The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns is a match that no-one wanted at WrestleMania when it was first teased at the Royal Rumble. We all wanted Undertaker vs. Cena. However, as the build-up has intensified in the run up to WrestleMania 33, this match has become very interesting and they are making the rivalry work.
With the match now reported to be taking the main event spot on Sunday, there is a suggestion that there may be a big shock to come.
I am much more excited for the match now than I was at first and it’s almost like this feud is bringing people back round to Roman Reigns’ character. The negative reaction doesn’t seem as intense when Roman is making his way to the ring and his promos have come on leaps and bounds.
It’s always a surreal experience watching The Undertaker perform and it’s pretty much guaranteed that he’ll be at every WrestleMania until he decides to walk into the sunset and retire.
Roman Reigns’ ring work is not to be underestimated and if you actually watch him compete, he is ridiculously talented.
This is now due to be a great match and could be a potential show-stealer. As mentioned above, I feel that there is a special moment coming in this contest and I’m going to run through 5 potential shocks that could happen…
#5 Roman Reigns wins
You might think that this first point is a bit of a copout, but if Roman Reigns wins, I will be genuinely shocked.
Brock Lesnar is the only WWE Superstar in the history of the business to beat the Deadman on the Grandest Stage of them All. He broke the iconic streak and he is pretty much the only person who the fans could appreciate being able to achieve such a feat.
Roman Reigns, on the other hand, is a polarising figure at the moment. He is getting his fair share of cheers but he is getting majorly booed due to poor booking decisions and the WWE’s obsession with forcing him down the fans’ throats.
Also read: Why The Undertaker needs to beat Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33
When Roman Reigns was in the Shield, he gained his popularity organically and everyone loved to cheer him.
The fans themselves built Roman up to be the next face of the company. Had he kept this build, then I could understand it, but his character has gone through such a turbulent period, I would not be sold on him beating the Undertaker.
Not to mention the fact that I think the only other two characters that could beat The Undertaker at WrestleMania, are John Cena or Kane. If Roman Reigns adds another blotch to the record that The Undertaker holds at the biggest event of the year, I will be shocked to the core.
#4 The Undertaker turns heel
Not entirely impossible, The Undertaker could end WrestleMania as a bad guy. Let me explain myself because this statement is probably shocking enough.
Roman Reigns is the next top WWE star. He is the man to carry the company into the next decade and he is already getting the mixed reactions often attributed to John Cena. The best way to get that full face turn would be to turn the Undertaker heel and pull the old double switch.
If The Undertaker turns heel, it may allow Reigns to get the cheers he finally deserves. If it does finish the show as is now the plan, it would be the perfect swerve. The one problem you have is that The Undertaker may be too popular for it to come off.
We’ve seen heel turns fail in the past. It happened with Austin at WrestleMania X-Seven.
A good match alone could help the crowd get on Roman Reigns’ side but I feel that The Undertaker could take on the role of the bad guy. It would not only benefit Reigns but would also give a little bit of variety to The Undertaker’s next match at the Showcase of the Immortals.
If The Undertaker ends up facing John Cena next year, as I’m hoping he will, a heel persona would help this feud immensely. It will also make his sporadic appearances a bit more interesting and would certainly be a shocking turn in the match.
#3 Kane returns
Kane was recently reported to be available for a return to in-ring action. As one of the only people I would put The Undertaker up against as his last match, I would hope to see the Big Red Machine make an appearance at ‘The Ultimate Thrill Ride’.
Kane has been out of commission since last November. His character had lost a lot of momentum and a lot of the fear factor.
If he were to come back to confront his brother, it would be awesome. He could dominate The Undertaker to set up a match for next year’s event, or it could just be a stare down. Either way, Kane would look like a threat again.
If he wore his mask too, as the ‘Demon Kane’ persona he has adopted over recent years, this would add another dimension to the story. I would even be happy if they teamed up as the Brothers of Destruction once more, but I would prefer a confrontation.
I think it would be as shocking as when Kane debuted at In Your House: Bad Blood.
To see the flames erupt from the massive ramp that is currently being constructed at the Citrus Bowl, would be nothing short of amazing. It would be shocking to see brother face brother once more in the centre of the ring at WrestleMania.
It would be an epic WrestleMania moment to add to The Undertaker’s expansive list.
#2 Dirty finish
WrestleMania 28 is the last time a match with The Undertaker at the biggest event of the year did not end strictly cleanly.
Despite several interferences from Shawn Michaels, Triple H still fell to the Deadman during their Hell in a Cell match. Had Michaels not been there, who knows what might have happened?
Nevertheless, I think a dirty finish could be on the cards here. There are plenty of people with motivation to interfere in the match. Braun Strowman would be the most likely person to stick his oar into proceedings as he has an ongoing feud with Roman Reigns.
As mentioned in the last slide, Kane could make an appearance and cause an interference in the match. The Rock could even show up with his cousin fighting for his life against The Deadman.
Triple H, Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens could show up as the new Evolution though that isn’t as likely, Roman Reigns is out of favour with a lot of Superstars.
If there is an interference, all signs will point to The Undertaker losing which would be disappointing. If you’re going to conquer the Deadman at WrestleMania, you need to do it without assistance really and if Roman Reigns wants to get over, unless he turns heel, a dirty win would do him no favours whatsoever with the crowd.
It would be a shocking moment for sure, but I hope that it doesn’t happen.
#1 Undertaker retires
This would be the most shocking moment of this match and of all of WrestleMania, were it to happen, and it’s looking slightly more likely now that the match is going to end the show. They are pencilled in as the main event.
The Undertaker has had a storied career and it is no secret that he will be undergoing surgery following this year’s event due to a nagging hip injury that is affecting him. To his credit, he has not let it affect him in this most recent feud and I would argue that he looks in a lot better shape than he has done in recent years.
However, with this hanging over his head, it’s possible that The Undertaker could use WrestleMania 33 as his swan song, allow Reigns to go over and retire in the middle of the ring to end the show.
I would hate to see this happen as I would still like to see him compete. I would still like to see him wrestle John Cena and Kane as mentioned earlier in the article, but his health most certainly comes first.
He has a record at WrestleMania that will never be equalled or beaten. He has earned the respect of his peers and his fans worldwide over a career that has spanned almost 30 years.
It is the most shocking thing that could happen on the night, and I for one, hope it doesn’t.
It’s sure to be a great match
We’ve gone through 5 shocking moments that could happen on Sunday. Some are more likely than others admittedly, but any one of them would certainly bring the shock factor to the ‘Ultimate Thrill Ride’.
Regardless of any of these scenarios, Roman Reigns and The Undertaker are bound to have a great match and it’s definitely got the potential to be a show-stealer. I think they will work well together as Reigns has a slower style which should suit The Undertaker down to the ground.
Their main mission will be hiding the injury that is plaguing The Undertaker while keeping the viewer engaged.
How the match goes could also be dictated by the crowd. Their reaction to Roman Reigns could end up soiling what should be a special match, but it will be WrestleMania, and you would hope that everyone would be hyped up enough to just enjoy the spectacle.
Do you think any of the moments mentioned will happen? Would you be shocked by any of them? Let me know in the comments below.
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