Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar: What's Next After WWE Royal Rumble 2016

It's the morning after WWE Royal Rumble 2016, and neither Brock Lesnar nor Roman Reigns is WWE world heavyweight champion.

But that doesn't mean either Superstar is directionless. On the contrary, both have very clear paths on the Road to WrestleMania following the company's first pay-per-view of 2016. 

Throughout the Royal Rumble match, Reigns overcame every possible shot thrown at him by The Authority. He was entered as the first participant by WWE CEO Vince McMahon. He was dragged from the ring and battered by The League of Nations with McMahon looking on.

He was taken out of the match by medics, only to return and face down Triple H. He was among the final three participants until Triple H tossed him over the top rope. 

There shouldn't be any question regarding the direction Roman Reigns heads on the Road to WrestleMania. Reigns is on a collision course with Triple H. The real question becomes: When will the next meeting take place? 

Does WWE wait until WrestleMania 32 to have these two face off, or will it come at the company's next pay-per-view, WWE Fastlane 2016? WWE is already on a slippery slope with Reigns, even after he successfully wooed the WWE Universe over the past year following his Royal Rumble win in 2015. 

Reigns was consistently booed by fans in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday night. By pushing him too hard, WWE risks losing all the good that was accumulated on his journey to winning the WWE title late last year. Reigns ending Triple H's world title run early at Fastlane might be, as the COO would say, best for business.

It would allow Reigns to build to a proper WrestleMania match against someone of The Authority's choosing, allowing Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and Vince McMahon to remain in the story but in the periphery.

The smart money is on WWE holding this bout until the granddaddy of them all in Dallas, a move that may backfire on the company and its top babyface. According to Justin LaBar, WWE analyst for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, a Reigns-Triple H WrestleMania main event needs to be "as sexy as possible," perhaps featuring an all-star lineup that includes The Rock, Ronda Rousey and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

As for Lesnar, WWE Royal Rumble 2016 made it clear that he'll be clashing with The Wyatt Family in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 32. Lesnar dominated The Wyatts during the Rumble match, eliminating Luke Harper, Braun Strowman and Erick Rowan in convincing fashion. It was only thanks to interference from those same Wyatts that Lesnar himself was eliminated.

WWE has a number of options for this feud. The Beast Incarnate is advertised for next month's Fastlane pay-per-view, where he'll likely face one or more of The Wyatt Family. The idea has been pitched for WrestleMania 32 but could start at Fastlane now that Lesnar is apparently not in the WWE title picture (h/t Daily Wrestling News).

If Lesnar vs. The Wyatts does happen at Fastlane, expect it to end with a non-finish, setting up a similar match at WrestleMania 32. Or it could create a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle for its Dallas mega-event that no one is anticipating. 

Currently, The Undertaker is without an opponent for WrestleMania 32. Might Vince McMahon decide to pair an aging Deadman with Lesnar to compete against The Wyatt Family? Would such a matchup be too similar to Survivor Series 2015, when The Phenom and his brother, Kane, defeated The Wyatt Family handily?

It's nothing more than speculation, but it would be a blockbuster co-main event that would bring two enemies together, thus creating major hype. 

Whether or not such a pairing actually happens, Lesnar vs. The Wyatt Family is happening. It's a matter of where the pieces fall and which—or more apt, how many—Wyatts get served to The Beast Incarnate.