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Roman Reigns will battle Brock Lesnar in the main event of Wrestlemania 31. The match will be for Lesnar's WWE World Heavyweight Championship. These are the facts.
Another fact is that the WWE Universe has divided into two diametrically opposed camps over the Reigns' ascension. Some favor Roman Reigns' receiving the opportunity of a lifetime at Wrestlemania, while others think that this is an illogical travesty against nature.
Let's examine each side of the argument:
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FOR THE ROMAN REIGNS SUPPORTER:
As a member of The Shield or in the singles division, Roman Reigns has been unstoppable since exploding into WWE in 2012. Victories over Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan, two of WWE's most skilled wrestlers, vaulted him to the elite tier of sports-entertainment. A triumph in the titular match at Royal Rumble merely cemented the deal. Roman Reigns is for real and he is here to stay.
John Cena failed (in three recent chances!) to defeat Brock Lesnar. Other legitimate challengers to the WWE Title such as Undertaker, Rock, CM Punk, Batista, and Sheamus are absent from active competition, while rising stars like Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Bray Wyatt aren't quite ready for prime time. Someone needs to challenge Lesnar at Wrestlemania. If not Reigns, then who?
The stars of WWE have aligned perfectly, and right now, the biggest star of them all is Roman Reigns.
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FOR THE ROMAN REIGNS HATER:
Yeah, but still...
Bill Murray once classified Chevy Chase as a "medium talent." That is what we're seeing here in Roman Reigns.
Sure he has his merits. He was an apt "Anvil" to Seth Rollins' "Hitman" in the tag team iteration of The Shield. He's pretty big and pretty strong and he has a handful of flashy moves. He'd excel in an enforcer-type role like Big Boss Man played for The Corporation in 1998. Hell, he already has the flak jacket!
And don't get me started about the victories over Orton and Bryan. That's a flukey small sample size. Curtis Axel beat Triple H twice in one night. Should we be fitting him for a Hall of Fame ring? Of course not.
Not that it matters much. For all his effort, Reigns' "reward" is the burden of fighting Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania. For your reference, this is the same monster who buried The Undertaker's undefeated streak last year. Orton and Bryan are tough customers, but there will simply be no slipping past Lesnar. Reigns will have to confront "The Next Big Thing" head on, and I don't like his (or anybody's) chances.
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By luck or by pluck, Roman Reigns is headlining Wrestlemania 31. He will face the toughest challenge in modern professional wrestling on the biggest possible stage. The lights will be bright and the pressure will be on. He'll either crown himself as the star of WWE's new era, or he'll get murdered on a world stage.
As it pertains to Roman Reigns, Lesnar is the Beast Medicine.
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OFFICIAL WRESTLER WRANKINGS FORMULA
ANY WIN = 2 POINTS
US OR INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE BOUT = 1 POINT
WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BOUT = 3 POINTS
NON "BIG 4" PPV BONUS = 1.5X
SUMMERSLAM, SURVIVOR SERIES, ROYAL RUMBLE = 2X BONUS
WRESTLEMANIA = 3X BONUS
The WWE season begins on the day after WrestleMania 30 and culminates with WrestleMania 31. The wrestler who accumulates the most points over the course of the season, wins the coveted Wrankings Championship!
Fastlane -- 2/22/15 (1.5x bonus included)
Monday Night Raw -- 2/23/15
Main Event-- 2/24/15
Smackdown -- 2/26/15
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WRESTLER WRANKINGS, WEEK 48 *TOP TEN*
1. RUSEV -- 113.5 points
2. Dolph Ziggler -- 89
3. Seth Rollins -- 82
4. John Cena -- 69
5. Roman Reigns -- 66
6. Sheamus -- 65
7. Cesaro -- 64
8. Dean Ambrose -- 56.5
9. Bad News Barrett -- 53.5
10. Bo Dallas -- 50.5
Thanks for reading, Cagesiders. We'll see you back here next week!