WrestleMania 42 Night 2 delivered the reset WWE desperately needed. Now comes the hard part

Can Reigns change that? On its face, that's no guarantee.

Ever since he passed the torch to Rhodes back at WrestleMania XL, the former Universal Champion has felt like a spare part in the WWE universe — a man whose longest and most consistent feud was against Solo Sikoa, his former henchman who now finds himself relegated back to the mid-card.

There have been efforts to revive the old Roman magic, particularly within the Rhodes storyline. When the two men were forced to team up at Bad Blood in the fall of 2024, WWE shot a Scorcese-esque mini-movie of the former blood rivals negotiating their terms. Throughout the whole affair, they dropped hints of a potential rematch — most heavily at last November's Survivor Series.

But despite some flickers of promise, the tinder never really caught fire. And Reigns isn't exactly blameless — his part-time schedule has rightly become a running bit in some quarters. How many times have WWE billed "Roman Reigns returns!" on its weekly shows, only for him to disappear again the next week?

Hopefully, that changes now. One of the big achievements of CM Punk's title reign was to restore WWE's World Heavyweight Championship into a fighting title — a prize that could suddenly be defended on random episodes of "Raw" and in matches that went the distance. If Reigns wants a quick way to silence the doubters, he should carry on that tradition.

Roman Reigns in action against CM Punk during WrestleMania 42: Night 2 at Allegiant Stadium on April 19, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

(WWE via Getty Images)

Reigns will need new rivals too, something that gives me cautious cause for optimism. It hasn't gone unnoticed that "The OTC" discussed Oba Femi in his media rounds this past week before WrestleMania 42, even saying that he expects to face "The Ruler" before long. When it comes to new blood, WWE has also previously hinted at matches with Bron Breakker and Jacob Fatu somewhere down the line.

They'll need to balance those against the new champ's ongoing feuds with the old guard too. That long-awaited match with Seth Rollins surely has to be more likely now. And the very existence of the Crown Jewel championships — one of the more minor prizes in WWE — should let them tick Rhodes vs. Reigns off the list this year.

When it comes to making Reigns champion, though, I suspect the main reason why WWE pulled the trigger to close out WrestleMania weekend was something more simple. The man belongs to that rare club of pro-wrestlers who has those genuine A-lister credentials (Rhea Ripley being another). In a business like sports entertainment, you don't let that go to waste.

oBut even the aura stuff has its pitfalls. In an era where TKO already gets criticized for its constant celebrity pandering, fans won't react well to their champion swanning off to film Hollywood projects. Nor if Reigns' status is used purely to bolster the reputations of the likes of IShowSpeed and Pat McAfee.

Likewise, Reigns returning to the throne will also reignite speculation of that marquee match with The Rock, something that has never really gone away. On one hand, the massive amounts of money being attached to next year's Saudi-mania might make it possible. On the other, we've seen how badly it goes down when the fans get their hopes up for a Rock return only to have them dashed again.

Still, based on last night's performance, we probably shouldn't be too pessimistic just yet. Any wrestler willing to be elbow-dropped through the announce table — a spot that left Reigns visibly cursing afterward — deserves the benefit of the doubt. At least for now.

But "The Tribal Chief" shouldn't doubt the scale of the task ahead of him, either. His last big title run coincided with the company's most recent golden period, laying the foundations for the massive 10-year, $5 billion Netflix deal, among others. It also led to perhaps the greatest WrestleMania storyline of the modern era two years ago.

With WWE's ticket sales flagging and ratings stagnant, what happens with Reigns new title run could well prove to be just as important. If anything, the stakes might even be higher. Tout your A-lister looks all you like — over the next year, they'll really be put to the test.