All week, we here at Sports Al Dente will be previewing all 14 matches on the WrestleMania 34 super card. This is shaping up to be one of the biggest WrestleMania’s in recent history, as every title will be defended on the card for the first time since 2001. Back then, though, there were only six active titles in WWE. This year, the ‘Mania card features nine title matches.
One of the title matches is Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship. This feud has been intense from the start, and it is poised to main event the show on Sunday. Here’s a quick preview of the collision that is set to take place between these two men.
The Match
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship
How We Got Here
Lesnar won the Universal title at last year’s WrestleMania, defeating Goldberg in a five-minute barnburner. Lesnar has successfully defended the championship four times since then, defeating the likes of Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, Kane, and Reigns in that time.
Reigns earned his spot in the title match by winning the men’s elimination chamber match last month at the Elimination Chamber PPV. He won by pinning Strowman after nailing the Monster Among Men with a spear. This is the third time in four years that Reigns will compete for a major championship at WrestleMania.
The History
These two men faced off for the then-WWE World Heavyweight Championship three years ago in the main event of WrestleMania 31. Despite a poor buildup, the match exceeds everyone’s expectations. It was a physical encounter between the two, with Lesnar even getting busted open halfway through the match. Just when it looked like both guys had nothing left in the tank, Seth Rollins came down to the ring and cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, pinning Reigns to leave WrestleMania as champion.
Roman Reigns Photo Credit: Megan Elice Meadows – Under Creative Commons License
The Feud
Reigns has attacked Lesnar for his light work schedule, saying that he has no respect for the business. After Reigns said some controversial things in the ring, Vince McMahon “temporarily suspended” The Big Dog. Lesnar appeared on the March 19 edition of Raw, where a suspended Reigns also appeared.
After Reigns was handcuffed by U.S. Marshals, Lesnar brutally attacked Reigns, sending him to the hospital. The next week, after Reigns had been re-instated, Lesnar again destroyed Reigns, hitting the F5 on the stairs.
The final Raw before ‘Mania saw Reigns finally get to Lesnar, as he hit five Superman punches on the champion. Reigns then took the Universal Championship belt and raised it over his head. It appeared Reigns had finally gotten the best on the champ, but Lesnar sprung to his feet and delivered an F-5 to Reigns to close the show. Lesnar has gotten the upper hand the past few weeks on Raw, giving him the momentum heading into the title match on Sunday.
Expectations
This will probably main event the show, making Reigns only the second man in WWE history to main event four straight WrestleMania’s (the other is Hulk Hogan). If it is anything like their WM31 encounter, then we are all in for a treat. Lesnar and Reigns have great chemistry in the ring together, and their brawls have lived up to the hype. This should be a fun way to cap off one of the biggest ‘Manias ever.
WrestleMania 34 takes place from The Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on April 8 with a special start time of 7 pm eastern/6pm central. The show is streaming live on the WWE Network.