For the time being, it seems to be all but confirmed that the main event of WrestleMania 34 will see Brock Lesnar defend his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns. In theory, this match-up makes a lot of sense for a main event. It pits the only two men to defeat The Undertaker at WrestleMania against each other with big stakes and final bragging rights as top dog of WWE on the line. Plus, the last time that Lesnar and Reigns faced off in the main event of WrestleMania, their bout was interrupted by an impromptu Money in the Bank cash-in from Seth Rollins, meaning that The Beast and The Big Dog still have unfinished business with each other. Again, in theory, this match-up makes a lot of sense, but in execution, the Mania rematch is bound to fail.
Roman vs Brock II should work on paper, but as the pieces on the chess board are slowly falling in place, it looks like the sequel might be a flop. The first time around, the match was nearly a flop itself after some underwhelming build-up that amounted to nothing but seeing the two fight over the belt like two children on the go-home RAW. The only thing that saved it was the fact that the match itself exceeded expectations as an entertaining big hoss battle. For the rematch, too many things are falling out of place to expect the two to pull off another miracle. It seems like a forgone conclusion that Mania will close with the image of Reigns winning in yet another coronation attempting to solidify him as the company's top face. Thanks to the critical reactions which Reigns gets, he won't work as a babyface, and WWE are too reluctant to book him as a heel against Brock. Too many factors are pointing towards a predictable, lackluster main event destined to send the fans home annoyed. WWE should be looking for a replacement main event and here are few ideas for matches we'd rather see in the prestigious main event spot.
15 15. Dean Ambrose Vs. Roman Reigns
Admittedly, given how much of a hit that Dean Ambrose's character has taken in the last few months—the guy couldn't even get himself onto the main show of WrestleMania this year—it's going to be hard to push Ambrose hard enough in time to make him a believable Mania main eventer. However, there have been recent rumors circulating that WWE is planning to turn The Lunatic Fringe heel. As we've seen from Ambrose's past work as a heel, if given full range on the mic to be the cold, calculated baddie with a temper we all know he can be, that's all it'll take to make Ambrose feel like a bonafide main event star again. Thanks to his history with his "brother," Roman Reigns, the two would make excellent adversaries in a main event between the two. The first and last time that these two met in the ring against each other was in the main event of Survivor Series 2015, which ended up being a rushed affair and the two could only do so much in less than 10 minutes. If given a respectable amount of time and a big stage, these two should be able to tell a great story.
14 14. Finn Balor Vs. Bray Wyatt
Thanks to Bray Wyatt costing Finn Balor a chance at the IC title on this past RAW, this feud and subsequent match seems to be happening sooner rather than later. However, it is in WWE's best interest to hold off on it for the main event of WrestleMania. Wyatt is on the cusp of becoming the top heel of the RAW brand. Ever since first debuting on the main roster this past summer, WWE has been trying to build Balor as the brand's top face. Put two and two together, put the most maligned bad guy against the most beloved good guy, and we've got ourselves a WrestleMania match. Plus, the auras that these two present during their unique entrances feel awe-inspiring enough. Imagine seeing them back to back on the biggest stage possible. Gives you goosebumps just thinking about it, doesn't it?
13 13. Asuka Vs. Charlotte Flair
This is a total wildcard of a WrestleMania main event that is perhaps the least likely match-up on this list to happen. However, for starters, let's not act like there wouldn't be more intrigue around WrestleMania's first women's main event than Roman vs Brock II. Second, with the skillset of both of these female competitors, it certainly has more likelihood of being a Mania classic than Roman vs Brock. Paul Heyman said in a recent interview that Charlotte Flair is destined to main event WrestleMania one day and it is hard to argue with him. No one else on the women's roster can match The Queen as far as in-ring ability, mic skills, and overall star power; she's the total package. Well, except maybe one woman on the roster, a woman yet to be called up from NXT, the brand's Women's Champion, Asuka.
It's almost a guarantee that Asuka will get called up to the main roster by the end of the year and there is no doubt that she would make a perfect adversary to Charlotte Flair. Asuka is the closest that WWE has to a woman who can match Charlotte Flair as an equal competitor.
12 12. The Rock Vs. Roman Reigns
If WWE is looking for a blockbuster match with a ready-made story, then they should look no further than The Rock vs Roman Reigns. The Samoan bloodline, the failed Royal Rumble appearance...there are plenty of places that WWE can go with this match and no matter which direction they take the story, it is guaranteed to be money. Anything that The Rock puts his name on nowadays has money written all over it. The way The Rock's career is taking off, it doesn't look like The Rock has a whole lot of matches left in him. If he does plan to have one last Mania event hurrah to have, then he should take on his on-screen cousin at WrestleMania. It definitely seems like it would make a more intriguing set-up than another Reigns vs Brock match.
11 11. Bray Wyatt Vs. Brock Lesnar
These two still have unfinished business from last year. Going into WrestleMania 32, Bray Wyatt and his Family had laid out Brock Lesnar on more than one occasion on the road to Mania. WWE were clearly setting up for the two to collide at the event, but before their spots on their card could be announced, Wyatt sustained an untimely injury about a month before the event that kept him off the card entirely. The storybook tale of The Eater of Worlds attempting to slay The Beast once and for all never reached its final chapter. That can be rectified at this year's WrestleMania. Thanks to a breakout late 2016 and early 2017, Wyatt actually feels like more of a legitimate contender that has a believable chance of toppling Lesnar than he did last year. It would be loads of fun to see these two gargantuan trains meet.
10 10. AJ Styles Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 33, Shinsuke Nakamura revealed in an interview his interest to face AJ Styles at the event. Unfortunately, that was not the case as Styles squared up against Shane McMahon instead, while Nakamura did not debut on the main roster until a couple days after The Show of Shows. It certainly isn't too late to have these two square off at Mania, especially when these two have proven to strike gold with each other as opponents before. These two faced off at Wrestle Kingdom 10 (NJPW's version of WrestleMania) and stole the show. The same can happen at WrestleMania 34, but instead of stealing the show this time, these two can just as easily headline the event. Fans are so hungry to see it happen that it almost demands a main event position.
9 9. Chris Jericho Vs. Brock Lesnar
Giving the long running careers of both men, it remains surprising that the two have never fought each other before in any capacity (unless you count that legit post-SummerSlam backstage scuffle from last year). The two have crossed paths in a couple segments over the years, but never in an actual match. The main reason why we'd want to see Lesnar go up against Chris Jericho instead of Roman Reigns is because we want to see Jericho win a WrestleMania main event in his career. Yes, that's right, if Jericho faces Lesnar in the Mania main event, he'd have to win. He deserves a Mania main event win not only for all the work he's put into this business over the last few decades, but after revitalizing his career over the last year. 2016-2017 saw Jericho have the run of his career by completely breathing new life into his once-stagnant character. His best years are starting to wind down as he nears retirement, so he should have one last shining moment in the sun at WrestleMania. What better moment to ride off into the sunset towards than vanquishing The Beast in the main event?
8 8. Seth Rollins Vs. Roman Reigns
Every time Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns tussled in the ring together, it always amounted to a great match. Rollins' quick speed and agility taking on Reigns' brute and inhuman strength always made for terrific chemistry. Add to the fact the two's prior history from their Shield days and post-breakup days, they always tell a compelling story in the ring. They've never had a bad match and always delivered. If WWE wanted a match that was guaranteed to be a fantastic main event, Rollins vs Reigns is the way to go. Yes, it's been done before, but so was Rock vs Austin before WrestleMania XV. Even if a match has been done before prior to Mania, that doesn't mean the competitors won't up the ante and bring their A-game in honor of the Grandest Stage of Them All.
7 7. Samoa Joe Vs. Brock Lesnar
These two physical specimens definitely would make for one intense contest if these two juggernauts were to ever collide. Since arriving on WWE's main roster, Samoa Joe has essentially played the same role that Brock Lesnar would be playing if The Beast Incarnate wrestled on a full-time schedule — the part of an untouchable monster that leaves an unfathomable path of destruction wherever he goes. Not because he has to or even because he wants to, but because he can. Lesnar does this whenever he decides to show up on television, and if he were to cross paths with Samoa Joe, it would undoubtedly be a colossal meeting of the minds. Or perhaps more appropriately, a meeting of brute strength between two men hellbent on destroying each other. The stakes are instantly raised as soon as WrestleMania is set as the arena where these two gladiators bulldoze each other through.
6 6. Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Roman Reigns
When most people think of dream opponents for Shinsuke Nakamura to face on the main roster, Brock Lesnar usually sits at the top of that list for many people. What most people don't know is that the two faced off once before in the main event of NJPW's special January 4th Tokyo Dome show, which works as the company's version of WrestleMania, in 2006. Although Nakamura didn't have his flamboyant King of Strong Style gimmick at the time, a modern rematch would surely create a new dynamic.
But if WWE were looking for a completely fresh match-up for Mania's main event, one pitting two of the hottest acts in WWE right now, Shinsuke Nakamura vs Roman Reigns would be the way to go. Ever since beating The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33, Roman Reigns has remained one of the most hated wrestlers on the roster, and definitely the most hated babyface. Nakamura has been one of the most popular faces since debuting on the main roster on the post-Mania SmackDown show. Considering the in-ring abilities of both men plus the reactions they get, we are bound to get wrestling magic between these two.
5 5. AJ Styles Vs. Brock Lesnar
AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar has been a long debated and hotly anticipated contest that fans have been dying to see for ages now. Styles, often considered the best all-around wrestler in the world, taking on Lesnar, who is often considered the best pure legitimate athlete that the WWE has to offer. The pedigree of both men would make a contest of this caliber worthy of main-eventing any pay-per-view, and WrestleMania is no exception. Styles would make a better main event opponent for Lesnar for a few reasons. One being that Styles is more likely to be accepted as a fan favorite than Roman Reigns. We don't need a third WrestleMania in a row end with the babyface being venomously booed in the main event. Another reason is that there is more suspense to a title match with Styles in the main event. Styles may not be able to match Lesnar in physicality, but he has the prowess to make for a believable threat to Lesnar's championship.
4 4. Braun Strowman Vs. Brock Lesnar
Compared to the state of his in-ring work this time last year, Braun Strowman has improved immensely as a monster heel. Not only has he become quite entertaining for a big man, he has become one of the main attractions to look forward to every Monday on RAW. He's on his way to become the current biggest heel that the company has going for them. The main event spots of Mania are often reserved to pit the calendar year's top heel up against the top face. If Strowman turns out to be the breakout heel of the year, then Lesnar could fill out the role as the face. Say what you will about the man and his Suplex City schtick being repetitive. The fact remains that Lesnar is still a draw that gets a hugely positive pop whenever he comes out. He can fit in the babyface role, especially in a unique case like this where Lesnar isn't the Goliath of the match for once. We're all curious to see if Lesnar could get just one suplex on the Mountain of a Man, let alone several. Rumors say that this match may be in WWE's cards by time the summer approaches, but this could easily work on a big stage like Mania.
3 3. Finn Balor Vs. Roman Reigns
When Finn Balor made his in-ring main roster debut for Monday Night RAW, he defeated Roman Reigns clean to become #1 contender for the brand new Universal Championship. Reigns put Balor over in a post-match promo telling Balor that if he beat Rollins for the title at SummerSlam, Reigns wanted to be the first man to face him for the title. Balor won, but had to vacate the title the next night due to injury. As such, we were deprived of a rematch between the powerhouse and the new kid on the block. The door is still open for a rematch and there is no better setting for that rematch to take place than WrestleMania. Particularly in a scenario where Reigns is holding the Universal Championship this time. And considering how strong Reigns has been made to look at consecutive Manias, fans would be curious to see if WWE would allow him to take another fall to Balor on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
2 2. Finn Balor Vs. Brock Lesnar
This is a match-up that practically writes itself. The Demon King Vs. The Beast Incarnate. A monster out of mythic lore versus a legitimate MMA monster. Brock Lesnar has been extremely well protected ever since defeating The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX, but so has Finn Balor since debuting his Demon persona. Both men have taken one loss since WWE started putting the two on a virtually unstoppable pedestal—Lesnar to Goldberg at Survivor Series 2016, and Demon Balor to Samoa Joe at NXT Takeover: The End—so it would be interesting to see who WWE would let take the pinfall in this scenario. Most interestingly, we could see this match sooner rather than later given how Balor is still due a rematch for the Universal Title he never lost. If WWE does plan to follow through with Balor cashing in his rematch clause while Lesnar is still champion, it might be best to hold off on it until Mania. Unlike Reigns, Balor is the kind of babyface that a massive crowd can get behind and want to see vanquish The Beast Incarnate.
1 1. John Cena Vs. Roman Reigns
The two resident Supermen of WWE—present and future—colliding in the main event of WrestleMania is money in the making. We're all curious just to see what kind of reaction these two enigmas could create against one another. Both men have always produced mixed—and mostly negative—crowd reactions, but there is no telling who the crowd could side with. Given the reactions that Reigns gets lately, it's easy to assume that Cena would be the default crowd favorite here. However, that wasn't even the case when he and Nikki Bella faced The Miz and Maryse at this past WrestleMania. If The Miz of all people can't get the crowd to stop booing Cena, how could Cena's fan support fare better against Reigns? The intrigue to that question alone makes this a WrestleMania-worthy main event. A match of this magnitude doesn't even need a title to produce general interest, but putting a World Title on the line would certainly add some intrigue. On one hand, Reigns could get put over as the new face of the WWE. On the other hand, Cena is still gunning for that record-breaking 17th World Championship. It's too much of an interesting scenario for WWE not to jump the gun on for this upcoming Mania. If they don't, it might be a missed opportunity.