Booking Roman Reigns from WWE SummerSlam 2026 to WrestleMania 43

Roman Reigns has been the focal point of WWE for over a decade and especially since the original rise of The Bloodline.

Although his time on top was put on pause when his historic Undisputed Universal WWE Championship reign was ended in 2024, he regained his spot on top when he won the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42.

Everything's been built around The Tribal Chief and his reformed family faction for months so far in 2026, and that will continue to be the case through SummerSlam 2026 and beyond.

Per False Finish, the latest chapter in the Bloodline saga is expected to last until at least WrestleMania 43. That means many more months of Bloodline lore across both brands and high-profile premium live event title defenses for Reigns.

From his SummerSlam storyline with Seth Rollins to what lies ahead for him in early 2027, this is how his road to WrestleMania 43 should be booked.

Settling the Score with Seth Rollins

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Fans wouldn't be wrong to argue that Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins has been done to death over the last decade-plus. They've had no shortage of matches against each other, yet their rivalry remains unresolved.

As Rollins made clear in his post-Night of Champions confrontation with Reigns on Raw, The Tribal Chief has never beaten him when it has mattered most one-on-one. They can't close the book on their story until he does.

A fresher face such as Oba Femi or Bron Breakker battling Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam would be more appealing, but Reigns vs. Rollins is a fitting attraction for that event to ensure their score is settled once and for all.

Of course, the only appropriate outcome is Reigns decisively defeating Rollins. It's crucial that victory comes without any assistance from the rest of The Bloodline.

The inevitable Shield reunion—whether it's with Dean Ambrose a.k.a. Jon Moxley or not—can't happen until they put their bad blood behind them.

Not Waiting Until WrestleMania for a Marquee Match with Oba Femi

It's egregious enough that Oba Femi would win King of the Ring and actively choose to forgo the guaranteed title shot simply to finish his feud with Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Femi vs. Reigns is inevitable, but WWE can't afford to wait to book that bout at WrestleMania 43.

Once Femi conquers Lesnar inside Hell in a Cell, he must immediately set his sights back on the World Heavyweight Championship. For him to kept busy with anything else coming out of the event would be a waste of his hot momentum.

Other than an installment of Saturday Night's Main Event over Labor Day weekend, WWE has yet to confirm what premium live event will take place in the month of September. If it's another Wrestlepalooza, the company may want to make it as big of a deal as last year's was, which featured Lesnar vs. John Cena and AJ Lee's in-ring return.

Not only should Femi vs. Reigns go down on that show, Femi should walk away with the World Heavyweight Championship. There's zero reason to have him lose and continue on in chase mode until WrestleMania when he could be crowned as early as September instead.

That would be the significant shakeup WWE will need creatively for the final stretch of the year.

The Bloodline Begin Their Downfall in WarGames

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All signs have been pointing toward another Bloodline-centric WarGames match for months—despite it very much being more of the same.

Roman Reigns and The Usos have competed in three of the last four WarGames matches. The 2024 installment was essentially a Bloodline civil war between the new and old versions of the group.

In many ways, that was the peak of the program, yet this year's men's WarGames match is shaping up to be something similar with Reigns leading his own Bloodline into war against Solo Sikoa, what's left of The MFTs and whoever else.

With The Vision and The Judgment Day rapidly losing members, The Bloodline would almost have to be a part of WarGames in some form or fashion if WWE insists on keeping the gimmick going at Survivor Series.

It can serve a purpose if it's used to make The Bloodline look vulnerable with a loss and tease tension within their ranks, resulting in one member in particular finally reaching his breaking point and severing ties with the stable.

Jacob Fatu Avenges His Losses to Reigns

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Jacob Fatu's current role in The Bloodline doesn't make much sense when you consider that he started out as a henchmen in Solo Sikoa's iteration of the group and organically evolved into a beloved singles star soon after.

Thus, it's completely uncharacteristic of Fatu to fall in line and follow orders from Roman Reigns when he's already proven that he can excel on his own.

That was evident following WrestleMania 42 when he targeted Roman Reigns and posed a legitimate threat to his World Heavyweight Championship, only to narrowly fall short both times he challenged him.

Fatu should have won the world title at that point, but it'd be better late than never for him to avenge those losses to The Tribal Chief—even if the prestigious prize wouldn't be on the line.

Fatu breaking away from The Bloodline and working with Reigns would effectively occupy the both of them in the months between Survivor Series and WrestleMania 43, as well as keep Reigns out of championship contention. It's high time Fatu be elevated to the next level and that can't be accomplished until he beats Reigns.

Finally Facing The Rock at WrestleMania 43

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If there was ever a time to make Reigns vs. The Rock a reality, it'd be at WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia.

It's been fantasy-booked for The Show of Shows so many times in the past that it almost isn't even worth speculating about anymore. However, that ship won't have fully sailed until Rock officially declares himself retired from the ring, which he has yet to do.

He last competed in a tag team match on Night 1 of WrestleMania 40 where he and Reigns knocked off Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. Him pinning Rhodes should have led to them facing off for the Undisputed WWE Championship at some point in the subsequent year, but the match never materialized.

Rock and Reigns were a united front after Reigns finished his feud with Solo Sikoa at the onset of 2025, but no seeds were planted for a future bout. That isn't to say WWE can't have Rock interject himself back into the Bloodline drama so he and Reigns can have their massive matchup at 'Mania next spring.

Although this would entirely depend on Rock's schedule, history has shown that he has popped back up in WWE when it's least expected, and the fact there's been nothing to suggest that his return is imminent might actually increase the chances of it coming to fruition.

The company will want to load up that card with a few attractions of epic proportions, so if Rock is available, having him and Reigns collide could be the culmination The Bloodline has been building to.

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.