This week’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW aired from Mexico. In the main event, Roman Reigns defended his World Heavyweight Championship against Penta, who earned his shot at the title after winning the cross-brand Luchador tournament.
The Mexican Superstar entered the match in his home territory, looking extremely confident heading into the bout. Penta gave Reigns a good fight, and the match saw a few close pinfall attempts from both sides.
Thanks for the submission!
Despite Penta’s endless efforts and a few massive Mexican Destroyers, Superkicks, and other effective offense, Roman Reigns weathered the storm.
In the final moments of the bout, the luchador connected three superkicks and went flying, pulling off a springboard move, when The OTC caught him off guard with a Superman Punch and followed with a spear to pin Cero Miedo and retain his World Heavyweight Championship.
However, the Original Tribal Chief couldn’t celebrate any longer, as LA Knight, who has been after him since post-SummerSlam 2026, appeared in the ring. As Reigns turned around and grabbed the microphone to talk to the Megastar, he connected his BFT finisher on the OTC, putting him out.
This infuriated The Tribal Chief, and he granted The Megastar a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. The two are all set to clash in a title match at 2026 Money in the Bank.
In this article, we take a look at three reasons why Roman Reigns vs. LA Knight’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at MITB 2026 is a mistake.
#3. Predictable outcome
Roman Reigns is currently riding a massive wave of success as the top champion of the Stamford-based promotion. He proved it by defending his title three times against top contenders: Jacob Fatu, Seth Rollins, and most recently Penta.
Knight has already lost to Reigns twice. The first loss came at 2023 Crown Jewel, when The OTC beat LA to retain his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship after interference from The Bloodline.
The second loss came at the 2024 Royal Rumble, where The Original Tribal Chief defeated LA Knight, Randy Orton, and AJ Styles in a Fatal 4-Way to recapture the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
This third will be no different, given Reigns is on an undeniable championship run and Knight currently lacks the momentum to beat the Tribal Chief. Therefore, the outcome of the bout is predictable.
#2. Long-term plans for Roman’s WWE title reign
WWE has already been developing multiple long-term storylines centered on The Original Tribal Chief. Reigns is already invested in a feud with Knight, and his Bloodline is struggling against Royce Keys and his factionmates.
Furthermore, Solo Sikoa’s storyline with The Bloodline and Roman Reigns is currently uncertain. WWE is unlikely to jeopardize these rivalries by crowning Knight as a champion amid these feuds.
Therefore, having Knight enter a rivalry with Reigns now doesn’t make sense, especially since WWE seems focused on long-term plans for The OTC as the World Heavyweight Champion.
#1. Roman Reigns needs a believable contender
The Tribal Chief had a believable challenger in Penta, whom he defeated on the September 14 edition of Monday Night RAW in Mexico. Now, LA Knight is standing across from him, next in line, and is also a predictable match-up.
WWE should put a star like Oba Femi in front of Reigns, as he is one of those stars who could believably beat the Tribal Chief.
Thus, an LA Knight vs. Roman Reigns’s title match is a bad idea.
It will be interesting to see what plans Triple H and the creative team have in store for The OTC and Megastar’s championship bout in the coming weeks.
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Edited by Riya Peter