Royal Rumble Preview Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns
On Sunday night at the Royal Rumble, Kevin Owens will defend the WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns with Chris Jericho suspended above the ring inside of a shark cage. Could Sunday be the end of Owens’ five month title run? Or will interference force Reigns to go another month without being able to call himself “the guy”?
Royal Rumble Preview: Kevin Owens versus Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship
The Champion
Kevin Owens has been the Universal Champion since August of 2016 and has been a hit ever since winning the title. Owens became the champion after Finn Balor had to vacate the championship due to injury, and it feels like WWE might be waiting to Balor’s return to take the title off of Owens. Balor’s return is reportedly imminent, and could even be on Sunday at the Rumble. If Owens wins on Sunday, expect him to carry the strap through Wrestlemania 33.
The Challenger
Roman Reigns is always a hot topic amongst fans. Many of the “smart fans” have turned their back on Reigns since they feel like the WWE pushed him doubt their throats over the last couple of years, while there is still a group that can get behind the former WWE Champion.
Reigns will always be in the main event picture throughout his career and it’s always a possibility that he could walk away from the Royal Rumble as the champion. There have been rumors of a potential Reigns and Undertaker main event at Wrestlemania, and putting the strap on Reign coupled with an Undertaker Royal Rumble win would be the most opportune way to get there.
The Prediction
The feud between Owens and Reigns has gone on for quite some time now, so the end may be in sight. The stipulation that Chris Jericho will be suspended above the ring in a shark cage is supposed to make people think that interference is not possible, but imagine if Jericho were to drop something down to Owens to then use on Reigns. At the end of the day, it seems almost inevitable that Owens holds the title to face the eventual Royal Rumble winner. WWE will look for a way to try to protect Reigns, so expect some sort of interference in order for Owens to retain.
