Roman Reigns Suspended: Should WWE Delay Triple Threat Match to SummerSlam?

WWE fans were dealt arguably the biggest shock in years Tuesday when the company suspended former world champion Roman Reigns for 30 days for violating the wellness policy just two days removed from losing his title at Money in the Bank:

Immediately, the scenario prompted more questions than answers for WWE fans. For example, what's next for Reigns? What happens with his long-term booking?

And perhaps more importantly, does this have a significant impact on the planned Triple Threat match between Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose at Battleground next month?

The obvious answer to that question is probably yes, especially when you work out the dates and realize that Reigns' suspension ends just a few short days before the Battleground pay-per-view on July 24. How could the company possibly promote a three-man feud with only two stars, as has been pointed out by WWE fans on Twitter?

However, irrespective of what is debated and talked about online, WWE's decision is obviously final, and right now, it's pressing ahead with the match.

How do we know this? Fans posted images in the past 24 hours at Tuesday's SmackDown tapings, filmed after Reigns' suspension broke, and he was still being billed for Battleground:

What's more, listeners of Wrestling Observer Radio will know all too well that Reigns' suspension was known even before Money in the Bank took place. Marc Middleton of WrestlingInc reported that "top WWE officials knew of the failure before Money In the Bank and before the Battleground announcement, indicating that the match will go on as planned." 

Bryan Alvarez noted on Wrestling Observer Live (h/t WrestlingInc) that there have been "indications that some officials knew of the failure before the weekend." This is huge news and a story that suggests that we're getting the bout at Battleground regardless.

But the question is whether WWE should actually go against what seems to be its current train of thought and push the match back. There are more than a couple of reasons why the company should give it some serious consideration.

First of all, the announcement on Monday that the bout was going to take place at Battleground caught a fair few people by surprise. Why? This is a match befitting of a major stage, and with WrestleMania almost a full year away, the next best option is SummerSlam without a doubt.

All three members of The Shield competing for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is a dream match, so it feels like a waste to do it for the first time at Battleground. It will no doubt happen again, but the first time is the most memorable for a match of this stature. To that end, pushing it back a month makes perfect sense.

As well as that, there's the aforementioned issue of trying to book a rivalry involving three men for a major title match when only two are present.

By the time Reigns is back on WWE TV, SmackDown will be live on Tuesday nights, and he will be too late to appear on the go-home taping of Raw or SmackDown before Battleground.

You can't book a huge match without one man even being on screen, so it makes more sense to exploit the obvious heat Reigns is going to get when he returns by pushing the bout back to SummerSlam.

The boos and hatred for Reigns will be intense when he comes back, so with him being away for 30 days, WWE can pull the trigger immediately on a proper heel turn.

WWE should book Ambrose vs. Rollins at Battleground, but Reigns should turn up announced, get involved and decimate both guys. He can end the show standing tall, and then the WWE can schedule the long-awaited Triple Threat match for SummerSlam on August 21.

All things considered, Reigns' suspension may well be a blessing in disguise, as it can allow WWE to shift its plans for both this match and his future character development.

But the only choice for WWE when it comes to this match is pushing it back a month.