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The first feud for Roman Reigns on SmackDown Live has been against another man who is new to the blue brand, Elias. The two Superstars began their feud immediately after the Superstar Shake Up concluded its first week.
After announcing Elias as 'the biggest acquisition in SmackDown history', Reigns hit the ring in order to declare that the Blue Brand was now his yard. He attacked both Elias and Mr. McMahon with a couple of Superman punches and then laid out the Drifter with a thunderous spear.
Due to his alliance with Shane McMahon and the SmackDown Live tag-team champions, Daniel Bryan and Rowan, Elias has routinely gotten the upper hand on Reigns. This is likely being done to make it look like Reigns is fighting an uphill battle, but it's nothing new with his booking. He fends off five or more people and overcomes the odds 99% of the time.
But if WWE wants to turn things around and add some unpredictability to its programs, having Reigns show some vulnerability might be the best thing for WWE and The Big Dog. Things have become stagnant with him always winning, and having Reigns suffer a loss could actually turn out well for The Big Dog . Right now, there is little doubt that he will win his PPV matches.
Since anything can happen, although not usually with 'the Big Dog', there are several possible ways that the match between Reigns and Elias can go down. Here are five possible finishes for their match at Money in the Bank.
#5 Roman Reigns wins clean
Elias represents the second singles PPV foe for Roman Reigns since he returned to the WWE after dealing with Leukemia. He defeated Drew McIntyre are WrestlleMania 35, but that win was likely never in doubt. There was no way he was going to lose his first solo match once he was back in the ring.
The same can probably be said about his next PPV match, this time against Elias. The Drifter has been lingering around main-event status for the last year, but his move to SmackDown Live immediately placed him into the cross-hairs of The Big Dog. Was it done to get Reigns over more or to help legitimize Elias as a main-event heel?
While it would be great for someone to notch a win over Reigns on PPV, the easiest and most straightforward thing WWE could do is book Reigns to pick up a clean win.
They rarely have him lose and unless a building is dropped on top of him, he's likely not losing any time soon.
WWE needs to be unpredictable with many things and Reigns' booking is included in that. Never having him lose makes his matches almost unnecessary to watch if the conclusion is always the same. But on Sunday, a clean win by Reigns is one of the likeliest finishes.
#4 Elias wins it clean
This might be the least likely finish due to WWE's reluctance to give anyone a clean win over their Supermen. Prior to the last few years, a clean win over John Cena used to be a huge deal. Now that he's a part-timer, it isn't such a big deal when Cena loses.
That treatment has been transferred to the newest 'Golden Boy' in Reigns. He really only loses when the circumstances are so insane like a beat-down by five opponents or he is defeated in a match where a pin-fall isn't the only way to win (Ambulance Match, Table Match, Ladder Match).
When someone new defeats the chosen Superstars, it's a big deal. Kevin Owens defeating John Cena initially presented him as a huge deal and someone to be taken seriously. If Elias somehow gets a clean win over Reigns, it would be huge.
It would give 'the Drifter' some credibility as a player in the main event and it would also give him a legitimate claim to be one of the next challengers for the WWE Championship.
It would also show that Reigns has some vulnerability which would be understandable after his last year or so. This type of finish would also be new and refreshing in the WWE, so they likely won't do it.
#3 Reigns gets disqualified in some fashion
Since Shane McMahon has been heavily featured in this feud, he will likely play some factor into the outcome of this match. If Reigns and Elias face off before the steel cage match between McMahon and the MIz, then Shane will most certainly interfere in some way.
He might come out to ringside during the match and constantly taunt Reigns at every turn. Another thing he could do is find the smallest of reasons to have the ref DQ Reigns. Shane McMahon's abuse of his power has also been on display during his feud with Reigns and the Miz.
It will come into play somehow on Sunday and could reasonably affect the outcome of several matches at the PPV.
Daniel Bryan and Rowan are defending the SmackDown Tag Team titles as well, so along with his own feud with The Miz, we might experience a power-drunk McMahon in the highest fashion at MITB.
If a person in power somehow affects the outcome of the match, it will also give Reigns a good reason to continue opposing the McMahons.
It might be another way the WWE tries to keep him over with the fans because even though he's currently cheered, the more he shows up everywhere, the quicker his good will with a lot of the fans will fade.
#2 Elias wins with a little help from his friends
Along with a clean win by Reigns, this is also one of the most likely finishes for the match. From the B-Team to Shane McMahon to the SmackDown Tag Team champs, a number of allies could feasibly interject themselves on Sunday.
It makes total sense in storyline and might continue to dominate SmackDown going forward. McMahons often feel that more of them will help the ratings, so the outcomes of the matches at MITB will likely continue to dominate the blue brand going forward.
Interference behind the referee's back could totally be a story of the match because it would help sell Reigns as the valiant face fighting back against a plethora of interlopers.
If this match takes place after the cage match, it might mean less chance of Shane McMahon interfering, but he will likely be involved in the match if the cage match goes on after Reigns/Elias.
With Superstars interfering to foil Reigns, it gives the feud a reason to continue. This doesn't seem like a one-and-done type of clash, so if Elias wins, it will likely be with an embarrassing amount of interference from the friends who have helped him over the last month or so.
#1 Elias is disqualified
When Elias initially challenged Reigns to a match at Money in the Bank, it was during a backstage song. Elias isn't shy about whacking anyone over the head or back with his guitar, so a loss by DQ is a possibility for the match at MITB, albeit a disappointing one.
Any time the two foes have crossed paths, it has usually ended in chaos. Whether someone is caught interfering on his behalf or he resorts to using his faithful guitar to defeat Reigns, Elias could easily be disqualified.
Elias losing would give him a reason to continually target 'the Big Dog' as he would not be satisfied with losing. Even if he does blatantly cheat by hitting Reigns with his guitar, the ref might even be coerced into letting it go.
If things are on the level in the match (and when have they been in this feud) then 'the Drifter' might resort to cheating when all else fails. If he's caught and a McMahon doesn't let it go, then he could easily lose via DQ.
