Quick Links
WWE’s much anticipated UK PPV is rapidly approaching, with fans looking forward to the Clash At The Castle event. The main event match will see Roman Reigns defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Scottish challenger, Drew McIntyre. Whilst McIntyre’s character hasn’t been perfect, and whilst many in the WWE Universe would likely have hoped for a different name to dethrone Reigns following his record-breaking time on top, it is high time for the title change to finally take place for a multitude of different reasons, which would no doubt benefit WWE’s weekly product in a big way.
Roman Reigns Has Had An Unbelievable Run As WWE Universal Champion
Roman Reigns has been Universal Champion since the summer of 2020 in what has become one of the most dominant title reigns in WWE history, with him spending over 700 days and counting with the prize. This puts him among the greats in terms of title reigns, with only the likes of Hulk Hogan and Bruno Sammartino being among the few with a longer time as a world champion in WWE. In addition, he also now holds the WWE Championship following a unification match at WrestleMania 38, when he defeated Brock Lesnar.
RELATED: 5 Roman Reigns Matches Dave Meltzer Overrated (& 5 He Underrated)
His run as champion has seen him become the number one guy in WWE, with his heel persona being among the best characters in modern wrestling. Every time he speaks, he commands attention, and every match feels like a main event clash. He has overcome the likes of Edge, John Cena, Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Goldberg, Daniel Bryan, and many more during his time as champion, with him being so dominant to the point where it really isn’t clear who will dethrone him, resulting in the harder question being around who should dethrone him. That is where Drew McIntyre comes in.
Drew McIntyre Deserves A WWE Championship Win In Front Of A Live Crowd
Back at the start of 2020, McIntyre was on an absolute roll after winning the Royal Rumble, but the pandemic would see his WWE Championship win end up being in front of no live crowd, with his two reigns as champion being in the empty Performance Center and Thunderdome era. By the time crowds had returned, WWE had done a lot of damage to his character, with him being overly corny and cheesy, and his promos being full of poor content.
RELATED: Every Major Drew McIntyre WWE Feud, Ranked From Worst To Best
He still managed to gain good reactions from the returning live crowd, but overall, his momentum had plummeted. Over the last year he has done his best to make the climb back up to the main event scene, battling through clichéd promos and lackluster feuds, eventually earning a shot at Reigns – back on home ground, as the Clash at the Castle PPV is taking place in the UK. With Triple H now in charge of WWE creative, there has been a noticeable change in promos – with McIntyre’s content included, as he appears much more natural and likable.
McIntyre never got his crowning moment in front of a live audience, so doing so in front of a home crowd would result in a remarkable moment, and due to him being in the UK, the fans won’t care for his two years of poor creative. A win like that could fix all the damage that had been done in an instant.
WWE TV Needs A Full-Time World Champion
When it comes to Reigns, there isn’t really a correct or clear choice in terms of who should beat him. However, with him moving to a part-time status, both Raw and SmackDown have struggled without a regular World Champion being present. In fact, there has been a push from Raw’s TV Network, USA, for them to have their own world champion, especially since Reigns is predominantly a SmackDown superstar. Whilst it's true that Reigns feels like a special attraction, fans have seen far too many part-timers in recent years, so having a champion not competing on even every other PPV feels annoying, and it lessens the importance of weekly TV too.
RELATED: Every Wrestler Who Defeated Roman Reigns In A Singles PPV Match
Although someone younger and fresher would be a better choice to beat Reigns, there isn’t any other believable candidates right now, so McIntyre is the best option considering his natural popularity, and due to his title match happening in the UK. WWE likes to break records but keeping the belts on Reigns for the sole reason of heightening that number is the wrong thing to do, especially if it sacrifices the quality of the product. Reigns wouldn’t be hurt by a defeat, and he could well win back one or both belts before next year’s WrestleMania, but it would no doubt benefit both McIntyre and WWE’s product if a change took place.
