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Welcome to another edition of our daily WWE News Roundup. As always, there are several stories to discuss coming from the bustling professional wrestling world.
Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar will clash in a "Winner Takes All" match at WrestleMania, and a photo of what could be the new unified WWE Championship belt has been making the rounds over the past few hours.
A former WWE star revealed details of Roman Reigns rejecting the opportunity to join another wrestling company. A well-known superstar also revealed how Vince McMahon has worked on a "Stephanie-esque character" for her.
Details of Rey Mysterio urging Vince McMahon to push a deserving WWE Superstar have also been covered in today's news. We end the roundup with The Undertaker finally reacting to Brock Lesnar's new babyface character.
#5. Is Sonya Deville being pushed as the next Stephanie McMahon?
Sonya Deville appeared on the latest episode of Ryan Satin's Out of Character Podcast, where she opened up about the origins of her on-screen gimmick.
Deville has not wrestled much since becoming an authority figure on WWE TV, and she revealed how Stephanie McMahon's early run inspired her current role in the company.
Vince McMahon's vision for Deville is to be somewhat like this generation's Stephanie McMahon, who also used her "power" to get into the ring in advantageous positions during her career.
"I've gotten a lot of what I do from Stephanie," Sonya Deville revealed. "Looking back on the old Stephanie stuff, I think that is Vince's kind of vision for me, a Stephanie-esque character. When I do get in the ring, it's like yeah, I get in the ring, but I get in the ring as an authority figure. I will use my power how I see fit and how I can to my advantage, and I'll enjoy doing it because that's how Steph does, and that's how Vince did. I've taken a lot of notes from both of their past work for sure." (H/T: WrestlingInc)
Sonya Deville has excelled since returning to WWE, and it's great to see that she has the backing of Vince McMahon and a clear idea of her on-air responsibilities in the promotion.
#4. Photo of the new unified title belt possibly revealed
Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar will collide in one of the biggest matches in WrestleMania history in a few weeks. As announced, the winner will walk away as the undisputed world champion, and we might have already gotten a glimpse of the new unified belt.
A Reddit user recently posted a picture of a massive championship belt spotted in Frisco, Texas. The photo was clicked while the WWE crew was in the vicinity to shoot exterior shots for WrestleMania 38 using the huge belt.
The potential new belt looks like a fusion of the Universal and WWE titles, as distinct features have been picked up from both designs.
Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar will lock horns in the main event of night two, and the title showdown is expected to have multiple twists and turns. Could WWE unveil the new belt at WrestleMania 38 itself? Only time will tell.
#3. Roman Reigns rejected the offer to work for another wrestling company before joining WWE
On the latest episode of his podcast, Rene Dupree stated that Roman Reigns was very close to working for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in the mid-2000s.
Roman Reigns' brother Rosey briefly appeared for AJPW in 2006, and he felt that Reigns could have acquired some valuable experience by touring for the Japanese company.
AJPW officials offered Roman Reigns the chance to live in the promotion's dojo for three months; however, he turned it down and eventually signed with WWE. Here's what Dupree revealed on his Cafe de Rene podcast:
"Rosey, which was Big Matty, was Roman's brother," said Dupree. "So before he debuted with WWE, his brother suggested he come to Japan for a few tours. The All Japan office wanted him to live in the dojo for three months, and he didn't wanna do that. He just wanted to go over and tour for three tours and then sign with WWF [WWE]." [0:10-0:48] (H/t Danny Hart of Sportskeeda Wrestling)
Roman Reigns joined WWE in 2010, and despite his early struggles, The Tribal Chief has cemented his position amongst the greats following his exemplary work in recent years.
#2. Rey Mysterio pushed for Drew McIntyre backstage in WWE
Drew McIntyre's story is an inspiration for all former stars who have goals of returning to the company in more prominent positions.
During an interview with Metro, McIntyre revealed that Rey Mysterio backed him behind the scenes during his first run with the WWE.
The 2-time world champion reminisced about when his career was on a "downward spiral" and how he cherished facing Rey Mysterio in a singles match on an episode of SmackDown:
"I remember having a match on SmackDown on one time, which went really well – the first time we'd wrestled in a singles match," recalled Drew McIntyre. "I wasn't doing anything significant at the time; my career was on a bit of a downward spiral at the time.
Drew McIntyre lacked a creative direction back then, but he had the support of Rey Mysterio, who personally tried to convince Vince McMahon to book him in an extended program with the Scottish superstar.
"I really needed to get into a storyline or work with somebody that could get me back on the right path," McIntyre continued. "Rey actually went to Vince himself and told him, 'You've got something with this guy; I'd really love to do something with him.' Never materialized, they had plans for him, unfortunately, but he really went out of his way to try and push for me."
Drew McIntyre learned from his failures and returned to WWE as a polished talent in 2017. He's since been rightfully treated as a main event talent.
#1. The Undertaker reacts to Brock Lesnar's new gimmick
Fans have thoroughly enjoyed watching a babyface Brock Lesnar show up regularly on TV.
One of his most iconic rivals, The Undertaker, recently opened up about "Happy Brock" and admitted that he was glad to see the Beast Incarnate enjoying himself.
While The Undertaker was a fan of Brock Lesnar's new character, The Deadman said that the WWE Champion would return to his vicious self once the bell rang and it was time for him to wrestle. Here's what The Undertaker had to say about the Mayor of Suplex City:
"On a personal aspect of happy Brock, I mean, it's cool to see that he is having fun. I mean, to get that much of personality out of Brock, you can tell that he is having fun with what he is doing. But, at 'ding, ding, ding,' Brock is Brock. Somebody's going to get suplexed. I mean, it's just, you know. You count on the sun rising and the sun setting. You can count on Brock suplexing somebody really rough," stated The Undertaker. [2:30 - 2:55]
The Undertaker also picked the winner of Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar while breaking down the high-stakes WrestleMania 38 match. Whose side are you on? Sound off in the comments section below.
