WWE WrestleMania 34: Why Lesnar And Reigns Shouldn’t Go On Last

All the speculation for who would face Brock Lesnar in the expected main event of WWE WrestleMania 34 was laid to rest this past Sunday as Roman Reigns left WWE Elimination Chamber 2018 victorious.  Considering the negative hype from fans in the build up to this WrestleMania showdown, would Reigns and Lesnar be better suited at a different position on the card?

Just three years ago at WrestleMania 31 the headlined match between Lesnar and Reigns was met with a lot of resistance from the WWE Universe.  This was not due to a lack of talent from either participant, but rather what appeared to be dull predictability with a superstar that was clearly not as “over” as the WWE broadcast would lead on.

Lucky for fans in attendance the match that appeared to be predictable was anything but.  A well timed cash-in from Seth Rollins saved the main event in the Bay Area on that night,

Unfortunately, due to the lack of a finish it appears that Vince McMahon was not able to fully scratch the itch of Goliath vs. Goliath.  So now three years later, once again it is Lesnar and Reigns as the favorites to headline the biggest show of the year.

The obvious question that should be asked when WWE is positioning the card for WrestleMania, what is the most anticipated match?  Right there, no hesitation.  Most fans answers will not be Reigns vs. Lesnar.

The first reason is there’s uncertainty on whether Lesnar will remain with WWE through 2018.  Fans remember the last time it became clear that Lesnar was not sticking around, and because of it his match with Goldberg (who was also leaving) at WrestleMania 20 suffered.  The WWE Universe does not have interest in superstars who are just performing to fulfill an obligation.

The second reason is this is Reigns’ fourth straight WrestleMania main event.  That is a lot of big match exposure for a superstar that has not connected with a lot of the die-hard fans who travel to WrestleMania.

And the final reason is that this match is the same exact character rendition of the last time these superstars met just three short years ago.  Lesnar is the mercenary champion who shows up for a big fight and a big paycheck, and Reigns is the babyface challenger who is clearly the handpicked superstar with upper management that is struggling to get consistent positive reactions.

The lack of character adjustment since the last time both men met at WrestleMania is the biggest issue with booking Lesnar and Reigns in the main event.  Use The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin as an example, during all three WrestleMania matches both characters were in different places than the previous rendition of the two at The Granddaddy of Them All.

When it comes to Reigns and Lesnar, why should the fans care about a repetitive match that looks like it is being predictably booked to have Reigns win the Universal Championship?  By placing Reings and Lesnar in the main event it is a claim that this match is the most anticipated match of the night, and because of that reason alone it would put an insurmountable amount of pressure on both superstars.

A better idea would be to place AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura in the main event spot considering the positive buzz around this potential match dating back to last year.  Another possibility could be Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

It would be Rousey’s debut match, Angle’s second match back, and the first time Triple H has wrestled in months as well.  Or WWE could just place the two biggest legends on the card in the main event when John Cena faces The Undertaker.

Either way there is not just one suitable alternative route.  A lesson can be learned from Goldberg vs. Lesnar at WrestleMania 33 where that match was also not the main event.  The massive showdown saw powerhouse vs. powerhouse, and it was a hard hitting, fast paced match that did not pretend to be more than what it was.

Reigns is an extremely gifted performer who will have many opportunities to main event big pay-per-views, but in the meantime it would be beneficial to give him some positive buzz coming out of WrestleMania.  If Reigns and Lesnar open the main card of WrestleMania they will have an opportunity to blow the roof off the Mercedes-Benz Superdome while all the excitement is still buzzing from the WWE Universe.

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Possibly Lesnar vs. Reigns can be positioned in the middle of the card (as WWE tends to split up the marquee matches) so that there is not the level of expectations that comes with the WrestleMania main event.  This simple positioning on the card could be the difference between “Lesnar And Reigns Tear Down The House” and “Another Reigns On Top Met With Boos”.