The specter of Roman Reigns loomed large over the opening segment of this week’s Monday Night Raw in Providence. While Reigns has been absent from WWE programming for months, his former “Wise Man,” Paul Heyman, made it clear he has not been forgotten, delivering a pointed message to the absent “Tribal Chief.”
The Empire Strikes First
The segment featured Seth Rollins’ new, unnamed faction, which includes Heyman, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed. After Breakker and Reed issued violent challenges to Sami Zayn and Jey Uso respectively, Paul Heyman took the microphone to address the WWE Universe and, more specifically, his former client.
"Roman Reigns doesn't have the balls to come back and step up against us." – Paul Heyman
ROMAN REIGNS IS RETURNING AT SNME ðŸ˜ðŸ”¥#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/QQVKKsifde
— TribaI Wrestling (@TribalMegastar) July 8, 2025
Heyman declared that his new “Empire would strike first tonight” before directly addressing the man he guided for years. In a stunning moment, Heyman proclaimed that “Roman Reigns didn’t have the ‘balls’ to come back and step against the Rollins faction.” The deliberate and insulting call-out immediately fueled speculation that Reigns’ return to WWE television is imminent.
A Collision Course
The last time fans saw Roman Reigns was on the Raw after WrestleMania 41, where he was attacked by this very same group. Now, with Heyman officially aligned with his new chosen one, Seth Rollins, a collision course appears to be set between Reigns and the powerful new faction.
It has been widely reported that WWE officials are planning for Roman Reigns’ return to take place in time for SummerSlam, which is scheduled for August 2nd and 3rd at MetLife Stadium. According to a recent report from WrestleVotes, Reigns’ name has been prominent in internal creative discussions, a typical signal that a return is being planned for one of WWE’s biggest events of the year.
