5 Potential Finishes for Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar at WWE SummerSlam 2018
At WWE SummerSlam 2018 on August 19, Roman Reigns will once again clash with Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship.
Sadly, there isn't much intrigue about what the match will be like because they have had so many together that we are already familiar with the pattern of Superman Punch, German suplex, spear, F5 and repeat.
The repetitiveness has destroyed all of the mystique save for the ending, which only holds value because it's the one unknown that will have any meaning.
There appear to be five ways the contest can conclude, so it's just a matter of trying to look ahead and predict which particular finish WWE will opt to go with.
Since that is the most important element, let's examine what those potential outcomes are and break down how each one could go down.
Brock Lesnar Retains the Universal Championship
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If history has shown us anything, it's that WWE will choose to protect Lesnar in almost every situation possible.
He's been consistently booked as close to unstoppable for the entirety of his run, so the smart bet is always to go with him as the victor.
In particular, his matches with Reigns have trended this way. Out of five encounters, only twice has Lesnar not come out on top, but even in those circumstances, he wasn't the one taking the pin.
At WrestleMania 31, Reigns was pinned by Seth Rollins. And at Fastlane 2016, Reigns pinned Dean Ambrose. Both times, Lesnar lost a Triple Threat but wasn't the true loser.
The other three times saw Lesnar pin Reigns twice and then win a cage match against him.
By that rationale, he will probably be victorious yet again, pinning Reigns to retain the Universal Championship.
However, if WWE is stubborn enough to want to do this match again down the line, Lesnar may retain the title through disqualification or count-out just to rub it in everyone's faces that this isn't over.
If Lesnar is sticking around in WWE, it's hard to imagine the people who call the shots would suddenly decide that they aren't going to prioritize him as being above everyone else when that's been the rule for several years. Don't be shocked if the belt is still in his possession after this match.
Roman Reigns Wins the Universal Championship
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On the other hand, Reigns may finally slay the dragon and win the Universal Championship—something that should have happened at WrestleMania 31, SummerSlam 2017, WrestleMania 34 or the Greatest Royal Rumble.
Holding back on the arguments that will ensue when talking about how this was dragged out for so long and how Reigns may not be the best choice for champion, it makes sense for him to win the title—at least in the context of this feud.
If Lesnar always wins and Reigns never manages to get the upper hand, there's no story being told and this has all been an exercise in futility.
WWE storylines have issues and aren't always logical, but this isn't how the company typically likes to operate. Normally, there's some goal in mind, and the endgame here has clearly been to position Reigns as the top guy.
He can't assume that mantle if he never beats Lesnar to ascend the throne, meaning he has to win the title—and now is better late than never.
Sure, he will be met with a chorus of boos and the pay-per-view will end on a sour note. But it would be even worse if Lesnar retained as he always does. At least this would be some progression.
If Reigns wins, he can either do so by sheer will and with a powerful-enough spear to take down The Beast Incarnate or he could have some help from Paul Heyman now that WWE has teased a split between him and Lesnar.
A heel turn for Reigns to join with Heyman could be the best way to end this event to get people talking in a positive sense and looking forward to the next night's Raw rather than just being upset a la WrestleMania.
Braun Strowman Wins the Universal Championship
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With the Money in the Bank briefcase still in play, we may see someone other than Lesnar or Reigns walking out with the Universal Championship.
Braun Strowman holds the contract, and he is perhaps the most terrifying person to have that power.
On any normal night, the only thing stopping this mountain of a man from becoming the top dog is the writers' decision not to pull the trigger. But SummerSlam could be his night.
Strowman has taken both Lesnar and Reigns to the limit and is one of the only people with the physical presence and popularity to walk into that match, beat them both and leave as a credible champion.
He may not even have to do that much work, either, as he can cash in after Lesnar and Reigns have finished their fight, capitalizing on the weakened champion.
A fresh Strowman with a title shot at the point of his choosing is a nightmare for anyone holding the belt but a dream for WWE, as he's beloved by the crowd and would be cheered upon his coronation, which won't happen with Reigns.
For the most part, this boils down to a decision the creative team needs to make about how it wants the pay-per-view to end. Either the fans are upset at seeing Lesnar or Reigns walking out with the gold or Strowman pulls a Seth Rollins and swoops in to save the day.
Kevin Owens Wins the Universal Championship
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The most confusing and hardest road to navigate when it comes to the finish of this match is one that people shouldn't be ruling out because it may well play out that Kevin Owens leaves as champion.
First, he would have to win his match against Strowman in order to obtain the Money in the Bank briefcase. This can be done by pinfall, submission, disqualification or count-out, and it doesn't matter how. But for extra zing, it should be one of the latter two options.
Then, Lesnar and Reigns should take the fight to each other like two titans who don't care whether they destroy the world around them, with The Big Dog coming out as the victor.
Technically, he's the babyface of the match despite the WWE Universe's mixed reactions to him, so this would give his feud with Lesnar a degree of closure and would leave him vulnerable.
Like a vulture picks at a dying carcass, Owens would then enter the fray, get a quick pin on the weary champion and steal the title.
The promotional material for Hell in a Cell on Sept. 16 has advertised Owens vs. Reigns, per Wrestling Inc's Marc Middleton, which could be a spoiler for this being exactly how SummerSlam is booked. Reigns would surely seek vengeance for having his title taken away from him in that way.
Because of the concept of a champion's automatic rematch clause, he would be entitled to fight Owens for a chance to win it back, and the feud would instantly be personal because of the theft angle.
If Owens beats Strowman, prepare yourself for the event to end with his crowning as the new champion.
The Match Ends in a No-Contest or a Draw
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The final possible outcome is no real finish at all, as this match could end in some sort of draw.
Lesnar and Reigns could both be counted out, disqualified, taken out of commission by someone else or by each other and carted off on stretchers or anything else that results in a no-contest.
It would be a horrible way to end one of the biggest shows of the year, but there's nothing stating that this has to be the main event of the pay-per-view, particularly with Ronda Rousey competing on the show.
If WWE books this match earlier in the night than the final segment, there is a chance this has some sort of screwy ending to it that effectively does nothing but tell the audience to wait even longer for its resolution.
There's no doubt this would be one of the most infuriating things WWE could do, as this feud has gone on for multiple years and has outstayed its welcome. But for some reason, the powers that be keep going back to the well and may do so yet again.
We've already seen this mentality of non-finishes being utilized quite a bit this year with Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles, the confusing fiasco of who escaped the cage first at the Greatest Royal Rumble and other matches, so this booking strategy has clearly been on someone's mind on the creative team.
Hopefully, that person won't be calling the shots here and there is consequently a finish that the majority of the WWE Universe can embrace rather than something that splits the fanbase and upsets a lot of people or a non-finish that unites the audience by making everybody angry.
Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.
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