Roman Reigns has officially been WWE Universal champion for two straight years. The 700-plus day run is the longest in the belt’s history, which begs the question: who succeeds him? There’s a massive betting market for that very question. In this article, we’re giving you the two best bets to follow Reigns as WWE champion.
The futures market on top entertainment-based betting sites for this bet is always changing. But as of right now — a week removed from Clash at the Castle — these wrestlers have the best odds at becoming the champion after Reigns:
| Wrestler |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Cody Rhodes | +100 | +100 |
| Seth Rollins | +250 | +250 |
| Austin Theory | +550 | +550 |
| The Rock | +800 | +800 |
| Karrion Kross | +800 | +800 |
| Kevin Owens | +1000 | +1000 |
Best Bets To Be Next WWE Universal Champion
We’re going to vouch for two separate bets on the next Universal champion. WWE, despite its scripted nature, is actually rather unpredictable on a longterm basis due to uncontrollable variables (freak injuries, backstage drama, etc.). So our betting money is going on the following two talents:
Cody Rhodes
On one hand, Rhodes is the odds-on favorite here. On the other hand, he’s on the shelf with an injury likely for the rest of the year. The latter matters because what if aforementioned external factors force Reigns to vacate the title between now and Royal Rumble (when Rhodes is expected back)? In that case, Rhodes would be out of title contention. So while the injury adds risk to Rhodes chances, he’s still the first bet worth making.
Why? Because Reigns is an ultra heel right now. Whoever beats him will get massive — and we mean massive — fan support. Business-wise, you want that type of reaction reserved for the superstar playing the face role. And no one is playing that face role better than Rhodes. Since returning to WWE at this year’s Wrestlemania, Rhodes became the overnight biggest crowd pleaser in the whole company, which we doubt changes much once he’s healthy again.
Take another look at the list of betting options. The only other face in that group is The Rock, who’s rumored to be facing Reigns at the 2023 edition of Wrestlemania. But unlike Rhodes, WWE wouldn’t get a business boost from having The Rock topple his cousin, Reigns. Rock is already a “made man” and will only be temporarily wrestling — if he does come back, which is a big if given his movie and business commitments.
Plus, you have to remember Rhodes return promo the night after Wrestlemania on Raw. He mentioned he came back to WWE to do one thing and one thing only: become the first member of his wrestling family to win the “richest prize in the game” for WWE aka the Universal belt. That effectively planted the seed for Rhodes making good on his promise eventually. With him a few years from 40, WWE brass have to pull the trigger sooner rather than later. All this makes Rhodes must-bet material here.
Austin Theory
It’s always a good betting strategy to have a backup bet, especially in this case when the primary bet has serious risk concerns. In the current field, no one is a better alternate bet than Theory. He’s the only one that we know for sure is getting a WWE title shot in the next year due to his Money In The Bank victory.
But here’s the issue: Theory is a heel. So is Reigns. And as we pointed out before, it would make no business sense for a heel to stop Reigns two-year run of dominance. Of course, Theory could become a face. But even then, he’s just not primed to become the “face of WWE” which is imminent for whoever can finally pin Reigns 1-2-3 in the middle of the ring. Maybe down the line Theory will be ready, but not right now at only 25 years old.
However, Theory technically doesn’t have to pin Reigns to become WWE champion. Cash-in attempts typically happen mid-match or right after one finishes. Say Reigns is in a main-event fight with another talent. Theory could insert himself into it, effectively making it a triple threat. In that scenario, Theory pins the other challenger, not Reigns, to take the title. That’s a win-win because a new champion is crowned but Reigns is protected since he wasn’t beaten fairly.
That’s really the only predicament we see Theory succeeding Reigns as Universal title-holder. It’s still worth betting on, especially if Rock and Reigns indeed happens at Wrestlemania. That match is such a massive box-office draw that it doesn’t need the WWE title on it. Rock-Reigns could headline the second night of Wrestlemania while the Universal title matchup main events the first night. Now that’s how you sell tickets.
How To Bet On WWE?
Surely, some of you are thinking, “wait, you can bet on WWE? But isn’t it scripted?” Yes and yes. Despite WWE results being booked in advance, it doesn’t mean outcomes are always obvious. This predicament, plus WWE’s global popularity, make it a popular betting option for bettors tired of “regular” sports.
Though, not every single betting site will offer WWE gambling. The bookies listed in the underneath table will, however. You can read up-to-date sportsbook reviews for each in the table to see non-WWE betting features these bookmakers offer. Use this resource to make your educated decision on which site to spend your money on.
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