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The road to Wrestlemania is about to begin. Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar has been the locked main event for a while. Whether we like it or not, Roman Reign vs Brock Lesnar is the best bet to main event the grandest stage of them all next year
When WWE tried this match-up back in 2015, there was no momentum and the build was lacklustre. This only further frustrated the fans who were looking for any opportunity to boo Reigns. The build was so poor that the go-home show to the match was simply Lesnar and Reigns fighting to grab the title from each other's hands.
This will surely be avoided the second time around and the build should generate genuine interest in the match. Let's try to look at some of the better ways to do it. The assumption here is for Roman to have dropped the Intercontinental title at this point.
#5 Roman Reigns becomes the Iron Man of the Royal Rumble
The winner of the Royal Rumble will most definitely be the centrepiece of most discussions. However, one other performer who will stay on everyone's mind is the iron man of the rumble. The Iron Man is the performer who lasts for the longest duration in the Royal Rumble match.
Roman Reigns winning will almost certainly draw heat from the crowd. WWE cannot have a repeat of 2015 and have Reigns win, only to get booed out of the building by the same Philadelphia crowd that booed him 3 years ago.
Roman is very good at one thing and that is his ability to put on a stellar, hard-hitting match. This was the case at Wrestlemania 31 where the crowd almost got behind the big dog just before Seth Rollins rushed in to crash the party.
Reigns needs to stay in the match for a long time only to come short. The Royal Rumble match itself will very likely be won by a superstar from Smackdown.
#4 Paul Heyman gloats
Brock Lesnar will successfully defend the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble and there is no doubt about that. Paul Heyman knows how to build up The Beast and there are not many who can match his skills on the mic. Heyman is bound to gloat and say that there is no one left for Lesnar to defeat except for one man. The only other man who can claim to have defeated the Undertaker at Wrestlemania - Roman Reigns.
Reigns comes out to accept the challenge but gets interrupted by Samoa Joe, followed by Finn Balor and Seth Rollins. Finally, Kurt Angle comes out and announces that he cannot just award a championship match at Wrestlemania to Reigns.
There will be a number one contender's match held at the next PPV - Elimination Chamber. Qualifying matches will be held throughout the next two weeks where Roman Reigns, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins qualify.
Jason Jordan injures (kayfabe) his opponent to get the final spot on the six-man elimination chamber match.
#3 The Elimination Chamber
This match must not be just a throwaway bout to build Roman Reigns. It will be used to build Reigns as a credible opponent to The Beast as well as a babyface that the crowd can get behind.
Reigns and Joe will start the match. Strowman breaks out of his pod to enter the match. As the three men tussle, the fourth entrant will be Seth Rollins, followed by Finn Balor. The first elimination will be Rollins courtesy of Braun Strowman, followed by Strowman as a result of a double team from Reigns and Balor. Jason Jordan successfully avoids getting physical as the remaining superstars punish each other to their limits.
Samoa Joe takes out Finn Balor and the final three men remaining are Joe, Reigns and Jordan. Reigns eliminates Jordan next and the remaining two men are Joe and Roman.
Samoa Joe is an excellent heel and can generate a ton of heat on himself and help Roman Reigns get the crowd's sympathy. Finally, Roman Reign pins Samoa Joe to become the number one contender for the Universal Championship.
#2 The build
Having the two men stay away from each other will not help to generate buzz this time. WWE must start on a high note. The RAW after the Elimination Chamber PPV must close with both men brawling all over the arena. This gives the fans a glimpse of what to expect.
The brawl would instantly become the talking point of the episode and help generate the buzz and excitement for the match. Lesnar can then stay away from RAW for an episode or so while Heyman hypes the match.
Roman Reigns must come out each week fighting off challengers and establishing himself as the Top Dog and as the most credible performer on the roster. This is what worked for John Cena during the US title open challenges and that helped fans turn their opinions of him to a more positive one.
The RAW before WrestleMania should end just like the RAW after Elimination Chamber, both men brawl as security and the rest of the locker room try to separate the superstars. A little blood will certainly help, but that's not something we can expect from WWE.
#1 The grandest stage of them all
The match will be official and the build will be complete. It will be Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 34.
Roman Reigns has had plenty of good matches and has proved he can hang with the best. Brock Lesnar is known to have great matches when he has genuine interest. What better place than Wrestlemania to put the best performance possible?
This match will be physical and brutal. A slow build where Lesnar dominates the first half and allow Roman to rally in the second half. Considering their previous encounter, we are sure to have a really entertaining match.
Just like in the previous encounter, the crowd could very well finally get behind Reigns as he dethrones the beast to become the WWE Universal Champion.
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