brock Lesnar.
"I think Brock most definitely has the opportunity to do it when he comes back. He’s very dominant, we’ve seen that over the past year or longer. It’s gonna take that special person to come out and dethrone him. I think there are a couple people that are more than capable of doing it.” Goldberg said
The Beast Incarnate recently returned to reignite his rivalry against Bobby Lashley and defeat him at Crown Jewel. While Goldberg believes there are a couple of people who can defeat Roman Reigns, however, he only named The Beast Incarnate during The Bump.
#1. Disco Inferno wants to see Cody Rhodes defeat Roman Reigns
Over the past couple of years, several names have been thrown around as Roman Reigns’ challengers. Cody Rhodes is one of the biggest names that has emerged to beat him for his championship.
Cody has been discussed as the man who could potentially end Roman's reign. However, an injury following his return to WWE has halted his rise in the company.
WCW veteran Disco Inferno is one of several wrestling legends who believe that Rhodes is the perfect choice to become the next Universal Champion. He recently shared his views on the Keepin It’ 100 podcast.
"I think Cody could do it. If Cody comes back as a babyface and gets really over and really gets the crowd behind them, there would be a huge pop when he wins it. With Roman, you gotta have someone that gets the crowd to believe they could beat him. I think Cody can get that support, and fans really want to like him. Bro, he's been super over ever since he came from AEW. So if they keep doing that, I think he could absolutely be the guy to do it," said Disco Inferno.
Cody could possibly make his return at the 2023 Royal Rumble and win the 30-man over-the-top-rope elimination match for a shot at Reigns at WrestleMania 39. It could be the perfect way to have him win the company's world championship for the first time.
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