Roman Reigns’ path as WWE World Heavyweight Champion following WrestleMania 42 is starting to take shape, with two major names expected to be part of his upcoming programs.

According to Bodyslam, both GUNTHER and Oba Femi are being lined up as key opponents for Reigns after his victory over CM Punk. The report reflects internal discussions about building the next phase of WWE’s main event scene around Reigns.

Separately, Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that a potential feud between Reigns and GUNTHER has been discussed internally as a major program.

The groundwork for both rivalries was established during WrestleMania weekend. Femi directly called out Reigns during the post-show after his dominant win over Brock Lesnar. Reigns responded by telling Femi to prove himself over the summer before stepping up to face him.

GUNTHER, meanwhile, strengthened his position by defeating Seth Rollins on WrestleMania 42 Saturday, keeping him firmly in the main event picture.

However, according to WrestlingAttitude.com, the situation involving Femi is accurate, but the timing of that feud is expected to come later in the year, possibly after SummerSlam 2026. Early interaction between the two could take place at Survivor Series, with a full match being considered for WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia.

Reigns also addressed criticism about his schedule during the WrestleMania post-show, stating that he plans to be active throughout the summer. He confirmed he would appear on tonight’s WWE RAW in Las Vegas, signaling a more consistent presence moving forward.

If that schedule holds, it would support back-to-back high-profile programs with GUNTHER and Femi, positioning Reigns at the center of WWE’s top storylines in the months ahead.

However, according to our sources, neither Oba Femi nor GUNTHER is expected to be Roman Reigns’ immediate opponent.

Backstage News on Roman Reigns’ Next Feud Following WrestleMania 42

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Cody Rhodes is not expected to relinquish the Undisputed WWE Championship following the injury he suffered at WrestleMania 42 Saturday.

According to a report from Bodyslam, WWE currently plans to keep the title on Rhodes despite the damage he took during his match with Randy Orton. The situation remains under review, with the company continuing to monitor his condition in the days leading up to SmackDown.

“Cody Rhodes is not expected to have to relinquish the Undisputed WWE Championship as of right now. WWE will continue to monitor the health of Rhodes in the coming days ahead of SmackDown,” the report states.

Rhodes retained the title against Orton in the main event but came out of the match in rough condition. A strike from Orton during the closing stretch left him bloodied, and his left eye was swollen shut by the time the match ended.

Following the bout, Rhodes was sidelined and placed in concussion protocol, and his scheduled appearance at WWE World on Sunday was canceled. The full severity of the injury has not been confirmed.

While Rhodes is expected to remain champion, his short-term availability is still uncertain. If he needs time away from television, WWE has a clear storyline explanation in place. After the match, Orton launched a post-match attack that included using the title belt and delivering a punt kick, a sequence that could be used to temporarily write Rhodes off programming.

For now, Rhodes remains champion, but his status will continue to be evaluated as WWE moves forward after WrestleMania 42.

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Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner and “WWE SmackDown” star Royce Keys is shown in attendance. 

CM Punk makes his way out through Gorilla with no theme, no pyro, just the split crowd receiving him. He stands there, saying nothing, before finally taking a knee and saying “It’s-” for the crowd to reciprocate “CLOBBERING TIME!” sparking his true entrance complete with music. 

He smiles as the crowd cheers for him, fixing his face into a more lamentive. He said he’s dealing with a lot of loss over the past few months, name-checking Duke Roufus and Larry among several other colleagues and dear friends to have passed away.

He uses that as a segue to his loss at WrestleMania on Sunday, although he admits the losses out of the ring stung him far more. He says that the support the fans provide him day in and day out is why he doesn’t just break down from all his losses, and he knows with their support he’ll find a way to deal with this one too. 

He says he could have just stayed at home after losing the World Heavyweight title the first time around, but because he stayed ready he landed himself another opportunity and become the champion again. He says that if he had just broken down and given up then the crowd would be listening to Jey Uso in his position right now. The crowd boos, and he says he doesn’t understand why, he likes to “YEET!” too. 

He says he will not be taking vacation after this, because he never knows when an opportunity is going to fall out of the sky. 

Cody Rhodes’ music hits to precede the WWE Champion’s arrival, rocking a gnarly black eye from his punt at the hands – or foot – of Randy Orton on Saturday. 

Rhodes gets in the ring and Punk can’t help but have a look at the eye, prompting a laugh from the champion. 

Punk offers to leave as to not step on his toes, but Rhodes says this is Monday night “Raw” and this is his time.

Rhodes says he’s the one that feels and looks like a loser, Punk jokes around as to whether that was intended to be a dig at him. But he continues to talk Rhodes and his victory up, making the case that it was easier for him to beat Reigns than Rhodes beat Orton due to the nature of their relationships. 

Punk admits he was a loser, and Rhodes wasn’t, but he will stay ready; he turns his attention to the WWE Championship, “Because you never know when an opportunity is going to fall out the sky.”

“Hey Punk,” Rhodes calls after him as he leaves. “You say when.” 

A vignette plays for Finn Balor after his victory over Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania. He says that he expected the betrayal from Mysterio, but it was JD McDonagh that surprised him. He talks about their history together and how McDonagh had a choice, and he chose Mysterio. 

He says that tonight, he will take him out.