WWE Rumors, News: The Undertaker To Face Braun Strowman At ‘WrestleMania’ 33?
Since we saw the Undertaker at the 2017 Royal Rumble, established wisdom on the WWE rumor mill has suggested that the Deadman will face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33. The fact that Reigns eliminated the Undertaker at the Royal Rumble seemed to support the theory that Reigns was set to take a heel turn. The staredown between the two, after the Undertaker’s elimination, seemed to have set up a feud. Well as much of a feud as is possible when the Undertaker rarely competes these days.
As previously reported in the Inquisitr, a WrestleMania bout between Reigns and the Undertaker would be a smart move by the WWE. Sadly, it has been widely reported that the Undertaker needs a hip replacement, and that may mean that his time as a hero to the WWE universe is coming to a close. The Deadman’s popularity as a wrestler has stretched back over 25 years. That career has to end, and a defeat by Reigns, at the event he has dominated for most of those 25-years, would infuriate WWE fans. Reigns would become even more unpopular than he already is. Beating the Undertaker at WrestleMania would set Reigns up for the greatest heel turn in WWE history.
The way Reigns and the Undertaker are seen by the WWE universe could not be more different. An infrequent competitor, The Undertaker is wildly popular and lights up any event he is involved in. Reigns, together with his former Shield teammates, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, have received more hype and support from the WWE than just about any superstar you care to name. Despite that support, Reigns is just about the most unpopular star that the WWE has known. Yet Vince McMahon still presents Reigns as the face of the WWE.
However, there are signs that things are set to change.
Will The Undertaker Take On Braun Strowman at ‘WrestleMania’ 33?
Over the past couple of weeks, we may have witnessed a power shift within the WWE. As any wrestling fan knows, Randy Orton won the 2017 Royal Rumble, setting up a world championship bout at WrestleMania. After Sunday’s Elimination Chamber, it is now safe to assume that Orton will face his former Wyatt Family teammate, Bray Wyatt, who took John Cena’s world championship at the event.
Wyatt’s win at the 2017 Elimination Chamber confirmed Cageside Seats’ report on what The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer had been saying about the WrestleMania card. Meltzer’s comments, and a supposed leak of the WrestleMania card, also predicted a mixed gender tag match with John Cena and Nikki Bella taking on The Miz and Maryse. As Wrestlezone reports, the seeds for that match were well and truly planted at Sunday’s Elimination Chamber.
With those predictions being proven correct, most would assume that Reigns vs. the Undertaker was nailed on for WrestleMania 33. However, if you have been around the WWE for any length of time, you will know that the WWE likes to surprise us. Seth Rollins’ injury may well mean changes to a WrestleMania card that has deposed champion AJ Styles taking on Shane McMahon. That’s a match that makes absolutely no sense. Styles has been a breath of fresh air on SmackDown, many would argue that he held the brand together for the best part of 12-months.
Arguably, one of the biggest developments in WWE wrestling in recent months, has been the emergence of Braun Strowman. The former Wyatt Family member has been wreaking havoc, and agitating for a big match. We already know that the Abominable Strowman will take on Roman Reigns at the next big WWE PPV, the 2017 Fastlane. A win for Strowman would surely set up a huge match for Strowman at WrestleMania, and Bleacher Report predicts that he could face the Undertaker at April’s showcase.
We know that the WWE loves to pitch the really big men against each other, and they don’t come much bigger that Braun Strowman and the Undertaker. Strowman’s star is ascending, and he has a huge role to play in boosting the WWE’s Raw brand. Few would argue that Strowman needs big matches to take him to the next level on WWE. Strowman wouldn’t even need to beat the Undertaker to reap the rewards of that match. With Seth Rollins reportedly out of WrestleMania due to injury, and Reigns terminally unpopular, we may be seeing the WWE network shifting its focus from the former Shield members to the Wyatt Family.
We already have two members of the Wyatt Family topping the bill for WrestleMania 33, so why not have a third taking on the Undertaker? A victory for the Undertaker would be a fitting way for him to bow out of WWE wrestling, the Deadman is after all synonymous with WrestleMania. Reigns doesn’t need to end the Undertaker’s career to make him unpopular, but a match against the Deadman would be a huge boost for Braun Strowman.
[Featured Image by WWE]
