5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE Raw (22 Aug)

1. Winner: Roman Reigns

It turns out that Roman Reigns is bulletproof, and his Wellness Policy violation has dealt no lasting damage to his long-term prospects.

Though thoroughly in the doghouse in the violation’s immediate aftermath, Reigns has now slotted right back into his spot as WWE’s self-manufactured “hero.” Those pinfall losses at Battleground and on the following Raw feel like they happened a million years ago, and after completely burying WWE’s US Champion Rusev over the past month, Reigns has been handed another shot at becoming “The Guy.”

Reigns’ crowd reactions haven’t been quite as hostile lately, and he was legitimately cheered for a few moments after defeating Jericho on Raw. The fans quickly realised who they were cheering for, however, and turned on Roman at the drop of a hat. WWE have no spent two full calendar years forcing Reigns down fans’ throats as the company’s “top babyface,” but it looks like they’re going to keep swimming against the tide, particularly in Finn Balor’s absence.

Will Reigns become Universal Champion next week? There’s a strong chance. Rollins might be the favourite on-paper, but if WWE want to progress with a “face” champion, fans shouldn’t be surprised if it’s Roman who captures the gold. It’s a worrying prospect for the WWE Universe who grew sick of Reigns’ act within months of The Shield’s breakup, and had spent much of the last few months praying for a much-needed heel turn.