WWE Champion Roman Reigns' 4 Biggest Threats in 2023

Which Superstar will dethrone Roman Reigns' historic run as unified champion has been the dominant pro wrestling storyline for what feels like years now.

To its credit, WWE did an amazing job in recent months convincing fans it could be Drew McIntyre or Sami Zayn. Then, at the most obvious endpoint yet, the company swerved fans with Cody Rhodes losing to The Tribal Chief in the main event of WrestleMania 39.

While that ending registered as polarizing, it has kept the door open for a bevy of possible endpoints, many of which are super-intriguing. It also means the best pro wrestling storyline in a long time gets to continue.

With the door wide open, here's a look at some of the best options to dethrone Reigns in 2023 based on which storylines and outcomes would make sense both in the moment and for the long term.

Honorable Mentions

The following Superstars can't 100 percent be counted out, though they are unlikelier than the rest.

The Rock: While he'd be a no-brainer as part of the family theme going on with this epic tale, especially near the end, it wouldn't make booking sense to have a part-timer win it all and then have to drop it at who-knows-when.

Drew McIntyre: The hamfisted loss to Reigns in the UK at Clash at the Castle in September was a botched moment for WWE. But the company could recreate it well as it tries to spread internationally.

Kevin Owens: Don't sleep on Owens. He is, after all, the guy hand-picked by Triple H all those years ago, plus the guy WWE trusted to handle a match with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

Gunther: Unlikely, given the slow burn WWE wants to take in the midcard scene, but all it takes is one nudge to get the ball rolling downhill fast.

Cody Rhodes

The journey is far from over for Cody Rhodes.

Yes, he looked like a dork for not being better prepared for interference from The Bloodline at 'Mania, then not really acknowledging it, before being the only person on the planet not to realize Brock Lesnar might have had bad intentions on the Raw after The Show of Shows.

But this is still part of the hero's journey of sorts for The American Nightmare, who remains over with fans and the best possible threat to Reigns.

Overcoming Lesnar, something that might not happen until SummerSlam, would leave him on the table as The Tribal Chief's opponent for next year's WrestleMania.

That, or WWE could set up the rematch for SummerSlam once Reigns passes the 1,000-day mark. No matter how the company elects to go about it, Rhodes has to remain the favorite.

Sami Zayn

There's a popular theory that WWE missed its one and only best chance to have Sami Zayn be the one to take down Reigns.

Admittedly, that's gaining steam if all he and Owens are going to do from here on out is get involved in little tag team scuffles while being unified champs.

However, it would be misleading to pretend fans wouldn't get back behind Zayn in an instant, if they ever left, and equally so to suggest he doesn't have the talent to still make it work.

While the Canadian doesn't necessarily fit the family-based theme of the long-term story, he's the closest outsider to date. Built the right way, he could always get the win well before 2023 concludes.

Rhodes might feel like the favorite, but Zayn was here first and is a more natural fit.

Jey Uso

Remember how this all started? In the audience-less COVID-19 pandemic era when fans could hear every single, sinister little thing Reigns said while he whipped his own family member around the ring?

There's still a chance fans get to see things go back in that direction. Jey Uso still doesn't feel like a character totally committed to the cause or one who won't see reason when appealed to in the right setting.

Some fans might not like the idea of Jey as a Superstar big enough to take down a unified champion. But there would be something sweet about one of the best storylines ever with a family slant getting a bowtie put on it with a callback to how it all started.

There are hurdles, such as whether Jey should be in the main event of say, SummerSlam or even a WrestleMania. But it would be a fitting and well-earned ending.

Seth Rollins

How poetic would this be?

Seth Rollins seems to be the one Superstar who can consistently get under Reigns' skin when in proximity. And he's undoubtedly got the ability to tap back into that Architect side that broke up The Shield in the first place.

Even better, this would save Rollins somewhat. While he's a modern legend to the point of not needing a title to be in a marquee feud, it has been a little weird to see him so far removed from meaningful titles while two belts sit on Reigns.

Case in point, he's gone from weird feuds with Logan Paul to Omos of all people.

Modern fans would eat up The Visionary getting back involved with Reigns and wouldn't exactly need their hand held storytelling-wise.

Rollins isn't family, but he might as well be given the history there.