Roman Reigns Is King, but Who Is the 2nd-Biggest Star in WWE?

With the legendary run he's had as undisputed WWE universal champion, Roman Reigns has cemented his spot atop the company mountain these past two years.

The 37-year-old was already established the face of the franchise due to his dominance and prominent positioning on the card, but the heel turn ultimately helped put him over the top.

Although his appearances have become more infrequent since WrestleMania 38 due to his part-time schedule, Reigns is almost always involved in the most must-see match or segment of the show he appears on.

Without The Tribal Chief around, the product would suffer significantly, but WWE does have a strong secondary cast of characters on Raw and SmackDown to carry the load in his absence. Note how that's with stars such as Cody Rhodes, Logan Paul and Becky Lynch all being out injured at the moment.

The importance of a Superstar to WWE can be determined through their memorable matches, moments, booking, crowd reactions and other factors fans are able to measure for themselves.

If Reigns is the unquestionable king of WWE, who comes closest to claiming the title of being its second-biggest star?

While not exactly a full-time performer, Brock Lesnar will always be a big box-office attraction and one of the most recognizable talents on the entire roster.

The 45-year-old returned to WWE from UFC in 2012 a much bigger star than he was when he left the company eight years earlier. And he's gone on to have tremendous success with multiple WrestleMania main events and seven world titles.

If you were wondering why the latest incarnation of the Lesnar vs. Reigns rivalry lasted as long as it did, it's because it was the biggest bout WWE could do save for Reigns vs. The Rock. The bouts gradually got better and culminated in a Last Man Standing epic at SummerSlam.

Had The Beast Incarnate left WWE in 2020 when his contract expired and not re-signed, he would have had a decorated career even by then. Coming back as a babyface, though, breathed new life into his character and has made him an instant highlight every time he shows up.

The only thing holding Lesnar back from taking this title with ease is his part-time schedule. He's appeared for WWE a fair amount of times since returning in 2021, but he is far from being a regular.

Bianca Belair was a star on the rise from the moment she arrived on the main roster in 2020 and has had nothing short of a stellar run since then.

Her stock truly skyrocketed when she won the SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania 37 followed by the Raw Women's Championship at WrestleMania 38.

An argument can be made for the 33-year-old having the best 2022 of anyone currently on the active roster.

From Becky Lynch to Bayley and Asuka to Sonya Deville, she has knocked off every obstacle put in her way and done so in spectacular fashion. Unbelievably, the crowd hasn't turned against her despite her exceptionally strong booking; she remains one of WWE's most over Superstars.

The Four Horsewomen have come and gone throughout the year, but Belair has been a constant and shined with every opportunity she's been afforded. Ronda Rousey is the only other female who measures up at the moment, but even her value isn't what it was.

Belair is a prime example of how to successfully create a new star. What's amazing is that she's barely scratched the surface of what she can do.

Immediately upon his return at Extreme Rules on October 8, Bray Wyatt became the biggest babyface in all of WWE.

He's someone who spent a majority of his career working as a heel—and an excellent one at that. The cheers he received at Extreme Rules and all of the buzz leading up to that night was too much to ignore, so it was wise for WWE to organically go in that direction with him as a fan favorite.

Wyatt has since started a storyline in which it appears he'll be feuding with a darker version of himself, which has been compelling and innovative so far.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported on October 28 that the 35-year-old has surpassed The Bloodline as WWE's highest merchandise seller, proving how hot of a commodity he's been in such a short span of time.

Assuming Wyatt can maintain that momentum come WrestleMania 39 season, there's no telling how much bigger he'll be by then and if a feud with Reigns is on the horizon.

A decade ago, Drew McIntyre being booked as a main event player would have been unfathomable to fans who felt he was damaged goods following his fall from grace in 2010.

The Scot took his release from WWE in 2014 in his stride, honed his skills and transformed into the top talent he was destined to be. That led him back to the company in 2017, and he's been trending upward ever since.

It wasn't until he won his first WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36 that he cemented his status as a perennial player in the main event scene. He has stayed at that elite level for the past two years and been a bright spot on both Raw and SmackDown with how well he's been handled.

McIntyre nearly dethroned Reigns at Clash at the Castle prior to the interference from Solo Sikoa, but heading into the bout, there was no one in WWE on a hotter streak than he was.

Bray Wyatt has slid into that spot as SmackDown's top babyface, but McIntyre isn't far behind by any means. He's the perfect person WWE can run with in that role any time it needs him.

Wherever Reigns is, you can bet Seth Rollins isn't far behind, and that's no different when it comes to the conversation of WWE's biggest stars.

Of course, they arrived on the WWE scene together (along with Dean Ambrose) as part of The Shield almost exactly a decade ago. Their careers have closely mirrored each other's, and magic is virtually guaranteed whenever they cross paths.

Due to Reigns not appearing on Raw much at all since WrestleMania 38, Rollins has been positioned as the measuring stick for success on the red brand. His feud with Matt Riddle delivered, he's the current United States champion, and he may be in line for a babyface turn because of how over he is with the audience.

The Visionary excels in any role WWE puts him in, but he just may be doing some of his strongest work right now. Thus, another outing with Reigns for the top title seems inevitable.

Rollins has always been one step behind The Tribal Chief in terms of where he falls in the pecking order, but if he can continue to rally the fans behind him, Reigns will face a real run for his money as WWE's top dog.

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.