WWE announced that Roman Reigns will defend his United States Championship on Raw in a handicap match against WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens and his best bud Chris Jericho. The pair have insisted for some time that they are co-Universal Champions, but if they win the handicap match, they might officially both hold the United States Championship.
However, according to Cageside Seats’ latest WWE rumors, Reigns is likely to retain his championship in that match. He faces Owens for the Universal Championship at the 2017 WWE Royal Rumble, and it’s expected that he’ll win there and become a double champion.
Roman Reigns will defends the USTitle this monday on raw against both Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens! @WWERomanReigns pic.twitter.com/igkzZkJ48D
— Roman Reigns (@AyaSomerhalder2) January 6, 2017
Should that transpire, he’ll become the second man to hold a WWE world championship and the United States Championship simultaneously (after his fellow former Shield member Seth Rollins did so in 2015), but the first to do so while holding the Universal Championship instead of the WWE Championship.
That might not go down well with fans, many of whom have rejected Reigns in a top babyface role, but even more so as he’s been criticized of showing a lack of interest in the United States Championship and as such has devalued that title.
