What’s the story?
According to Wrestling News World, WWE officials backstage are in two minds over Roman Reigns defeating Brock Lesnar to win the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34.
Previously rumoured plans pointed towards a grand baby face coronation for the Big Dog at the show of shows in New Orleans next year, but with his merch sales taking a dip coupled with the increase in boos he garners at live events, WWE may be forced to change their decision, the report states.
In case you didn’t know...
Roman Reigns faced off against Braun Strowman at Great Balls of Fire in an Ambulance Match – an unofficial no.1 contenders contest of sorts. Unfortunately for the former WWE Champion, Strowman got the better of him and came out victorious after a grueling encounter.
However, a distraught Reigns then went on to pull off one of the most well-booked post match beatdowns of the year as he crashed the Ambulance with Strowman inside it. The most recent edition of RAW saw Reigns come out and proclaim himself as the man who deserved to face the Beast Incarnate at SummerSlam.
The segment turned out to be on best of the year that featured Samoa Joe, a talking Brock Lesnar (best thing ever!) and Reigns going back and forth – all of it peppered with doses of ATTITUDE! Kurt Angle eventually came out and booked a no.1 contender’s match for next week between Reigns and Joe.
Additionally, according to reports, WWE plans on having a fatal four-way match for the Universal title with a returning Strowman all set to interfere in next week’s Reigns-Joe bout.
The heart of the matter
It’s been no secret that Vince McMahon and WWE has wanted Reigns to be the flag bearer of the company since the day Shield broke up, despite public outrage. But if Davis’ reports are anything to go by, WWE may finally be giving into the fans’ demands.
Apart from the incessant boos that have now spilled over to live events and the drop in merchandise sales since last year, many fans have cited Roman Reigns as the reason why they unsubscribed from the WWE Network in a recent survey.
Now. Oli Davis has himself specified that these rumours have to be taken with a grain of salt and there is no confirmation as of this writing. Considering how adamant Vince McMahon is with the Reigns project, it is highly unlikely that the plans would be revamped.
But if the company decided to stay true to their motto – best for business – then we should expect a new contender to rise to the occasion and get a lucrative WrestleMania title match against Lesnar.
What’s next?
For now, all focus is on Roman Reigns’ match against Samoa Joe on next week’s RAW and how WWE books the Universal title heading into SummerSlam. How does Strowman fit into the picture? Will Lesnar drop the belt at the summer extravaganza? We’ll keep a close eye on all the different permutations in the coming weeks.
If WWE does change their plans for Reigns, there is a high chance of Lesnar facing a new opponent at WrestleMania 34. In that case, names such as Finn Balor, John Cena and some of the top SmackDown stars too could be in contention for the shot, irrespective of them being on different brands.
Author’s take
While the authenticity of Wrestling News World report is still up in the air, it does make sense from a business standpoint. WWE can’t afford to lose Network subscribers, live event fans and merch sales – the three basic sources of their income.
If Reigns is indeed the cause for the downfall, which he partly is because of the outrageous booking, then I personally won’t be surprised if WWE pulls the plug on him. It would be refreshing to see WWE do something different with the man who’s been given the golden boy treatment. Heel turn, upper mid-card title run, a feud with the Miz or a Shield reunion – the possibilities are endless!
What do you guys think? Will the higher ups finally take their foot off the pedal when it comes to Reigns’ monster push? Who should get his spot instead? Sound off in the comments section.
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