Roman Reigns has a new challenger in LA Knight, and WWE’s World Heavyweight Championship picture is rapidly moving toward a pivotal decision at Money in the Bank in New Orleans.
Reigns comes into the October 10 premium live event following a successful title defense against Penta on WWE Raw in Mexico City. While that victory kept “The OTC” on top of the brand, Knight has been publicly focused on Reigns and the championship for more than a month. The confrontation has given Knight an opportunity many of his supporters have waited a long time to see: a direct path to a WWE world title.
For WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray, though, the question is not simply whether Knight is popular enough to become champion. It is whether the timing, the follow-up, and WWE’s larger plan make a Knight victory the strongest move for the business.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Ray laid out two distinctly different ways WWE creative could view the Money in the Bank main event. One possibility is that Reigns’ reign has a natural endpoint in the near future, whether because he could be stepping away from the championship picture or because WWE wants him involved in a major Survivor Series WarGames program. In that scenario, Knight could be the established star selected to take the title from him.
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“I’m trying to think like the office would think right now, if they had a plan to get the championship off of Roman because Roman is either going away or he’s going to be embroiled in a WarGames match at Survivor Series,” Ray said on Busted Open Radio.
Ray suggested that WWE may be considering which challenger can be elevated through Reigns, noting that both Penta and Knight are names capable of gaining from meaningful programs with the champion. However, he was clear that simply transferring the championship to Knight would not automatically transform the company’s creative direction or solve every question surrounding the top title scene.
“You can’t just take a championship off of Roman Reigns and throw it on LA Knight and think it’s going to work wonders overnight,” Ray said. “It ain’t happening.”
That distinction is important because Knight is not a newcomer searching for recognition. He has already developed a vocal connection with WWE audiences, built around his confidence, catchphrases and ability to command attention in major segments. A title win over Reigns would be a clear career milestone and could be one of the loudest crowd-pleasing outcomes WWE could deliver at Money in the Bank.
Yet a satisfying moment is not necessarily the same thing as a sustainable championship plan. That is the central concern in Ray’s argument. He believes WWE needs to determine what Knight’s reign would look like after the initial celebration, including who he would face, what stories would define him as champion and when the company would choose to move the title again.
Oba Femi Could Be the Bigger Endgame
The other scenario Ray presented is much more straightforward: Roman Reigns remains World Heavyweight Champion for a prolonged stretch, carrying the title through the remainder of 2026 and into WrestleMania 43 in 2027. At that point, the man waiting at the end of the road could be Oba Femi.
“That championship isn’t going anywhere for the next seven to eight months,” Ray said. “You know why? Because it’s going to Oba Femi at WrestleMania.”
Discussion surrounding a possible Reigns vs. Femi match has persisted since April. Femi, known as “The Ruler,” invited Reigns to fight him before the end of the year. Reigns appeared receptive to the challenge at the time, while also indicating that he wanted to see how Femi’s summer developed before moving forward with such a match.
The prospective showdown gained new momentum earlier this month when it was reported that Reigns vs. Femi had been tentatively identified as a potential WrestleMania 43 main event. WWE plans can change quickly, particularly when a WrestleMania card remains months away, and nothing about the proposed match should be treated as final. Still, the idea has obvious scale: an established centerpiece champion against a powerful rising force positioned as a potential next-generation headliner.
Ray views that possible destination as too valuable to interrupt unnecessarily. If the goal is to make Femi’s eventual victory over Reigns feel like a defining, career-cementing accomplishment, then keeping Reigns champion until WrestleMania provides a clean story with a clear payoff.
Under that approach, Knight challenging Reigns at Money in the Bank can still be significant without ending in a title change. Knight would be placed in a marquee championship match against one of WWE’s most protected stars, while Reigns would continue building momentum toward a larger WrestleMania collision. It would also leave WWE with time to strengthen Femi’s case, allowing his ascent to feel earned rather than rushed.
The Risk of a Short-Term Title Switch
Ray did acknowledge why many fans would welcome Knight leaving New Orleans as World Heavyweight Champion. Knight has long had audience support, and a victory over Reigns would give WWE a ready-made feel-good moment. But Ray questioned what comes after that moment if WWE’s eventual WrestleMania objective remains Femi defeating Reigns.
In Ray’s view, a brief championship exchange between Reigns and Knight could weaken the impact of the larger story. If Reigns loses the title to Knight only to regain it in time for WrestleMania, the title picture may begin to feel like a temporary detour rather than a focused progression. Conversely, if Knight wins and keeps the championship, WWE would be moving away from the apparent Reigns-Femi direction entirely.
“LA Knight beats Roman Reigns, and then what?” Ray asked.
Ray compared the hypothetical title win to a one-night stand, making clear that he meant the real-world expression rather than the former WWE event. His point was that the build to a major payoff can be exciting, but the excitement can fade immediately if there is no compelling second chapter.
“It’s like the build-up to hooking up, and then you eventually hook up,” Ray said. “It’s like, ‘Whoa, that was awesome. Alright, see you later. Bye.’ There is no follow-up because it was what it was for that moment in time.”
For Knight, that concern translates into a practical booking question. A world championship win would fulfill a major demand from his fan base, but it would also make WWE responsible for establishing him as a champion beyond the victory itself. The company would need credible challengers, meaningful rivalries and a reason for viewers to believe that Knight’s reign is more than a celebratory stopgap.
Ray’s concern is not that Knight lacks value. Rather, it is that a championship run must have a purpose extending beyond the fact that a popular performer finally received the belt. The moment a champion wins is only the beginning of the work. WWE would have to decide whether Knight is the long-term centerpiece of the Raw title scene, a transitional champion, or a star who can remain highly valuable without immediately holding the World Heavyweight Championship.
Money in the Bank Will Clarify WWE’s Direction
Money in the Bank now carries implications beyond one title match. A Reigns victory would reinforce the idea that WWE is protecting a path toward a much larger WrestleMania destination, potentially with Oba Femi waiting in the wings. It would not eliminate Knight from the main-event conversation, but it would delay his first WWE world title reign and invite questions about what comes next for “The Megastar.”
A Knight victory, meanwhile, would represent a major shift. It would give WWE a new World Heavyweight Champion with substantial fan support and would immediately create fresh possibilities for Raw. At the same time, it would force the company to answer whether the Reigns-Femi concept remains in place, whether Reigns will pursue a rematch, and whether Knight’s win begins a lengthy run or a shorter transitional reign.
Ray favors the more linear option. From his business perspective, WWE should avoid making a move based solely on the immediate reaction it could generate in New Orleans. He believes the stronger strategy is to preserve Reigns’ championship status until WrestleMania 43 if the company truly intends for Femi to become the next major figure through a victory over “The OTC.”
That outlook does not dismiss Knight’s popularity or his readiness for a high-profile opportunity. Instead, it frames his title challenge as part of a broader issue facing WWE: how to reward an established fan favorite while also protecting the long-range elevation of a potentially franchise-level star.
Reigns has already turned back Penta in Mexico City. The next test is Knight at Money in the Bank, where WWE will decide whether to deliver an overdue coronation for “The Megastar” or continue a championship reign that may be heading toward an even bigger WrestleMania moment. If Bully Ray’s preferred scenario plays out, Reigns leaves New Orleans with the World Heavyweight Championship still in his possession, and the road to Oba Femi remains open.
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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.