Roman Reigns' run at the top of the WWE with the unified title belts has drawn mixed reactions from the crowd. And, while The Tribal Chief has made it work, it's actually not something that the WWE was planning to do.
According to Fightful Select, Reigns' COVID-19 diagnosis and subsequent removal from the inaugural "Day 1" PPV event in January 2022 throw a monkey wrench into the WWE's original plans. As a result of a couple of last-minute adjustments, The Beast Incarnate won the WWE Championship over Big E, Bobby Lashley, Kevin Owens, and Seth "Freakin" Rollins in a fatal five-way match.
This particular event later led to a whirlwind chain of events that peaked with the Champion vs. Champion highlight match on Day 2 of WrestleMania 38, giving The Head of the Table ownership of both the WWE Championship and the WWE Universal Championship.
But, that's not all! The same source claimed that the WWE originally planned to split the titles with Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins facing off for the WWE Championship, presumably on Day 1 of WrestleMania 39. Meanwhile, Reigns' opponent was an unnamed Superstar, which would line up with the earlier rumors of him facing off against either The Rock or "Stone Cold" Steve Austin on Day 2 of WrestleMania 39.