Why Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns Feud Will Emerge After WWE Survivor Series 2016

Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns is a rivalry that seems destined to happen, and many WWE fans are just waiting for it to kick into high gear. But that's probably not going to happen until after Survivor Series on Sunday.

When that night is over, the real fun begins.

But for some, there's no fun in the possibility of Reigns becoming the new universal champion. It's a title that he's never held, and it's the top title on WWE Raw. Considering his importance in the company, it does seem as if he will probably end up as the new champion at some point.

He is The Guy, after all.

Much of the WWE faithful may be wondering why this is happening now. Reigns is the current United States champion, and Owens is not yet three months into his Universal Championship run. Reigns doesn't lose many big-money matches, which means KO's belt will likely come to him eventually.

But since Reigns has yet to fully establish himself as champion—and the same is true of Owens—why would WWE rush to pair them up now?

Perhaps it's the lack of full-time star power on Raw that's the issue. With the exception of Seth Rollins and Chris Jericho, no other stars burn brighter than Reigns and Owens. But it could be that no one else has been elevated because no one else is ready.

Until that issue is addressed, this situation will continue to happen.

So since the four-man main event rotation is in full effect, Owens vs. Reigns may just have to happen sooner rather than later. If that is indeed the case, then Survivor Series is a great place to spark the heat between them.

They may be on the same team that night, but they probably won't be on the same page.

Anything can happen in a traditional Survivor Series match, which means Owens and Reigns will likely get on each other's bad sides before the bout is over. Owens and Reigns join Jericho, Rollins and Braun Strowman for Team Raw, and AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Shane McMahon round out Team SmackDown Live.

Cooperation is key to success for the brands, but there's too much bad blood on both sides of the ring. This will especially be true of Reigns and Owens, both of whom want to rule Monday nights.

That fact will eventually get in the way of any partnership that may exist right now. Reigns will be the soldier fighting for the red brand, but Owens is fighting for himself. One wrong look or one slight misstep, and the two Raw Superstars will be waging war in the Survivor Series ring.

That war should lead to Owens putting Reigns in a position to get pinned.

Though it does not benefit Team Raw to see Reigns go down, that will likely not stop KO from turning a blind eye when his partner needs help. Once Reigns is out of the match, Owens could fight to the end and pin Styles to become the last man standing.

The red brand may win the match, but Reigns and Owens will have unfinished business.

Despite what Reigns' critics may say, the truth is that feuding with KO is a good move for him. Though fans love Owens and typically pop for him, he's still a heel. Of the two, KO is the first one to take the low road, and that will get him booed out of the building

With the roles defined and a reason to feud established, Owens and Reigns can get down to the business of elevating the WWE Universal Championship.

Raw's top title has been somewhat devalued, and it has perhaps never seen its full potential since being created after the brand split. Owens' title run has not been the legendary reign that it could be, and both facts can be attributed to his booking.

KO's comedy routine with Jericho is entertaining, and it's getting him over. But he's not getting over as the top champion of Raw.

His championship is not the highly coveted prize it could be, and that's because he hasn't had a run of high-quality wins. The Universal Championship has no foundation, and until WWE decides to book the belt as it's booked the WWE World Championship, Owens will struggle.

But that can change when he faces Reigns.

Just because Reigns will probably end up with the universal title does not mean he will take it from Owens. KO could actually win this feud, and that would help him more than anything else could. Owens would finally be seen as the deserving champion, and his career would take a dramatic turn.

It's not that Reigns could give Owens the rub, as KO is the experienced veteran of this rivalry. But fans need to see Owens for the capable champion he is, and there's no better way to do that than by beating Reigns.

WWE needs a high-profile feud to elevate the Universal Championship, and Owens vs. Reigns is it. The title has been underappreciated and improperly booked for too long, and the time has come for the company to rectify that.

If the WWE Universal Championship is to gain value in the eyes of the fans, it must be presented as the most highly coveted title on Raw. It must also be the prize that hangs in the balance when WWE's best face off.

All of that can be accomplished when Owens faces Reigns after Survivor Series.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here