The wrestling staff of Back Sports Page have carefully selected what they believe to be the top 41 matches in WrestleMania history. Presented in chronological order, this series will detail the backstory, match review, and aftermath of each match, along with how the outcomes shaped the careers of those involved.
Backstory: Roman Reigns was a rising star in the WWE. He has unrivaled success with the Shield and won the 2015 Royal Rumble. But there was one small problem. The fans weren’t on board with the Tribal Chief. Therefore, Reigns agrees to put his No. 1 contendership on the line at Fastlane. He faces off against Daniel Bryan and beats him handily, setting up a match with Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar was the WWE World Heavyweight champion at the time, demolishing superstars like John Cena and Seth Rollins. Of course, he had his hypeman and manager, Paul Heyman, with him. This was in the midst of rampant speculation that the Beast Incarnate would return to the UFC (which he didn’t).
This was before Reigns became the biggest box office draw of the modern WWE era, mind you. This was testing the waters to see if the challenger was worthy of being in the WrestleMania main event. How would Reigns fare in his first time?
Match Review: The match was a masterclass in swerves and throwing the audience a curveball. Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns were having a heavyweight battle amongst each other, trading heavy suplexes and slams. Who would win the battle of the mastodons for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship? That’s a good question.
Early on, Lesnar would pull off an F5 on Reigns, setting the tone early. Suddenly, the challenger looked like he was in shambles. The champion would knee Reigns in the gut and set him up for many German suplexes. The Beast Incarnate had his way with the Tribal Chief early on.
Then came the challenger with a push into the ringpost. Lesnar was busted open. Then came a Superman Punch. Then a Spear. Then a Superman Punch, only to be countered by an F5. But wait! Who’s that coming to the ring?
It’s none other than the Money in the Bank winner, Seth Rollins! He’s coming to cash in his contract! He hits the Curb Stomp, only to get caught in an F5. Reigns Spears Lesnar, only to get Curb Stomped by Rollins. This was one of the most chaotic two minutes in WrestleMania history. All of this because of a Money in the Bank cash-in. It defined WrestleMania 31 as a terrific event sealed by suspense and awe from the crowd.
Aftermath:
- Brock Lesnar was chosen by the Authority as the No. 1 contender at WWE Battleground. The Undertaker attacked Lesnar, causing the Beast Incarnate to win by disqualification. He didn’t win the WWE Championship, though. That kicked off “Suplex City,” a gimmick that went over extremely well within the pro wrestling community. Lesnar would face Dean Ambrose at WrestleMania 32 and win.
- Roman Reigns didn’t have to wait long for the WWE Championship. He defeated Triple H at WrestleMania 32 to become the champion. Reigns would adapt his Tribal Chief gimmick years later, holding the title for 1,316 days before losing to Cody Rhodes.
- Seth Rollins lost to Randy Orton earlier that night. However, he would also win the United States Championship during his WWE Championship reign, all thanks to Jon Stewart. Sadly, the Architect would tear his MCL and ACL during a WWE Live Event in Dublin, Ireland. As a result, he would relinquish the title.
Featured Articles
Featured Writers
