In a move that fundamentally reshapes the landscape for SummerSlam, Roman Reigns made his return to WWE programming on the July 14 episode of WWE RAW. The return directly addresses the creative void left by a significant real-life injury to Seth Rollins, setting Reigns on a new, immediate collision course.
The appearance occurred in the show’s final moments. After CM Punk won a Gauntlet Match to earn a World Heavyweight Championship opportunity against Gunther, he and Jey Uso were subjected to an attack by Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. Just as the duo asserted their dominance, Reigns’ music hit, and he entered to neutralize both Breakker and Reed, sharing a moment of alliance with Punk and his cousin, Jey.
Following the event, Reigns took to social media to deliver a clear message about his intentions.
“More receipts to come! Good to be back. #WWERaw.”
Reigns’ return has immediately clarified WWE’s direction for one of its biggest events of the year. With Rollins, his originally planned opponent, sidelined, the most likely scenario now points toward a high-profile tag team match. Current internal plans have Reigns teaming with Jey Uso to face the formidable duo of Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed at the two-night event in August.
However, this return may be for a limited engagement. Reports indicate that Reigns is expected to take another hiatus from the company after SummerSlam to film his role in the upcoming “Street Fighter” movie. This has fueled further speculation that his program could end with a storyline assault, possibly by Bronson Reed, to write him off television for his Hollywood commitments.
For now, the strategic re-insertion of Roman Reigns provides a powerful solution to an unforeseen main event problem, stabilizing the top of the card for the August premium live event at MetLife Stadium.