1. Roman Reigns Vs. Kevin Owens – 2017, 2021 & 2023
One of the most unexpected trilogies in WWE history was Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens’ series of matches at the Royal Rumble. First starting at the 2017 Royal Rumble, a heel KO defended the WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns.
Their match was a No Disqualification match with KO’s ally, and the United States Champion, Chris Jericho, was elevated above the ring in a shark cage. Their match was superb, and Owens took the bragging rights here to retain the Universal Championship.
Fans waited another four years to witness Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens lock horns at the Royal Rumble. This time, the roles were reversed in 2021. The Tribal Chief was the heel, and KO was cast as a babyface. Their Last Man Standing match for Reigns’ Universal Championship.
That wasn’t the only change from their clash in 2017; there was no crowd in attendance because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Reigns was struggling to free himself from the handcuffs, which took him an age to be free. Ultimately, Reigns continued his Universal Championship reign in a hard-fought battle.
Reigns and KO’s collision course for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at the 2023 Royal Rumble must’ve felt like deja vu for Reigns and Owens. Their meeting at the 2017 Royal Rumble was at the Alamodome, and six years later, their third match at the Royal Rumble was held at the same venue. Furthermore, the Tribal Chief still held the Universal Championship from their 2021 meeting, which is a testament to Reigns’ greatness.
Ultimately, Reigns continued his record-breaking Undisputed WWE Universal Championship reign to win the trilogy. Afterward, KO’s best friend, Sami Zayn, betrayed the Bloodline to save KO from a brutal beatdown he was on the receiving end of.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – WWE – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on the WWE Royal Rumble and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
You can check out WWE programming on Netflix (Raw, WWE archives, WWE Unreal, and other specials), USA Network (SmackDown), The CW (NXT), ESPN (WWE PLEs), Tubi (WWE Evolve), A&E (WWE Superstar Sunday – Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments) and Peacock (Saturday Night’s Main Event). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on YouTube.
