Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns: WWE Roadblock 2016 Match Preview and Prediction

Kevin Owens will face Roman Reigns at WWE Roadblock: End of the Line on Sunday. The match will be for Owens' WWE Universal Championship, a title that Reigns wants to add to his collection. The Big Dog is already the United States champion, but KO's belt is considered the top one on Raw.

His critics may not like the idea, but WWE is behind Reigns, so Roadblock could be his night.

However, while his haters are lining up in dread over the match's possible outcome, they may be missing the point. The fact is that, whether or not he wins, this match is good for WWE's so-called second-most important championship.

The title has been suffering from a serious lack of credibility, and much of that is thanks to the booking.

The Preview       

Owens' partnership with best friend Chris Jericho may be entertaining and fun for fans, but the long-lasting impact of it has not helped KO's title run. Owens is the top heel on Raw, so cheating to win is not necessarily a bad thing. But one cheap victory after another has dulled the championship's shine just a bit.

Fans expect Owens to get an assist, and anything else is a surprise. 

Though it shouldn't matter that a heel cheats to win, it does take its toll, and that's where Owens and his championship are right now. Fans like solid matches with decisive endings, but they haven't been getting that in this situation. 

However, Reigns' placement in the Universal Championship picture changes the overall tone of Owens' run. That is especially true if their match at Roadblock is not the last in the rivalry. The more that Reigns is used in big-money matches versus KO, the more value is added to the championship.

Now that Jericho has apparently distanced himself from Owens, things will only get better for the title, as KO will be forced to make it on his own. But Jericho will want a title shot somewhere down the line.

"

Had my first match in @WWENXT 2 years ago.All of this happened since...and I'm just getting started. #TheKevinOwensShow pic.twitter.com/xKunNNGPXa

— Kevin Owens (@FightOwensFight) December 11, 2016"

Reigns is the man with the shot at Roadblock, and many fans feel his win is a foregone conclusion. WWE has invested a lot of time and effort into Reigns, and it may be time to elevate him back to main event stardom.

It would be a quick fix for the Universal Championship, and the company is invested in that as well.

Reigns is the top contender, and this could be his way back to the top of Raw. He's made no secret about the fact that he wants the title around his waist, and he won't be kept from his goal forever. He provides a tough and physically challenging match for Owens, who won't be able to duck him on Sunday.

Owens will have to bring the fight to his opponent if he wants to win at Roadblock.

But Y2J is the wild card here, and the entire complexion of the match would change if he decides to interfere.

The Prediction

The match could go a couple of different ways.

If Jericho does indeed get involved, then Owens will probably not go over. Jericho's popularity has never been higher, and WWE may turn him babyface at the pay-per-view. If that happens, then WWE fans will have a new universal champion in Reigns.

But if Jericho interferes, only to see it backfire, then KO will likely retain. That outcome is perhaps the best way to go here.

The reason for that is an Owens win means an inevitable title defense against Jericho. 

That is the match that fans want to see, and having the championship in the mix is the only way to do it. Any issues of relevancy surrounding the universal title would disappear the moment Jericho faced Owens, as the two could embark on an exciting rivalry.

Another alternative is Reigns outright winning the title, sending Owens back to square one. 

It's not as if he couldn't feud with Jericho after that, but it would not be the level of match that fans want to see. The possibility of Y2J holding a top championship is intriguing, and he's so over that he would become the most popular champion in the company.

So KO must once again come out on top. He may do it on his own this time, or Jericho's involvement could backfire. But either way, the WWE Universal Championship is better left on Owens than on Reigns for now.

The title needs more spotlight, and Jericho vs. Owens can provide that. 

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