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WWE Rumors on Roman Reigns' Contract, Judgment Day and Lacey Evans
May 11, 2022
Roman Reigns greets the fans ahead of his match during the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Crown Jewel pay-per-view in the Saudi capital Riyadh on October 21, 2021. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Reigns Reportedly Cutting Down on House Show Appearances
WWE undisputed world champion Roman Reigns is reportedly slated to have a somewhat lighter schedule moving forward.
Speculation regarding Reigns' future in WWE ran rampant on Sunday when he cut a promo following his match at a live event in Trenton, New Jersey.
During the promo, Reigns said he was entering a "new phase" in his life and didn't know if he would ever be back in front of the fans in Trenton:
Per Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast (h/t Manik Aftab of Ringside News), the only notable change for Reigns moving forward is that he won't be booked for house shows in smaller markets such as Trenton.
Other than that, Reigns will reportedly maintain a significant presence on television and on pay-per-views. There is also no expectation that The Tribal Chief will take "extended time off."
It was previously reported by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t F4WOnline's Josh Nason) that Reigns signed a new WWE contract that will require him to work fewer dates, specifically in relation to house shows.
It was also reported that for a 10-week stretch this summer from late June through late August, Reigns is not being advertised for any WWE events besides the Money in the Bank and SummerSlam pay-per-views.
That led to speculation that Reigns will be taking time off, but it is difficult to envision him making no televised appearances besides pay-per-views for two months.
Reigns holds both the WWE and Universal Championships, and his presence will be paramount in terms of building to matches at some of the biggest events of the year.
Both Money in the Bank and SummerSlam are stadium shows, so one can only assume that Reigns will be around for the build toward both of them.
Judgment Day Possibly Adding Fourth Member
Edge's Judgment Day stable reportedly may not be done with its expansion on the heels of adding Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania Backlash.
According to PWInsider (h/t WrestlingInc's Marc Middleton), there has been talk within WWE of adding a fourth member to Judgment Day alongside Edge, Ripley and Damian Priest.
Edge teased additional members during a promo on Monday night's episode of Raw when he said Judgment Day was "looking for more."
The formation of Judgment Day occurred at WrestleMania 38 last month when Priest interfered in Edge's match with AJ Styles, allowing the WWE Hall of Famer to score the victory.
During a rematch between Edge and Styles at WrestleMania Backlash, a hooded figure pushed Styles off the ropes, leading to another win for Edge.
Ripley revealed herself as the mystery assailant and explained her rationale behind joining Judgment Day on Raw.
Rhea defeated Liv Morgan on Raw as part of her ongoing feud with her former tag team partner, while Finn Balor beat Priest by disqualification after Edge interfered.
Balor recently joined forces with Styles to combat Judgment Day, and the groundwork has perhaps been set for a six-person tag team match with Morgan entering the fray alongside Styles and Balor.
If WWE does add another member to Judgment Day, it is unclear who it would be, although Ciampa has been speculated as a potential member from the start.
Edge has made it known in interviews that he is a fan of Ciampa, and with the former two-time NXT champion recently turning heel on Raw, it wouldn't be a big stretch to put him in the stable.
Evans Reportedly Moving to Raw, Turning Heel
WWE is reportedly taking an unexpected route with the return of Lacey Evans to WWE programming.
According to PWInsider (h/t Middleton), WWE's current plan calls for Evans to be a heel on the Raw brand moving forward.
Evans has been out of action for well over a year after giving birth to her second child, but in recent weeks, WWE began airing vignettes for Evans on SmackDown.
In the series of vignettes, Evans seemingly spoke from the heart about her difficult upbringing, including stories about her father's issues with addiction and the volatility she encountered during her childhood.
Ultimately, Evans was able to pull herself out of that situation by joining the Marines and later becoming a WWE Superstar.
All signs pointed toward Evans being presented as a big-time babyface, which would have been a huge departure from the heel persona she has had for most of her WWE career.
Instead, a strange announcement was made on last week's SmackDown with ring announcer Samantha Irvin asking fans to show Evans "proper respect" when she made her entrance.
That type of language is normally reserved for heels, which may have been the first sign WWE was going in a different direction.
In terms of the switch from SmackDown to Raw, WWE essentially aired highlights of Evans' vignettes on Monday's Raw, which suggested she was perhaps getting shifted to the red brand.
It is unclear why WWE decided to make that change and why it chose misdirection in terms of keeping her a heel, but all signs seem to point toward WWE taking that route with Evans.
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