WrestleMania 33 Preview: The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns

The result of the battle between the big dogs may seem like a forgone conclusion, but with The Undertaker, nothing is for certain.

No other match on the Wrestlemania card may elicit more fan reaction than Roman Reigns versus The Undertaker. While the WWE would like you to believe that this match is about who’s “yard” it is, the perception is that Roman should destroy Undertaker and be doused in an everlasting wave of boos. The result would undoubtedly turn The Big Dog into a huge heel, right?

Not so fast.

Roman Reigns is still the WWE’s future top superstar. Vince McMahon’s own version of Batman is a super smug, overly confident, superhero with a misunderstood fan base. Fans want to boo Reigns for being good at his job like Gotham citizens want to blame Batman for the crime in their city. Simply put, turning Roman Reigns into a true heel just by beating The Undertaker is a waste unless he plans on joining a certain unnamed faction led by a guy named Hunter.

After being eliminated from the Royal Rumble, The Undertaker certainly has a gripe with Roman Reigns, but realistically, each outing for The Phenom gets more questionable. Fans already know that the torch belongs to Roman. No need for a coronation. For a match that seems limited on paper, there are several possible outcomes.

Scenario 1 — Undertaker uses heel tactics to beat Roman Reigns. We’ve seen this before with Brock Lesnar and the low blow. Taker has yet to get his hands on Reigns despite being on the receiving end of a spear a few weeks ago. Could Taker be that desperate? How would the crowd react? Does a heel turn for Undertaker help Reigns gain any fan sympathy?

Scenario 2 — Roman wins after two spears and a counter Superman Punch after Undertaker’s failed Tombstone attempts. The best scenario for fans would be for WWE to tell the story of Taker not being able to hit Reigns with just one Tombstone for the win. Undertaker’s moveset is great for Roman to counter and hit the Superman Punch.

Scenario 3 — Undertaker wins after Roman passes out from Hell’s Gate. No one can deny that both Roman Reigns and The Undertaker are great brawlers. The match will benefit from being extremely physical. Watch for Taker to counter the Spear into a Hell’s Gate finish. Does Roman attack Taker out of frustration after the match?

Scenario 4 — Reigns barely wins via Spear, but continues to attack Taker after the match. Roman could go full heel resulting with Taker being put on a stretcher. Would fans actually cheer this?

The Undertaker doesn’t have many more, if any, matches left in the tank, and Roman Reigns is going to get a huge negative reaction if he wins. With the rumored Lesnar vs. Reigns match being created for Wrestlemania 34, it would make sense for Roman to actually lose and build his way back up to Brock next year.

My prediction: Scenario 3 — Taker wins via submission but Reigns delivers a brutal beatdown after the match.