What's Next for Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins After WWE Crown Jewel?

With another installment of WWE Crown Jewel in the books, fans reflect on what was largely a solid albeit unspectacular show.

LA Knight fought valiantly for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the night's marquee main event, but ultimately and unsurprisingly, Roman Reigns retained in polarizing fashion with help from The Bloodline.

Seth Rollins also held onto his World Heavyweight Championship with a win over Drew McIntyre in an excellent opener. Although it was a decisive victory for The Visionary, all signs point to McIntyre's pursuit of the prestigious prize continuing along with a much-needed heel turn.

In other action, Cody Rhodes bested Damian Priest in the latest chapter of his ongoing rivalry with The Judgment Day, effectively freeing him up for another opportunity at either one of WWE's top titles.

The next several weeks have the chance to be an exciting stretch for WWE, so in the wake of a newsworthy Crown Jewel, let's look at what's next for Reigns, Rollins and Rhodes and how their paths could potentially cross.

Why Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre Must Continue

Even more compelling than LA Knight's rapid rise to super stardom has been Drew McIntyre's slow-burn heel turn playing out weekly on Raw, opposite of World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins.

McIntyre has been displaying more heelish tendencies for months now, and one can only imagine that his latest loss to Rollins at Crown Jewel will drive him deeper into madness. There was no heel turn following their encounter, but it's more a matter of when than if it'll be made official.

That's why keeping McIntyre in chase mode at least through Survivor Series is crucial.

There isn't enough time between now and then for another new challenger to be determined and to feel like a legitimate threat to Rollins. McIntyre doesn't currently have a claim to a rematch, but brutally beating him down on Monday's Raw would force Rollins to face him again.

They have the strongest storyline in all of WWE at the moment, and thus it'd be premature for Crown Jewel to mark the blow-off. They had an excellent outing the first time around and would undoubtedly rip it up in a rematch.

Roman Reigns' Survivor Series Status and Next Challenger

Per Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Roman Reigns is not currently slated for Survivor Series on Nov. 25 despite being the "defending" Undisputed WWE Universal champion.

Of course, that could change come Friday's SmackDown, but it's not looking likely. The safer bet is Reigns disappearing from programing again and resurfacing in time for the Royal Rumble in January, but he would provide a big boost to the blue brand if he were to stick around for a little longer.

Regardless, Reigns beating LA Knight at Crown Jewel should put that rivalry to rest for the time being. It was Jimmy Uso who factored in the finish, so Knight can set his sights on him for a brief period.

There's no shortage of a potential challengers for Reigns, though. AJ Styles would make the most sense as he was last seen on SmackDown in September being taken out by The Bloodline, and if he's due back any day now, he's virtually guaranteed to pick up where he left off.

Reigns vs. Styles would be a worthy attraction to either Survivor Series or the Rumble.

Cody Rhodes Is Ready for WarGames

Cody Rhodes is clearly stuck in a holding pattern until WrestleMania season and it's high time he get involved in something meaningful.

His back-and-forth battles with The Judgment Day have been fine, but they haven't accomplished anything. Worse yet, WWE has done very little to capitalize off whatever momentum Rhodes gained from beating Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam and being endorsed by him afterward.

If he's not going to be challenging for championship gold at Survivor Series, taking part in the newly-announced WarGames match would be the next best use of the second-generation star.

His father, Dusty Rhodes, was a mastermind behind the original WarGames creation and thus it's only fitting that Cody step foot inside the sadistic structure, too. He has a ready-made match with Judgment Day as well as The Bloodline if WWE decided to go that route, but he should be named the captain of his team if that were to happen.

What will be at sake at WaGames (if anything) remains to be seen, but another big win in such an environment would easily catapult Rhodes back into the main-event picture on Raw and make him an immediate threat to the World Heavyweight Championship.

Filling the Gap with Reigns, Rollins and Rhodes Before WrestleMania Season

Rhodes can't continue winning high-profile matches, both on Raw and pay-per-view, without eventually earning something substantial, namely a title shot of some kind.

With how popular he is at the moment, he's proven to be above the Intercontinental Championship and he's already won and lost the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship. That leaves the World Heavyweight Championship as the only viable option.

Rhodes originally teased stepping up to Seth Rollins months ago, but he was interrupted by Brock Lesnar and their interaction that evening was never acknowledged again. That loose end should be filled before Rhodes rekindles his rivalry with Reigns, which is inevitable.

WWE planted the seeds for the Reigns vs. Rhodes rematch at the end of SmackDown's "season premiere" several weeks back and it received a strong reaction. It's clearly the direction the company is headed in, but how else they effectively fill time until then is the question.

Reigns and Rollins have a slew of challengers waiting in the wings, but Rhodes needs to maintain momentum in the meantime somehow. The Rumble should be where their paths intersect and kick off what's shaping up to be a can't-miss road to WrestleMania.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.