Since his surprise return at SummerSlam in 2020, Roman Reigns has been at the top of the WWE mountain and embarked on the most impactful and successful championship run in recent memory.
Upon his return, he defeated the Fiend for the Universal Championship at Payback on 30th August 2020, and has held the title ever since. During this reign, he created one of the dominant factions in WWE history, the Bloodline, and in doing so became virtually unstoppable.
However, the last few months have witnessed cracks in the faction’s foundations and family solidarity. After months of turmoil, the group finally imploded at Night of Champions when Jimmy Uso super-kicked Reigns following weeks of humiliation at the hands of the Head of the Table. Jey followed suit and at Money In The Bank, the Usos took one Reigns and Sikoa in a Bloodline Civil War match.
The emotionally charged match saw the twin brothers exact revenge on their controlling cousin and secure the pinfall victory over Reigns in a sensational ending to the match. The loss came at a huge cost as it not only witnessed the end of the Bloodline but also saw Reigns lose for the first time in over three years.
After suffering such a high-profile loss Reigns’ dominance over the company and the Universal Championship now has a shadow of doubt cast over it. Throughout his title run, he has relied heavily on the help of the Usos and Solo Sikoa to defeat all who have stood in his way. Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Edge, and Drew McIntyre all tried and failed to dethrone the Tribal Chief.
His last defense of the Universal Title came against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39, where the stars seemed aligned for the former AEW man to “finish the story” and win the title in an ode to his legendary father Dusty Rhodes. However, in a shocking turn of events Reigns defeated Rhodes in the main event. Yet despite this loss, Rhodes is still determined to realise his dreams.
At the Money In The Bank Press Conference, Cody Rhodes was asked if winning the World Heavyweight Championship would finish his story and the American Nightmare replied that although winning the new title would be “outstanding” the story is and has always been about capturing the title his dad never held.
What Are WWE’s Plans For Roman Reigns At WrestleMania 40?
In response to Rhodes’ comments Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio said the plan for WrestleMania 40 remains Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes.
His storyline is that the belt that his father didn’t win – which is apparently Roman’s belt – that’s the one that’s the story. So basically, he almost has said it’s next year’s WrestleMania, which is the plan right now.
H/T WrestleTalk