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WWE WrestleMania 31: Roman Reigns Proved Himself at the Show of Shows

By Jesse Noseworthy

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WWE Creative made one of their boldest moves at WrestleMania, having Seth Rollins cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase to win the WWE Championship. But, they also handled Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns’ characters very well.

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It was the perfect storm last night: Brock Lesnar was proving his dominance in the main event at WrestleMania while Roman Reigns took the beating of a lifetime. Reigns would get some good hits in, bloodying up his opponent but the majority of the match saw him act as a rag deal.

While the match was drawing to its climax, Seth Rollins came in and cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to win the title. Rollins took advantage of two near-beaten men, landing a curb stomp on both superstars.

This moment couldn’t have been executed any better. It was true to all three men’s characters and it didn’t leave me thinking less of any performer. The ending was true to all of their characters and opened many doors for Reigns.

Put aside the fact that the company has heavily pushed Reigns and that some compare his situation to a younger John Cena. Look at his character: he’s the prototypical good guy, he’s a hard-worked and he’s humble.

This all came to fruition at WrestleMania. In the midst of Lesnar’s beating, I felt a sense of compassion for Reigns. I felt like he was finally being held back. I felt like my criticism may have been unjust. I felt like he was merely a method for WWE to prove Lesnar’s dominance. But then there were points when he showed his ability to fight through adversity and to prove himself on a massive stage.

Reigns may not have hit as many key moves on Lesnar but he made that match an instant classic. He grew through his defeat and came out looking better than he would have if he won.

This is due to the fact that when Rollins cashed in his briefcase, both men were almost beaten. And, while Rollins was about to receive an F-5 from Lesnar, Reigns saved the day with a key spear. Rollins would take advantage with a curb stomp just moments latter but Reigns looked great here. Lesnar and Reigns’ didn’t’ legitimately lose here which made the both of them look very strong.

You have to wonder what would’ve happen if Rollins didn’t seize the moment. Would Reigns have kept up his momentum or would Lesnar have put in the final dagger?

And while Reigns isn’t necessarily the fan favourite WWE wants him to be, his performance last night may have gained some much-needed ground for his character.

How do you think Roman Reigns performed at WrestleMania 31?

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