When the dust settled at WWE Crown Jewel 2022, Roman Reigns remained the Undisputed WWE Universal champion with a win over Logan Paul.

The contest wasn't without its close calls, however. Paul put in another exceptional performance and took the fight to The Tribal Chief but fell short after a single Spear.

The event's closing visual saw The Bloodline celebrating Reigns' latest successful defense, leaving fans to wonder what's next for him heading into Survivor Series later this month.

There are a number of different directions WWE can go in with Reigns in the remainder of 2022 and beyond. His next championship match doesn't have to be anytime soon, but it's not as if there is a shortage of Raw and SmackDown Superstars waiting in the wings to challenge him.

With WrestleMania season fast approaching, one has to question if the recent tension teased within The Bloodline's ranks will factor into whatever he ends up doing at The Show of Shows and if more seeds will be planted in the coming weeks.

How will WWE choose to follow up on Reigns' massive Crown Jewel victory?

Putting Paul Brothers Rivalry to Rest

The top takeaway from Reigns vs. Paul at Crown Jewel, other than Paul proving once again that he can hang with WWE's most elite athletes, was that there's no story left to tell between these two.

Paul's "lucky punch" was played up throughout the bout, and although he connected with it twice, it wasn't enough to earn him the win. Reigns later retaliated and put Paul down for a decisive three count to retain his title.

Although there was involvement from The Usos and Jake Paul, it hardly affected what was going on with Logan and Reigns in the ring and the outcome remained the same. This worked as a one-and-done spectacle and a rematch isn't necessary.

Even if that was considered a possibility, Paul tweeting Saturday that he has a torn meniscus, MCL and potentially ACL would eliminate any chance of it happening, anyway. At the earliest, he wouldn't be back wrestling until mid-2023 and Jake shouldn't be fighting Reigns on his behalf.

Above all else, putting this rivalry to rest is imperative.

Getting Bloodline Back on the Same Page for WarGames

In the weeks preceding Crown Jewel, the focus was less on the bad blood between Reigns and Paul but rather The Bloodline failing to show solidarity.

Reigns and The Usos have been at the top of their game all year, but that doesn't mean The Bloodline has been immune to inner turmoil. In fact, it has been a recurring theme within the group for many months now, specifically since Sami Zayn started taggling along as an "honorary uce."

In storyline, the timing couldn't be worse for them with WarGames coming up in less than three weeks at Survivor Series. All that has been announced so far is that there will be one WarGames match for the men and another for the women with the belief being that each bout will feature two teams of five.

Needless to say, The Bloodline seems to be tailor-made for a WarGames match. Reigns and The Usos have teamed up successfully in six-man tag team action on countless occasions, but that was before Zayn and Solo Sikoa were recruited into the ranks.

The next several weeks should see Reigns continuing to attempt to get Bloodline back on the same page, regardless of who their opponents are. A fractured faction could be what ultimately costs them a win in WarGames and potentially more than that depending on if anything else is up for grabs.

Finding His Next Championship Challenger

The field is wide open as far as who will be next to step up and challenge Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

On the SmackDown side, Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman are both fresh off big wins at Crown Jewel. Reigns recently defeated McIntyre at Clash at the Castle, but it would be logical for McIntyre to be on the babyface team opposite of The Bloodline in WarGames given their checkered past.

Strowman has a history with Reigns as well, and with the momentum Strowman has at the moment, building him up for a title opportunity against Reigns on an upcoming SmackDown or at the Royal Rumble would be perfectly acceptable.

Kevin Owens should be considered a realistic option as well. He hasn't been featured on Raw in almost a month, but he had been routinely calling out Reigns prior to his absence, so rekindling that rivalry in WarGames would also make total sense.

No matter what, WarGames at Survivor Series should serve to set up whoever Reigns will defend against next. Reigns shouldn't be taking the losing fall, but perhaps Sami Zayn eating defeat for The Bloodline is what leads to his inevitable exile.

Looking Ahead to WrestleMania 39

November is roughly around the time WWE has traditionally begun to put plans in place for WrestleMania the subsequent spring. It's evident that Triple H has been keen on long-term booking since taking over for Vince McMahon as the Head of Creative over the summer, so it's safe to assume that will be the case this year as well.

The most important question WWE should be asking is what the WrestleMania main event is going to be and, more specifically, who Reigns will defend against in said main event. The Rock is the ultimate opponent for Reigns right now, but there has been zero indication as of late WWE is any closer to making that match a reality.

Assuming The Great One won't be available, Cody Rhodes remains the next best (and arguably even stronger) choice. He's currently on the road to recovery from a torn pectoral muscle, but all signs point to him being back in time for The Show of Shows.

Whether it's Rhodes, Rock or someone else, WWE must keep the WrestleMania endgame in mind with Reigns regardless of what his next few months consist of. Unless he's facing Rock, WrestleMania would be the perfect place for his historic reign to finally come to an end.

If so, the company should try to get as much out of this run as possible until then.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.