WWE SummerSlam 2018: 5 Feuds for Roman Reigns if he wins the Universal Title

Who will be Reigns' first challenger if he defeats Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam?
Who will be Reigns' first challenger if he defeats Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam?

Next Sunday, Roman Reigns will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal title for the third time so far in 2018.

Lesnar defeated Reigns with relative ease at WrestleMania, and would then retain his belt thanks to a controversial finish at The Greatest Royal Rumble event a few weeks later.

While you can never rule out WWE swerving us when it comes to Brock Lesnar, most fans are expecting Reigns to finally end The Beast Incarnate's reign of terror at SummerSlam and finally get his hands on the Universal title.

The nature of Lesnar's reign means that fans are not used to seeing the belt on TV every week, and building a solid feud for Reigns once Lesnar has been vanquished should be a priority.

The title scene on Monday nights has suffered a lot of damage under Brock Lesnar, but the continued presence of a champion on television should help reestablish several superstars as main-event talents.

With that in mind, let's take a look at five potential feuds for Roman Reigns if he wins the Universal title at SummerSlam.

Sportskeeda is the one-stop destination for latest WWE rumors and wrestling news


#1 Kevin Owens

Owens and Reigns have had several great matches in the past
Owens and Reigns have had several great matches in the past

Kevin Owens could be the dark horse at SummerSlam. The former Universal champion will go one on one with Braun Strowman for the Money in the Bank briefcase early in the night, and if he wins, then there is every chance he could walk away from Brooklyn as the first ever two-time Universal champion.

If that is the case, and Owens cashes in on Reigns, then you can guarantee that the two men will be locked in a feud for the next few months.

Adding fuel to this theory is the fact that the WWE has reportedly advertised Roman Reigns Vs Kevin Owens at Hell in a Cell, the pay-per-view which follows this year's SummerSlam.

Reigns and Owens have taken part in several excellent matches in the past, and Owens taking the title would at least be something a little bit different from the usual big men dominating the Raw main event scene.

#2 Braun Strowman

Braun and his briefcase are going to be lurking in the shadows
Braun and his briefcase are going to be lurking in the shadows

Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns had one of the best feuds of 2017. The two men put on some really fun encounters and the feud helped to establish Braun as one of Raw's top guys.

Strowman is currently the holder of the Money in the Bank briefcase and providing he doesn't lose it to Kevin Owens at SummerSlam, then it would make sense for him to after Reigns and the Universal title after Reigns has finally defeated Lesnar.

There are two options the WWE have here. They could simply have Braun cash in on Reigns after or during the match to become the new champion, or he could announce a match ahead of time, maybe for Survivor Series, on the Raw following the show.

Whichever route the WWE decides to go down, it feels inevitable that Reigns and Strowman will meet again very soon.

#3 Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley holds a clean pinfall victory over Roman Reigns
Bobby Lashley holds a clean pinfall victory over Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley are currently at 1-1 in terms of victories over one another, so a rubber match between the two men somewhere down the line makes a lot of sense.

Lashley picked up a victory over Reigns in an impressive outing at Extreme Rules, and the two men would go on to top that bout with a great number 1 contendership match on Raw two weeks later, which Reigns obviously won.

As of right now, Bobby Lashley doesn't have any clear program in place. He has entered into a mini-feud with Elias, but that doesn't look as though it will go on any longer than SummerSlam. Vince McMahon has a penchant for big-men matches and pitting Reigns against Lashley for the Universal title is almost guaranteed to put a smile on his face.

#4 Seth Rollins

Will Seth Rollins finally re-enter the main-event scene?
Will Seth Rollins finally re-enter the main-event scene?

Seth Rollins has been one of the most WWE performers so far in 2018, and fans would rejoice to see him back in the main event title scene on Monday nights.

Rumours did the rounds in the early stages of the Summer that Rollins was going to be the one to topple Lesnar at SummerSlam but obviously, that wasn't to be.

Rollins is currently embroiled in a program with Dolph Ziggler, and the two men will battle it out for the Intercontinental title at SummerSlam, but if Rollins loses that match, then the feud between the two men will likely be brought to an end.

Despite the fact that both men are faces, a match between Rollins and Reigns could be built with relative ease. The two men are on-screen buddies and building a feud out of simple one-upmanship, similar to Rollins' feud with Balor earlier this year, would prove fairly straightforward.

#5 Dean Ambrose

Could Ambrose turn on Reigns when he finally returns?
Could Ambrose turn on Reigns when he finally returns?

Dean Ambrose has been rumoured to make his WWE return for some time now, and it would appear as though the WWE is holding it off until after SummerSlam.

A return from Ambrose on the Raw after SummerSlam would certainly grab the headlines, and with most fans expecting the former WWE champion to turn on Seth Rollins, having him attack Roman Reigns and come after his title would certainly be a nice twist.

While Rollins and Ambrose have both worked an extended feud together, Ambrose and Reigns have never worked a proper program together, and it has been rare that they have found themselves squaring off one on one.

A feud between the two men would make for a refreshing change, especially with all the history that the two men share. Of course, Reigns would likely come out on top, but having Ambrose make his grand return in the Universal title would help give him some momentum going forward.


Send us news tips at [email protected]

Quick Links