5 WrestleMania 34 opponents for Roman Reigns instead of Brock Lesnar

Anybody who has watched WWE regularly for the past couple of years knows what is coming for us in the main event of WrestleMania 34: Roman Reigns standing tall over a UFC destined Brock Lesnar holding the Universal Championship.

This is almost a guaranteed sight but what if the rising Braun Strowman is the one standing over the "Beast Incarnate" as the night ends? Where would that leave the "Big Dog"? Here are several directions that Reigns could realistically head in April.

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#5 Samoa Joe

Could Samoa Joe topple Reigns under the big lights?

Let’s start with a match that seems the least likely owing to Samoa Joe's injury, but could potentially steal the show at WrestleMania. Reigns vs Joe was a feud that dominated Monday Night Raw for the majority of Reigns’ run as Intercontinental Champion. There were times when it seemed like Joe was going to win the title, but we all had that feeling that he wouldn't get a big win over Reigns while the belt was on the line.

Without a championship up for grabs, this would be a match that could swing either way. Joe was on his A-game after coming back from injury in late 2017, with both promos and matches that were averaging at three stars or more. It was as if he had found his stride in the WWE.

Reigns is the perfect foil to Joe being the true heel that he is. This match doesn't even need to be built. Let these guys go in an extreme rules match to become the number one contender for the Universal Championship and you have the match of the night at WrestleMania. While it does seem a little bizarre to have a #1 contender match at WrestleMania, it will allow WWE to get everyone on the match card without overcrowing the title bouts.

#4 Seth Rollins

Could the Shield Brothers burn it down at WrestleMania?

This match is my personal favourite, especially after the Royal Rumble. Reigns throwing out his fellow Shield member that early in the match, especially after just working together to eliminate other superstars, initiates the perfect narrative for this match.

The question could be posed “Who goes heel for the match?” but I don't believe there needs to be a true heel turn. Reigns should ideally play the heel in this story due to his use of the power game, but they can both remain faces. Rollins has been in the Royal Rumble twice and was eliminated by his Shield-brother both times. We have also only gotten one true one-on-one match between these two on a big stage at Money in the Bank 2016.

That match, in my opinion, was fantastic and deserves to happen at WrestleMania. Dean Ambrose could even play a factor in the build, getting upset at Reigns for seemingly only using the Shield when it benefits him. This match should be a straight-up one-on-one match with no stipulations, just bad blood between brothers.

#3 Goldberg

Superman Punch, Spear vs Spear, Jackhammer?

Ever since Roman Reigns and Goldberg went face to face, leading to a wonderful double spear to Braun Strowman, this has been a match that is just waiting to happen. Goldberg has not been seen since the Raw after WrestleMania 33, and he wasn't even featured on the show. He was in a post-Raw video, talking to the crowd and thanking them for his last run.

However, with Goldberg being the head of the Hall of Fame class this year, we could see him on Monday nights very soon. All that has to be done is have Goldberg come out claiming to be unstoppable, and have Reigns come out to interrupt him. Have maybe two more meetings on a Raw, followed up by a hard-hitting 5-10 match at WrestleMania, with Reigns getting the nod and having another legend's name under his belt.

#2 Randy Orton

Reigns Empire vs Viperville?

When Raw and SmackDown Live first re-entered the brand split, my mind went straight to the matches between the Superstars of both brands at WrestleMania that used to happen in the previous brand split. I'm talking about matches like Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels that would have never happened because Michaels was a Raw superstar and Angle was a SmackDown superstar.

Fast forward to 2018, where we could have Kurt Angle and Daniel Bryan naming their best superstars to face off in order to see who has the more superior brand. Kurt Angle could name Roman Reigns, allowing Daniel Bryan to name Randy Orton, which would lead to an epic one-on-one showdown at WrestleMania. There is a backstory here as well because "The Viper" was also Reigns’ first big singles victory after the Shield broke up.

That match happened at SummerSlam 2014. Two years ago, Orton eliminated Reigns in the Royal Rumble while this year it was Reigns who eliminated Orton. This match would probably see Reigns going over (like any other match Reigns would have at WrestleMania) but you never know...

#1 Tag Team match

The Shield vs The Bar vs The Woken Wyatts?

While realistic, this is going to be the most out of left field matches on the list. Let's say that Strowman wins the Elimination Chamber, leaving Reigns with nothing to do for WrestleMania. WWE can have Reigns in the ring talking the night after, telling the fans that he should have been going to the main event, but now he's left with nothing.

Out comes the Bar to mock Reigns for not having a match at WrestleMania. Have them beat down Reigns until, you guessed it, Rollins comes out to save the day. This is now leading to a Raw Tag Team Championship match at WrestleMania for the Bar and the Shield.

Imagine a third team entering the scene. A newly formed team of “Woken” Matt Hardy and a Bray Wyatt who had Sister Abigail deleted from him at Elimination Chamber will come as a mighty surprise. This would be an entertaining triple threat tag team match with multiple combustible elements, plus this is the match that I would not have Reigns win. Let Hardy and Wyatt win, leading to a dominant run as tag champs.

So, while we all know that WrestleMania 34 is the place where "The Beast Incarnate" is slain by the "Big Dog", these are five realistic alternatives that one would like to see.

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