Reigns, Lesnar Confuse at WWE WrestleMania 34, but Non-Traditional Heroes Emerge

Just one year ago, if you had been told that Brock Lesnar would still be the Universal Champion after WrestleMania, you might have laughed. An absurd notion, considering WWE's obvious affection for Roman Reigns, the anointed standard-bearer for professional wrestling's largest company.

Similarly, if you had been told that the first match of WrestleMania would include a tribute to the New Orleans LGBTQ community, you wouldn't believe it. WWE is the land of machismo and is slower to catch up to social progress than just about any other form of popular entertainment.

Oh, and Daniel Bryan would be back in the ring. "Yeah, right," you'd think. Yet here we are. It's the bizarro WrestleMania.

These WWE shows are built on two things: joyful catharsis and jolting surprise. It's virtuous Nia Jax overcoming the evil, body-shaming Alexa Bliss, or Shinsuke Nakamura turning on his old friend AJ Styles. WrestleMania, as a rule, has to offer a bit of both during its epic seven-hour running time.

What it doesn't want to do is leave the throng of fans from across the globe confused or disappointed. The finish of Romans Reigns and Brock Lesnar's match—one that most observers considered a fait accompli—did just that.

Reigns and Lesnar have been on parallel paths since Reigns defeated The Undertaker at last year's event and Lesnar thwarted Goldberg for the belt. Since then, fans have expected this. Reigns would stand triumphant at the end of the show for the third year in a row, something a vocal segment of the fanbase would find unacceptable.

Instead, after an awkward bout that included a spot where Reigns went through a table that elicited little reaction from the crowd, copious amounts of blood and a sea of beach balls floating in the apathetic, borderline hostile Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Lesnar walked out with the Universal Championship.

Photo via WWE.com

Conspiracy theorists—of which there are many within the audience for a sport featuring predetermined outcomes—say the plan may have changed midway through the match, that surely Reigns was supposed to win.

Some say that the blood pouring from Reigns' forehead was unplanned, that Lesnar took liberties. They point to Lesnar's seemingly inevitable return to the UFC. The hush that fell over the audience as it filed out of the Superdome gave off that befuddled, uncertain feeling.

Rather than a rush of excitement over the possibilities for the next chapter of this never-ending saga we call WWE, there was confusion, frustration and malaise. It was though someone had slowly let the air out of one of those beach balls and all that was left was a flabby bit of colorful plastic.

But it's far from doom and gloom for WWE. NXT, its developmental territory, once again put on a Saturday show that demands to be seen—one that was full of spectacular action and high drama. WWE continues to expand overseas, announcing another set of shows in Great Britain later this year.

While WWE seems content to divide its fanbase with heroes like Reigns who many loyal followers of wrestling despise and villains like The Miz who are routinely cheered, it has also never been more inclusive.

Finn Balor bringing out a group of local LGBTQ fans and wearing the rainbow flag on his gear seemed revolutionary for a company that only a couple of decades ago traded in thinly veiled homophobia.

Female competitors Charlotte Flair and Asuka had what was arguably the match of the night. Nia Jax stood up for body positivity, and the crowd roared with approval when she lifted the Raw Women's Championship. Ronda Rousey stuck it to the man, twisting Triple H in knots and giving little girls all over the world a badass hero who can go toe-to-toe with anyone.

This is all a part of WWE's plan to take over the globe.

"If you envision the territory system in the U.S. from years ago, just imagine it on a global level now," Triple H, WWE executive vice president of talent, live events and creative, said in a press conference after the NXT show. "UK, Middle East, India, South America, Australia. That's long term."

To win over the planet and consume the minds of every wrestling fan, WWE can't help but try to see beyond the niche and make its carnival tent as big as possible.

It's also going to take a star who can connect with all of those people. Right now, it seems that the goal is for wrestling characters to represent as many demographics as possible: Jinder Mahal for India, Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka for Japan, big people, gay people, nerdy people, women, men, black people and on down the line. But in the long history of WWE, what drives explosive business is a character everyone can get behind: Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, etc.

Photo via WWE.com

The power of these performers transcends demographics and makes WWE's product universal. The creative braintrust of WWE—Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H and many others—have long seemed to believe Reigns was that person. Their writing has reflected that belief. Reigns is the hero: the strongest, most valiant person on the roster.

Through all of their attempts to make fans fall in love with him, the most dedicated admirers of WWE are steadfast in their skepticism. He's "Vince's boy" and doesn't connect on an emotional level the way someone like Daniel Bryan does.

It's uncertain if Reigns' unprecedented loss at WrestleMania is a sign that WWE has finally decided to stop trying to sell this particular product. It's possible the formula will be adjusted and a variation on this same theme will play out on Monday Night Raw.

But Reigns or not, WrestleMania 34 showed that the future of WWE might be in the hands of non-traditional heroes who aren't fighting an evil boss or a foreign enemy, but instead are fighting to be accepted.