Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman Overshadowed by Eventual Undertaker Involvement

Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman are racing toward a head-on collision at WWE Fastlane on March 5. The Big Dog may be the top dog on Raw, but he will have his hands full with the former Wyatt Family strongman.

But there's a 7-foot shadow looming over the match, and his name is Undertaker.

Reigns vs. Strowman has the potential to be a big match, especially considering how far Strowman has come in the past few months. The man that once stood by Bray Wyatt's side is now a serious candidate for main event stardom in WWE. That fact alone is impressive enough, but it's nothing compared to how much progress Strowman has made as a talent.

Strowman wants this as much as WWE wants it for him.

However, this match means something else altogether for Reigns. The next would-be face of WWE finds himself in a rivalry that has no championship attached. It also doesn't put him any closer to the top spot than he already is, and it doesn't do much for him in terms of improving his strained relationship with fans.

Reigns appears to be booked against Strowman because WWE has something else in mind.

Enter The Deadman, who has every reason to get involved at Fastlane. Undertaker has not been seen on WWE programming since Royal Rumble, where he dominated in the 30-man namesake match. Undertaker was a favorite to win and go on to main-event WrestleMania 33, but that did not happen.

The Phenom was stopped by Reigns before he could win it all.

That moment made more enemies for Reigns than ever before. It also reinforced the idea that the Samoan star is being given one milestone moment after another in an obvious attempt to build a top-guy career.

But that career may not be complete until he faces The Deadman on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Their confrontation in the Royal Rumble match seems to be a strong bit of foreshadowing of a marquee match at WrestleMania. WWE needs its top stars in top matches, and Reigns vs. Undertaker is one for the ages. Whether it will be Undertaker's last match is unknown; The Deadman has nothing left to do in WWE.

But if fans think Reigns is hated now, it's likely nothing compared to the hate he would receive if he retired Undertaker.

There's always the possibility, however, that The Deadman could throw hands against Strowman instead. That match was seemingly a bad idea just one year ago, but everything has changed now. Strowman has come a long way in a short time, and Undertaker is one opponent closer to hanging up the boots. 

Strowman vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania 33 is a real possibility.

But Strowman's Fastlane match against Reigns is booked. A feud between the two men is intriguing due to Strowman's upward swing versus Reigns' top spot in the company. Neither man can come out of this looking bad, and neither man can come out losing a step. 

"

There's a man coming round takin names.....everyone won't be treated the same #monsteramongmen #fastlane pic.twitter.com/2ar12nj6uj

— Braun Strowman (@BraunStrowman) February 7, 2017"

It could become one of the most intense rivalries in WWE.

But Fastlane is just one month away from WrestleMania, and the chance of a rivalry between the two moving forward to April 2 seems like a stretch. That leaves the door open for The Phenom, who could make his presence known at any point.

The best thing about Undertaker is the surprise factor.

He can show up at any time and turn the entire company upside down. Undertaker doesn't care about who he faces or whether that man is a hero or a villain. The Deadman wants destruction, and he will deal that out to anyone he sees fit.

Fastlane could be the night when he chooses his next victim.

An intense program can be built with Reigns or Strowman, and WWE can likely make it work in either case. Fans know they will get the best that Undertaker has to offer, and the same will be said of whoever he chooses to face at WrestleMania.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.