Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley: Extreme Rules’ Unwanted Match

Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley continue to have issues in WWE. Both men keep ending up in the same place at the same time and when they do, it never seems to end well. Reigns wants Brock Lesnar but Lashley wants the exact same thing. Fans knew it would lead to a match eventually and they were right. Reigns and Lashley will face off at Extreme Rules on July 15

This is a feud that should be working. Reigns and Lashley are two big powerhouse main event stars that should be setting WWE on fire right now. But no matter how often they come face to face, it falls flat. Their level of intensity is off the charts but that doesn’t make a difference. Each man is saying all the right things to the other but no one seems to care. This feud is dead in the water.

It didn’t have to be this way of course. On paper, Roman Reigns versus Bobby Lashley looks good. It looks more than good, it looks great. There’s no reason why fans should shun this. This is a feud of the year candidate just waiting to happen. On paper.

Watch Reigns and Lashley face The Revival on Raw:

Roman Reigns & Bobby Lashley vs. The Revival: Raw, July 2, 2018

But in reality, this was perhaps doomed from the start. Roman Reigns has done everything except walk through fire to prove himself in the company. He’s given everything he has in the ring. Roman passed the Ric Flair litmus test because he has bled, sweat and paid the price. No one in WWE has arguably worked harder over the past few years than Roman has. But it’s just not enough.

Reigns’ critics hate him. More importantly, they love to hate him. Roman is Public Enemy No. 1 and there is just no changing that. Some believe that WWE will eventually move on from Reigns and go in a different direction. Why not just let it go and find someone else? After all, WWE is full of talent and any one of them may have what it takes to rise up. Has the time come to change course?

But WWE has shown no real signs of making that happen. Roman is still the top guy and as long as he is, he needs strong competition to remain sharp. That’s where Bobby Lashley comes in. Lashley is a great opponent for Reigns because they match up so well physically. Lashley is a veteran and can likely teach Roman a few things between the ropes. Roman can lend some spotlight to Lashley in the process, which means it’s a win for both men.

Of course the common denominator here is Lesnar. The Beast Incarnate has yet to meet his match in the ring. The closest anyone has come to shutting him down was Goldberg and Lesnar ultimately won that feud. Fans have a very short wish list of guys that could step up to challenge him and Bobby Lashley is on it.

But in order to logically get there, Lashley had to start rubbing elbows with top talents. So, crossing paths with The Big Dog made sense then and it makes sense now. The two men couldn’t work on the same program without eventually running into each other. It was bound to happen sometime.

Watch Reigns and Lashley react to news of their upcoming match:

Roman Reigns will face Bobby Lashley at WWE Extreme Rules: Raw, July 2, 2018

However fans have a problem with Lashley as well. He’s not received the best of reactions so far even though he has tried to connect. He should be popular. Bobby has a good personality, he’s a legitimate tough guy and he’s a familiar face. Unlike other Superstars that have come and gone, Lashley has remained highly visible in the business and performed at a main event level all over the world.

Of course feuding with Sami Zayn didn’t do Lashley any favors. The storyline between them was weak, the payoff was disappointing and fans couldn’t wait for it to end. Perhaps that’s why Lashley has fallen behind, which is not a good thing for the company. WWE needs him strong and he’s just not there yet.

Brock Lesnar may not be around but that doesn’t mean WWE cannot prepare for him. There seems to be no one on the roster that’s even remotely ready to challenge Brock other than Roman and Braun Strowman. Braun is Mister Money in the Bank and he seems to be the heir apparent to Lesnar. But he couldn’t take the Universal Championship from Brock before, what makes anyone think the result would be different now?

But while WWE continues to book Reigns and Lashley in one awkward situation after another, many fans are already looking past Bobby. Lashley may have respect for everything he’s done throughout his career, but he doesn’t seem to be the man that fans want to see collide with Roman Reigns. That man is Drew McIntyre.

McIntyre looks like a champion. Like Lashley, Drew spent his time away from WWE working on a main event level. He honed his craft. He gained a world of confidence. Drew McIntyre may not have been the Chosen One but he did choose to keep working hard. The McIntyre that returned to WWE is not the same one that left. This McIntyre seems to truly be ready for the spotlight.

Watch Reigns and Rollins battle McIntyre and Ziggler on Raw:

Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre: Raw, July 2, 2018

But even though fans want to see him feud with Roman, the fact is Drew should not be rushed. If WWE moves too fast with him, then he could fail. No amount of hatred toward Roman would be able to salvage Drew McIntyre if the Scot goes above his station right now. Fans are already dealing with a top guy that they feel was pushed too hard upon them.

However that top guy has work to do against Bobby Lashley at Extreme Rules. It may not be the feud that fans wanted to see but it’s the one they’re getting. The good news is that when these two lock up on July 15, both Reigns and Lashley will be ready to prove that WWE has the best two guys in that spot.

They will give maximum effort because that’s what they do. One of these men may take the Universal Championship from Brock Lesnar. But first they will wage war at Extreme Rules, whether fans like it or not.

 

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, YouTube, iHeart Radio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com