Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns: What's Next for Both Stars After WWE Roadblock?

After crashing into each other at WWE Roadblock: End of the Line, Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns will soon start swinging their swords at other rivals.

The Owens-Reigns rivalry is set to splinter into two new, separate stories after Sunday's Raw-exclusive pay-per-view. This narrative was always a stopover, a bridge to what lies ahead for both Superstars.

It's only fitting then that Owens and Reigns' battle for the Universal Championship at Roadblock ended with the spotlight on two reunions rather than KO and The Big Dog alone.

At the close of Sunday's PPV, Reigns looked poised to finally keep Owens down for a three-count, but Chris Jericho soon arrived to disrupt the proceedings. He hovered over Reigns briefly, teasing an attack on the powerhouse before nailing Owens with a Codebreaker.

Owens' title was saved. And Jericho soon celebrated with him, grinning as his intentions came to light. 

Seth Rollins emerged to align with his former stablemate from The Shield. Rollins and Reigns proceeded to wallop the heels, slamming both of them through tables to cap off the night.

What happens now? 

Reigns has ample reason to seek out a rematch, but as WWE lays the foundation for WrestleMania, the United States champ will position his focus elsewhere. With the new year will come new paths for both Reigns and Owens to travel.

Immediate Aftermath

History tells us that Monday's Raw will feature a tag team match between the four men involved in Roadblock's main event. Reigns and Rollins will take on Owens and Jericho to follow up on the PPV's climax.

That's the no-brainer move.

From there, Reigns' and Owens' tales will begin to diverge. The spotlight will shine more on each man's alliance.

For Owens, that will mean repairing his friendship with Jericho. The two best buds have been at odds for weeks, with KO unable to calm Jericho down. Those two will be back to their usual antics—bullying announcer Tom Phillips, putting people on The List of Jericho, etc.

WWE will want to suck the audience back into thinking everything is fine with Jeri-Ko once more.

Reigns and Rollins have a lot more animosity to overcome to become partners again. The rehab of their relationship will be a big part of what The Big Dog is up to in the near future.

As Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet pointed out, WWE hasn't helped fans fully understand why Reigns and Rollins have moved on from their past bad blood:

Yes, they have common enemies, but that alone can't be enough. The company will need to explore Reigns and Rollins' relationship more, offering each man time to explain his reasons for reuniting.

WWE will continue to work to transfer some of Rollins' popularity to Reigns. A lot of attempts to harness nostalgia for The Shield are on the way, as Reigns and Rollins join forces several more times.

Focus on His Own Gold

Reigns' pursuit of Owens has pushed the United States Championship into the background.

That will soon change as Reigns moves away from his feud with KO. Reigns is on the verge of going two full months with only one U.S. title defense, per CageMatch.net. WWE can't maintain that pace without risking the prestige of the belt.

Challengers are bound to step up to Reigns in the coming weeks.

WWE can propel Reigns, painting him as a force of nature as he takes down the likes of Jericho and Titus O'Neil. The company, though, will be eyeing a different showdown for him down the road.

A major match for the U.S. title is bound to a part of WrestleMania 33 as WWE continues to showcase Reigns.

CraveOnline writer Joshua Caudill believes Reigns has a date with Braun Strowman on the horizon:

Caudill, though, believes that the battle will be for the universal title instead. But Strowman, who wasn't won any WWE championship to this date, would be a better fit as U.S. champ first. After the monster is done devouring Sami Zayn, he will be in position to contend for Reigns' strap.

That's just the kind of collision WWE likes to compose.

Jeri-Ko at WrestleMania

A Owens-Jericho feud has to happen.

The chemistry these two have as allies suggests that they would make tremendous enemies. Plus, there is a robust supply of emotion to tap into with that potential story.

Each time Jericho and Owens are on the verge of parting ways, it's hard to look away. Their admiration for each other is so strong and believable that seeing them fight is unsettling.

WWE will surely tap into that before long. An Owens clash with Jericho would be an excellent fit for WrestleMania 33.

To that end, the company is likely to have Owens and Jericho pal around again, only to later showcase their eventual implosion. The best friends will gleefully reunite for weeks but soon foreshadow their split. 

Rollins has been demanding a chance to take on Triple H. That will leave Jericho without a foe. His and Rollins' rivalry will end up being as fleeting as the one between Owens and Reigns.

Those were holdovers for bigger battles.

Owens vs. Jericho and Reigns vs. Strowman are on the horizon now. And it won't be long before WWE ventures toward both of those contests.