The World Wrestling Entertainment’s annual Wrestlemania event is scheduled for Santa Clara, Calif. on March 29, and the main event features Brock Lesnar defending his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against third generation star Roman Reigns.
There is a lot of intrigue about Lesnar’s contract being up and his wanting to leave the WWE to make another UFC run. It has long been rumored that if he is leaving, he will lose the belt at Wrestlemania. At the end of the day, the WWE’s catch phrase, “Do what is best for business” is what will be done, but Lesnar’s persona has been so carefully crafted that there may be room for some “alternate endings”.
Lesnar doesn’t say much, not on TV with the WWE nor in real life, so few know what he is going to do for sure. With the WWE, his character’s rhetoric is controlled by manager Paul Heymon, who is widely regarded as the best mic man in the business right now. Heymon’s speeches have referred a potential desire on the part of Lesnar to hold the WWE and UFC titles all at once. In one particular speech, he referenced the infamous “Montreal Screw-job“, a 1997 episode where champion Brett Hart lost his belt upon leaving the promotion despite an agreement to allow him to go out with the title. The referee initiated a fast count without Hart’s knowledge under the orders of UFC’s upper management, in 1997, it was what was “best for business”.
The odds for the match have Reigns as favored, as the WWE has poured on the hype to put Reigns over. Regins has done a good job as a performer, and he has managed to keep the storyline strong with a win over Daniel Bryan to keep the match between him and Lesnar and not allow it to have three or four participants.
As usual the WWE has a story line, and that is Reigns ex-teammate Seth Rollins, who owns an instant option on a title match and could conceivably cash in his chance at Wrestlemania 31, after Lesnar and Reigns have clashed, he can defeat the exhausted champion and take the belt. Though it would be a colossal endorsement of Lesnar, the scenario that Lesnar defeats Reigns to keep the belt and then loses it to Rollins and his “Authority” team, setting up Lesnar for a return battle next year after a UFC run. That is what Lesnar would want, but it is hard to see that happening after all they have invested in Reigns. Reigns may defeat Lesnar, but whether he has the belt is another story.
The other highly anticipated match on the docket is between Triple H, the WWE’s 15-time former champion, and Sting, the legendary wrestler who is making his first appearance with the WWE. Sting is the most decorated wrestler to never spend time with the WWE, and his appearance now is met with him a BIG favorite (-600) over Triple H, who is not only a former champion, he is the company’s COO and one of the drivers behind the Authority group that is a massive part of the story line. The common thinking is that Triple H will do what is best for business, and that is a match that sees Sting come out on top. Triple H has the ability to lose this fight but still be part of the Authority faction which has multiple story lines in play.
Not the least of which goes down in the match between Seth Rollins and Randy Orton. This one is coming in practically even at the books, with Rollins perhaps a slight favorite in some places. Rollins has been one of the WWE’s hardest working superstars of late. Orton is a long time top shelf star and a win for Rollins would be considered a resume builder. Should Orton win, Rollins can still cash in the “money in the bank” instant title fight contract that he owns and walk away from Wrestlemania with the World title.
On a historical note, the legendary wrestler The Undertaker could be making his last appearance at Wrestlemania as he faces the challenge of Bray Wyatt. Wyatt is looking to capture the spot of WWE “Storyteller” and he has the microphone chops to do it. He is much more edgy and modern than Undertaker, whose gimmick is stale. Wyatt is favored to walk away from this one with the win, but do not rule out a “Sting vs Undertaker” match at Wrestlemania 32.
