Bronson Reed has made his WrestleMania 43 ambition clear: he wants to be standing across the ring from a world champion with WWE’s biggest prize on the line.
Speaking in an interview with Marco Ercole ahead of WWE Money In The Bank, Reed was asked to name his ideal opponent for WrestleMania 43. The powerhouse did not narrow his answer to one rival. Instead, he pointed to the two men he believes could be holding WWE’s top championships when WrestleMania arrives: Roman Reigns and SmackDown’s Sami Zayn.
“I think you’d be silly not to, but I’d say either of the champions, you know what I mean? It’s either going to be Roman Reigns, because I feel like he’s probably still going to be champion by the time WrestleMania rolls around, or at the moment on SmackDown, you have Sami Zayn, and if you’re in this business, you always want to be the top dog. So I’d pick either of those two to face WrestleMania.”
It is a straightforward declaration from Reed, but one that places his sights at the very highest level of WWE. A WrestleMania match is a major career opportunity in its own right. A world title match at the event carries a different degree of pressure, attention, and historical significance. Reed’s answer makes clear that simply being involved on the card is not the target. He wants to enter WWE’s largest annual event with an opportunity to become its top champion.
For more background on this topic, read Bronson Reed Says Roman Reigns Victory Has Become a Defining Part of His WWE Career.
Reed names Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn
Reed’s comments reflect the championship picture as he described it at the time of the interview. He identified Reigns as a likely champion heading toward WrestleMania 43, while also naming Zayn as the champion on SmackDown. There is no certainty attached to a championship landscape that remains well ahead in the future, but Reed’s selection of those names shows the caliber of opponent he wants.
A bout with Reigns would carry the scale associated with one of WWE’s defining main-event figures. Reed specifically suggested that Reigns could still have a title by the time WrestleMania rolls around. That belief speaks both to Reigns’ standing and to the magnitude Reed sees in challenging him on the WrestleMania stage.
Zayn represents another compelling championship target in Reed’s view. By naming the SmackDown champion, Reed put himself in the conversation for a match against a competitor whose route to the top has been built on resilience, connection with the audience, and major-match experience. Reed’s physical style and size would create a distinctly different type of championship challenge for either man.
For Reed, though, the central point was bigger than either individual name. He framed the goal through the competitive drive expected of a wrestler seeking to establish himself at the very top of the company. In his words, anyone in the business should want to be “the top dog.” A world championship match at WrestleMania 43 would offer the clearest possible route to that position.
A main-roster run built around big moments
Since returning to WWE’s main roster, Reed has assembled a run defined by prominent moments and physically intense programs. His rivalry with Braun Strowman gave WWE a collision between two exceptionally large, hard-hitting athletes, with the feud emphasizing the scale and destructive force each man can bring to a match.
That program helped reinforce Reed’s identity as a wrestler who can be presented as a serious threat rather than merely a presence in a crowded roster. Reed’s offense, size, and ability to change the pace of a match have made him a natural fit for confrontations built around impact. When he is positioned against an opponent of Strowman’s stature, the presentation centers on which force can overpower the other.
Reed has also been featured as part of The Vision, another significant component of his WWE main-roster story. Being aligned within a major group provides a performer with added visibility and can put them in the middle of WWE’s larger rivalries. At the same time, Reed’s WrestleMania answer indicates that his focus remains firmly on individual achievement. His stated ideal match is not about a tag team contest, a faction battle, or a supporting role in someone else’s championship pursuit. It is about challenging for a world title himself.
That distinction matters. Wrestlers can gain momentum through alliances, rivalries, and marquee appearances, but a declaration of world-title intent is a statement about where they want that momentum to lead. Reed sees WrestleMania 43 as a potential destination for his ascent from featured powerhouse to championship contender.
Return from injury and the Oba Femi test
More recently, Reed returned from injury in notably strong condition and went on to face Oba Femi at Money In The Bank. The match placed Reed opposite another imposing athlete and gave him an immediate high-profile challenge following his return.
The encounter with Femi fits naturally into the broader case Reed is making for himself. Major events are where wrestlers have opportunities to establish that they belong in elevated conversations. A matchup against Femi offered a test of Reed’s ability to compete with another dominant force, while also keeping Reed in the spotlight as WWE moves through its biggest shows and championship programs.
Reed did not claim that a WrestleMania 43 title match is guaranteed, nor did he present Reigns or Zayn as confirmed opponents. His comments were aspirational, based on who he would choose if he had the opportunity. Still, those aspirations are specific. Reed is not merely looking for a high-profile WrestleMania opponent. He wants a match connected directly to a world championship.
That is the standard he has set for the next stage of his WWE career. Returning from injury, appearing in a major event matchup with Oba Femi, and continuing to build from his work against Strowman and with The Vision all provide elements of a path toward that level. The remaining question is whether Reed can turn those moments into the sustained momentum required to secure a title opportunity on WWE’s grandest stage.
What a WrestleMania 43 title challenge would mean
WrestleMania title matches demand more than confidence. The competitors involved have to survive the changes of a long WWE calendar, remain relevant through shifting rivalries, and build enough credibility that fans can accept them as a genuine threat to win. Reed’s size and presentation give him an obvious foundation, but the road from major attraction to WrestleMania world-title challenger is shaped by results, rivalries, and the championship direction of both Raw and SmackDown.
If Reigns remains a champion as Reed anticipates, the potential match would put Reed opposite a competitor accustomed to the pressure of the biggest main events. If Zayn is champion at that point, Reed’s challenge would pit a powerful, direct aggressor against a champion known for fighting through adversity and finding ways to prevail when the odds appear unfavorable. Either scenario would give Reed the kind of platform he says he wants.
There is also a clear personal logic to Reed’s choice. His recent WWE story has involved contests of size, strength, and intimidation. A world-title challenge would require him to bring those traits into a setting where the stakes are even greater. It would be an opportunity to prove that his physical advantages can translate from memorable clashes into championship-winning performances.
Reed has already experienced a major international-stage matchup against Roman Reigns, having faced him at WWE Crown Jewel: Perth in 2025. That history provides context for why Reigns remains a natural name in Reed’s WrestleMania vision. Reed has been in the ring with him before, understands the level of competition involved, and still sees a future championship meeting as a goal worth pursuing.
For now, WrestleMania 43 remains a future target rather than a scheduled destination. Championships can change hands, alliances can shift, and new contenders can emerge well before the event. Reed acknowledged that uncertainty by naming two possibilities rather than declaring one inevitable opponent. But the message behind his answer was unmistakable: he intends to pursue the highest prize available.
Bronson Reed wants the championship match, the biggest stage, and the chance to prove he can be WWE’s top dog. Whether that eventual challenge comes against Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, or another champion entirely, Reed has established the kind of WrestleMania moment he is working toward.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.