4. Roman Reigns Wins The WWE World Heavyweight Championship
The end of WrestleMania 31 saw Roman Reigns withstand the full force of Brock Lesnar, mounting a comeback and appearing well on his way to doing the unthinkable by defeating the Beast and winning his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship. It was a classic performance by one of the most polarizing stars leading into the show, one that earned him some respect and good will with an audience that was desperate not to see him capture the gold. At the same time, WWE risked Reigns' credibility as the face of the company. That loss, after months of buildup, was tantamount to letting the air out of the balloon. Booking him in a feud with Big Show in the weeks that have followed the event has done little to help him maintain momentum following the biggest and best match of his career. This leaves Reigns in a sticky situation, one that has a single solution: WWE continues to build him up over the next year, carefully booking his every match and feud, culminating with the accomplishment of his dream to win the heavyweight title of the world. On a show sure to feature numerous part-time competitors and industry giants, crowning Reigns the undisputed face of sports entertainment's future will be the surest way to announce to the entire world that he is, in fact, the guy.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
