Pros and Cons of Rumored World Championship Triple Threat at WWE WrestleMania 31

Daniel Bryan fans may shape the product again, as it is rumored that to the World Heavyweight Championship bout at WWE WrestleMania 31 will morph into a Triple Threat.

In a story much like the one we saw unfold last year, Bryan's very vocal fanbase will reportedly push him into the top match at WWE's premier event. According to F4WOnline (h/t Wrestling Inc), Vince McMahon has changed his mind about the title match at WrestleMania and now plans to insert Bryan.

The prospect of Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Bryan should both thrill and dismay fans.

It promises to be a fun, memorable showdown thanks to Bryan's frenetic energy now included. On the other hand, though, this kind of after-the-fact scrambling is no replacement for steady storytelling. There is no substitute for getting it right the first time.

For Reigns, he has to have as many mixed emotions as fans do about this potential shift to his WrestleMania match. Bryan's inclusion helps the powerhouse create a great match but hurts his journey to megastardom. 

Bryan, though, has to be all smiles about this possibility's emergence.

Pros

Bryan Gets His Marquee Matchup

Bryan fans wanted him in the main event of WrestleMania. If that wasn't clear beforehand, the evidence was audible at the Royal Rumble.

When Bryan fell to the floor that night, a Rumble victory out of reach, the fans in Philadelphia went silent. After shaking off being stunned, they booed, barked and bellowed. Reigns' win was more poorly received than Batista's in 2014.

This move placates those fans.

Credit: WWE.com

It says, "We listened. Here's what you asked for." And it pulls one of WWE's biggest stars out of midcard limbo and onto center stage. 

Previous reports had Bryan lined up for opportunities not nearly as significant as this one. According to PWInsider (h/t Wrestle Zone), Sheamus vs. Bryan was lined up for WrestleMania. Later, Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc) reported that Dolph Ziggler vs. Bryan was the working plan.

As entertaining as Ziggler vs. Bryan could have been, trading that in for a spot on the marquee is obviously a huge step up. Bryan would join a short list of men to main event two WrestleManias in a row and would be in consideration to come out of the event as champ.

That won't happen against Sheamus or Ziggler.

Less Pressure on Reigns

Reigns' resume doesn't have the kind of classics on it that Bryan's does. He simply hasn't proven that he can deliver a main event-worthy singles bout.

An unsure, nervous set of officials would have watched him take on Lesnar alone, hoping for the best.

With a change to a Triple Threat, Reigns suddenly has a much better chance of working an outstanding match. He has most thrived in short bursts, flying at his foes, charging across the ring. He will get to do more of that in this scenario.

Steve Austin spoke about Reigns' shortcomings on his podcast (h/t Wrestle Zone) with Wade Keller. The Hall of Famer noted that now that Reigns no longer works as part of The Shield, he has had to provide more of the elements of his matches. Austin said that Reigns "hasn't been able to fill in those blanks."

He's exactly right. But Reigns isn't going to learn how to do that in the time between now and WrestleMania. Experience over time will teach him that.

In the meantime, he gets to share the burden of his biggest match to date. And there is no one better to fill that role that WWE's resident mat wizard: Bryan.

WWE Now Has More Options 

With Bryan now added to the mix, WWE can go forward with a number of new endings to WrestleMania.

Besides booking Lesnar to fend off Reigns or the babyface to take down the monster, the company can now consider having Bryan do the impossible for the second year in a row. It would be another underdog tale added to his timeline, one more lasting image of Bryan with the WWE title above his head.

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

WWE can also have Bryan score the final fall over Lesnar, leaving Reigns untouched and with good reason to turn on the bearded warrior and begin a major feud.

This affects how many ways Seth Rollins can cash in his Money in the Bank contract as well. Rollins can rob Bryan of his moment by stealing the world title from him. And as Will Pruett of ProWrestling.net suggests, Lesnar can look like the ultimate beast by surviving against Rollins after doing so against Bryan and Reigns: 

With these narrative roads all available, WrestleMania's main event will be harder to predict.

Cons

Hurts Royal Rumble Significance

WWE bills the Royal Rumble as a career-changing, history-making opportunity. It's how one Superstar assures himself a place in pro wrestling's version of the Super Bowl.

Imagine, though, if due to the controversy surrounding Deflategate the NFL had both the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots take on the Seattle Seahawks. That's essentially what would happen here with Bryan, and for the second year in the row.

Going this route makes Reigns' Rumble win feel less important. He outlasted 29 other men for his chance at Lesnar. Bryan got his through beating Rollins and presumably having some sort of non-finish against Reigns at Fast Lane.

Fans will be less excited in the future about someone winning the Rumble if this trend continues.

Reigns' Spotlight Diminished

The proving ground will be crowded.

This matchup was set to be Reigns' chance to show WWE and fans alike that he is in fact ready for the company throne. In a hype-heavy rivalry, he would try to quiet his critics by thriving in the ring and on promos.

He certainly did that in a big way on the first Raw after the Royal Rumble. He and Lesnar had an intense staredown following an interview.

That kind of moment would change with Bryan around. The focus would be on an additional star and give Reigns less solo opportunities. 

Much of Reigns' career has been in tag matches and ones featuring multiple men. With nowhere to hide, no one to lean on other than his foe, his battle with Lesnar was set to be a crowning achievement.

That will be muddled with Bryan involved. WWE will have to split its attention between the two babyfaces. 

Encouraging Rejection

Last year, WWE decided to have Batista headline WrestleMania. Fans pushed back against the idea until Bryan joined him on the top of the card. A year later, the plan to have Reigns ascend the ladder created more backlash.

Should WWE respond to it by just rearranging the narrative it had lined up again, it sends a clear signal: "Don't sit back and enjoy what unfolds; steer the show where you want it to go."

If Bryan wins, will Reigns' fanbase rebel? If the company eventually wants Sami Zayn to win the Royal Rumble, will the Kevin Owens contingent shoot down the idea?

WWE will struggle to tell any sort of long-term story if it has to rearrange its plans in the middle of telling it.

A tale of Bryan vs. Lesnar had great potential. The same is true for Reigns' looking to knock off Lesnar. Cramming the two together isn't anywhere nearly as compelling.

That's because it's not what WWE had planned; it's reactionary. 

The company has to listen and read its audience better in the first place to avoid the backlash that we've seen two years in a row. It's not as if WWE can turn every WrestleMania main event into a Triple Threat every year.