Backstage Update On WWE's Plans For Roman Reigns Vs. Brock Lesnar
Big news on Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns ahead of Crown Jewel 2021.
Don't expect the ongoing feud between Brock Lesnar and WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns to conclude at Crown Jewel 2021.
Per Dave Meltzer in this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE plans on extending the rivalry beyond its latest Saudi Arabian pay-per-view, which takes place in Riyadh on 21 October. The company wants to stretch it beyond the current cycle though as reported earlier, there are plans for Reigns to feud with SmackDown newcomer Drew McIntyre later in the year.
Pushing Reigns vs. Lesnar beyond Crown Jewel may be an act of necessity. SmackDown currently suffers from a dearth of top-level competition, even after the 2021 Draft, with only Lesnar and McIntyre standing out as potential Universal Title contenders. Having Brock occupy Roman for the next few months could give the company the opportunity to build others up as believable competitors.
Reigns has been Universal Champion since August 2020. His reign has now encompassed 404 days and 16 successful defences, with Finn Balor's 'Demon' persona the latest to fall at Extreme Rules 2021 (26 September).
Crown Jewel 2021 will be the first time Reigns and Lesnar have wrestled since SummerSlam 2018, when Reigns first took the Universal belt from his rival.