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WWE WrestleMania 34: Why Braun Strowman Should Face Brock Lesnar

By Harry Austen

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Since before last April, the plan for next year’s WWE WrestleMania has reportedly been set for Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar II. However, it should be Braun Strowman facing off against the Beast.

Earlier this year, Roman Reigns defeated The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33. And if you didn’t know already, the Samoan Superstar is reportedly set to face Brock Lesnar at the next years WrestleMania. However, it’s not the direction the WWE should go in.

Firstly, let’s note I’m not a Reigns “hater” – far from it – and, in fact, I think he gets far too much stick. Yes, he does need improvement on the microphone, but in terms of ring work, he’s on par with any top guy in the company. No, he’s not doing crazy 450 splashes like AJ Styles, but he’s certainly not under athletic. The guy’s a great worker, whether you want to boo or cheer him doesn’t change that. However, one thing we can all agree on is the fact that he’s currently overexposed.

In recent history, the WWE has had a problem with overexposing talent, especially on the Raw side. This is most likely down to the show being three hours, as well as the WWE using the same guys over and over in the same type of matches. And Roman Reigns is one of those guys.

I appreciate that the show has to be three hours, however, it’s difficult to appreciate guys being on the show to fill time; recently, it’s felt like this a lot. It’s segments that don’t offer any value, throwaway matches that have no conclusion, and pointless tag-matches where the heels go against the babyface, because, well… why not? In the long term, it’s damaging to the Superstars, and we’ve seen this Reigns.

The WWE is currently failing with Reigns. They’re clamoring for him to be the face of the company, or as AJ Styles would put it, ‘the face that runs the place’ – and that’s not the issue. He’s a star. He’s got the look, the in-ring work, but he’s just missing that final touch in the mic. But he’ll get there. However, why your waiting for those finishing touches, why not elevate another star to superstardom. And build-up an even bigger feud down the line? The man I’m of course talking about is Braun Strowman.

The master among men debuted on Raw just two year ago, on August 24, where he confronted, of all people, Reigns.

He had a short, and forgettable stint with the Wyatt family, until deciding to go it alone. And boy, I am happy they decided to give this man a change as a singles competitor. He started out facing jobbers, and soon became an unstoppable force.

Fast forward to now, and he’s arguably the biggest babyface on the roster. And the funny thing is, he’s not even supposed to be a babyface. You could argue that anyone in program against Reigns is bound to get cheered, but I think there’s more to it with Braun Strowman. Added to the fact that unlike Reigns, he hasn’t been overexposed. To WWE’s credit, they’ve done a great job building him up, and keeping him, a legitimate monster.

Another factor that plays into me choosing Bruan is that he’s home grown talent. Or as the company like to put it, he’s ‘WWE made’. For some weird, but understandable reason, the WWE love pushing guys they’ve created. Conversely, they’re not against pushing former Indy guys like Styles, however, you can definitely see the difference between a push a former Indy star receives and WWE made star receives. Furthermore, Strowman can tick that box no problem.

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As noted, Strowman graced our screen just over two years ago. Now, in terms of wrestling, that’s not very long. However, in just a short period of time, Braun has improved no end in the ring. After watching his first few matches, I wasn’t all that impressed. At the time I thought he was another big guy, doing big guy moves. However, two years later, I’m now on the edge of my seat; not knowing what he’s going to pull off next. It’s been a phenomenal two years of development for Braun. And because of this improvement, I now feel like he’s ready to face-off against The Beast. In a match that should be more than just a few impressive suplexes, moreover, a match that tears the house down at WrestleMania.

Strowman vs. Lesnar is the preference here. It’s a fresh – one-on-one match – which is always a good start. As well as it being fresh, the story almost writes itself. Monster vs. Beast, who wins? Imagine, just for a second, a babyface Strowman going up against a vicious heel Lesnar. As the old Futurama meme goes, ‘shut up and take my money!’

Another important factor to me wanting the change is the fact that Roman Reigns has already got his big win at WrestleMania. And in fact, it was against an ever big star. For those that may have forgotten, The Undertaker lost to Reigns this year. Breaking the hearts of fans around the world, as the Big Dog ‘retired’ The Undertaker (speech marks indicate that The Undertaker may have not retired, in case you didn’t know). And we know that didn’t go down well. Therefore, why should Roman be given yet another change, especially as the fans will most likely reject him again. Until the WWE decide the bite the bullet and change his character, maybe a heel turn, they should focus on someone new. And that someone new is Strowman.

Finally, if the rumors are true regarding Lesnar leaving the WWE following WrestleMania, then who else better to help carry the company moving forward. And by that, I don’t mean him being ‘the guy’ – as Roman puts it – but rather the guy that can help WWE get through a potentially difficult period once Brock is out the door. A new beast, to the replace the old beast, if you will. And if you’re a Roman Reigns fan – congrats on getting this far in the article – but don’t worry, as Strowman would say, I’m not finished with you!

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I still see Reigns as the guy to replace Cena – in the long-term – but as of right now, they’ve got a monster waiting to be unleashed, and he deserves to have his time on top whilst the WWE decide what they’re doing with Reigns.