WWE SummerSlam 2016 rumors: Roman Reigns ditched from pay-per-view event at last minute?

Roman Reigns won't be in WWE SummerSlam 2016.WWE.com

WWE has been building up Roman Reigns as its new face, but all that seems to have changed after his Wellness Policy violation that changed the course of his career.

In last week's Monday Night Raw, Reigns competed against WWE newcomer Finn Balor for a one-on-one match against Seth Rollins for the Universal title at WWE SummerSlam.

Balor ended up taking the spot, pushing Reigns off WWE's second biggest pay-per-view event completely. However, this was reportedly not WWE's original plan.

According to Wrestling News World, Reigns was supposed to be the one who will face off with Rollins for the newly created championship title. The plans were allegedly scrapped the last minute.

"Until the latter part of Monday evening the match [at SummerSlam] was set to be Rollins vs. Roman Reigns but something made Vince McMahon call an audible at the last minute," the report said.

WWE wanted flexibility with Balor's debut and they had it and the rocket pack has been strapped around his waste," the report continued.

That being said, it appears that McMahon had plans to bring Reigns back as the top babyface all along. However, Forbes believes that it would not sit well with fans.

The site believes that it won't be right to have him be the big man again following his suspension. The publication also believes that McMahon did the right thing by going for Balor.

After all, he represents the type of wrestlers that WWE wants in ushering to the new era. It remains to be seen if Reigns will be back on top again. For now, he is still suffering the repercussions of his actions.

With regards to Rollins and Balor's showdown at the WWE SummerSlam, it looks like the latter's future will be bright in the WWE, with a legion of fans already cheering his name.

WWE SummerSlam 2016 will take place on Sunday, Aug. 21 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.