Roman Reigns’ WrestleMania 34 Loss: What Does it Mean?

Roman Reigns failed to capture the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34. He gave Brock Lesnar all he had but in the end, it just wasn’t good enough. The Big Dog came up short while The Beast Incarnate remained invincible.

This was surely not what the WWE faithful expected. Reigns’ journey through the company led him to this moment. WrestleMania was supposed to be the night he finally conquered his demon in Lesnar. But instead he was conquered by Lesnar and now fans are wondering what in the world is going on.

Even Reigns’ critics are surely asking why. Why build a guy to that degree, only to give him a loss when it counts the most? Reigns is hated and many don’t want to see him on top. But it’s impossible to deny that the next chapter of his story would only logically have begun with a victory over Lesnar.

Absolute DESTRUCTION by the #UniversalChampion.#WrestleMania @BrockLesnar pic.twitter.com/X6cvCZChx9

— WWE (@WWE) April 9, 2018

But maybe that’s the point. WrestleMania 34 was full of surprises. WWE actually caught the fans off guard more than once and this match was no different. Rather than give the crowd what it expected, the company did the exact opposite.

Of course that same crowd delivered “boring” chants down on the match and even passed around a beach ball during the last half of it. It’s safe to say that even though the crowd believed the end wasn’t in doubt, they had no desire to watch it unfold. But that changed when Reigns was busted open.

Suddenly everyone watched the ring once again. A bloody Reigns had a surge of energy and fought back against The Beast, but to no avail. It took six F-5’s to put Roman down. Lesnar left with the title. Roman left beaten. It’s not what fans expected but it’s what many of them wanted. Was that the plan all along?

Roman is nearly untouchable on TV. He runs the yard every week on Monday Night Raw. He’s usually successful on the monthly events as well. But when it comes to the big matches, the ones that he really needs to win, he can’t make it happen. So is this the company’s way of acknowledging his hatred among the fans?

Could it be that WWE understands Roman’s problem when it comes to connecting as a babyface? Fans have assumed that the company either didn’t realize there was an issue, or just didn’t care. But what if that is not the case? What if Reigns keeps going down this road? Is he really the top guy right now or is that just a smokescreen?

A heartbreaking ending for @WWERomanReigns…#WrestleMania in New Orleans has been good to @BrockLesnar. pic.twitter.com/aAPeXau8Ax

— WWE (@WWE) April 9, 2018

Reigns cannot win the big one. This is who he has become. At this point his character will surely be desperate. Would he perhaps be so desperate that he’s willing to do anything to get past Lesnar? Some believe that Reigns should turn heel and that Paul Heyman should facilitate that turn. Lesnar’s win at WrestleMania 34 seems to invalidate that take but is that true?

Roman Reigns is the man in WWE. There is no question about it. But it’s obvious that something else is going on behind the scenes as it pertains to his main event run. WrestleMania may be over but The Big Dog’s story is just beginning.

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