Not that you need backstage sources to see this coming, but a recent item from Wrestling Observer (subscription required but recommended) says WWE is currently set to have a feud between Universal champion Kevin Owens and United States champion Roman Reigns be the main event storyline for the Raw brand in December, and probably headline the Roadblock pay-per-view (PPV) on Dec. 18 in Pittsburgh.
Reigns set this up himself on the Hell in a Cell post-show, Raw Talk, this past Sunday, when he said he was “the guy” to do what Seth Rollins couldn’t (take the title off KO) and told us God made his shoulders broad enough to support two belts:
The Observer includes the caveat about “plans could change”, but considering how the Big Dog slipped into Seth’s role of wrestling Owens’ best friend/tag partner Chris Jericho on the Halloween Raw, the groundwork has been set. They can use their involuntary partnership on the red brand’s Survivor Series team to build tension and hit the ground running after November’s PPV.
UPDATE: Owens vs. Reigns is being advertised by PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh as the Roadblock main event.
It’s not terribly surprising news, or even necessarily a bad idea. If Monday’s talking segment between Reigns and JeriKO is any indication, it could be a lot of fun.
Pitting Roman against a smark favorite heel in the champ and probably the most over-performer on Monday nights in Jericho is the latest sign Vince McMahon is perfectly willing to accept a John Cena-esque mix of cheers and jeers for his next “face of the company” guy, though. And, if Y2J is leaving soon, they may be missing an opportunity to get massive heat on KO by not having him beat up the popular Jericho - which was the other program WWE was allegedly considering for December.
What do you think of these plans? Will Owens vs. Reigns, champ vs. champ, make you re-consider your Monday night plans during the holiday season?