Roman Reigns

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and AEW.  

WWE Holding Off on Reigns vs. McIntyre

WWE isn't being shy about the fact it's setting up a Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre feud. The duo has been working together at house shows for months, and now an on-screen feud is in its infancy, with McIntyre set to join RK-Bro for a six-man tag match against The Bloodline at WrestleMania Backlash.

The one-on-one singles match may just have to wait, though.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio said WWE held back on McIntyre vs. Reigns because they want it for a larger show. 

Hell in a Cell is set to take place in June, and Money in the Bank is slated for July. The MITB live event is scheduled for Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, so it's possible Reigns-McIntyre will have to wait until it can be booked for a football stadium crowd.

With SummerSlam also slated for a stadium later in July, it'll be interesting to see how they handle two massive-scale shows in the span of a month.

WWE Waited on NXT Cuts

That WWE is releasing talent should come as no surprise. In recent years, the company has gutted its roster down to essential personnel and developmental talent only. While there is clear talent at the top of the card, you'll be hard-pressed to find a time in recent history when WWE's talent pool was shallower.

NXT talents Malcolm Bivens, Dakota Kai, Harland, Persia Pirotta, Raelyn Divine, Draco Anthony, Vish Kanya, Mila Malani and Blair Baldwin were the latest on the chopping block last week. Bivens and Kai were by far the two biggest names of the bunch and could wind up finding themselves on AEW's radar.

Meltzer said WWE plans to continue churning out talent, particularly at the NXT level. He said he heard cuts were coming weeks before they happened. 

“Yeah, I think so. I’ve had people say that but no one really knows other than Vince and everything," Meltzer said on Sunday Night’s Main Event. You kind of hear rumblings the day before that this is gonna be the bad day, which actually I had heard on April 13 and 14 that the 15 is gonna be the bad day. Then it came and went and then it happened two weeks later and I would think that would be it for NXT but there were no main roster [releases].”

Talent-churning is a reality of the wrestling business. Several AEW originals have either seen their contracts expire or will have them expire in recent months. While AEW has gone through a different tact in making its roster decisions, odds are Tony Khan's ever-growing roster will, at some point, have to make some tough decisions.

That said, what WWE has done in recent years has been jarring to even the most business-minded fans. 

Theory Wants Cena at SummerSlam

John Cena will, at some point, find himself back on WWE programming. He hasn't been seen since a loss to Roman Reigns at last year's SummerSlam. The odds of Cena ever becoming a full-time performer again are slim, but the 16-time champion told Jack King of GQ UK that he misses wrestling. 

“I miss it every day. Every single day,” Cena said. “But I’ll be 45 on April 23rd, and I was very fortunate to make it as long as I did with only a minor list of injuries. Nothing that has changed the trajectory of my long-term health. I’m strong, flexible, and in really good shape externally, internally. I think now, being a full-time touring performer might start to hit that point of diminishing returns, and I have to be realistic when I look at that.”

That said, Theory has an idea of who Cena could face if he comes back for another SummerSlam one-off: himself.

The United States champion reposted a fan-made graphic showing a match between the two for the championship, saying "why not?"

Cena's 2015 U.S. title run is arguably the most legendary in the belt's history, helping elevate the midcard title to the top of the card and putting out a series of bangers against up-and-coming talent.

If WWE is looking to solidify Theory as the face of this new era of talent, there isn't a much better way than being put over by Cena. 

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

For many professional wrestlers, Hulk Hogan was the pinnacle of superstardom because he transcended the genre.

The face of the Golden Era laid the groundwork for what a lucrative career outside of wrestling could look like. Stars such as The Rock and John Cena later followed in his footsteps as top guys who became successful actors.

So, one has to assume Roman Reigns won't be far behind them. It seems inevitable at this point as the second-generation wrestler continues to grow into a bigger name.

This topic came up recently when Randy Orton discussed his 20-year career with WWE and chided the undisputed WWE universal champion. "I'm sure he's got Dwayne Johnson's agent number on speed dial," he said. "Roman will be in Hollywood, I'll still be here."

The Tribal Chief has already made brief cameos in film and television, and he has also done some voice acting. However, he has talked about the potential for more time in showbiz. His current character work would suggest he may even excel at it.

Reigns told ESPN's The Michael Kay Show:

"That's something I want to dabble in and gain more experience. I want to use these tools that I've learned. WWE has done so right by me and has given me so much and placed so many great blessings and opportunities in front of me. I've just had to capture them and grab that ball and run with it. I'd like to think that along the way I've picked up so many skills and experienced so many things that are going to help me. At the end of the day, we all know how this works. This is a young man's game. You can't fall down your whole life. You have to get to a point where you can transition and continue to connect and create new fresh and evolved content for your fanbase and supporters. I think I have the ability to do that. At the end of the day, it's about getting in that game, being thrown into that fire, and seeing how you do. I have a pretty good track record with being thrown into the deep end. If that's what happens in Hollywood, I'm going to swim."

Even more, WWE President Nick Khan said the company has "big plans" to help him cross over a few weeks ago on The Town with Matthew Belloni (h/t Nishant Jayaram of Sportskeeda). So, the wheels are in motion, and a foray into Hollywood could happen much sooner than some fans think.

Reigns Could Make The Move In 2023

It seems WWE still has at least one big WrestleMania main event in mind for Reigns and that's a showdown with The Rock. As such, next year's edition of The Showcase of the Immortals in Inglewood, California seems like the perfect destination for this first-time encounter.

The 36-year-old still has a few good years left in him, but the company might be wise to strike while the iron is hot. He has reached the height of his popularity and The Great One is one of the few WWE legends he hasn't faced yet.

Furthermore, Reigns' contract reportedly ends in 2023. This isn't an official date, but it lines up well if the marquee match with The Rock does happen. It would offer him a nice way to cap off his current run before making the jump to Hollywood.

Honestly, what would be left for him to do with WWE following such a significant career highlight? WrestleMania 39 could mark his seventh appearance in the main event at the showpiece, putting him two outings away from breaking Hogan's record of eight. That's something he still has plenty of time to do if he works a lighter schedule.

Even if he doesn't face The Rock next year, The Tribal Chief has essentially beaten everyone noteworthy. There's still room for a rematch with Seth Rollins. After all, The Visionary still has some claim to a follow-up to their Royal Rumble match, but the company hasn't built anyone else up as a believable contender.

So, some time away next year would be a nice way to reset the roster in his absence and set up some fresh matchups for his return.

Who's Next Up?

This raises the question: Who's next in line if Reigns does step away from the ring for an extended period of time? WWE would have to fill a gaping hole if he does because the company centers so much of its programming and advertising around him.

Maybe that's why Vince McMahon started grooming Theory as his new protege. Someone from NXT 2.0, such as Bron Breakker, could also make the jump to the main roster and become a fixture. Neither of those options feel like suitable replacements because they don't command the same star power, but Khan's comments would seem to suggest there have been internal conversations about it.

Over the past few years, WWE has seemed reluctant to allow its biggest stars to eclipse its brand because it cost them valuable assets like The Rock and Cena. The approach to Reigns' eventual jump to Hollywood may be different if the company already knows about it.

If nothing else, the return of Cody Rhodes could offer an adequate distraction while management develops the next top guy. It seems surreal to imagine The American Nightmare as the main champion with The Tribal Chief off of television, but it's not far-fetched right now.

The former All Elite Wrestling executive vice president is proof that a lot can change in a year. So, you never know who else could step up or join the roster.

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

Reigns Reportedly Wasn't Injured at WrestleMania

Despite speculation to the contrary, Roman Reigns reportedly didn't suffer an injury during his WrestleMania 38 main event match against Brock Lesnar.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer said on the Sunday Night's Main Event podcast (h/t WrestlingInc's Marc Middleton), Reigns did not get injured at WrestleMania, and his match against Lesnar went off as planned.

There had been speculation that Reigns suffered a shoulder injury, thus forcing him and Lesnar to end the match sooner than intended, but that reportedly wasn't the case.

Reigns needed about 12 minutes to beat Lesnar with a spear, retaining the Universal Championship and winning the WWE Championship in the process.

Reigns is now the unified world champion, meaning he can appear on both SmackDown and Raw moving forward, which is something he has already done since WrestleMania.

On last week's SmackDown, Reigns was confronted by Shinsuke Nakamura, who appears to be The Head of the Table's first challenger coming out of WrestleMania.

A match has yet to be announced, but it seems likely that Nakamura will challenge Reigns for the titles at WrestleMania Backlash next month.

Meanwhile, Lesnar hasn't been seen since WrestleMania, and it is unclear when he will be brought back to WWE programming.

Regardless of Lesnar's status, there is little doubt that Reigns is the face of WWE currently, and he will continue to be presented as the top star in the weeks and months to come.

Rey Mysterio Missed Raw for Medical Reasons

WWE originally advertised Rey Mysterio to face Veer Mahaan on Monday's episode of Raw, but Rey did not appear on the show.

According to Meltzer (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Mysterio was unavailable due to a "medical issue," which resulted in WWE changing up its plans.

Instead of Rey, his son Dominik Mysterio was Veer's opponent. Veer won the match in dominant fashion, which led to Dominik being taken backstage on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance.

After months of teases, Veer finally appeared on last week's post-WrestleMania edition of Raw. He made his presence felt in a major way by attacking and decimating both Rey and Dominik Mysterio.

That attack occurred after Rey and Dominik suffered a defeat at the hands of The Miz and Logan Paul at WrestleMania.

At 47 years of age, Rey has essentially been relegated to helping his son develop, while also putting over other Superstars on the roster.

Rey almost certainly would have put over Veer on Monday, but with their match getting postponed, it seems likely that it will still occur at a later date with the same result.

Depending on how long Rey is out, a match between him and Veer at WrestleMania Backlash is a possibility.

Jericho Understands Rhodes' Decision to Leave AEW for WWE

AEW star Chris Jericho gave a diplomatic response when asked Monday about Cody Rhodes leaving AEW for WWE.

Appearing on SiriusXM's Busted Open (h/t WrestlingInc's Danny Wolstanholme), Jericho said the following about Cody's departure:

I was honestly disappointed that he left. But, I get it. I've done it many times myself. You know this, we've discussed the reinvention of Jericho many times. I mean, I left WWE in 2017 for basically the same reason why Cody left AEW, from what I understand. He just didn't think he was getting the—I don't know if it's the spotlight or the respect or whatever the word being, but you could kind of see the writing on the walls.

Obviously now, Cody is as bigger than he's ever been just by changing companies. And obviously, they did a great job in putting him over at WrestleMania, bringing him in at the highest of levels, and now it's up to Cody to do the dirty work shall we say and continue that momentum and get that job done. And can he do it? Absolutely. He's a very smart guy. He's a great performer.

Cody shocked the wrestling world in February when he announced he was leaving AEW despite being an executive vice president and one of the people chiefly responsible for creating the company.

Fans eagerly anticipated a return to WWE, and they got precisely that at WrestleMania when Rhodes arrived as Seth Rollins' mystery opponent and picked up a victory.

Remarkably, Rhodes had the same presentation in WWE as he did in AEW in terms of his gear, theme music, nickname and more.

Cody received a massive reaction from the fans at WrestleMania, and that has continued over the past two episodes of Raw, firmly establishing him as one of the top babyfaces in WWE.

In AEW, it seemed as though fans had grown tired of Cody, as evidenced by them routinely booing him despite him being a face.

Rhodes had essentially done all he could do in AEW, feuding with many of the top stars and holding the TNT Championship on multiple occasions. As a result, he felt it was the right time to go back to where it all started for him.

Cody has made it clear that his goal is to do what his father, WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, never did, and that is winning the WWE Championship.

Based on how over he is with the WWE fanbase, it seems like it is a matter of when rather than if he wins the title.

Brock Lesnar competed in the main event of Night 2 of WrestleMania 38 on Sunday, but he left Dallas without any titles in his possession.

In a clash with Roman Reigns to determine the holder of both the WWE and Universal Championships, Lesnar fell to The Tribal Chief and dropped the WWE title in the process.

The Beast Incarnate was not on Raw the following night, and it is unclear when he will be back on television, but he figures to be on a warpath when he resurfaces.

Assuming Lesnar moves on from his rivalry with Reigns, here is a look at three of the best opponents WWE could book against him in the coming months.

Edge

Since Lesnar is now on his own as a babyface and doing an impeccable job in that role, WWE would be best served putting him up against heels.

Aside from Reigns, Edge is one of the most compelling villains in WWE right now even though his turn is only a few weeks old.

It occurred during the build toward WrestleMania 38 when AJ Styles accepted his challenge for The Show of Shows. The Rated-R Superstar attacked his rival with a steel chair and then expanded his character over the next few weeks.

Edge began wearing dark-colored suits, cutting promos in purple lighting and even changed his theme song. His WrestleMania entrance also gave off sinister vibes, as he rose up on a throne surrounded by flames.

The Rated-R Superstar defeated Styles at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, but he did so thanks to a distraction from Damian Priest, who pledged his allegiance to the WWE Hall of Famer on Monday's Raw.

While Edge hasn't outwardly said it, there seems to be a good chance that he will add even more names to his group, with Tommaso Ciampa, Finn Balor and The Viking Raiders standing out as a few candidates who would fit in well.

If that is indeed the plan, pitting Edge against Lesnar would be great booking, as it would put The Beast at a numbers disadvantage and force him to go through multiple opponents in order to get to the group leader.

Lesnar is at his best when he is wrecking shop, and contesting an entire stable would allow him to do precisely that.

Also, The Beast and Edge and have never faced each other in a one-on-one match despite the fact that they have both been in the wrestling business for 20 years or more.

The closest they came was when Lesnar and Paul Heyman beat Edge in a handicap match at Rebellion in 2002, meaning a match between them would feel fresh and desirable to the WWE Universe.

Gunther

Those who like hard-hitting, physical wrestling would love to see Lesnar mix it up with Gunther.

Formerly known as WALTER, the Austrian has been a dominant force in NXT UK and NXT for years, holding the NXT United Kingdom Championship for a record 870 days and beating top NXT stars such as Pete Dunne, Kushida, Ciampa, Undisputed Era and LA Knight.

On Tuesday's episode of NXT 2.0, some indications were given that Gunther could be on his way to the main roster.

He challenged Bron Breakker to a match for the NXT Championship, and the titleholder won the match cleanly. Gunther losing is a rare occurrence, and it seemed odd that the bout was booked on a whim rather than being built toward.

The way things played out suggests Gunther may be on his way up, and the NXT decision-makers wanted him to put Breakker over first.

Also, his Imperium stablemates, Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel, had issues earlier in the night when the former walked out on their match against The Creed Brothers.

That means Gunther may be making the transition to the main roster on his own, leaving Aichner and Barthel to work out their differences.

Having Lesnar clash with all of Imperium would be a better storyline, but even if it is just The Beast against Gunther, it would be can't-miss television.

Few Superstars in WWE can match Lesnar's size, aggressiveness and physicality, but Gunther's portfolio of matches proves he can.

It's a dream match to many, and now is the ideal opportunity to make it happen.

Kevin Owens

Building interest in a WrestleMania main event without having an opponent present on weekly television is a gargantuan task, but Kevin Owens was more than up to it.

His rivalry with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was one-sided until WrestleMania 38 when the WWE icon accepted KO's challenge for a No Holds Barred match.

Austin was victorious on Saturday night, but Owens also received plenty of praise for the job he did.

The Canadian's excellent mic skills made fans want to see the match against Austin, and he could do something similar with Lesnar as well.

Since The Beast is a part-time Superstar who isn't on TV every week, having him feud with someone who can carry things while he is away is preferable, and Owens has proved his worth in that regard.

Additionally, KO is a bigger guy and a top-notch brawler, meaning he has the tools needed to believably pose a threat to Lesnar in the ring.

Also, like Edge or Gunther, a match between The Beast and Owens would be fresh.

The only time they have faced each other in a singles match was at an non-televised house show in 2017, meaning few members of the WWE Universe have seen them mix it up.

Owens deserves a reward for the yeoman's work he did on the Road to WrestleMania, and a rivalry with Lesnar would be a great way to show appreciation.