WWE doesn’t need to book Roman Reigns vs Steve Austin at this time
Even if it was overshadowed by other major news, Stone Cold Steve Austin’s return to wrestling was a massive moment in 2022. It was his first match in nearly 20 years and it caught much of the wrestling community off guard. That may not be his last WrestleMania moment, as Fightful Select reported that Austin was offered a big deal for a match against Roman Reigns. While this would be an eye-catching affair, it’s not the direction that The Bloodline story, nor the WWE needs heading into a crucial event like WrestleMania 39.
According to the report from Fightful, there was a pitch for a “huge opponent” to face Austin. That name turned out to be Roman Reigns. That would put the biggest superstar of the previous generation against today’s top name in WWE. It is the type of match that would immediately grab headlines, the attention of fans, and perhaps the attention of crossover media – all of which are extremely important heading into WrestleMania season. But is it the move that WWE needs at this crucial time? That’s the debate.
WWE is on the precipice of creating a major star through the Bloodline angle. Fans are pushing for names like Sami Zayn or Cody Rhodes to defeat Reigns at WrestleMania. That would be a big moment for either man and help build a new star for the future – a space that WWE has struggled with in recent years. The culmination or the next major chapter in The Bloodline angle is neigh and that should be the focus of everything involving Reigns.
A match with Austin detracts from that. Is Austin a megastar? Of course. Could he just walk into the title picture at any moment? Of course, he could. But now isn’t the moment. His return and insertion into the title picture creates another situation where the entire men’s division is on hold again. Between Reigns and Brock Lesnar, this has occurred enough and it’s time for things to move forward. A part of that is Reigns facing a true challenger and dropping one of those titles. Austin isn’t the man to take it from him, because he’s not going to go on a full return to active performance for the promotion.
Yes, Logan Paul did get a shot at the title on a random whim for WWE Crown Jewel. It was an entertaining moment that captured the mainstream attention that WWE desires. But this was on Crown Jewel, which is typically seen as an offshoot of current WWE angles. It’s not as big of a show with as massive stakes as WrestleMania. Putting on a match with such a predetermined outcome at WrestleMania 39 would hurt much of the momentum built with The Bloodline angle. Now is not the time.
Next. Logan Paul vs John Cena would be massive at WrestleMania 39. dark
Stone Cold Steve Austin will always be a fan favorite in professional wrestling. Bringing him back will grab headlines and attention. But now is not the time to pit Austin against Reigns. There’s so much more needed from this angle and it has to come to a close or move to a new chapter with Reigns facing a true challenger at WrestleMania 39.