The landscape of WWE Monday Night RAW has been fundamentally altered. Following a surprise return on the July 14 episode, all indications suggest that Roman Reigns has officially switched from SmackDown to the red brand, a move seemingly confirmed by his schedule leading into SummerSlam.
Reigns made his first appearance in three months during the show’s closing moments, emerging after a 40-minute Gauntlet Match main event. His return establishes a new creative direction for SummerSlam and plants him firmly in a feud with top RAW talent.
The chaotic scene unfolded in Birmingham, Alabama, after CM Punk won the gauntlet match to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. The victorious Punk was immediately attacked by a frustrated Bron Breakker and his ally, Bronson Reed. When Jey Uso’s attempt to make the save was thwarted, Reigns’ music hit for the first time since he was written off television by Breakker the night after WrestleMania 41.
Reigns marched to the ring and dispatched both Breakker and Reed with Superman Punches and a spear, standing tall with Jey Uso and CM Punk as the show ended. Paul Heyman, who was at ringside with Breakker, looked on in shock. Reigns later posted a message on social media, stating, “More receipts to come! Good to be back.”
This re-emergence comes at a critical time, as WWE was forced to scrap its long-term plans for a marquee match between Reigns and Seth Rollins at SummerSlam. Those plans were derailed when Rollins suffered a legitimate leg injury on July 12, which will likely sideline him for a significant period.
With Rollins out, Reigns’ return has been repurposed. Current reports suggest the new direction for SummerSlam will be either a singles match between Roman Reigns and Bron Breakker or a tag team match pitting Reigns and Jey Uso against Breakker and Bronson Reed.
While the company’s official roster page still lists Reigns on SmackDown, that detail appears outdated. WWE has officially scheduled Reigns for the next two episodes of RAW leading into the August premium live event. That fact, combined with his burgeoning feud against the RAW-exclusive Breakker, makes it clear that the “Original Tribal Chief” has a new home.