Roman Reigns vs. Undertaker: WWE WrestleMania 33's Potentially Most Intriguing Match
Roman Reigns and the Undertaker could be going head-to-head at WrestleMania 33, which is something that fans should want to see.
It’s going to sound like a negatively reviewed romantic comedy, but the moment Roman Reigns entered the Alamodome, the Undertaker laid eyes on him and couldn’t take him out of his sight. They brawled for a time and shockingly saw Reigns eliminate the future WWE Hall of Fame, leaving him and the fans stunned as the former taunted from inside the ring.
This interaction went along with the recent rumors of these two being set for a WrestleMania 33 match. With that aside, this should be a match that drives up intrigue to make it potentially the most interesting one of them all, and that’s even before we find out everything else on the card.
A valid criticism of the Undertaker’s run as a mostly WrestleMania-only Superstar is he doesn’t often work with younger stars on the Grandest Stage of Them All to give them “the rub”. Since 2011, he’s faced Triple H twice, CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, Bray Wyatt, and Shane McMahon. The Game is already cemented in WWE’s history. Punk left the company nine months later. Wyatt, despite being a fresher talent, hasn’t received the push that would make you think he’s a main evener. Lesnar, a part-timer, ended the Streak. To top it off, McMahon would go down in a one-off before moving to an authority role.
Now enter Reigns into the mix. He’s already a star in WWE and established as one of the top two or three main event talents. Does he need to face the Undertaker? Not really, but it’s a building block toward continuing to make the Big Dog into the guy that WWE wants him to be.
The great thing about this budding rivalry is indeed WWE’s admiration of Reigns and potential desire for him to take the top spot in the company. It adds intrigue and a bit of an unknown, as in if Vince McMahon going to be willing to put over the former Shield man by using one of the greatest stars in WWE history? This is going to bring fear to the fans who despise Reigns, making the Undertaker the undisputed babyface of this feud.
.@WWERomanReigns ELIMINATES #Undertaker!!#RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/Q0MtmqNoHr
— WWE (@WWE) January 30, 2017
By defeating the Phenom at WrestleMania 33, an argument could be made that Reigns should be vaulted into Brock Lesnar-2014 status where he ran roughshod over the roster. However, this came as a ruthless heel, which the 31-year-old is not.
On the other hand, there’s the Undertaker, who could add Reigns to his long list of Superstars that he’s put away at WrestleMania. He would then leave and return for WrestleMania 34 season in 2018, which has been his usual cycle. The only thing is if by any chance next year is the end of Taker in WWE, would he be set up to lose two straight WrestleMania matches to show he “doesn’t have it” anymore? It would be a one year long feud that culminates with a retirement bout in New Orleans, the only other city he lost a ‘Mania bout. Is WWE willing to add a second and third blemish to his record, though?
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Aside from intrigue and the potential Undertaker loss, if he does indeed lose, wouldn’t that answer the call for an older Superstar to put over one of the faces of the future? With the faces of the Attitude Era getting older or no longer being able to wrestle, the opportunity to use them to work with and take the loss against someone like Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, and others are few and far between. None of Shawn Michaels, Sting, Stone Cold Steve Austin, or the Rock are walking through the curtain in wrestling gear anytime soon or ever. So if WWE can use the Dead Man to potentially make Reigns look great, it should be an opportunity that’s lauded by the fans.
Triple H just did this one year ago for Reigns, giving him the spotlight in front one of the biggest crowd in WrestleMania history. If this is going to be WWE’s next John Cena, then continuing to give him opportunities like this is going to build his reputation as the guy the company one day leans on.
Roman Reigns vs. the Undertaker looks destined for WrestleMania 33. Some may say it’s not necessarily needed, especially after main eventing two consecutive Showcases of the Immortals.
