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What a move by WWE!
While it was definitely an out of nowhere moment from the company, it ended up setting the stage for what would come and gave the WWE Universe a blockbuster match in the process. Beyond all that, it represented a seismic shift in the WWE landscape and made Seth Rollins the new man to beat for Universal title.
But what were the fundamental reasons behind WWE choosing to have the Universal title match start the show and what could it mean for the feud going forward. As if that wasn't enough to think about, there's also what now happens to Brock Lesnar after losing his title in shifty fashion in the opening match of the show.
With that being said and the Universal title finally changing hands once again, here are four reasons WWE choose to put the Universal title on the line at the beginning of the show. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and tell us what you thought of the Universal title match.
#4 Make fans forget about Lesnar
Paul Heyman said it himself that Lesnar was heading to Las Vegas after his "nonsense" match with Seth Rollins and one would have to imagine that this was WWE's subtle hint that he would be written off of television for a while. Furthermore, one has to wonder if getting Lesnar's big loss over with and then burying it under a multitude of OMG moments wasn't the intention all along.
Think about it! From Shane McMahon and The Miz's hellacious falls count anywhere match to The IIconics' tag team title win, WWE has done everything possible to make sure that fans forget all about Lesnar's big loss. Or at least the parts of it that make him lose credibility in all future contests.
#3 Begin the landscape of change
Everything is changing!
WWE made that more than clear during the WrestleMania pre-show when Curt Hawkins and Zach Ryder won the Raw Tag Team Championships and continued up on that trend by having Seth Rollins beat Brock Lesnar for the Universal title. If nothing else, it was a glorious way to start off the night and to show the shifting winds of change.
Another thing it did was leave the WWE Universe to wonder what will happen next and if Brock Lesnar will even get a rematch or not. Of course, WWE could absolutely give him a rematch as a way to play up his heel character after the historic loss, but what would be the point with Lesnar supposedly leaving for UFC?
In all honesty, this moment signified change. It signified that WWE was going to start listening to the fans and try to make the Universal title interesting again. Hopefully, the company is able to keep that promise and doesn't go back to their old part-time champion tricks, but the signs were at least very promising at WrestleMania 35.
#2 Give the Universal title a marquee spot
While everyone already knew that the women would close the show for the first time in the pay per view's history, no one could have ever expected that it would mean that the Universal title went on first. With that being said and Paul Heyman himself arguing that if Brock Lesnar wasn't in the main event of the show, he would go on first, it looks like this was their way of giving the title a marquee spot of its own.
Sure, it wasn't the main event spot, but it was a spot that set the match apart from all the others. It was also a match that was almost guaranteed to give the desired reaction if WWE gave the fans the right result.
#1 To shock fans
What a shocker to start off the Show of Shows!
Not only was Paul Heyman's last-second announcement something that left fans in absolute amazement, it also served as the first swerve of the night and a very effective one of that. Beyond all that, it created an air of unpredictability around the title match, that the company continued to build upon as things went on.
If nothing else, this was an excellent move by WWE and just the perfect way to start the Show of Shows. It literally had everything and served the purpose it was intended to. It also set the tone for what would become one of the most shocking and controversial WrestleManias ever.
