Bronson Reed is heading into his match against Roman Reigns tonight at Clash in Paris with confidence, stating in a recent interview that he has been preparing for this opportunity his entire career. Speaking on the RAW Recap podcast, Reed detailed his extensive journey and framed the match as the culmination of his efforts.
“I’ve been prepared for this match for a long time,” Reed said. “I’ve grinded on the indies in Australia. I spent so much time in Japan getting beat up in dojos and getting beat up by some of the toughest men in this business. I then finally got to NXT. I got fired. I had to go back out onto the indies. I had to work my way up in Japan again. I beat someone who’s considered unbeatable in Japan and now I’m going to do the same thing here in WWE. I worked my way to the top and I’m going to beat another person they consider to be unbeatable in Roman Reigns because I can.”
The match, which internal rundowns indicate is scheduled to open the show at the Paris La Défense Arena, is the result of a rivalry that has grown in recent weeks. The conflict began when Reed, a member of Seth Rollins’ “The Vision” faction, started to taunt Reigns over his part-time schedule. Adopting the name “The Tribal Thief,” Reed has frequently stolen Reigns’ sneakers following their on-screen altercations.
This marks a significant night for Roman Reigns. It will be his first one-on-one competition since January 6, 2025, and his first singles match on a premium live event without a championship on the line in 786 days. The two previously met in a tag team match at SummerSlam, where Reigns and Jey Uso defeated Reed and his partner Bron Breakker.
Following Clash in Paris, Reigns is expected to take a temporary hiatus from WWE programming to film his role in a new “Street Fighter” movie throughout September. Reports suggest two potential outcomes for tonight’s match. A victory for Reigns could be followed by a post-match assault from The Vision, providing a storyline explanation for his absence. Alternatively, a win for Reed could establish a future rematch, possibly at Crown Jewel on October 11.