For the first time in years, Roman Reigns is a consistent member of the WWE main roster.
Before that, he had slipped into a special-attraction role, where he would show up for the marquee premium live events, be on an episode or two of television, have his big match, and then take weeks to months off before making a big return.
But following his win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas and his capture of the world heavyweight championship, he announced that he would be full-time throughout the summer.
To prove his words weren’t just to boast, Reigns is scheduled to defend his championship on the first PLE since WrestleMania, Backlash, against his cousin Jacob Fatu in a match fans have been waiting for since Fatu joined the company two years ago.
In the most likely case that Reigns defends his championship against Fatu and has three or four months of dates left, who else should Reigns challenge in that span?
Here are my picks for the top three contenders I want to see challenge Reigns for the title.
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Gunther
It’s a match that should have happened back when Gunther was world heavyweight champion, but it’s better late than never.
After the 30-minute classic Reigns just produced with Punk, I’m excited about what type of marathon match the Austrian technician and Reigns could collaborate on in a big-time main event.
Je’Von Evans
Evans has just turned 22, which means he still has two years to win a world title and break Randy Orton’s record as the youngest world champion in WWE history.
While Evans won’t and shouldn’t beat Reigns, a mini-feud and a marquee match between the two would be a star-making moment for the youngster.
Give Evans a few close falls, let him push Reigns to the limit, and then have the veteran go over to show Evans that he still has ways to go if he wants the responsibility of that title.
Oba Femi
The most obvious answer is sometimes the best. The WWE is saddling Femi with a weekly open challenge gimmick on “Monday Night Raw” to keep him busy in the interim, but this is the match that has to happen, right?
Either at SummerSlam following Femi’s domination of the King of the Ring tournament, or, if they really want to cash in, at WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia.
“The Ruler” vs. “The Tribal Chief” is happening for a world title at some point in the next year or two. It’s just a matter of when WWE pulls the trigger.
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