How to Book Around Roman Reigns

We're going to try something a little different today. It's Wednesday, but I didn't watch any wrestling yesterday. I don't follow NXT 2.0 and the thought of doing that just to have something to write about frightens me. Instead, I'd like to talk with you about our Lord and Savior, our Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. More specifically, I'd like to talk about how to move on from him.

There's some rumors that Reigns will be taking some time off soon. That's certainly his choice, and good for him for doing so. Maybe he's spending some time with the family, or maybe he will shoot a movie. Maybe he'll get back to restoring that 1988 Mustang he has sitting in his yard.  The man has a daughter and two sets of twin boys, maybe he just wants to go into hibernation for a month. WHO'S TO SAY?

I don't know for sure if Roman is leaving, but it does beg the question: what happens to Raw and SmackDown with him gone? Unless there's some hasty booking, the Head of the Table will leave with both top championships. What can you fight over? What stories can you tell? I have a few ideas, just off the top of my head. No notes today, we're doin' it LIVE!

Option 1: Elevate the United States and Intercontinental Titles

This could work, and also be a boon to those second tier championships. I know many fans long for the days when the Intercontinental title was a workhorse reward, earned by the likes of Bret Hart, Pedro Morales, Tito Santana, Razor Ramon, and Shawn Michaels. And it was! But it also has been passed around A LOT. According to Wikipedia, the Intercontinental championship has changed hands a hundred and eighty two times since it's inception in September of 1979. I myself have only been around a month longer than that championship, and I can't think of anything meaningful that I have done a hundred and eighty two times. 

The United States championship is in a similar, but also opposite, boat. If anything, the US title has been booked to be more important than the IC title. I think it started when John Cena instituted a weekly open challenge for the belt back in 2015. Several recent face champions after Cena followed suit. While not necessarily making the United States championship more important, it certainly made it the more visible and more frequently defended of the two B-series titles. 

While Roman is away - whether it be through a kayfabe injury or just him deciding to pull a Thanos and rest - those championships could move up in stature. Make the feuds for them more visible. Advertise the title defenses. Have current United States champion Theory bring back the open challenge, and give him some opponents that compliment his skill set. Mustafa Ali, Drew Gulak, Chad Gable, and AJ Styles immediately come to mind, although it is tougher to book the open challenge gimmick for a heel champ. But if you codify the open challenge into the US title (think 24/7 championship but less stressful) then Theory would have no choice but to find a way to worm out of matches and eke out victories.

Acknowledge the history of the Intercontinental Championship. Make it the thing the internet seems to believe it should be. Ricochet could easily be put in matches that showcase his skillset, and everybody loves a good multi-man ladder match for the IC title every few months. It's not as easy to lock the championship into a theme, like the US title with the Open Challenge, but knowing the workhorse aspect of it could definitely be used to book the challengers. Hell, make it the new NXT Takeover - have people expect a banger of a match whenever the Intercontinental is going to be defended on a pay per premium live event.

Option 2: A tournament for the right to challenge Roman Reigns

Roman has run through SO MANY legit contenders during his almost seven hundred days as champion. Daniel Bryan, Edge, Brock Lesnar, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Braun Strowman, and John Cena have all been put down by the Needle Mover. Which is to say, maybe it's okay to run back some old feuds. Maybe the move is to let challengers old and new amass while the GOD Mode Champion is on hiatus. A great way to do that, especially if WWE knows when to expect Reigns back in action, is a tournament.

People love brackets! Putting every challenger into a nice, clean form allows for a lot of discussion and engagement before the matchups are even announced. Tweet out a list of sixteen competitors and watch the internet explode with analysis, prognostication, and anger that X wrestler didn't make it in. WWE could go as far as emulating the NCAA with bracketology shows. Have former and current superstars and experts weigh in on who has a real chance at winning the tournament, and whether they would stand a chance across the ring from the Undisputed WWE Champion.

Another aspect to remember is WWE's current deal with Draft Kings. As much as I don't personally love seeing gambling advertising on every single commercial break for every sporting event i watch, it does make sense for WWE to lean into that side of the fandom. Fans and gamblers alike will be happy to put five bucks on their favorite superstars to win, or to show off that perfect bracket. You put a bracket challenge out there, and the people will bet on it.

Option 3: The Poochie Option

I hate, HATE, this idea, but it just ... it just popped in there. 

After Wrestlemania Backlash ended, we had a clear idea of who the most likely challenger for Roman Reigns will be: Drew McIntyre. Their brief time in the ring together, and the cheers that accompanied that short time, should be enough for WWE to want to push on with that.

If Reigns leaves for a while, the world doesn't stop spinning. Drew McIntyre, still the number one contender, still needs to stay hot while the Tribal Chief rests up. The answer, then, is to keep Drew working against the Bloodline. Tag team matches against the Usos, singles matches against Jimmy and Jey, maybe even the odd handicap match. Paul Heyman can get involved in any other feuds McIntyre chooses to pursue during the pause in championship defense. And all the while, everyone can keep asking the same question.

"Where is Roman Reigns?"

Drew can scream it as he stands tall over the Usos. He can yell it to the camera as Raw goes off the air. He can hound Paul Heyman as Heyman tries to conduct other business. He can go straight to Vince McMahon about his desire to fight the man who escaped a real match with him way back in May.

It's not the ideal strategy but it's a way to keep Drew hot and keep Roman's name in all our mouths. Maybe another Bloodline member is added. Solo Sikoa is probably ready to come up and show off the skills that helped him steal the show at last week's NXT Beach Breakin' special. I'm sure others could be tapped as special counsels or Bloodline-adjacent hired guns. One could go as far as having Heyman repair his relationship with Brock Lesnar just to eliminate Drew from competition.

What I'm saying is, the world won't end if Roman needs some time off. WWE certainly didn't book themselves a lot of wiggle room to account for this inevitability, but what fun is planning when you can come up with something off the top of your head?

I mean, I just did it and I would love to see any of these play out. 

Except the third one. You keep Poochie off planet.