Wrestling On FanNation

Roman Reigns Declares For Men's Royal Rumble Match; Intends To Challenge Cody Rhodes

Roman Reigns is set to compete in the WWE Men's Royal Rumble Match for the first time in five years.
Rick Ucchino|
Roman Reigns wants his WWE Championship back
Roman Reigns wants his WWE Championship back | wwe.com

Days after regaining his Ula Fala by defeating Solo Sikoa in Tribal Combat, Roman Reigns has now put WWE Champion Cody Rhodes on notice. The OTC now wants his title back.

The Wiseman Paul Heyman kicked-off SmackDown Friday night to celebrate Reigns' victory on the Raw on Netflix premiere this past Monday night. Out of respect for the American Nightmare, Heyman then asked Cody Rhodes to come down to the ring so he could announce his Tribal Chief's new plans face-to-face.

Heyman told Rhodes that he has accomplished what very few men have done. Cody has earned the respect of Roman Reigns. It's because of that respect that Reigns wants Rhodes to know up front that he has declared for the 2025 Men's Royal Rumble Match.

Furthermore, when Reigns wins the match in Indianapolis coming up on February 1, he fully intends on challenging Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 41.

Should that come to fruition, it would mark the third consecutive year that Reigns and Rhodes would close out the 'Showcase of the Immortals" with the company's top prize on the line.

Roman Reigns has won the Royal Rumble once in his Hall of Fame career, doing so back in 2015. He's competed inside the annual over the top rope challenge five other times, never finishing lower than third place.

The Latest On WWE, AEW & More

Gunther's WrestleMania 41 Opponent Could Be A Surprising Name

The Rock And John Cena Propel WWE Raw on Netflix Premiere To Nearly 5M Viewers Globally, Double Average US Audience

Latest On The Returns Of Becky Lynch And Charlotte Flair; Including Brand Assignment

Black Bart Passes Away At The Age of 76 Following A Battle With Cancer

Published | Modified
Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

Home/WWE