Four Stars Who Could Challenge Roman Reigns Next

Roman Reigns retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against LA Knight at Money in the Bank, held Sunday, October 11, keeping “The OTC” on top of the title picture heading into the fall. With the match behind him, attention now turns to who steps up next — and there’s no shortage of candidates circling the champion.

Penta stands out as the most obvious name. Reigns beat the luchador on the September 14 episode of Raw to retain the title, a defeat that stung given it came in Penta’s home city of Mexico City. Penta made clear the following week that he wanted another shot, and he’s now in position to get it on his own terms after winning the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. A champion who’s already beaten the briefcase holder once makes for a natural grudge rematch, and with Penta able to cash in whenever he chooses, Reigns has every reason to watch his back.

Then there’s the growing threat of 946. Royce Keys returned in August alongside Lucien Price and Bronco Nima, and the trio has spent the weeks since tearing through The Bloodline and anyone else standing in their way. The group recently escalated things further when Jaida Parker ran down Jacob Fatu with a vehicle. Given how aggressively 946 has targeted Reigns’ extended family, it feels less like a question of if Keys goes after the World Heavyweight Championship and more a matter of when.

Drew McIntyre is another name worth watching, assuming the reports of his return to Raw hold up. McIntyre has been out of action since WrestleMania 42, but he’s been a thorn in The Bloodline’s side for years, and a comeback built around chasing Reigns’ title would fit the story he’s been telling for a long time. There’s been no confirmation of a timeline, but a returning McIntyre gunning for the gold would be an easy narrative to slot into the current championship picture.

Finally, Oba Femi continues to make noise about a showdown with Reigns. Femi earned a guaranteed world title shot by winning the King of the Ring tournament at Night of Champions, but chose instead to settle his issues with Brock Lesnar inside Hell in a Cell. That decision delayed the inevitable rather than erased it — on the Money in the Bank post-show, Femi again called out Reigns directly, insisting it’s time for the two to finally collide. Whether that happens in the near term or gets saved for WrestleMania 43, the matchup has been built with enough intent that it feels like a when, not an if.

With Penta armed with a guaranteed cash-in, 946 escalating its war on The Bloodline, a possible McIntyre return looming, and Femi publicly demanding his shot, Reigns has no shortage of threats lining up. How WWE sequences these challengers will say a lot about where the World Heavyweight Championship story is headed on the road to WrestleMania 43.