WWE may have subtly confirmed Roman Reigns will feud with major babyface star by WrestleMania 42

Roman Reigns has been absent from WWE since the RAW after WrestleMania 41, and his next major feud seems to be with perhaps his greatest and most personal rival, Seth Rollins. The next chapter of this feud may kickstart as soon as Saturday Night's Main Event or may even wait till SummerSlam, depending on where WWE wants to go with the CM Punk-Seth Rollins feud, Roman Reigns' availability, and the plans it has for Seth Rollins and his world title hopes.

Speaking of world title hopes, though, Cody Rhodes is set to challenge John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2025. Rhodes, alongside Reigns and Rollins, forms the holy trinity of this generation, with the three men being the biggest stars of this generation and having legendary rivalries with each other.

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Roman Reigns & Cody Rhodes: The Austin/Rock of this era?

While Rollins was instrumental in getting Rhodes established as a bona fide main-eventer in WWE upon his return, Reigns became the mountain Cody had to climb to finish the story and take over the reins of the company. The Reigns-Rhodes feud captured lightning in a bottle leading up to WrestleMania 39 and 40, and one could argue that without their dynamic, WWE would be nowhere close to the momentum and heights it reached these past few years.

With their H2H record of 1-1, the outstanding quality and dynamic of their matches and segments, and the sheer star power and chemistry they bring to the table, a trilogy seems inevitable. And with Roman Reigns now a babyface, their equation while standing on opposite sides would not only be fresh but also a sight to behold.

It is very plausible that the Undisputed WWE Championship is on the line one more time; although this time, The American Nightmare would be the champion if that is indeed the case, and he might even have turned heel by the time it is time for Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns III. While the Reigns-Rollins story may be more personal and deep, one can argue that Rhodes is Reigns' greatest rival and vice versa.

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QB1 vs TC1: What does that signify?

While a Roman Reigns-Cody Rhodes rubber match has always been an alluring direction that could help WWE recapture the magic it has lost to an extent in 2025, what has exacerbated the potential for the feud and spawned the hype for it being imminent are the rumors of Reigns' new moniker being "Tribal Chief One" or "TC1." This seems to be a direct play on Cody's self-proclaimed, though widely regarded, position: the Quarterback, or QB1.

If Reigns is indeed set to be marketed as TC1 going forward, it may foreshadow his feud with Cody Rhodes later this year or on the Road to WrestleMania 42. The timeline in the Reigns/Rhodes feud would, of course, depend on multiple factors: the Rollins/Punk feud, Seth Rollins' world title aspirations, a potential Rhodes/Rollins feud, and Cody Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Championship reign.

The schedule Reigns and Rhodes will have over the next few months, considering both men's starring roles in the upcoming Street Fighter movie, will also be a major determining factor in the equation. Nonetheless, their clash is, of course, WrestleMania main event-worthy (they have only ever been on opposite sides in a 'Mania main event), and WrestleMania 42 may be the perfect stage for it.

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The Roman Reigns-Cody Rhodes rivalry has gone Hollywood

The Roman Reigns–Cody Rhodes rivalry isn’t just a WWE saga anymore; it’s gone Hollywood. The two megastars, who headlined consecutive WrestleManias and have defined WWE's main event scene for years, will now face off in the upcoming Street Fighter movie.

Roman Reigns takes on the role of Akuma, a menacing and relentless martial arts force, forged in combat, much like The Tribal Chief, while Cody Rhodes plays Guile, a resilient hero and all-American icon. Even outside the ring, their stories remain intertwined.

Directed by Kitao Sakurai (Bad Trip, Twisted Metal), the film adapts Capcom’s legendary fighting game franchise and features a stacked cast including Andrew Koji (Ryu), Noah Centineo (Ken), Callina Liang (Chun-Li), Jason Momoa (Blanka), and more. With 50 Cent as Balrog and Orville Peck as Vega, the project brings together talent from across entertainment. But for wrestling fans, it’s Reigns vs. Rhodes—Round III—this time in a different kind of main event.