Roman Reigns’ next opponent: A battle of the Bloodline is brewing

Although fans are unsure when Roman Reigns will appear in the WWE again, a burgeoning family feud is the most exciting option upon his return.

Roman Reigns’ illustrious 1,316-day title run ended at Wrestlemania 40, as new WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes completed his story at Reigns’ expense.

Reigns will likely take some much-deserved time off to prepare for the next chapter of his WWE journey. Triple H already teased that the return would be “mind-blowing.”

Rhodes is set to face a fresh batch of challengers in Reigns’ absence, but what is next for “The Tribal Chief” when he comes back from the expected hiatus?

Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins

A case can be made for Seth Rollins as the next foe for Reigns. Rollins’ insistence on bringing down the Bloodline could be the jumping-off point for a feud between the former Shield allies.

Rollins teamed with Rhodes on night one of Wrestlemania 40. He vowed to “save the future of the WWE” by stopping Reigns and Rock.

Alas, Rollins re-aggravated a previous knee injury early in the match and became largely ineffective in the fight. Rock later pinned Rhodes, but this wasn’t the last of Rollins at ‘Mania.

To open night two, the injured Rollins lost his World Heavyweight Championship to Drew McIntyre. Hobbled by his knee, “The Architect” put up a valiant effort but ultimately fell short.

Later that evening, Rollins, sporting his old Shield attire and entrance music, snuck into the ring and attempted to turn the tides in Rhodes’ favor.

As Rollins went to hit Rock with a steel chair, Reigns flew into the ring and speared his former partner-in-crime, foiling Rollins’ plan.

But that, along with a bevy of other distractions, was costly. Reigns lost his stranglehold on the WWE and dropped his Undisputed Universal Championship in the process.

That alone is enough to ignite a feud between Reigns and Rollins. Roman could see this as a way to tie up a loose end from his past.

A championship rematch against Cody Rhodes

It’s impossible to rule out an immediate rematch with Rhodes whenever Reigns returns to WWE programming.

Champions are entitled to a rematch when they drop the belt, and Reigns could view this as an opportunity to get back to the top of the WWE mountain.

The odds are that Rhodes will stay busy with other feuds, namely with The Rock, throughout the summer. After that, expect Reigns to zero in on getting his championship back.

While a rematch between Rhodes and Reigns is intriguing, and a grudge match at Wrestlemania 41 is undoubtedly on the table, Roman’s next opponent could share the same blood as him.

And it would set the stage for the biggest match in the company’s history.

Roman Reigns should target The Rock

WWE dropped breadcrumbs of beef between Reigns and The Rock throughout the Wrestlemania 40 build — a matchup that was supposed to happen this year before fans pushed back.

It’s worth mentioning that Rock has prior Hollywood obligations and will be vacant from WWE programming in the next few months, as he revealed on the latest episode of Monday Night RAW.

As Reigns’ and Rock’s lengthy absences could coincide, WWE will likely save the eventual showdown for a premium live show. One way to set up Rock vs. Reigns is to have Rock turn back to a babyface.

Although Reigns and Rock worked well together during both nights of ‘Mania, one spot stuck out the most. It occurred when Reigns attempted to spear Rhodes, but missed, nearly cutting Rock in half.

Nothing came of this accidental bump, but it and Reigns’ desire to be the best of the Bloodline are enough to spark a feud between the two larger-than-life personalities quickly.

A championship match with Cody Rhodes should come first for Rock to finish out the “Final Boss” heel storyline. Ideally, this would take place at the biggest party of the summer — WWE SummerSlam.

Look for Rock vs. Rhodes to happen at SummerSlam in August or Survivor Series in November at the latest, with Reigns turning on “The Great One” and costing him the championship in his surprising return.

That allows Reigns to continue his all-time heel run while giving Rock a chance to do what he does best — win over the crowd as a babyface and elicit the loudest pops in the business.

It creates a “Battle of the Bloodline” feud for the remainder of the Wrestlemania 41 build. Creative can go all in on the Reigns vs. Rock dream match at next year’s ‘Mania.