Next WWE World Heavyweight Champion After Roman Reigns

Published: Jun 1, 2026 by SP3 | Last Updated: Jun 1, 2026 by SP3

Born in Harlem, New York and now living in the Bronx, Sid Pullar III aka SP3 is a lifelong wrestling fan who has been covering the industry for over nine years as a podcaster and writer. His passion for the industry has been documented with over 3,000 videos on YouTube and 8,000 written pieces across multiple outlets, such as WrestleTalk, Sports Illustrated and more.

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Next WWE World Heavyweight Champion After Roman Reigns

At WWE WrestleMania 42 Night Two, Roman Reigns defeated CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship.

Since then, Reigns has recorded two successful title defenses against Jacob Fatu at WWE Backlash and Clash In Italy 2026.

Despite looking like he will be champion for the while, there are a number of different stars who have put themselves in contention to be next in line to become World Heavyweight Champion before long.

Here are seven next potential WWE World Heavyweight Champions after Roman Reigns.

7. Jacob Fatu

Following WrestleMania 42, Jacob Fatu stepped up to the plate to challenge Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship.

At WWE Backlash 2026, Reigns defeated Fatu to retain the title. However, “The Samoan Werewolf” got the last laugh when he laid out his cousin with the Tongan Death Grip and attacked officials.

Wanting to up the ante, Fatu challenged Reigns to Tribal Combat for their title rematch. This led to “The OTC” retaining the World Heavyweight Championship against Fatu at WWE Clash In Italy 2026.

Despite now being forced to acknowledge Reigns as “The Tribal Chief,” there still might be a chance that Fatu is able to challenge one more time and beat Roman for the World Heavyweight Championship sometime soon.

6. Solo Sikoa

Following the Tribal Combat at WWE Clash In Italy 2026, Solo Sikoa and The MFTs showed up in the crowd to watch the aftermath between Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu.

While he is a member of the Friday Night SmackDown roster, Sikoa could follow in the footsteps of Fatu and challenge Reigns next for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Over the past few months, Sikoa, Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga have been causing mayhem and chaos as The MFTs, running roughshod over the blue brand.

Bringing their brand of violence to Monday Night Raw, Sikoa could overwhelm his cousin and dethrone him for the World Heavyweight Championship right before the fans’ eyes.

5. CM Punk

Since losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42, CM Punk has not been seen on WWE programming.

“The Best In The World” was going strong in the company before taking this lengthy hiatus and might come back to a prominent spot when he is ready to return.

After saying that he will remain ready upon coming back, Punk may return to get his rematch at the top prize on Monday Night Raw.

Punk taking back the World Heavyweight Championship from Reigns would be extremely interesting and totally shake up the landscape of WWE moving forward.

4. LA Knight

Over the past few years, LA Knight has been chasing his first world championship in WWE.

Ever since arriving on Monday Night Raw in 2025, Knight has had his sights on the World Heavyweight Championship no matter who held the gold.

“The Megastar” became the first competitor to enter himself into the King of the Ring tournament, looking to earn an opportunity at the title once again.

Knight winning the King of the Ring could set himself up to finally take down Roman Reigns and win the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE SummerSlam 2026.

3. Seth Rollins

Since making his return to WWE at the start of 2026, Seth Rollins has made it clear that he is looking to regain the World Heavyweight Championship.

Suffering a serious shoulder injury in October 2025, Rollins was forced to relinquish the gold due to being sidelined.

“The Visionary” now has his sights firmly on regaining the title and could be on the way to a collision course with his former Shield brethren, Roman Reigns.

Entering the King of the Ring tournament, it might be time for Rollins to finally regain the World Heavyweight Championship against Reigns at the WWE SummerSlam 2026 premium live event.

2. Bron Breakker

Joining forces with Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman to form The Vision, Bron Breakker immediately made an impact by attacking and laying out Roman Reigns back on the WWE Raw After WrestleMania 41.

Despite multiple interactions with one another, Breakker has never gone one-on-one with Reigns.

Since excommunicating Rollins from The Vision in October 2025, Breakker has had his eyes firmly on the World Heavyweight Title.

Now that he is in the King of the Ring tournament, Breakker could be prepared for the crown and then defeating “The OTC” for the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE SummerSlam 2026.

1. Oba Femi

At WWE WrestleMania 42 Night Two, Oba Femi defeated Brock Lesnar in what was the biggest victory of his career.

“The Ruler” immediately staked his claim for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship on the Mania post show.

Setting his sights on the top prize and “The OTC,” it became clear that Femi was aiming for the gold and has everything it takes to overcome Roman Reigns.

Wanting to cement himself as one of the biggest stars on the WWE roster, Femi would be an insurmountable force for Reigns to face and could be the one to dethrone him for the World Heavyweight Championship.