10 Wrestling Matches Better Than They Had Any Right To Be

1. Brock Lesnar Vs. Roman Reigns - WWE WrestleMania 31

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Lesnar was in the nascent stage of his Night Mayor of Suplex City persona, which he coined on this night to crystallise his status as an unstoppably one-dimensional monster.

The match was laid out as expected. Despite Reigns' mega-push, it was inconceivable that Lesnar, having broken The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak and thrashed John Cena in a match which resembled a sickeningly elongated Brooklyn Brawler outing, would enter into a back and forth contest with Vince's pet project.

Therein lied the problem. Fans were so unanimously and vocally opposed to Reigns that the sympathy-generating beatdown tactic was - or at least should have been - compromised before the opening bell. Die-hard cynics were even expecting fans to revolt en masse.

They didn't; Reigns' understated, believable facial expressions, which gave the impression that he was almost enjoying or at least appreciating the pain, belied his perceived status as an identikit product of the Florida Championship Wrestling factory. His eliciting audience sympathy was inconceivable before the opening bell.

The insertion of Seth Rollins added a thrillingly unpredictable dramatic layer, but his first time ever contract cash-in should not define the bout's legacy as the night on which, through an impeccably-paced comeback, Reigns transcended his limitations to gripping effect.

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!