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Update on WrestleMania World Title Matches Following Roman Reigns' Royal Rumble Win

The OTC is heading to Las Vegas to challenge either the WWE or World Heavyweight Champion, but will Roman Reigns choose to face Drew McIntyre or CM Punk?
Rick Ucchino|
Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns | WWE

Roman Reigns is heading back to the main event of WrestleMania for the sixth consecutive year, after he won the Men's Royal Rumble Match this past Saturday afternoon in Saudi Arabia.

The OTC has not yet publicly stated whether he'll challenge WWE Champion Drew McIntyre or World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk at the 'Showcase of the Immortals' in April, and he'll likely take his time in doing so, but it's fairly obvious where the road to WrestleMania 42 is going to lead.

When Drew McIntyre got involved in the Men's Royal Rumble Match on Saturday and cost Cody Rhodes his opportunity to earn a rematch for the title, it all but solidified that their program is going to continue into the spring. That would leave one option left for the 'Head of the Table'.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer is reporting that Roman Reigns will face CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42, which means that the 'Best in the World' is slated to hang onto his title through Elimination Chamber later this month and his current feud with Finn Balor.

Reigns and Punk were part of the headlining triple threat match for night one of WrestleMania 41, a match that was won by Seth Rollins thanks to the shocking betrayal of Paul Heyman, but they have not faced each other one-on-one since January 6, 2014.

Meltzer also noted that McIntyre vs. Rhodes for the WWE Championship is currently penciled in for WrestleMania 42, but it is still possible that Jacob Fatu gets added to the mix.

What other matches could be on the WrestleMania 42 card?

Liv Morgan
Liv Morgan | WWE

We know that Liv Morgan has punched her ticket to Las Vegas. After nine attempts, the former Women's World Champion finally won the Women's Royal Rumble on Saturday and she now has a decision of her own to make.

There's been no reporting to suggest that Morgan vs. Stephanie Vaquer for the Women's World Title is the direction, but that was a match that was teased almost immediately after Liv returned from a shoulder injury this fall. La Primera has also been feuding with the Judgment Day for the last several weeks, and is scheduled to face Raquel Rodriguez Monday night on Raw in a Philadelphia Street Fight.

Becky Lynch versus AJ Lee is reportedly locked in as one of the marquee women's matches, but it was somewhat surprising that the former Divas Champion did not return at the Royal Rumble to continue that build. Instead, Lynch was eliminated from the match by Nattie, who now appears to be in line for a Women's Intercontinental Title shot.

WWE certainly appears hopeful that Seth Rollins will be able to return to action in time to face Bron Breakker this April. The Visionary has been out of action since October due to a torn rotator cuff. He's due to begin training this month after undergoing surgery, his claim, but a man in a hood did show up in Saudi Arabia to stomp away Breakker's dreams of headlining WrestleMania 42.

It would also be extremely surprising if the Bella Twins were not challenging for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. Brie Bella finally reunited with her sister during the Women's Royal Rumble, and the WWE Hall of Famers eliminated both Bayley and Lyra Valkyria from the match.

A multi-team match involving Rhiyo, the Bella Twins, Bayley & Lyra, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss and number of other tandems could, and should, be on the table for this year's 'Showcase of the Immortals'.

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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

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