Brock Lesnar & Roman Reigns Top 5 Important Matches

With Wrestlemania approaching rapidly I figured I would do a piece to lead up to the event, I usually have from favourite matches to favourite Wrestlemanias. This time I wanted to focus on the main event, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match with the Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns challenging the current reigning and defending WWE World Heavyweight Champion The Conqueror, the Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar.  ;-)

My focus is going to be mainly on Lesnar as he is the champ after all, I figured I would do a top 5 matches for Lesnar, this obviously includes his original 2002 – 2004 run and his current run too, however to start with there will be a little focus on the challenger and his rise towards the top of the WWE with a top 5 for him too, these matches will be in no particular order and will mainly be Shield matches to be honest.

Big Boss’s - Roman Reigns Top 5

5. Elimination Chamber 2014

The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family
This match had been built for felt like a decade, we knew these guys had to go to war and they did, oh boy they did. The crowd was more than ready for these guys to face off and with both teams being really over with the crowd and when it all kicked off the crowd were electric. Despite the fact that the Shield lost it did go a long way to making Reigns look good, he did withstand the 3 on 1 onslaught for a bit before being brought down by Bray Wyatt.

4. Summerslam 2014

Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton
This of course was Reigns first major singles match at a PPV in WWE and also since the split of the Shield. Orton is such a great performer and could make a broom look good and he continued that with Reigns by doing the job for him in this match, giving Reigns real credibility as he defeated a former WWE champion.

 3. Payback 2014

NO HOLDS BARRED Match Elimination– Evolution vs. The Shield
This was the final match of The Shield, many people saw this as a major win for The Shield as Evolution is one of the biggest factions of all time and to go over 3 MAJOR superstars in such a great match didn’t just push Reigns but Rollins and Ambrose too. This showcased that all 3 members of the Shield were ready for the main even scene in WWE, all getting chance to showcase themselves against 3 of the best of all time.

2. Fastlane 2015

#1 Contenders Match – Daniel Bryan vs Roman Reigns
Now this wasn’t a match I was looking forward to because I knew Bryan wouldn’t win, now anyone who knows me knows I’m not a big D-Bry fan, but even I wanted him in the main event of Wrestlemania over Reigns. However Bryan did manage to carry Reigns to a solid main event match to get him set for the main event of the big show itself. This match in theory gave Reigns the needed credibility to move onto the Wrestlemania main event after being turned on by the majority of the WWE universe during the Royal Rumble match the month before.

1.       Monday Night Raw April 22^nd 2013
 6-Man Tag Team Match – The Shield vs. Team Hell No & The Undertaker

Now this was a hard choice for me, Team Hell No & Undertaker or Brothers of Destruction & Daniel Bryan, went with the first option, as you can tell and let me tell you it wasn’t easy. Anyway this match gets in the top 5 because this match got the Undertaker in a match that wasn’t at Wrestlemania and also showed how much WWE were commited to making these guys in the Shield seem legitimately tough and dominant by having them go over 3 of the biggest stars in the company one of which is a legend in WWE. Daniel Bryan takes the pin here but still, counts as a victory over the Undertaker at the end of the day.

Ok, now that shows my personal choice for important / top Roman Reigns matches, now in the words of the Blazin Squad, lets “Flip Reverse” it.

WWE Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar has been a dominant force in everything he has done, from NCAA Heavyweight Wrestling champion to WWE champion all the way to UFC Heavyweight champion.  His initial run as “The Next Big Thing” back in 2002 saw him dominate the top names in the business at that time, Hulk Hogan, The Rock and The Undertaker to name a few. This gave him huge credibility and his awesome displays of power and speed gave him such a unique look with a huge level of mystique as Paul Heyman took the role of voice box for Lesnar to begin with.

So again in no real order my top 5 Brock Lesnar matches.

5. Summerslam 2002

WWE Championship match – The Rock vs Brock Lesnar
Now this match is probably one of my favourite of all time anyway, so obvious it was going to be in this list. Such a great build up and such a great show from both guys to, to the conclusion of Brock Lesnar winning his first WWE title within months of his WWE debut. I would summarise this match for you in two words, “Brock Bottom”.

4. No Mercy 2002

WWE Championship match – Hell In a Cell – Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
If any match solidified Lesnar as the baddest man on the planet, this was the match, both men looked like death after this match and it got extreme to say the least. Of course Lesnar managed to fight off the challenge from the Undertaker to retain the WWE title, ending the show standing on top of the Cell holding up the WWE title, such an amazing visual and showed Lesnar’s rise to the top of the mountain.

3 . Smackdown 2002 (DATE??)

#1 Contenders match- Hulk Hogan vs. Brock Lesnar

This match was just a beatdown by the end of it, this is the first time a Hogan match had been stopped by the ref as Hogan was unable to continue. This then incurred the monsters wrath as he levelled Hogan and then proceeded to wipe Hogan’s blood across his chest, what a visual, nearly as impactful as the end of No Mercy against the Undertaker. He had destroyed Hulkamania, no one in the crowd could believe it and he beat him convincingly too. This was Lesnar’s last stop before Summerslam where he would beat the Rock for the WWE title.

 
2.       Summerslam 2014
WWE World Heavyweight Championship match – John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar
Now this match was a beautiful thing to behold, he dominated Cena like no one has ever before and then he won. Cena got two moves in I think and neither could put the monster away. He was fresh from the greatest upset in WWE history and continued the streak with this showcase of just how strong Lesnar is, counting 16 German suplexes throughout the match. It was so dominant a performance from Lesnar that it actually “Broke” our stream of the show!!! Thats power people!!
 
1. Wrestlemania 30
Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker

This is the match that has been the signature match of Lesnar’s since his return, he faced Punk, HHH and Cena but this is the match that has blasted him into space. He actually beat the Undertaker, the crowd were so shocked it was actually unreal and by god whoever bet money on Lesnar to win (Vince Mac ;-D) was laughing all the way to collect his winnings. This match showed Lesnar as an actual monster who could beat even the best in their home turf so this match is without a doubt the #1 most important match of Lesnar’s career

Now over to my tag team partner from SOS, 12ve-PAC for his take on the Brock Lesnar / Roman Reigns star matches. I’m out.... Peace.

BROCK LESNAR!!!!!!

5) Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker – Hell in a Cell Match – WWE Championship No Mercy 2002

This match remains to be one of my favourite Hell in a Cell matches ever. The match was a brutal, bloody and physical battle between the old guard and the new breed. Up to this point Brock Lesnar had been tearing through the competition in WWE. Beating the Rock in the same year for the championship. Defeating the undertaker in this match cemented his character into the history of the company. It is one of the most important matches in the history of Brock Lesnar.

4) Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle – WWE Championship WrestleMania XIX 2003

Simply one of the best technical matches that you will ever see in WWE. The build up to this match was fantastic, with momentum swinging back and forth between in the two superstars right up until the main event of WrestleMania 19. By this point, Lesnar had built his reputation as one of the best pure athletes in the company. However he had not come up against someone with a similar background.  

It took one of the most amazing moves in wrestling to put Kurt Angle away. In This match represented passing the torch with both competitors coming from amateur backgrounds. Although Lesnar won the championship the shooting star press, which ear done many times before, had almost knocking out after we landed on his head. He managed to finish the match and continue is domination at the WWE.

3) Brock Lesnar vs John Cena – WWE World Heavyweight Championship SummerSlam 2014

Everyone knew this match was going to be on my list. I mean come on, how can you not be? This match proved but the beast was not just some overnight comeback. There is never been a more dominant display over defending champion, that I can remember, in history of the company. I had the pleasure of watching this match Live on pay-per-view with the DSC.

I can’t remember John Cena even getting a look in during this match. Also Lesnar’s amazing feet of 16 German suplexes in one match was visually, one of the most awesome, things I have ever seen. But it was not only the dominance of the challenger over the champion that made this match good enough to be one of the most important matches in lessons WWE career it was also the start of a new era. This Match was the first major match for the WWE network since WrestleMania and perhaps outshone Daniel Bryan’s win at WrestleMania 30. The beast was back.

2) Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker – WrestleMania XXX Beast vs Streak

If we are talking about career defining moments then this match has to be right up there in the list. The only reason it doesn’t make number one is because I believe that my number one choice made Brock Lesnar’s is career.

The streak had become, up to this point, as much of a main event at wrestlemania as the actual main event. In previous years there are even being tournaments to see you would face the Phenom at the event. It was going to need someone or something very powerful to break the streak. Brock Lesnar stepped up to take the challenge and succeeded where 21 times other people had failed.

After an epic match, Brock was the only superstar to beat The Undertaker at WrestleMania and became the one in 21 – 1. This ultimately lead to the match that number three in the list when he regained the WWE World heavyweight Championship and has become one of the most dominant forces in history of the company.

1) Brock Lesnar vs The Rock – SummerSlam 2002 – Undisputed WWE Championship

This simply has to be the match that made the career of Brock Lesnar. having won the King of the Ring (still think this needs to return as a PPV) Lesnar was guaranteed a title shot against the Undisputed Champion and that happened to be the Rock. It was no secret that the rock was leaving the squared circle for awhile and that he was going to Hollywood (which would later turn out to be one of the best characters in recent memory) and so it was time for “The Next Big Thing” to arrive.

With Lesnar booked as the dominant heel and the Rock as the peoples champion this was always going to be, to quote J.R. “a good, old fashioned, barn burner”. It played out exactly as it should have done with Brock Lesnar looking strong and the Rock leading the way. Throughout the match the people turned on the “Peoples Champ” and this took the Rock off his game and allowed Lesnar to hit the F5 for his first ever championship.

Not only was it his first championship Lesnar became the youngest ever WWE champion in the history of the company at the time and he remained dominant until Survivor series that same year as Paul Heyman turned on Brock to cost him the championship with a loss to Big Show.

ROMAN REIGNS:

5) The Shield vs Team Hell No & The Undertaker - 6 Man Tag RAW 22/04/13

A solid match and the first time in a couple of years that The Undertaker had been in action on Raw after his storied and historic Streak match at Wrestlemania. The match was good and all had some high spots, but it was the ending that will stick in my mind. The shield triple powerbombed the Undertake through the announce table. this was the point that I really started to get behind the shield. I mean come one, when was the last time we saw 3 rookies decimate the Undertaker like this.

4) Roman Reigns wins the Rumble - Royal Rumble 2015

After an immense showing at the 2014 Royal Rumble with the crowd behind him and the shield at the time, only to lose out to a returning Batista. He also broke Kane’s 13 year record of most eliminations in one Royal Rumble that year too. Fast forward 1 year and the landscape looks a lot different, the shield are no more and the crowd are firmly behind a new peoples champion in Daniel Bryan.

I have an inkling (literally, I have a wacom inkling!) that this may be as a repercussion of last years event where a part timer, Batista, won the rumble and “People Power” didn’t win the officials over. It also led to CM Punk leaving the company too. So with officials shoving Roman Reigns down our throats every week, the people once again turned on a once fan favourite.

This is one of Reins most important matches. He not only won the Royal Rumble, but he handled the pressure of a fan turn like a pro. He also had the power for WWE fans to call for a boycott of the network because he won the match. Makes me laugh how ridiculous some WWE fans are :) I have been watching a lot of oldskool WWE on the network #9.99, and it never ceases to amuse me when American fans chant USA to get Bret Hart (Canadian) going after a beating! LOL! Get over it and get on with your lives… I like Roman, he’s a tough competitor and with a little mic work he could be the Next, Next Big Thing :)

3) Roman Reigns vs Daniel Bryan - Fast Lane 2015  #1 Contender match

After the backlash of the Royal Rumble, WWE was wise to cement their decision with a match that would showcase Reigns as a contender for the top spot in the company. Cue a showdown with many peoples pick to win the Rumble in 2015, Daniel Bryan. Looking down the list of matches, almost all of Reigns’ important moments have involved the “yes! Man”.

With Bryan in this match the WWE and Reigns couldn't fail. the match itself was pretty epic and made a great conclusion to the very first Fast Lane PPV. The whole point of the match was to justify Reigns winning the Royal Rumble, as well as suggesting the possibility that he's ready to face Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania. Bryan demonstrated that he could dominate and control a match just by using technical skill and submissions, while Reigns demonstrated that he was tough enough to withstand Bryan's submission holds and use force more so than simply countering a move to break out of them (something he might use in his match against Lesnar). The match itself was predictable, and it's clear who McMahon is pushing to be his next top babyface. Bryan carried Reigns into a very good match and it was the best 1 on the whole show.

2) The Shield vs Team Hell No - Extreme Rules 2013 Tag Team Championship

A candidate for match of the night was later outshined by a longer, more hyped match, but the energy of the tag team title match was stirring. The fun that is the chaos of The Shield continued here, with just Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins fighting this time. Both teams showed off great cohesion and chemistry.

While Daniel Bryan held Rollins in the surfboard hold, Kane came in and kicked him. The Shield showed similar moments of great teamwork. Bryan captured Reigns in the No! Lock, a move that caused the big man to be unable to lift his arm or to capitalize on a spear to Kane. Reigns fought through the pain to pick Bryan up in a torture rack hold while Rollins came crashing down with a knee. Like The Shield's WrestleMania 29 match, had this gone on a little longer, it would have even better and earned instant-classic status.

Finally losing the titles gives Kane and Daniel Bryan the opportunity to go their separate ways. Will they part ways amicably or will Kane blame Bryan for being the weak link? Either way, Extreme Rules was the coronation of The Shield, marking their first title wins and giving them something tangible to quantify their dominance.           

1) The Shield vs Team Hell No & Ryback - TLC Match at Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2012

WWE TLC 2012 could be best described as the night when the WWE debut match stole the show. As good as the main event was, this was the match that everyone remembered. Just 1 month prior to this, Roman Reigns arrived on the scene with former ROH Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins, former CZW champion Dean Ambrose. thier first (Un)official action cost both John Cena and Ryback the WWE title in a triple threat match against then champion CM Punk. Roman Reigns and the Shield, had arrived with a bang.

This match blew all expectations out of the water and proved that both individually and as a team, the Shield could hang with the stars. Some of the most memorable bumps include Ambrose being chokeslammed onto an open chair, Roman Reigns spearing Kane through the barricade, and Seth Rollins' fall from the ladder through a bunch of tables, which included a whiplash effect, as the table his head landed on didn't break. At no point was this match boring. It had rhythm and different pacing, but not boring. Awesome match, and awesome debut for Reigns and the Shield.

Well that finishes my long overdue contribution to our annual WrestleMania article in association with The Big Boss @bigboss010 also check out Mike Air and myself on Twitter @siteofshite and on our YouTube channel of the same name for PPV prediction videos as we go past 100 subscribers. Thank for taking the time to read my ramblings and keep you shite tight! Follow us on twitter during the show #DSCMania.