WWE's Roman Reigns is scheduled to take on L.A. Knight at the upcoming WWE event Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. After that, however, it could be a long while before we see the Tribal Chief defend his Undisputed Championship again. This all comes from a recent report alleging he's not currently scheduled to appear at Survivor Series, which gives me a lot of thoughts on the matter.
The news came from reputed pro wrestling insider Dave Meltzer, who mentioned Roman Reigns' potential absence from Survivor Series in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. According to the report, Reigns is currently scheduled to be at Crown Jewel, but it will be his final pay-per-view appearance in 2023 (via PWMania.com). There's a lot to unpack with this news, and I can't help but wonder a few things if this ends up being the case.
The WWE Leaving Its Biggest Star Out Of A Big Four PPV Is Wild And Feels Like A Bad Move
The WWE has a lucrative agreement with Saudi Arabia, so I can hardly fault the organization for rolling out its biggest star to perform there to maintain goodwill and keep the money flowing. At the same time, Survivor Series is selling incredibly well in Chicago, to the point that an additional 15k tickets were opened up this week to accommodate the insane demand and maybe even have a virtual sellout (via SEScoops.com).
Granted, it seems like the show will sell well regardless of Roman Reigns' involvement, but I would wager most wrestling fans purchased a ticket with the assumption that the Tribal Chief would be in attendance. As mentioned, Survivor Series is a Big Four PPV, and typically, the biggest stars all have matches when those occur. If the WWE doesn't make it clear he won't be there ahead of the event, is that a show of bad faith to those who bought tickets hoping he'd be there?
CM Punk Better Appear At Survivor Series
Roman Reigns is a ticket seller, but I also need to acknowledge another big reason tickets are selling like hotcakes. CM Punk is a free agent, and there are widespread rumors the recently fired AEW wrestler will make his grand return to the WWE as an in-ring performer in his hometown during Survivor Series. The WWE hasn't explicitly confirmed this, but it's dropped some obvious teases that point toward them leaning into the speculation.
So now, imagine a scenario in which Survivor Series happens, and neither Roman Reigns nor CM Punk makes an appearance. I think it would spell disaster for the pay-per-view, regardless of what other matches are on the card. The reputation of Survivor Series is so big I have to believe neither happening would make for some unhappy attendees and people on the internet afterward.
Maybe Roman Reigns Will Drop The Title?
It's admittedly hilarious to even speculate, but maybe the WWE is planning for the swerve of a lifetime at Crown Jewel. At this point, we're all assuming that Roman Reigns is going to hold the title until WrestleMania 40, where he'll either take on Cody Rhodes or another wrestler like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The primary motivation for that is that Reigns would likely surpass Hulk Hogan's all-time record for longest title reign if he wins, or suffer a major loss to a new champion at a landmark WrestleMania.
What if, however, the WWE does the unthinkable? What if L.A. Knight is able to beat the Tribal Chief at Crown Jewel and becomes the new Undisputed Champ ahead of Survivor Series? His momentum in the company is red-hot at the moment, but is he so over he's ready to be the one to dethrone Roman Reigns? I know Kevin Nash won't be happy about that booking decision, but I'd kind of love to be surprised. If Reigns were to lose at Crown Jewel, that totally justifies a no-show for Survivor Series.
It's possible all this speculation is for naught, and Roman Reigns will eventually be slated for a match at Survivor Series. Until that happens, all of these questions are valid and have me wondering if the WWE is a little overconfident in all the success it's having lately if it's leaving its biggest star out of a major event.
Those with a Peacock Premium subscription will be able to watch Survivor Series on Saturday, November 25th. There are a lot of people looking forward to this one, so here's hoping that if Roman Reigns isn't in the plans, there's something big being planned for the Chicago event.
