WWE Extreme Rules 2017: What Will Roman Reigns Do Next If He Loses?

If Roman Reigns loses the Fatal 5-Way at Extreme Rules, what’s next for him as we approach SummerSlam and beyond?

As you’ve probably realized and concluded by now, it’s highly unlikely the WWE will book Roman Reigns to win this Fatal 5-Way given his overwhelming star power and the adamant nature that has been shown by the company to push him as “the guy.”

Not to mention, he doesn’t need this win at all to remain relevant. So, after the Fatal 5-Way, what’s next for “The Big Dog”?

Given the injury to Braun Strowman and the likelihood that we see Strowman face off against Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam after knocking off his one-and-done opponent from the Fatal 5-Way at Great Balls of Fire, Reigns is going to need something to do to hold him over until he’s back in the title picture.

There’s a few options here, some more likely than the other (in no particular order):

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The first is that Reigns pursues the Intercontinental Championship if The Miz wins.

Given the time between now and the beginning of the year and the involvement that is to be expected by Reigns in the Strowman-Lesnar saga, a run at the Intercontinental title (should Miz win), seems highly unlikely, but it would allow for Reigns to be in some kind of a title picture. Also, Reigns getting involved with Miz impacts Miz in a negative way as Miz is an excellent heel and deserves to hold the title for an extended period and perhaps setting up a feud with “The Drifter” Elias Samson, for example. The Miz deserves a legitimate run again during his seventh Intercontinental Championship reign.

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Secondly, the Fatal 5-Way leads to a storyline with Seth Rollins, whether it’s good or bad. Considering they’ll have just been involved in a match, it could start off bad, but shift to another partnership. This isn’t to say that they’ll join the tag team division, but Rollins and Reigns do have the ability to put on solid matches. Also, any involvement Reigns has with Rollins could lead to speculation and a Shield reunion which could lead to more viewership and higher ratings.

Thirdly, if both Reigns and Rollins lose the Fatal 5-Way, along with Dean Ambrose dropping the Intercontinental Championship to Miz, these three could be on a collision course to potentially reunite to some degree as a stable to back Reigns as he marches towards the Universal title and needing to fend of Strowman in the process. Again, any involvement these three have with each other is always going to spawn this kind of speculation, so we could see it come true. From here, Reigns could pursue the Universal Championship and Ambrose/Rollins could go after Miz or, heck, they could possibly form a tag team considering the lack of depth in that division now. And hey, The Shield vs. The Hardy Boyz might be entertaining to see.

Either way, at some point Reigns and Strowman will be after each other again.

Perhaps a Last Man Standing Match at Survivor Series? Maybe interfere in the match at SummerSlam to avoid making Strowman look weak against Lesnar?

Beyond this, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series, Reigns feels like a solid favorite to win the Royal Rumble to challenge Lesnar for the belt just one year after being the 30th entrant.

Imagine this, though: At WrestleMania we get Lesnar vs. Reigns vs. Strowman in a Triple Threat Match for the Universal Championship.

Considering the Universal Championship has been essentially irrelevant since Goldberg and Lesnar’s match at WrestleMania, that would be the kind of match to make the belt mean something again rather than just a title held by a guy in Lesnar who never appears on television.

If all three men were to meet in New Orleans—and if booked properly—all three men could tell a story that consists of them just tearing each other apart in a battle for the ages. Remember, Reigns and Lesnar had a nice match at WrestleMania 31, just this time, no one will be cashing in that Money in the Bank contract.

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All in all, the WWE will need to book Reigns in a way to tide him over prior to not only a feud with just Strowman, but a narrative that consists of Strowman, Lesnar and himself forming a triumvirate that could end in all three of them meeting in a Triple Threat Match next April at the “Big Daddy of Them All”.

Sorry Reigns haters—he ain’t going anywhere anytime soon.