10 Expectations Vs. Reality For WWE WrestleMania 38

2. Roman Reigns Vs. Brock Lesnar

Steve Austin Expectation Reality
WWE.com

Expectation:

F*cking hell, Roman Reigns Vs. Brock Lesnar again?

This is the third time they've ran this, what do they think it is, Austin Vs. The Rock? Christ. It's so boring at this point. The match won't even be any good. The barricade will get broken somehow, Roman will cut a monologue during a dull spot, and then he'll take about 800 Germans before winning in the end. Sigh. Can't WWE think of something else other than this? It's been seven years. Rock and Austin was a better trilogy, and they wrapped it in four.

Reality:

Beyond some terrible editing in worn Attitude Era-adjacent angles, this feud has been top WWE tier. Lesnar is a riot as the jolly hard man psychopath, and Roman's character work is significantly better than his 2020 monologues. Playing the role of a man whose facade of dominance is slipping, his aggressive blow-ups and defensive jokes are fantastic, unique, and entertaining ways of showing ass just as the monster puts him in the corner.

The match will be tremendous. This version of Roman Reigns is fantastic, and a worthy equal to Brock. This was always the core issue with a dynamic WWE insisted upon.

The catharsis of Paul Heyman taking an F5 into the Spear near-fall will thrill even the most jaded fan watching just because it's WrestleMania.

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!