Roman Reigns

It's easy to brush off Logan Paul getting a unified title shot at Roman Reigns at the upcoming Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia on November 5 as nothing more than WWE capitalizing on buzz in a match that won't really have ramifications.

There is a well-trodden road of examples from these international spectacles at this point as near-non-canon sorts of events.

But it's not so simple with a talent like Paul. Rather, it begs the question: Just how big of a WWE Superstar can he be?

Fans have already seen rather stunning flashes of Paul on the mic and in the ring that have far exceeded expectations. Whether it was hitting good-looking high-flying moves, having an uncanny handling of match pacing already or working a WrestleMania crowd (of all crowds) well during a match, it was clear he's got full-blown Superstar material.

So, while WWE is obviously leaning heavily into Paul's diverse star power to gain eyeballs, there is precedent to him getting in the ring with the company's best and it says quite a lot that it would trust him in such a spot.

In a vacuum, the 27-year-old getting this match overseas sounds good. Big draw. It protects the rest of the roster from taking an unnecessary loss while Reigns' run continues. Given his star power and in-ring talent already, Paul will have an easier time than almost anyone else recovering from a loss and still being a big deal with fans.

And that aside, the match itself isn't so cut and dry. It probably ends with Reigns standing tall after Paul looks surprisingly good. But WWE has done what is arguably just as wild in the past, and there's always Austin Theory and his Money in the Bank briefcase floating on the outskirts of the title scene, so Paul could always eat a pin in that scenario while Reigns still emerges from the aftermath looking strong.

It's fair to wonder where it goes after the event, though. If Paul is already getting main event matches for top titles, is the only thing stopping him from being a regular his busy non-WWE schedule?

Because it's hard not to wonder just how much more he could improve if he eventually went to full-time status. It's not like WWE has a ton of guys in his age bracket who could function as the next big thing right now.

Paul, quite unironically, could be just that if he went full-time. A very fast, uncanny ability to handle crowds and matches caught most off guard because sometimes it's just easy to see. Love it or hate it, some of the things he was doing in something as silly as a feud with The Miz were things a majority of the roster just can't do.

Give Paul a real long-term feud or two, let him flesh out the character and keep improving in the ring and the sky is the limit, provided he wants it. Besides the unexpected command of the tough-to-nail aspects of pro wrestling, he's also got a reach far beyond what any other WWE Superstar can accomplish.

Strapping a rocket to Paul and leaning into that reach wouldn't be a terrible move, even if it's for a summer-drought run during non-WrestleMania season. The younger fanbase is the most critical one to acquire and retain right now, especially in the face of legit competition from All Elite Wrestling, so heavily leaning into that diverse, massive audience of his could be an outright game-changer for WWE.

Granted, none of this was exactly on the bingo cards of pro wrestling fans recently. But that's sort of the fun of the industry, right? Paul's few appearances so far have sent his supporters home happy and even the most skeptical of wrestling fans surprised in a good way, at worst.

It does feel like a lightning-in-a-bottle development for WWE. Fans embraced Ronda Rousey for her far-better-than-expected debut and still enjoy it. Paul feels similar but amplified. He's almost single-handedly raised the bar to unreasonable heights for "celebrity" appearances in WWE, to the point we're even talking about him being a full-time Superstar.

For the remaining hardcore fans holding out and giving the whole thing a no thanks, one could argue this dramatically bests the whole "drag out a 45-plus-year-old legend for a cringeworthy-match" thing WWE usually does in these sorts of spots, too.

This is a much better alternative with the upside of growing the company globally, actually entertaining and potentially getting everyone one step closer to Paul becoming a full-time Superstar who has a passion and feel for pro wrestling.

If Paul wants it, this is the path toward becoming a regular main eventer or seriously juicing up the midcard title scenes for a long time. Either is something fans should embrace before he wins them over, anyway.

Seth Rollins said Friday that although he feels like he plays "second fiddle" to Roman Reigns, he has a "great" relationship with him, as well as his other former Shield stablemate, Jon Moxley.

During an interview with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport (beginning at the six-minute mark), Rollins discussed his belief that WWE has always been behind Reigns more than him as the face of the company:

Rollins mentioned cashing in his Money in the Bank contract during the main event of WrestleMania 31 between Reigns and Brock Lesnar in 2015. Rollins won the WWE Championship, but said he always felt he was a "placeholder" until Reigns was ready to take that spot.

When asked if he feels he is any closer now to being the top guy in WWE than he was in 2015, Rollins admitted that he didn't know and opined that it may never happen because he "[lives] in the Roman era."

Despite his desire to be in the top spot, Rollins made it clear that he holds no ill will toward Reigns, noting that they have a "very healthy competition," and always have, dating back to their time in The Shield with Moxley, who was then known as Dean Ambrose.

Moxley left WWE for AEW in 2019, and he has firmly established himself as one of AEW's biggest stars, holding the AEW World Championship a record three times.

Addressing his relationship with Moxley at the 9:40 mark of the interview, Rollins admitted that he doesn't see or speak to Moxley as much as he used to, but like his relationship with Reigns, he has no animosity toward him and considers him a friend.

Rollins noted that Moxley is more inclined to speak with someone in person than he is to text them, and he divulged that the last time he was in Cincinnati, he visited with Mox.

Perhaps no stable in pro wrestling history produced three stars as big as Rollins, Reigns and Moxley, who are all multi-time world champions and future Hall of Famers.

Reigns and Moxley are world champions right now in WWE and AEW, respectively, and it can be argued that Rollins is the best all-around performer in wrestling right now thanks to his heel persona and in-ring work.

Rollins is still waiting in the wings until he gets his opportunity to be world champion again, but based on the fact that Triple H made him the first-ever NXT champion, it seems likely that the new head of WWE creative will give him a shot at the top in the future.

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Survivor Series has been one of WWE’s cornerstone events for years, but the 2022 edition will be different thanks to the decision by Triple H to include men’s and women’s WarGames matches.

The previous incarnations of WarGames in NXT were wildly successful, and a main roster version of the contests could create unforgettable moments featuring some of the top stars in the industry.

Here are some early predictions for the men’s and women’s WarGames matches at Survivor Series on November 26.

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Women’s WarGames Match

Damage CTRL vs. Team Belair

Triple H and company should be viewing Survivor Series as a key moment in their takeover of the creative process from Vince McMahon.

With their previous dedication to women’s wrestling, the WarGames match needs to be full of star power.

Damage CTRL are already an established heel stable, so Bayley, Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai should be looking to recruit the best Superstars possible. The two biggest names the team could add for the pay-per-view would be Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair.

Bianca Belair would face a daunting task squaring off against a team with as much talent as that, but she could organize five of the best faces in the business to create a formidable challenge, including Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Candice LeRae and a debuting Indi Hartwell.

If WWE Creative really wants to ensure the match is unforgettable, the heels should take out either Asuka and Bliss or LeRae and Hartwell before the match, leaving the faces shorthanded as the bout begins. Then, just as it looks like Team Belair will take the loss, Sasha Banks and Naomi could make their triumphant return and save the day.

The star power and booking would make this a match the WWE Universe would never forget.

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Men’s WarGames Match

Team Reigns vs. Team McIntyre

There is no stable in wrestling more dominant right now than The Bloodline.

With Roman Reigns heading the table and the current storyline featuring Sami Zayn dominating WWE programming, Survivor Series has one men’s team already in place.

Reigns, Zayn, Jimmy and Jey Uso and Solo Sikoa forming the heel five-man team for WarGames may be obvious, but it remains uncertain who will work with Drew McIntyre on the face side of the match.

The Scot's feud with Karrion Kross is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, but he still has unfinished business with Reigns. Another Superstar who has feuded The Bloodline is Kevin Owens, and he could bring his friend, Johnny Gargano, into the mix.

With McIntyre focused on the champion, KO targeting Sikoa and Johnny Wrestling handling Zayn, the faces need a tag team equipped to handle The Usos. While The Street Profits or The New Day would be fun additions, it should be the debut of Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams from NXT that completes the good-guy squad.

They have been great in NXT, but their time there should come to an end, as they deserve a bigger spotlight.

With so many storylines to build on and several marquee feuds that could come out of the match, this would be the ideal booking of the men’s WarGames bout.

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The Bloodline have been a dominant force on WWE television from the moment Roman Reigns aligned himself with his cousins, Jimmy and Jey Uso, late in 2020.

Guided by "wise man" Paul Heyman, they have established themselves as an unstoppable force en route to collecting all the major championships in WWE.

Sprinkle in Solo Sikoa from NXT, who debuted by assisting The Tribal Chief in defeating Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle, and you have a family unit that is seemingly unstoppable.

What no one could have imagined, though, was that a group touting the undisputed WWE universal and undisputed WWE tag team champions would approach iconic status with the introduction of a loudmouthed, sometimes delusional but always entertaining, Canadian.

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Honorary Uce

What started as an attempt by Sami Zayn to earn credibility merely by association with The Bloodline has developed into one of the best storylines in recent WWE memory.

The Great Liberator has repeatedly attempted to prove himself to Reigns, getting involved in Bloodline matches and segments and often taking a beating on their behalf if it meant the champions would retain their titles and maintain their dominance.

Along the way, he has earned the scorn of Jey Uso, who watched with a certain amount of envy as Zayn earned the same appreciation from Reigns that he was never afforded himself.

The disdain in Jey's eyes for Zayn, whose influence continues to grow with every passing week, is clear and continues to intensify anytime they are in the same vicinity.

Look no further than Friday's SmackDown in which Reigns seemed to be on the verge of denouncing Zayn before making him an "Honorary Uce."

Jey was full of himself initially and ripped Zayn's Bloodline T-shirt from him, sure that his cousin was finally going to kick the lovable heel out of the group and leave him in a heap following some grand beatdown.

Instead, though, Reigns tossed him a shirt and welcomed him into the group officially, in a decision that left Jey speechless and dismayed.

The reaction was one that segued from dread over the immediate well-being of Zayn to one of utter joy from fans who genuinely love the guy, even if his character is that of a villain.

From Jey's frustration through to Zayn's "I just want to be part of the group" attitude, everything has clicked and elevated The Bloodline's status in modern WWE history.

It may seem like there is a certain amount of hyperbole and recentness to that statement, but it really isn't far from the truth.

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Moments vs. Matches

Anyone who looks at the matches The Bloodline have been involved in over the last two years would have a reason to believe Reigns and The Usos are giants of this era of WWE.

On paper, their work is undeniably significant and when you factor in their accomplishments and championships, that feeling gets even stronger.

The difference between being one of wrestling's biggest stars and being a genuine icon is the presence of unforgettable moments.

We hear WWE tout the idea of "moments" on commentary and in press material advertising the latest pay-per-view, but they are the backbone of the company and what has helped set it apart from others that have attempted to seize the top spot over the last 30 years.

Look at the golden era of sports entertainment in the 1980s and early 1990s.

More significant than any in-ring contest were the moments that captivated fans: Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant, the formation of The Mega Powers, Virgil finally turning on Ted DiBiase, the debut of The Undertaker, Randy Savage nearly shattering the throat of Ricky Steamboat and Miss Elizabeth reuniting with The Macho Man.

They are just some of the instances that helped young viewers become lifelong fans.

The same can be said about the Attitude Era, in which "Stone Cold" Steve Austin stunning Mr. McMahon, Triple H marrying Stephanie McMahon, and The Rock and Mankind's never-ending "This Is Your Life" segment helped set television ratings records unlikely to be beaten by pro wrestling ever again.

A great storyline, with moments that elicit emotion and get the audience to invest in what a character is up to, is the backbone of what pro wrestling has always been about.

The plight of Zayn and his current status as the most unlikely member of The Bloodline have already made for great television. His eventual dismissal from the group and inevitable babyface run will not only benefit him but enhance the status of the unit.

They have already been at the forefront of one epic story in the form of Jey's feud with Reigns over the Universal Championship and respect within the family dynasty.

Add another with Zayn, one that makes a legitimate star out of him and gives WWE another competitor it can program consistently in main events, and you have another key piece of evidence of its status as an iconic faction in pro wrestling history.

Prominence on television is fine. Countless main events, too.

When you can benefit from a red-hot storyline that hooks the viewers and makes the audience genuinely care about the people involved, that is greatness on a different level.

That's God Mode and one step closer to icon status for The Bloodline.

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WWE Planning Reigns vs. Styles Feud?

Speculation is running rampant that AJ Styles could be in line for a feud with undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns in the near future.

According to WrestlingNews.co, talk of a Styles vs. Reigns feud is born from the fact that they wrestled each other at a house show on Saturday in Vancouver.

It is typical for wrestlers to face each other on house shows in anticipation of a televised rivalry, and since Reigns doesn't work many house shows anymore under his current schedule, it could be significant that Styles was chosen as his opponent.

The Phenomenal One has had some involvement with The Bloodline on TV as well, facing "Honorary Uce" Sami Zayn on Monday night's episode of Raw after Styles poked fun at Zayn on Twitter for his excitement over Reigns giving him an "Honorary Uce" shirt.

Zayn beat Styles with some help from Solo Sikoa, and Styles was attacked by The Judgment Day after the match due to his refusal to join the group.

Styles and Reigns have some history, as Reigns was in the ring when AJ made his WWE debut as a surprise entrant in the 2016 Royal Rumble match.

Reigns was also one of Styles' first major opponents in WWE. They had a well-received rivalry in the weeks and months after WrestleMania 32 in 2016, including a highly regarded match at Extreme Rules.

Styles and Reigns have not worked together much since then, which could make The Phenomenal One an ideal opponent for The Tribal Chief now.

Reigns has already run through many of the top contenders on the WWE roster during his more than 700 days as world champion, but Styles is not on his list of victims, and may be one of the biggest opponents left for him.

How WWE Kept LeRae's Return Under Wraps

Candice LeRae made a shocking return to WWE in Edmonton on Monday night's episode of Raw, defeating Nikki A.S.H. in a singles match.

LeRae's return was completely unexpected by fans, much like the return of her husband, Johnny Gargano, on the Aug. 22 edition of Raw in Toronto.

According to Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, WWE went to great lengths to keep LeRae's return a secret, including listing Nikki's match as being against Doudrop internally.

Monday's match was Candice's first since the July 6, 2021, episode of NXT, which saw her and Indi Hartwell drop the NXT Women's Tag Team Championships to Iyo Sky and Zoey Stark.

LeRae announced soon after that she was pregnant with her first child with Gargano, and during her pregnancy, Gargano made the decision to let his WWE contract run out.

Gargano was out of action for about nine months before his WWE return, and LeRae made her in-ring return just seven months after giving birth.

There was a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the in-ring future of Gargano and LeRae during their hiatus, but a WWE return seemingly became a much more likely scenario in July when Triple H took over as head of WWE creative following Vince McMahon's retirement.

Triple H was primarily responsible for signing and pushing both Gargano and LeRae in NXT, and he figures to be inclined to push them on the main roster as well.

LeRae enjoyed a highly successful return this week, and she is already lined up for another match next week against Damage CTRL member and one half of the WWE women's tag team champions, Dakota Kai.

WWE Reportedly Didn't Try to Bring Back Fish

Despite speculation to the contrary, WWE reportedly never contacted Bobby Fish about returning to the company.

According to Fightful Select (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), there is no truth to the rumor that Fish tried to convince Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly to leave AEW and go back to WWE with him, as Fish never had conversations with WWE.

The 45-year-old Fish did not re-sign with AEW when his contract expired this month, and he resurfaced this past weekend at Impact Wrestling's Victory Road event.

Before showing up in Impact, there was talk among fans about Fish potentially going back to WWE since he had been there from 2017 to 2021 and conceivably had a good relationship with Triple H while he was running NXT.

During his time in NXT, Fish was part of the Undisputed Era stable along with Cole, O'Reilly and Roderick Strong. They achieved a great deal of success as a group, and Fish was a two-time NXT tag team champion.

There seemingly wasn't much of a plan for Fish after Undisputed Era disbanded, however, and he was released from his WWE contract in August 2021.

Fish showed up in AEW in October 2021, about one month after Cole had signed with the company. O'Reilly eventually joined them as well, and they reunited as a faction.

Things seemingly didn't go according to plan for the stable due to Cole and O'Reilly suffering injuries, and with Fish leaving AEW, the dream of an Undisputed Era vs. Elite feud appears to be over.

Triple H has brought back many Superstars who were released during his hiatus and recovery from heart surgery, but given Fish's age and the lack of availability for Cole and O'Reilly, there likely wasn't much upside in signing Fish from WWE's perspective.

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Roman Reigns has offered advice to anyone in WWE who might be upset about the company using Logan Paul and other celebrities for big matches on premium live events.

Appearing on SecondsOut with Radio Rahim (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of RingsideNews.com), the undisputed WWE universal champion said other wrestlers need to "be so good that nobody can take your spot."

WWE has always used celebrities on major shows to help drum up interest from non-wrestling fans. The results have been mixed as far as match quality, with people like Paul, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Johnny Knoxville turning in good performances.

Paul getting a main-event bout with Reigns at Crown Jewel for the undisputed title doesn't pass the logic test. He's only ever had two matches, including one singles bout when he beat The Miz at SummerSlam.

From that standpoint, it's understandable if there are top stars who feel slighted by the decision to put Paul in such a big spot.

But fans know that WWE shows in Saudi Arabia don't play by the same rules as a traditional event. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Mukherjee) noted last week Paul is "a big deal to the Saudi Arabian prince" and that's why he will challenge Reigns.

WWE is in a good spot, and it has so much talent on the roster that it should have no problem building up challengers for Reigns.

The Tribal Chief and Paul will almost certainly put together a good match. Once it is over, Triple H and the creative team can focus their attention on building up the next contender for the championship.

Reigns and Paul will headline Crown Jewel on Nov. 5 from Mrsool Park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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It's totally understandable if WWE fans feel some apprehension, if not outright anger over the company revealing that Logan Paul will challenge unified champion Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia on November 5.

But a number of not-so-obvious silver linings help the match make a ton of sense.

Sure, it's eye-rolling that there's more than a month between the announcement and Reigns actually having to defend his title again as the GOAT-making reign continues with a part-timer feel.

But seeing as the goal of these international events is to drum up as big of an audience as possible while almost giving off a WrestleMania-styled vibe, it makes sense to throw this one-off out there.

For starters, Paul has been a great brand ambassador for WWE after putting on some shockingly good matches on massive stages.

Paul, for example, has made it rather clear he wants to help the company expand, as he stressed to Sports Illustrated's Daniel Chavkin recently: “How do we bring in people who aren’t necessarily watching and interested in the WWE to the sport? I think I bring the eyeballs, I think they know it.”

Love it or hate it, that's exactly what Paul does. There isn't a single Superstar on the WWE roster who can match his reach, especially with younger audiences, pehaps the most critical component of sustained success in today's pro wrestling landscape. We are, after all, talking about nearly 24 million Instagram and Youtube followers.

One could also go a more cynical route. Appearing on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast, Dave Meltzer noted the following (h/t Cageside Seats' Randall Ortman): “He’s a big deal to the Saudi Arabian prince and that’s the whole thing of these shows.”

But this can satisfy both those factors at once.

Think about how predictable the match feels. If this is another holding-pattern moment for Reigns' run, it's smart in the sense that WWE isn't feeding another main-eventer to the machine.

It was bad enough watching Drew McIntyre inexplicably lose in the UK at Clash at the Castle in the biggest star-making moment WWE has had in roughly a decade. A full-time roster member going over to Crown Jewel and losing helps nobody. Paul can recover from a loss just fine. This leaves better must-see feuds for landmarks like Survivor Series unspoiled by the overseas event.

Speaking of predictability, maybe it isn't so much so, either. Every time a WWE fan thinks "they wouldn't do that," something like The Undertaker's streak going down has to come to mind.

Who is to 100 percent say Reigns isn't losing the match? Paul nailing the upset and taking the belts all over the world doing whatever else he does would be unparalleled brand promotion. And please don't forget the Austin Theory factor—maybe he cashes in the Money in the Bank briefcase and it's Paul who eats the pin while Reigns gets to keep looking strong in the process. Maybe there's a Braun Strowman interference or Bray Wyatt shenanigans. Who really knows?

There's just enough "what if?" here to keep things interesting. Reigns losing the titles (or one via creative storytelling decisions like contractual language or something) would sure be a hard lesson to learn for any fan who thinks the overseas events are skippable in the future, too.

Even if this is all standard-fare WWE programming and the Tribal Chief emerges with a win, it still establishes Paul as a top guy. He's looked outstanding, especially with his ability to work a live crowd in a way that many lifetime roster members simply cannot. He's only 27 years old, too, so maybe this experience inches him closer to full-time roster member. Based on the talent of the performers, he's certainly about to look the part of a main event threat.

The rise of Paul has not been unlike that of Ronda Rousey, who came over from MMA and was surprisingly good in the ring immediately. One could argue Paul has been even better because of his talking and crowd work, and it sure doesn't hurt to see he clearly has a passion for the product. That makes this quick ascension much easier to accept than other celebrity acts, never mind returning legends making a quick buck in a not-so-great match.

If it sounds like there aren't many downsides to this, there simply aren't. Perhaps it isn't what everyone would want to see, but the closer one looks at it, the more the benefits emerge.