The match between Roman Reigns and Bronson Reed will reportedly open tonight’s Clash in Paris, fueling speculation about its outcome ahead of Reigns’ planned month-long absence from WWE. On his Notsam Wrestling podcast, Sam Roberts suggested that Bronson Reed should be booked to dominate Reigns to facilitate an injury storyline that would write him off television.
Reigns is scheduled to begin filming his role as Akuma in the live-action Street Fighter movie on September 2, with the production running through September 26. This acting commitment will require him to step away from WWE programming for approximately one month. Roberts believes a decisive loss to Reed, who has been provoking Reigns for weeks, would be a logical way to explain his character’s disappearance.
While stating he personally hopes it doesn’t happen, Roberts explained the booking rationale on his podcast.
“He may be being written off TV. And yes, you know that if he’s being written off TV, that means Bronson Reed should whip his a*; however, I hope he’s not.”
The report that the match will kick off the event comes from Cory Hayes of BodySlam.net. An energetic opening bout could set a physical tone for the evening, while the potential finish provides a narrative reason for Reigns’ hiatus. This movie role is a significant step for Reigns, who has been working a part-time schedule with WWE since April 2025. He joins a cast that also includes Cody Rhodes, who will portray Guile in the film.