WWE Royal Rumble 2017 Matches: Full Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens Breakdown

Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens for the WWE Universal Championship will be one of the many marquee matches set to take place at the Royal Rumble 2017 pay-per-view. But unlike at Roadblock: End of the Line, the match will carry a No Disqualification stipulation, and Chris Jericho will be confined to a shark cage hanging high above the ring.

Reigns and Owens have been at odds for several months, dating back to October's Hell in a Cell event, when Reigns first declared his intentions to hold Raw's top title. At the time, Reigns was in possession of the United States Championship and was aiming to add more gold to his resume.

Unfortunately for the former Shield member, he fell short of becoming universal champion at Roadblock—but only after interference from Owens' best friend, Jericho, who has remained a thorn in Reigns' side since then, even beating him for the star-spangled prize on the Jan. 9 edition of Raw.

At the Rumble, however, Jericho likely won't factor into the finish, as he will be locked inside a shark cage dangling from the ceiling. The additional extreme stipulation will also ensure that Owens won't be able to retain his title by intentionally getting himself counted out or disqualified.

If the past few weeks have been any indication, all signs point to Reigns walking out of the Rumble as the new universal champion, making the road to WrestleMania 33 all the more intriguing.

Credit: WWE.com

Owens has been the reigning titleholder for the past five months, though his time on top hasn't been everything fans had hoped for. Despite contesting excellent matches with the likes of Reigns, Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn, he has been made to look inferior to each of his opponents, and he hardly comes across as a legitimate threat.

Moreover, it doesn't help that Jericho has overshadowed him with his hilarious antics and compelling character development, whereas Owens has virtually remained the same competitor he was at this time one year ago.

That said, Owens' current chances of entering WrestleMania as champion are slim to none. A match pitting him against Jericho is only academic at this point for The Show of Shows, but that bout wouldn't necessarily need to be over the universal title.

Meanwhile, Reigns' WrestleMania plans remain uncertain and are entirely dependent on what happens in his championship clash with Owens. He has been positioned as the top babyface on the flagship show for months, so it is safe to assume he will once again be involved in a high-profile matchup at The Showcase of the Immortals.

From Braun Strowman to The Undertaker to a returning Finn Balor, there are several potential opponents for Reigns at the spring spectacle. Regardless of who he faces, fans will receive a better idea of what the immediate future holds for him coming out of Sunday's pay-per-view.

From an in-ring standpoint, Reigns vs. Owens at the Rumble could be the sleeper of the night. Granted, it's a match that has been done to death recently, but Reigns and Owens never cease to deliver solid matches against each other.

Jericho being suspended above the ring in a shark cage is hardly a hook, given that he could still aid Owens one way or another, but the No Disqualification stipulation is interesting. Reigns and Owens wrestled in a Steel Cage match back in September, so this hardcore encounter should be equally enjoyable.

Owens and Reigns will have the tough task of attempting to top SmackDown Live's WWE Championship match of AJ Styles vs. John Cena, who had two of the best bouts of 2016. If they can capture the crowd's attention and switch up the stagnant formula from their previous matchups, they shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Interestingly enough, Reigns has a rich history at the Rumble over the years—interfering in the title main event in 2013, having a strong showing in 2014, winning the Rumble in 2015 and defending the strap in the Rumble last year. Odds are that he will keep that streak alive by reigning supreme as the new champ at the upcoming installment.

Although all eyes are on the Rumble match itself, don't count out Owens and Reigns as they go to war over the Universal Championship and possibly exceed expectations by producing an instant classic.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a Digital Journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.