Logan Paul, internet star and WWE talent, talked a big game on Friday Night SmackDown ahead of a Las Vegas press conference and heavily rumor title bout with Roman Reigns.
Paul, who signed with WWE in late June, appeared in a segment with Reigns' stable, the Bloodline, on Friday's episode of SmackDown after making comments earlier in the week regarding a potential match with the Tribal Chief. Reigns' onscreen counselor, Paul Heyman, scoffed at the idea and the segment devolved into a scuffle between Paul and Sami Zayn.
"What if I beat Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Championship?" Paul asked, after previously saying he could drop the champ "like a sack of potatoes."
Paul is now scheduled for a press conference with Reigns on Saturday at Las Vegas' Resorts World luxury hotel. While it has not yet been made official by WWE, the two are heavily rumored to be facing off for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship at the company's next Saudi Arabia supershow, Crown Jewel, on November 5 in Riyadh.
Formerly a member of the massively popular faction, The Shield, Reigns has been positioned as the face of WWE since 2015, winning six world titles in the company since that time. In 2020, he began a historic Universal Championship reign that has lasted over two years and debuted a well-received villainous persona, "The Head of the Table." At the most recent WrestleMania, Reigns defeated WWE Champion Brock Lesnar to unify the two world titles.
Paul achieved notoriety as a YouTube vlogger and currently boasts over 33 million subscribers across his channels. In addition to producing online content and acting, Paul also began a white-collar boxing career in 2018, with his opponents including the likes of KSI and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Paul first competed for WWE at the most recent WrestleMania, teaming former world champion The Miz in a tag-team match against the father-son duo, Rey and Dominick Mysterio. Paul and Miz won the match, but the latter turned on his partner in the aftermath, setting up a singles match at SummerSlam in July, which Paul ultimately won.
Despite his contentious and polarizing online presence, Paul's work as a professional wrestler for WWE has received positive reviews. Fans and pundits alike have commended his in-ring ability as a newcomer to the craft, as well as his character work.
In 2018, WWE signed a 10-year deal to promote and hold major shows in Saudi Arabia as part of the country's Saudi Vision 2030 initiative. The decision has been widely criticized over the years, with some accusing WWE of helping the Saudi government use sporting events to distract from its poor human-rights record and events like the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi of The Washington Post. November's Crown Jewel event will be the eighth show in the partnership.
Newsweek reached out to WWE for comment.
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Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more
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