5 Roman Reigns matches that exceeded expectations

Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt (Hell in a Cell 2015)

Roman Reigns’ road to winning his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship in 2015 is well-documented, but before he could contend for the gold, he first had to overcome the obstacle of Bray Wyatt. The two traded victories on pay-per-view throughout the latter half of the year with Wyatt getting the better of his rival at both Battleground and Night of Champions.

Hell in a Cell has largely become just another match over the past decade due to WWE watering it down and bringing it back when it hasn’t been necessary, but Reigns vs. Wyatt felt worthy of being blown off inside The Devil’s Playground. It also eliminated the possibility of interference and allowed them to settle their score one-on-one once and for all.

Their previous matches against each other were nothing special, and their Battleground matchup in particular was fairly boring. Despite there being a general sense of fear among fans that they would stink out the joint again at Hell in a Cell as a result of their lack of chemistry, Reigns and Wyatt shattered everyone’s expectations by producing a highly physical and brutal bout.

They utilized their surroundings quite well and went to great lengths to inflict pain on their opponent. Reigns’ grand victory here set him up as the next No. 1 contender to the WWE World Heavyweight title, while Wyatt gained a ton from having one of the best matches of his career up to that point.