WWE Rumors 2016: Roman Reigns to Chase Universal Title at Royal Rumble 2017? What Went Before and Predictions
Of all WWE superstars on the current loaded roster, there is no one as hated by fans as Roman Reigns. The huge Samoan bruiser is consistently booed every time he appears on the ring, albeit having his own share of admirers.
Vince McMahon and his creative team had done everything to get Roman Reigns a backing from the crowd. They put three world championships on him, highlighted that The Rock is his cousin, made him the bane of The Authority and primed him as the heir to John Cena.
However, his poor in-ring work, his problems on the mic and WWE forcing him down people's throats have turned the tide against him. Luckily, that may be changed by his new run as a midcard champion—except it might not stay that way for long.
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Return at Rumble
The last big angle Reigns was in was when he got blindsided by Triple H in a Fatal 4-Way, in favor of crowning Kevin Owens the Universal Champion on Raw. The Big Dog was given another shot at the title—a chance at a Triple-Threat match for the belt, including Seth Rollins, at Clash of Champions.
However, he got cheated once again when Rusev interfered in the match, causing a disqualification and costing him the championship opportunity. This resumed his feud with the Bulgarian wrestler, which was stalled by Rusev's wedding to Lana.
The feud peaked at the recent Clash of Champions, where Roman Reigns got the win and the United States title. This puts him in the midcard championship position, giving him a chance to actually earn the push WWE is giving him.
It looks like McMahon is not ready to let go of his favorite superstar. Rumor has it that Reigns will give up his title at the end of the year, and will eventually be back in the Universal Championship picture come Royal Rumble.
The problem in this scenario is the company's insistence on Reigns as a babyface. Fans love cheering on people who had earned and deserved where they stand in the WWE—take Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler and Owens, for instance.
Ever since the Shield broke out, Reigns was pushed into main event contention, even headlining the last two WrestleManias. In both occurrences, he contended for the title.
