5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE Raw (Sept 26)

4. Winner: Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns isn’t going anywhere. Just because he’s not competing for the WWE Universal Title doesn’t mean he’s fallen from grace with management, and it’s clear that his character isn’t going to change or adapt any time soon. For as long as he draws breath, Reigns will be an unlikeable WWE babyface, particularly when working against guys like Rusev.

Still, it’s hard to argue that he isn’t a winner at the moment. He took the Bulgarian Brute’s United States title at Clash of Champions, and last night saw him dish out another whooping to the former champion after their rematch’s conclusion. Yes, he’s obnoxious, and yes, he rarely displays typical “good guy” behaviour, but Reigns left Raw in a stronger position than when he entered, and that’s why he’s a winner.

Reigns has lost very little since his Wellness Policy violation. His return saw him pinned twice on consecutive shows, but the bulk of Raw’s post-Draft broadcasts have either ended with Reigns in the main event, or working the show-closing angle. Roman is a prominent as ever before, his Empire is rebuilding, and he’s still being treated like a big deal.

John Cena’s “open challenge” series did a good job of rehabilitating the US Title last year. If WWE go down a similar route with Reigns, they might be able to do the same again, regardless of how they treat their opponents.