[Report] Backstage Details On WWE's Initial Plans For Roman Reigns Vs Brock Lesnar
After narrowly getting past John Cena in the main event of SummerSlam 2021, Roman Reigns will now rekindle his feud with Brock Lesnar.
Reigns had little time to enjoy his title defense. As he stood over Cena in the ring, Lesnar suddenly appeared, ending a WWE hiatus that lasted almost 17 months. The two men briefly stared down one another in the ring before Reigns and Paul Heyman ultimately (Lesnar's longtime manager) left for backstage.
After SummerSlam went off the air, Lesnar suplexed Cena before delivering his F5 finisher. This was Lesnar's first televised appearance since day two of WrestleMania 37, when he lost the WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre.
Apparently, this was not the original plan for the next installment of the Reigns-Lesnar rivalry.
On Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingInc.com), Dave Meltzer reported that the initial plan was for WWE to run Lesnar vs Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 39 — slated for Apr. 2, 2023 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Another plan was for Reigns to face The Rock at WrestleMania 38 in Arlington, Texas.
But the decision was made to fast-track the next chapter of Reigns-Lesnar. The match is now likely to take place at either Crown Jewel (Oct. 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) or Survivor Series (Nov. 21 in Brooklyn, New York).
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It was previously reported that Lesnar wasn't part of the plans for SummerSlam 2021, but things obviously changed. Lesnar and Reigns have already had two main event programs, but now it's time for the trilogy, which should easily go down as the greatest installment.
The Last Lesnar Vs Reigns Match
Lesnar and Reigns last squared off one-on-one at SummerSlam 2018. Reigns, then a babyface, ended Lesnar's 503-day run — which stands as the longest Universal title reign to date.
But the times have changed drastically. Lesnar debuted a new look and appears to be a babyface who will presumably work without Heyman. Reigns now works as a heel, and the company has been pushed him as their marquee superstar for a year now.
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