10 Dumbest Ways WWE Promoted WrestleMania Matches

3. Brock Lesnar Vs. Roman Reigns - WrestleMania 31

R Truth Bad News Barrett
wwe.com

Credit us with a modicum of intelligence, Jesus Christ. Some of us use the word "modicum" to pretend we're intelligent. It is the least you can do.

WWE did not do this on the infamous WrestleMania 31 go-home show, on which Roman Reigns dubiously attempted to prise the WWE World Heavyweight Championship away from Brock Lesnar via tug-of-war. This could not have better reflected the overarching perception of the Roman Reigns character which, while accurate, was also catastrophic.

The fans saw Reigns as an entitled, kiddie-friendly poser.

So, having him attempt to pose with a belt that wasn't his in a visual more befitting a playground was very much the dumbest means possible of getting him over.

"It's mine!" said Lesnar.

"No, it's mine!" said Reigns.

"It's f*cking Brock's, Roman, win it properly and use 46 moves instead of the Spear while you do it!" roared a WWE Universe that needed absolutely no further reason to reject Vince's personal project.

What happened when the show stopped? For how long did they stand in the ring? Did security run out and separate the two men? If one of the men even won the tug-of-war, what would that have proven, anyway? That they were "the hardest"?

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!