10 Wrestling Matches Much Better Than Their Reputations
8. Roman Reigns Vs. Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania 34)
Though not quite on the same level as the electric WWE Title fight Reigns and Lesnar worked three years prior, this remains a compelling big theatre slugfest sullied by a horrendous live crowd.
It was a problem of WWE's creation. The complete botch that was Roman's quest to become 'The Guy' was so long, drawn out, and tedious that everyone was exhausted by the time it hit its expected conclusion. Tired of being fed nothing but sh*t for close to four years, the WrestleMania 34 attendees treated 'The Big Dog's' apparent coronation with indifference, creating a grim, library-like atmosphere for the what WWE had tried to paint as 2018's biggest match.
A gladiatorial spectacle played out through WWE's maximalist finisher shootout format, it told the simple story of two big boys dropping big bombs until one of them couldn't get up anymore. Was Roman kicking out of 500 F-5s excessive? Absolutely, but nobody is claiming the bout was perfect. It's a stiff, hard-hitting slog rife with ragdoll bumping and selling, enhanced by deliberate bloodletting and announce table spots, but ultimately betrayed by a toxic atmosphere.