Roman Reigns

The Rock. Cody Rhodes. Seth Rollins. Those are all names endlessly thrown around as guys who could dethrone WWE unified champion Roman Reigns.

But the only correct choice has been right there in every segment all along.

And that man is Sami Zayn.

Many might initially scoff at the idea even despite their love for Zayn. Dethroning Reigns will be a moment that could change the trajectory of the company if done right and with the right people.

But even the naysayers have to admit that Zayn has been one of the most entertaining aspects of weekly WWE programming ever since he first encountered The Bloodline.

Zayn has been entertaining in all segments and spots, as usual, but it's this now-iconic moment in which he turned a super-serious segment into a character-breaking moment that really put things over the top (starts at about the five-minute mark):

The man made Reigns, The Usos and Paul Heyman—maybe the best promo of all time—break character on live television.

At this point, it sure feels like we're headed toward an insurmountable bit of momentum akin to the Daniel Bryan "Yes!" movement all those years ago. Zayn has always been a fan favorite, but he's excelled after breathing refreshing new life into what was becoming a very tired Reigns title run and Bloodline saga.

This small dash of unpredictability, handled so well by the out-of-place Zayn, has given WWE what it wants—Reigns and his crew are must-see television every week.

That should be rewarded. Zayn is only 38 years old. Rhodes is 37 and coming off a serious injury. Rollins, as smooth as it would be to see the Architect come back to haunt Reigns again, is 36 and had his huge moments already.

Zayn being the one to take down Reigns as an underdog babyface would be a good sign that the new Triple H-led creative is strictly for the fans and versatile. The old Vince McMahon ways would undoubtedly crown Rhodes or maybe even The Rock, if not have Reigns just step away without losing.

Plus, Zayn being a wild card opens the door for another one—Kevin Owens.

Imagine, for a moment, that Zayn, fed up with the abuse, betrayal, etc., reunites with old friend Owens and helps him swipe the titles. Owens pulling off the upset with an assist at 'Mania (should WWE need a big audible) or otherwise would be memorable.

Either Owens or Zayn pulling up to take down Reigns would hit a poetic note. Both were huge mainstays of the Triple H era of NXT, and it was Owens all those years ago who was handpicked and assisted by Triple H in the ring while winning a top title.

But this is mostly about Zayn. Rewarding the guy who is winning the most fans over, drawing the most eyeballs and propping up the fanbase's tolerance for this holding-pattern Reigns run is how the pro wrestling business should be run.

Arguably nobody is hotter than Zayn right now, especially in WWE. There's little reason to think that momentum slows any time soon, either.

Where it goes from here is compelling. Countless stars have tried to defeat Reigns and failed, some repeatedly. But none have infiltrated the Bloodline. None have necessarily had this back. None have had this unpredictable storyline. Does Zayn help defend the tag titles? Does he squeak out a Royal Rumble win? Does he, post-'Mania, eventually nab a briefcase? Do he and Jey Uso reject Roman together?

It's thrilling to think about the possibilities, and it's encouraging that a new era of WWE creative might just dip into the bag instead of doing the usual cookie-cutter stuff. Zayn's name will forever be etched alongside the likes of Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston when pondering the next great upset-minded modern babyface.

Make no mistake, this isn't what anyone would have predicted even a few months ago. But things have livened up dramatically in WWE's only top title scene and guaranteed main event of WrestleMania since, strictly due to Zayn.

It would be only fitting, then, if he's the one to pull off the compelling babyface upset that, funnily enough, would only enhance Reigns' run in hindsight because of the end result.

Now that Crown Jewel is in the books, WWE will start to build to its final premium live event of the year, Survivor Series WarGames. The last big four pay-per-view will give the new regime a chance to end the fourth quarter of 2022 on a high note.

The acting head of creative, Triple H, has already reintroduced many former superstars. Even more, he plans to add an iconic stipulation match to this year's card after success with it on NXT.

In an exclusive interview with The Ringer, the creative content officer revealed that Survivor Series will feature two WarGames matches.

“We’ll have a men’s WarGames match and a women’s WarGames match. The tradition of the Survivor Series has ebbed and flowed and changed slightly over time, but this will be similar to that,” he said. “This will not be Raw versus SmackDown. It will be much more storyline-driven. I still look at it as a traditional component of Survivor Series in there because it’s large teams of people competing. We just upped the ante a little bit with WarGames and made it evolve.”

This exciting announcement will rejuvenate one of the company’s most popular events. Although there’s so much nostalgia around it, the brand warfare tagline has grown stale. So, focusing on story-driven feuds is a step in the right direction.

Gunther’s IC Title Reign and Seth Rollins’ Thirst for Validation

It’s unclear if there will be any champion vs. champion matches on this year’s card. However, one would have to imagine that it caused WWE to make a concerted effort to elevate its midcard titles.

Ever since Triple H’s regime took over, the prestige belts have been much more visible on Raw and SmackDown. There has also been a clear push to put them on a star capable of acting as the brand’s primary champion when Roman Reigns isn’t available.

Bobby Lashley did a tremendous job of making the United States title feel more appearance because he has been on such a great run this year. Likewise, Seth Rollins is doing some of the best work of his career, and he’s popular enough to make fans care about his newest accolade.

Meanwhile, Gunther has been on an absolute tear as the best Intercontinental champion in recent memory. His television matches and rivalry with Sheamus have been phenomenal. As such, it would be fun to see Rollins test his mettle against The Ring General at Survivor Series.

If WWE only does one traditional champion vs. champion match, it should be this spirited matchup.

Damage CTRL vs. Team Bianca

Damage CTRL vs. Bianca Belair has been in an ongoing feud since the new stable debuted at SummerSlam. Straight away, it seemed like the aligning forces were destined to meet in the women’s WarGames match after Survivor Series.

After all, Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky and Belair have contributed memorable performances in the stipulation match during their time with NXT. It also doesn’t seem like a coincidence that Candice LeRae recently returned as she also competed in the cage.

Adding Nikki Cross to the fray was a pleasant surprise. Many fans have been clamoring to see the unhinged persona that initially won them over before she joined the main roster. The three-time women’s tag team champion also has plenty of experience in a hardcore environment.

Lastly, Survivor Series could be the destination for Sasha Banks’ surprise return to WWE. The Legit Boss has an established history with Bayley, and the event will take place in her hometown of Boston at TD Garden.

Banks also recently took to Instagram to tease an upcoming date she has “been waiting for [for] the past six months.” There’s no guarantee that that means she will step into a wrestling ring soon, but it certainly lines up with a potential appearance at the last major premium live event of 2022.

Nevertheless, WWE already has plenty of pieces on the board, and it will be gratifying to see how they will fall into place in time for Survivor Series.

The Bloodline vs. Everybody 

The Bloodline is currently the hottest act in WWE. So, the popular faction is an obvious pick for one of the teams set to compete in the men’s WarGames match.

Roman Reigns and his minions have made a lot of enemies this year, which creates many possibilities for potential opponents. Solo Sikoa, The Usos and Sami Zayn attacked Sheamus on the Oct. 21 episode of SmackDown. This leaves the door open for The Brawling Brutes to seek revenge in three weeks.

A three-team showdown similar to NXT’s first WarGames match featuring both stables and Imperium is also a superb option. That would be an admirable way to continue Sheamus’ storyline with Gunther and The Bloodline concurrently.

Kevin Owens could also assemble a team of babyfaces from Raw and SmackDown to reignite his feud with Reigns and attempt to talk some sense into Zayn. WWE hasn’t offered us a payoff to their confrontation from Aug. 29, and this would be a perfect opportunity to advance that plot point.

It would also be an excellent chance to depict The Bloodline as the biggest threat to both brands. The stable already holds most of the gold, so it would make sense for Raw and SmackDown stars to unite to defeat them.

The Roman Reigns-Logan Paul main event at Crown Jewel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia hit all of the expected notes and had the predictable finish.

And it was amazing start to finish—mostly due to Paul, who is closer to company-headlining star than gimmick at this point.

Pro wrestling fans have seen the social media star impress before in the face of skeptical expectations. He's put on jaw-dropping moments with an uncanny sense for the sport itself, something fans don't necessarily see from long-time veterans in locker rooms around the globe.

However, Saturday was something else. Paul expertly worked the crowd yet again, showed off some stunning athleticism (even hitting a buckshot lariat and the expected frog splash) and most importantly, told an epic tale of an underdog almost pulling off an upset.

It was a performance that resonated around the globe. Longtime fans, media and even some of the best pro wrestlers in the world not under WWE's employ took to social media to praise the encounter:

Make no mistake, Reigns played a big role in helping it be such a memorable encounter. Fans who wanted this to be a squash so Paul could run back to YouTube or whatever look utterly foolish. The Tribal Chief was the cocky veteran who hammed it up and wound up flirting with major danger, much to many viewers' glee.

But it's time to stop denying something about Paul: He's just built for this.

Saturday night wasn't just about a gimmick to generate the most interest possible on an international level. Those who watch it with a fine attention to detail can see just how protected both guys were and how strong they looked.

That's especially the case with Paul, because WWE would be foolish not to capitalize on him. He's got "future heel world champion" written all over him. Although we'll have to wait awhile, as Paul revealed he suffered a torn MCL, meniscus and potentially ACL during the match. If that is indeed the case, he's going to be on the shelf for awhile.

It's a huge bummer for Paul and fans alike. Most heels in WWE are cool, but the 27-year-old is a different, unique beast. He'd generate heel heat from onlookers who just straight-up don't like him and standard pro wrestling heat for his character and actions.

Make him a part-time champion heel and watch the heat flirt with nuclear levels.

Slap Paul as the leader of some sort of faction and away things go. He's already got brother Jake Paul as a wild card who was running around Saturday getting in fist fights with The Usos and having a standoff with Solo Sikoa.

The path to Paul consistently being a presence in the main event scene isn't hard, either. Look at the match against Reigns. He already looks believable in the ring with any WWE Superstar. Let a Brock Lesnar or somebody not take him seriously enough to the point of taking a loss and perhaps losing a belt and we'd be off.

This is no longer merely about Paul's reach. He's one of the biggest names on the planet and WWE couldn't have better advertising than the YouTuber walking around with WWE titles on his shoulders at all times. Certainly, nobody in the locker room comes close to his star and drawing power, and that's just an uncomfortable fact.

At this point, it's just about the potential with Paul. He's earned his way into the main event scene and a "full" role, should he want it. Detractors should keep in mind his age—a full 10 years younger than Reigns, who sits around the typical age of current main eventers.

Some fans might dislike Paul, but it's undeniable how much effort he's put into nailing the sport. There's a palpable passion for the product that, frankly, isn't always seen. The added benefits of age and drawing power are merely cherries on top.

If he were, say, a no-name working his way up through NXT or another promotion right now, fans would clamor for him to get "promoted" and used in a major spot. So, the same energy should apply to Paul given what he's already put into the business and entertaining fans.

Saturday night was just the best example...so far. There's nothing gimmicky about Paul. The numbers, performance and arguably one-of-a-kind upside just don't have equal.

He has the guy potential at a time most thought there would never be another Rock or John Cena. Scoffing at the idea, at this point, is merely grasping at straws to deny what's unfolding in real time during a golden era of pro wrestling.

Like nobody probably predicted, it's Paul who has a chance to step into the very center of this budding era once he recovers, and WWE and its fans who could benefit the most.