Pros and Cons of Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns Main Eventing WrestleMania 31

WrestleMania 31 is set with its main event: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns.

Lesnar successfully defended the WWE world heavyweight title at the 2015 Royal Rumble event. The Beast Incarnate overcame the threats of John Cena and Seth Rollins in an exciting Triple Threat match. Now, he’ll rest and prepare for this year’s Royal Rumble winner.

Reigns managed to outlast 29 other WWE Superstars to win the Royal Rumble. He spent nearly 30 minutes in the match, eliminating Big Show, Kane and Rusev last. Reigns will get his title shot at WrestleMania, where he must battle the former UFC fighter.

It sounds like a good match on paper, with “paper” being the key word. Both guys have the build and skill set to potentially bring the house down at Levi’s Stadium. However, there are too many question marks surrounding this match.

Let us analyze the positives and negatives of the upcoming bout. We'll take a look at the wrestling style, psychology and impact on fans and the event itself. We’ll also see how the potential event can impact the championship match.

Let’s get to the pros and cons of Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns main eventing WrestleMania 31.

Pros

Reigns and Lesnar are good combatants in the ring. Lesnar uses his amateur background, brute strength and MMA experience to present a deadlier version of himself. When he first started in 2002, Lesnar was just a powerhouse. Now seasoned in the ring, he can destroy anyone in his way.

Reigns has his work cut out for him, as he hasn't quite established himself as a true powerhouse. He moves very quickly for his size—6'3", 265 pounds, according to his profile page on WWE.com—which despite his limited arsenal, could be enough to overcome the Beast. If Reigns can outlast the WWE champion, all he'll need to do is hit the spear on him.

Another plus in the match is Paul Heyman. Lesnar’s manager/advocate is arguably doing some of the best work of his entire career. He can sell the match to the point where fans will be dying for the match to begin. Keep in mind that he’s got nine weeks to turn the majority of the WWE Universe around.

This brings us to the potential backlash.

Cons

Lesnar and Reigns are gargantuan wrestlers who need others to help them look stronger. Styles make fights.

Lesnar has worked so well in his matches since his return to WWE because he has had full-time workers who've been able to promote the crowd’s interest in those bouts. With all due respect to Reigns, he barely has that experience, which could put their storytelling in jeopardy.

Heyman also has his work cut out for him. Lesnar and Reigns aren’t known for being thespians on the microphone, especially the latter.

If Reigns plans to go into a verbal war with Heyman, phrases such as “Suffering succotash” will fail.

Another factor that could work against them is the WrestleMania event itself. The main event may be prestigious, but it isn’t always the best match of the night. Undertaker’s victories over Triple H at WrestleMania 27 and 28 stole both of those shows from John Cena’s main events. And Cena's WrestleMania 28 bout was his much-hyped match match against The Rock.

Granted, it’s too early to tell which matches will be set because we’re nine weeks away. That being said, the WWE has a lot of work to do.

The only way this works is if Lesnar and Reigns go to war, which, truthfully, I believe is how the main event should go. But frankly, fans might not have the patience thanks to this past Sunday’s events.

Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns will main event WrestleMania 31. It has the potential to succeed or fail on so many levels. However, it’s up to the performers to make sure they satisfy the crowd. Here’s hoping Lesnar and Reigns are up to the task.