With his return in the season premiere of SmackDown, Roman Reigns has returned to WWE, likely for his run to the WrestleMania premium live event (PLE). This week went a long way toward predicting every PLE for Roman Reigns through WrestleMania 40. Almost all of the main characters were present on the show.
The few who didn’t make a trip to Tulsa have been swimming in the same pond for months. In Roman Reigns’ absence, WWE has done what many fans felt impossible: elevated a consolation prize to have a legitimate legacy, and did so without sacrificing any of the key players in The Bloodline Saga. The path to Philadelphia looks exceptionally clear with the “Big Dog” back in the fold.
Crown Jewel – Roman Reigns vs. LA Knight
John Cena all but confirmed that LA Knight has got next on Roman Reigns. When predicting every PLE for Roman Reigns last year, nobody would have guessed Knight was a contender. He is the hottest act in WWE right now, certainly on the face side. Fans in every stadium in every country are cheering for the Megastar. His rise was almost certainly outside the initial booking. Still, WWE has been much better recently about showcasing the talent and matches that the WWE Universe is actively excited about.
You’re in my way pic.twitter.com/rmbhbazOYH
— LA Knight (@RealLAKnight) October 14, 2023
The bad news is that LA Knight isn’t going to beat Roman Reigns. Likewise, even if he were now slated to take the title from Reigns, it wouldn’t be at Crown Jewel. WWE takes a ton of flack, potentially deservedly, for the Crown Jewel event. The amount of money it generates has turned it into a big deal, with all sorts of marquee matches and names appearing.
The controversy around the show means that Roman’s final defeat won’t be coming in front of the fans in Saudi Arabia. LA Knight will be getting a solid singles feud, which he hasn’t honestly had since his first run with the late great Bray Wyatt. However, that has to be enough for fans as Roman and the Bloodline roll through Knight.
Survivor Series – The Bloodline (with Damian Priest and JD McDonughe) vs Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, LA Knight, and John Cena
One of the ways that Roman has managed to hold the title this long without fans completely turning on the angle is that WWE is willing to feature him without putting the title on the line. Survivor Series, the new home of the War Games match, will likely have Roman Reigns in it, just not for the WWE Championship. Last year, the Bloodline was at peak performance and could field an entire squad. This year, though, they will need to call in some reinforcements, as their ranks have dwindled while their enemies have grown.
Many fans don’t like the mixture of Judgment Day and The Bloodline, and SmackDown-specific groups like Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits are around. However, the partnership is already well established, and it makes sense. The fact is that Judgment Day is collectively the top heel of the company outside of Reigns himself.
Their issues with Cody also grant them an in. Watching Priest team with newcomer JD McDonagh will add some Judgment Day Drama to the proceedings. On the face side, Sami is probably not okay with Cody costing him his partner. In the end, the Ultimate good guy in John Cena probably wins, pinning a member of Judgment Day to fracture the heelish alliance and earn that shot he talked about.
Royal Rumble – Roman Reigns vs John Cena
They have been calling John Cena the greatest of all time every week. The justification is that he tied Ric Flair’s record. When predicting every PLE for Roman Reigns through WrestleMania, this has to be a dream match. The end of the Hollywood actor’s strike could change things, but that doesn’t seem imminent. So, instead, two titans, considered the greatest, can collide to prove it.
Unlike in their previous meetings, the stakes are higher. Ric Flair always said to be the man; you have to beat the man. Cena just tied with him. As Reigns marches to make history, he is standing in the way of Cena doing the same as a 17-time world champion. The promos write themselves at that point.
Reigns could take the Royal Rumble off, as the main event could be about finding his challenger. However, this year’s Rumble winner should challenge Seth Rollins (or whomever) for the World Heavyweight Championship.
WWE can’t stop making that title matter now that Roman Reigns is back. The characters have already been introduced in the Bloodline story, and they do not need another mechanism for ending it. Taking any of those people out of the match makes it too obvious. A match where Reigns beats Cena is a marquee bout for a show that doesn’t feature many matches. It also allows the usual performers to appear in the rumble, letting the part-time legacy act close the show with reigns.
Elimination Chamber – John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso vs. Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre (For a shot at Roman Reigns at WrestleMania)
To this point, Reigns has defeated many major talents and avoided many more with frequent absences. One of the most exciting things that WWE could do is take this collection of contenders and force them to battle it out for one more shot. At Elimination Chamber, WWE can have Reigns and Heyman on commentary to witness six men batter their friends for a shot at his title. Or Roman can take the month off to prepare for WrestleMania.
WWE makes its long-awaited return to Australia for WWE Elimination Chamber: Perth at @OptusStadium in Perth, @WestAustralia on Saturday, February 24, 2024! #WWEChamber
Register now for an exclusive presale opportunity 👉 https://t.co/PSfCcf6VE6 pic.twitter.com/jruyVYCvlH
— WWE (@WWE) September 21, 2023
In what is likely to be the last dance for John Cena in this run, he will kick off a match designed to play up several stories at once. Each of these superstars has lost to Reigns, but they also all have issues and relationships with one another. WWE last had this much star power in a chamber match in the early days of the gimmick.
That means it won’t need a title to be a show-stealer. Ultimately, the Bloodline will interfere, specifically to cost Jey Uso the title shot. A self-sacrificing Cena clears the ring before being decimated and removed from the match by referee stoppage. In the end, Cody beats one of the match’s two proper heels to earn his spot. Anyone predicting every Roman Reigns PLE until WrestleMania 40 knows the last match. The show in Australia ends with Cody pointing at Reigns and the WrestleMania sign.
WrestleMania 40 – Finish the Story
The rematch that most fans said could never happen. If you were predicting every PLE for Roman Reigns last year, this match was the same. When Cody curiously lost at WrestleMania 39, many fans were outraged. The prevailing wisdom was that nothing could make this story enjoyable for another year. Sometimes, that seemed correct. By and large, though, WWE managed to pull it off.
Although Cody won’t be as hot this time around, contrary to claims WWE will likely make, his match with Reigns will still be a significant affair. Despite the detours both men took, the clash still feels inevitable, which always adds to a match.
In Philadelphia, Cody Rhodes will finish the story and win the title his dad never could. The match will be good, similar to the first one. However, this time, Reigns’ Bloodline is weaker. Likewise, his enemies are stronger after having it out over the past few months. The Uso’s aren’t around anymore, and that makes all the difference. Cody wins in a hard-fought battle, one-on-one, with no interference. Rhodes becomes the face of WWE, and Reigns begins his final act in the tragedy of the rise and fall of Roman’s empire.
The Complete Case for Predicting Every Roman Reigns PLE
Everything can change in WWE, so why can anyone be sure of the future? Anyone predicting every Roman Reigns PLE until WrestleMania isn’t a guarantee of those future matches. It does, though, showcase how phenomenal the story has been. When a traditional story is told in a book or a show, the writer can’t just keep throwing in new characters.
The story is told around a core of people the viewers or readers already know. In the final acts of a show or the penultimate chapter in a novel, there aren’t a lot of new faces; instead, the old faces resolve the tensions. That is only sometimes the case. What makes it so much fun is that storytelling is looser than all of that. Look no further than WWE to see evidence of that. Often, challenger after challenger steps up and gets knocked down until one day, they don’t.
WWE has committed to telling itself a proper story by committing to long-term booking. It has a beginning, a triumphant return, and a shocking heel turn when Roman captures his title. Then, into the early stages, Reigns ruthlessly collects power and gold, building the Bloodline and a dominant tribe. It moves into the later stages, where enemies from without and within the test that power and he grows more paranoid in response.
And now, as of the SmackDown season opener of all things, the final section. In the story’s last act, the villain sees the writing on the wall and slowly comes upon the maddening realization that his ruthless journey to the top was the catalyst for his demise. He fights desperately to stave off defeat until his rival finishes the job for him. When looking at predictions, you can see the pieces where they lay, and they look similar to a famous old Scottish play. It is a classic being brought forward once again in perhaps the strangest of mediums.
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