WWE WrestleMania 39 Slowly Shaping Up to Be Grand Finale of the Roman Reigns Era
The Roman Reigns era ending at WWE WrestleMania 39 isn't just fitting—it's set up perfectly to be a grand finale.
First, the format: WrestleMania is a two-night event now. Reigns is the unified champion. His defending on both nights feels like a no-brainer at this point. This is the culmination of an 830-plus-day reign and counting coming to a close. It's only fitting he should close both shows.
Logic says the opponents will be The Rock and Cody Rhodes. The former because it's the organic end to the "head of the table" familiar angle. It's in Hollywood of all places, too. And the latter because he's positioned as the next top babyface of the company after that triumphant return.
The creativity of this grand finale is where things get interesting. Reigns is the heel and could easily be goaded into defending titles on both nights, especially if he wants to defy Paul Heyman's counsel that suggests otherwise.
He's also got the family dynamic to sort out. If he's finally turning on Sami Zayn and likely Jey Uso, too, it's going to get a ton of backlash from fans and be a rather brutal, unforgettable scene. That sets up perfectly for The Rock, a guy with a serious claim as the head of the table, to return and set up a must-see feud.
As for Rhodes, he doesn't need much explanation, either. He had the big return after establishing and working in All Elite Wrestling, put on some massive matches while hugely over with fans, then suffered the serious injury. He's a no-brainer as a Royal Rumble winner to get that momentum back with interest.
WWE can't really do it any bigger than that for the Reigns era. This is the 'Mania that will be remembered for Reigns exclusively. Everyone anticipates an ending. If one doesn't arrive, that's going to be a letdown. The storyline was already flirting with losing fans out of sheer boredom before Sami Zayn hopped in and provided a spark.
There simply isn't any bigger stage or set of opponents for Reigns at this point. We're talking about The Rock in L.A. and Rhodes' first major title feud since his big return. WWE trying to drag this out until another landmark like the next SummerSlam or 'Mania would ruin pretty much everything.
But alas, a few things to remember.
We'd be remiss not to mention attractive alternatives. Maybe WWE uses this as a way to only get one title off Reigns, finally restoring the balance to both weekly programs. Or maybe he retains both over two nights—the most unexpected outcome that would garner the biggest reaction. Then, if he's really going part-time, he could relinquish the titles and set himself up for a Brock Lesnar-ish role down the road.
WWE could also just go with other opponents. There's no guarantee they can pull The Rock. And when it comes to injuries, it's impossible to say with 100 percent certainty that Rhodes will be able to go.
But it's not like there aren't good substitutes. Jey is a natural fit in the family storyline and more than deserves a spotlight for his great showings as a singles act. And Zayn, handled well once betrayed, could have Daniel Bryan-esque "Yes Movement" momentum behind him. Don't forget the deep sleeper, either—Seth Rollins, formerly the Architect, has quite a history with Reigns.
Yes, none of these guys boast the drawing power of The Rock to the non-wrestling fans that WWE craves so much. But the company has changed dramatically with Triple H as head of creative, and striving for that crossover appeal is pretty silly when massive international names like Logan Paul and even Bad Bunny have near-equal drawing power, if not more—there's no need to ham-fist a main event in pursuit of transcendent star power when the midcard can do it so well.
There is a little versatility here in the way of opponents, should WWE need to use it. Either way, this is the natural endpoint to the Reigns saga. This is what it has all been built for.
WrestleMania 39 is about the end of an era, and it just needs some savvy booking to take this thing home in a way that will take it from just another storyline to an outright epic of pro wrestling.
