In a matter of hours, we will soon learn of the next challenger for Roman Reigns' Universal Championship.
On Friday afternoon, WWE.com announced that a battle royal will be held on tonight's SmackDown to determine the new No. 1 contender for the Universal title. The participants haven't been announced.
Reigns is coming off a victory over WWE Champion Big E in the main event of Survivor Series 2021. There haven't been any hints or teases regarding The Tribal Chief's next opponent, so it's anybody's guess who will emerge victorious in tonight's Battle Royal.
WWE has also announced that Ridge Holland will go one-on-one tonight with Cesaro in the former's first match as a SmackDown superstar. On top of that, a pair of former WWE Champions in Jeff Hardy and Drew McIntyre will go up against Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss in tag team action.
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It's worth noting that the next WWE pay-per-view, Day 1, will be held on New Year's Day in Atlanta, Georgia. If WWE plans to wait until then for Reigns' next Universal Championship match, the creative team will have a month to build up his next feud.
WWE's Reported Long-Term Plans For Reigns
Brock Lesnar, whom Reigns defeated at Crown Jewel 2021, reportedly isn't scheduled to wrestle again until the Royal Rumble 22 pay-per-view on Jan. 2. It has been reported that Lesnar and Reigns will headline WrestleMania 38 weekend on Apr. 2-3. So the next challenger or two for Reigns' title will presumably serve as a bridge to the rekindling of his feud with Lesnar.
It has also been reported that Reigns' merchandise sales are on the level of John Cena, and that WWE plans to keep the Universal title on him long-term. Regardless of who challenges Reigns next, The Tribal Chief simply feels like a very safe bet to walk away victorious. We'll find out soon enough who his next opponent is.
