Seems like Ambrose would be the most obvious choice to screw him out of a title. I can't imagine both Reigns and Ambrose leave SS as babyfaces.

The choices would be:

1) Reigns turns heel on Ambrose, possibly at the finals. Leads to Ambrose-Reigns feud.

2) Ambrose turns heel on Reigns, leading to someone else beating Reigns in the final. Doesn't even matter who wins the title, as he's going to lose to Sheamus anyway. Leads to both an Ambrose/Reigns feud and a Sheamus vs whoever Sheamus beat feud.

Reigns at least being in the final has to be a lock. I sure hope the final isn't against Ambrose, though clearly that is a possibility.

Honestly that would be great I think the crowd would get pumped with split chants if that happened. Roman vs cena I think is most likely gonna happen though

That injury looks so bad, I hadn't seen that angle. I can't believe he finished that match, let alone stand up without assistance.

Cena is filming a TV show or movie.

Injury sucks, but I am excited for (hopefully) the Seth face comeback down the line.

Reigns being a total lock to win the tournament is unfortunate, especially since I'll get my hopes up that they turn him heel when it's never happening.

Just read that they're calling Lesnar to see if he'll get back in the picture because he's not contractually obligated to return until December. I don't know if that means he'll be in the tournament or they just need a big name to be around. Also said while Cena was granted the time off they'll obviously be calling him back
".;'saW

When was the last time the WWE lost both its top heel and top face? And a guy who's been main eventing on and off for a decade?

That's probably why Jim Ross is tweeting doors open opportunity knocks cause this is a chance for a few guys to get to the top while Seth is gone.

Will they put Seth Rollins in an onscreen role while he recovers? At the very least, they should have him come back and lobby for being made the Director of Operations while he is on the shelf.

I agree that Reigns in the finals is a lock, but as dumb and short sighted WWE is, I can't possibly think they are stupid enough to put him in the finals against Ambrose unless one of them turns on the other beforehand. I think we all assume that Reigns is the heir apparent, so I really don't think they want him and Ambrose squaring off where at least half the audience will boo the crap out of him again. I also think that is why he will be champ by the Rumble at the latest, because there is no way he wins the Rumble and goes to WM as the challenger

As much as he has been over exposed since winning the title, I hope they give him a lot of time off.

Rollins being in an on-screen role and never wrestling sounds like pure hell.

If they actually want to have a director of operations again, it's pretty clear to me where they should look.

The really daring way to book this tournament would be to embrace the idea of Deadly Games II and have the Authority back Kevin Owens because he gets things done, only to screw him and put the title on someone else (Sheamus, Del Rio, a turned Roman Reigns). The next night on Raw, HHH can cut a promo on how Owens was stupid to think the Authority would want its standard bearer to not only be someone who looks like Owens, but also a Canadian (and a French Canadian, at that.)

Owens has the charisma to pull off a sort of Quebecois Dusty Rhodes, whose belly is a little big, whose heinie is a little big, but who is baaaaad. The Authority spends a few months throwing guys at Owens in an attempt to get the IC title off of him, leading to a Wrestlemania match with HHH, after which Owens is ready to get a summer push into the WWE title picture.

Disappointed in the airport batista miss.

Know who would be great in a tournament style setting where at two people need to wrestle in three separate matches? Seth Rollins.

If they decide to put the belt on Reigns, they also have to avoid giving him an opponent which makes the crowd resentful because it thinks it is being manipulated to cheer the WWE's chosen one.

If they truly want Reigns to succeed, they should give him an opponent who will give him the best match possible.

I think you are giving the sheep.... err.... the fans way too much credit. With the exception of a few markets, they don't think that deeply, they only do what the crowd before did. Remember, these are same people who do that stupid "What?" chant when Bray Wyatt is doing a promo, while simultaneously holding their flashlights in the air.

But the company itself has (probably accidentally) manipulated the crowds into rejecting the pushes the company tries. Vince and HHH go out and say they do what the fans want and the fans are right etc. The company itself has been portrayed as villainous for almost two decades. So now the fans think they get to pick who is 'chosen' rather than the company.

Who would you pick? If you pick someone popular (Ziggler, Ambrose, etc.), you run the risk of having Roman be the heel that match. If you pick someone where Roman will undoubtedly be the face (Sheamus, Big Show, etc.), you run the risk of the crowd ****ting all over the match.

IIRC, Atlanta isn't the smarkiest crowd in the world, but it's not the markiest either.

New Day to the top plz

Who is the heel most capable of having a five-star match with Reigns?

Big Show, if he's a heel. If not, then I'm sure Kane is up for the job! We all enjoyed the hell out of Kane vs. Seth from HiaC.

Serious answer: Bryan if he were to turn somehow in the match before the finals. Bryan is, of course, not turning which is the correct business move since people aren't going to boo him yet. So nobody. Rusev (if he's still heel) and Wyatt seem like the top heels.

Edit: Owens seems to be a decent answer and would give Reigns the best opportunity to wrestle as a face and have a good match.

Put him against Bray Wyatt. Nobody cares about him and the very idea of him as champ would get people to cheer Reigns.

I really like that Rusev idea. Owens might get cheered; I don't think Rusev will.