2. Sheamus Must Retain (As Long As It's Not Clean)
Imagine the fallout if Roman won the WWE Championship back so shortly after Survivor Series. Even if Sheamus is nothing more than a transitional champion, he needs to at least retain the belt here, potentially leading to a bigger loss at the Royal Rumble. The only question is: how should Sheamus retain? Putting him over clean makes no real sense, especially as it's already been proven (multiple times) that Reigns is better in a straight contest. The most likely outcome would be an interference from the League of Nations, leading to Reigns' 'family' rushing out to even the odds - only for Sheamus to take advantage of the chaos and grab the title. I understand that, in any ideal world, many would prefer to see a clean victory for the champ, proving that WWE are no longer as invested in getting Roman over at all costs. However, even if the company miraculously accept that Reigns can't get over as a babyface right now, his status as one of very few bonafide main event superstars on the roster must be recognised. A straightforward loss would do a great deal of damage to that momentum, and be worse for WWE overall.
