Everyone and their mothers knew Reigns was going to be coronated at WrestleMania 31.
He had won the 2015 Royal Rumble match to the dismay of an arena full of fans who did not want to be dictated to that he was the future of the industry. The second-generation star entered Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California for his long-awaited shot at immortality to a chorus of boos, the backlash over his rushed push never more readily apparent than in that moment.
Or those that immediately followed in which Lesnar brutalized, battered, suplexed and pummeled Reigns. He beat Reigns' ass, bloodying him in what appeared poised to be the most one-sided main event in WrestleMania history.
Then came the comeback. Reigns, in a great moment of defiance, laughed off Lesnar's dominance and looked ready to ascend to the throne. That is, until both men went down and Seth Rollins rushed the ring, cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase and escaping like a thief in the night with the WWE Championship moments later.
That there was no definite winner between Reigns and Lesnar was fine because it created interest in a future match between them. Everything that preceded it was fantastic, though, with Reigns essentially employing the rope-a-dope strategy on Lesnar, letting him box himself out before seizing an opening that, had Rollins not gotten involved, probably would have led to him securing the title everyone expected him to win in the first place.
A great match with an even better story, this remains the definitive battle between the stars and proof that more time, less overutilization of finishers and a red-hot crowd are the recipe to the epic encounter they continually search for.
Wild, crazy, chaotic fun in Nashville on July 30 at SummerSlam may prove to be, too.
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