Rock vs. Reigns at WrestleMania in Doubt, Regal's Abrupt AEW Exit, More Quick Takes

With Survivor Series season now in the rear view, WWE can fully focus on putting the pieces in place for the best possible WrestleMania 39 card come April.

The biggest marquee match the company can deliver on is, of course, Roman Reigns vs. The Rock for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Per Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it's currently planned for the pay-per-view but is far from a guarantee.

Until more on-screen evidence is provided, it's difficult for fans to completely buy into the idea of their fantasy warfare becoming a reality.

The imminent future is uncertain for many in All Elite Wrestling, specifically FTR's Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler. Fightful (h/t WrestlingInc.com) reported last week that the contracts of the Ring of Honor tag team champions are due to expire in April and it's plausible they could be eyeing free agency.

This instalment of Quick Takes will analyze why AEW must look to lock down FTR, William Regal's apparent exit, the Royal Rumble's Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match, and more.

Rock vs. Reigns has been in the works for what has felt like forever, to the point where it's almost unrealistic to assume it will ever happen.

Furthermore, there is no bigger or better stage for the match to happen on than WrestleMania 39 in Hollywood. The Tribal Chief is rapidly approaching the peak of his reign as undisputed WWE universal champion and The Rock is his ultimate rival.

Surely WWE would love nothing more than to book the bout and build everything around it heading into the event. It's more a matter of whether Rock will be available to work the event, and if not, the company needs a strong contingency plan in place.

The problem is that, outside of rumblings that The Great One could win the men's Royal Rumble match, there have been zero signs of the bout being anywhere near official.

By this time of the year, the WrestleMania main event is typically set in stone, but Rock's hectic schedule has made it impossible to predict his status for The Show of Shows.

Rock vs. Reigns is an unreliable 'Mania main event, and thus WWE should begin building toward Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes instead (assuming The American Nightmare will be ready to return by the Rumble). It isn't the same box-office attraction, but it would do much more for the current product if Rhodes won.

Fans shouldn't have high hopes for Rock vs. Reigns happening just yet, but either way, the rest of the card shouldn't have to suffer.

Sheamus has quietly gotten over as one of WWE's most beloved babyfaces in the second half of 2022, largely thanks to his consistent string of "bangers" as he calls them.

His mini feud with Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship was nothing short of stellar, and he has transitioned seamlessly into this storyline with The Bloodline. He and his partners fell short of beating Roman Reigns and Co. in WarGames, but his bad blood with the group shouldn't end there.

This coming Friday on SmackDown, The Celtic Warrior and Drew McIntyre will challenge The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship. That would have been an excellent attraction for the Royal Rumble, and the fact that it's happening so soon indicates WWE may have other plans in mind for Sheamus on that show.

According to WrestlingNews.co, Kevin Owens is currently slated to challenge Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at the Rumble, but adding Sheamus is a must.

The Irishman has yet to face Reigns one-on-one since he kicked off his historic run two years ago, whereas Owens has already lost to The Tribal Chief on three separate occasions. Nothing is gained from KO losing to him for a third time and incorporating Sheamus into the match to make it a Triple Threat would promise a much more exciting dynamic.

Reigns will retain regardless but stacking the odds against him with a rare multi-man matchup would be a better option than sticking to Reigns vs. Owens in a straight-up singles affair.

Just as quickly as he arrived, William Regal's time in AEW appears to be over, according to a new report from Fightful Select.

The 54-year-old was seemingly written off AEW TV last Wednesday on Dynamite when he was betrayed and laid out by MJF with a brass-knuckles shot to the skull. If a WWE return is indeed imminent, then his run with AEW worked out well for everyone involved.

The evil Englishman was seldom seen on WWE TV toward the end of his tenure, and he quickly proved to be one of AEW's smartest signings when he joined the promotion in March. Blackpool Combat Club, helmed by Regal, was a hot act for several months and allowed him to have a regular role on television.

Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli all benefited from his presence, not to mention the brilliance he likely brought backstage as well. He was handled perfectly from start to finish, including the way he elevated MJF on his way out.

In WWE, he'll be back working alongside Triple H, and they are bound to be as powerful of a pairing behind the scenes on the main roster as they were in NXT for so many years.

One can only hope Regal will return in an on-air role as well and contribute in that way, just as he did in AEW.

Karrion Kross wrapped up his rivalry with Drew McIntyre at Crown Jewel on November 5, but there was no indication of what was next for him.

The only match he's had since then was a win against Madcap Moss on the November 18 edition of SmackDown. It wasn't until last Friday's show that Rey Mysterio was revealed to be his next rival, and it's a program that should benefit both men in the long run.

Kross' feud with McIntyre got him off to a strong start on the blue brand, but Mysterio is someone he can truly showcase his skills against and have quality matches with. Beating a legend of his caliber will also lend him quite a bit of credibility and allow him to rebound from his Crown Jewel loss to McIntyre.

As for The Master of the 619, all roads are obviously leading to him rekindling his rivalry with Dominik Mysterio for a father vs. son match at WrestleMania 39. With that still being a few months off, Kross can keep him busy in the meantime.

SmackDown needs strong storylines to bridge the gap between Survivor Series and the Royal Rumble, and a fresh feud such as Kross vs. Mysterio can help with that.

It's well-established that FTR are one of the greatest tag teams in the world today and the three sets of tag titles they hold at the moment prove that.

Oddly enough, the AEW World Tag Team Championship isn't enough for them. Worse yet, this Wednesday's Dynamite will mark their first true shot at the tag titles in almost a year.

The Acclaimed are as popular as ever and deserve their current run as champs. However, it's inexcusable that FTR haven't had anything of note to do for the last six months outside of the title picture, and their feud with Gunn Club hardly counts.

Dax Harwood confirming to Fightful Select that their contracts are up in April and that they'd be interested in working as free agents should serve as a wake-up call to AEW. Letting their top team go would be dropping the ball big time, but there's a chance it can be avoided if they're utilized more effectively.

It isn't imperative the company cuts The Acclaimed's run short in favor of FTR, but more meaningful television time would go a long way in ensuring they stay put and keep their talents exclusive to AEW.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.