What's Next for Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman After WWE Payback 2017?

Sunday's WWE Payback 2017 pay-per-view featured an exhilarating main event that saw Braun Strowman soundly defeat Roman Reigns in the latest chapter of their storied feud, leaving viewers to wonder what is next for both competitors.

Following Strowman's loss to Reigns at Fastlane, it was imperative that the Monster Among Men emerged victorious in this anticipated rematch. Thankfully, he dominated a wounded Reigns for the better part of the bout before putting him away in clean fashion.

That was the best booking decision possible to allow Strowman to maintain momentum following his last several weeks of destruction. Meanwhile, Reigns didn't lose anything in defeat considering he entered the contest already injured.

Afterward, Strowman continued his onslaught against Reigns by battering him with the ring steps. Their brawl spilled over into the backstage area as the event went off the air, and Reigns was able to fend off his rival before he could inflict further damage.

Going forward, it's safe to assume that their storied feud is far from over. With Extreme Rules being the next Raw-exclusive event, fans should expect to see them rekindle their rivalry one last time in a gimmick match of some sort.

There was some criticism from fans going into Payback regarding Reigns vs. Strowman not being contested under extreme rules, especially considering they had already faced off the month prior in a standard singles match.

Ultimately, they exceeded expectations once again with another exceptional effort in the Payback main event. It was nothing short of a brutal, bloody war between the two behemoths as Reigns and Strowman had the live crowd engaged in the action the entire time.

What's interesting is that they were able to captivate crowds in both of their bouts that didn't have stipulations attached to them. Thus, one can only imagine what they would be capable of in an environment without disqualifications and count-outs in play.

Extreme Rules, set to take place in early June, is undoubtedly the perfect place for them to wrap up their rivalry for the time being. Beyond that, the winner can advance to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at Great Balls of Fire in July.

Reigns vs. Lesnar is obviously inevitable, but that is a bout best saved for either SummerSlam or next year's WrestleMania. In the meantime, Strowman would make for an excellent adversary for The Beast Incarnate.

One night removed from WrestleMania 33, Strowman confronted Lesnar and promised him that they would do battle once he avenged his loss to Reigns. Having now accomplished that feat, Strowman could set his sights on Lesnar and the title as soon as Monday night's Raw.

However, Lesnar is currently being billed for Extreme Rules and will likely be held off TV until July. Reigns and Strowman have had a hot enough feud that they should headline Extreme Rules in his absence, anyway.

They can resume their rivalry over the next month, culminating in an Ambulance match—which would perhaps be the most fitting stipulation given their history—at Extreme Rules. A second straight win over Reigns would solidify Strowman as a force to be reckoned with heading into his championship clash with Lesnar.

As for Reigns, he can transition into a separate storyline past that point with either Samoa Joe or The Miz, two heels he has yet to feud with. That should keep him busy through the summer while Lesnar faces other opponents.

WWE Payback 2017's chaotic conclusion has fans buzzing going into Monday's Raw, where fans should get a better idea of what the immediate future holds for Reigns and Strowman.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a digital journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.