Last Updated on April 11, 2024 by Avik Das
In the history of WWE, there have been many eternal rivals, who have hated each other in the ring and faced multiple times to create stupendous feuds. Such rivalries are also backed by amazing storylines. In the Golden Era, there was Hulk Hogan Vs Randy Savage rivalry; in the New Generation Era, there was Shawn Michaels Vs Bret Hart rivalry; in the Attitude Era, there was Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs The Rock; in the PG Era, there was John Cena Vs Randy Orton rivalry, and now, Roman Reigns Vs Brock Lesnar is such one heavyweight rivalry in WWE.
Their matches are leaving a perennial legacy in WWE now, as the former is invincible in his record-long title run. The two arch-rivals crossed paths at WrestleMania 38 in 2022, and they are set to collide once again at SummerSlam 2022. Previously, the rivals faced multiple times, with six of them being singles matches.In this article, we are ranking all matches between them in terms of quality.
# 6 WrestleMania 34
Roman Reigns won the Elimination Chamber match in 2018, earning the right to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34. Lesnar, who was then the Universal Champion, accepted the challenge. Not surprisingly, the match mainevented the show that night, making it Reigns’ four WrestleMania mainevents on a trot. Lesnar started by delivering German Suplexes, but Reigns countered with Superman Punches and two Spears. Even after connecting five F5s, Reigns refused to surrender and countered with two Spears of his own.
On the other hand, Reigns’ face was filled with blood. Finally, a sixth F5 helped Lesnar to retain the gold.The match consisted of signature moves from both men and was not productive to the main event of the Show of Shows. Even the crowd in the arena showed their disinterest during the match by chanting ‘boring’ and ‘awful’.
# 5 SummerSlam 2018
For the third time in 2018, Roman Reigns encountered The Beast Incarnate, who was still the WWE Universal Champion. After beating Bobby Lashley on WWE RAW, Reigns got the opportunity of challenging the big man again at SummerSlam 2018. This bout mainevented the show as usual, but it didn’t live up to the hype. With Mr. Money in the Bank Braun Strowman in the ringside, Lesnar was a little distracted by him, taking the result in Reigns’ favor.
The Guy started with a number of Superman Punches and Spears, but they didn’t faze The Beast Incarnate. Lesnar’s attack on Strowman in the climax opened a chance for Reigns, allowing the latter to connect a Spear and end Lesnar’s record-long Universal Championship reign. While the match was a hard-hitting battle between the two behemoths, it lasted just over six minutes.
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# 4 Greatest Royal Rumble 2018
2018 -hosted three matches between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesna. Their second match of the year took place at The Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view, which was held in Saudi Arabia. Lesnar put the Universal Championship on the line, and it was a Steel Cage match. Given the stipulation of the match, it was expected to be explosive, and the match certainly didn’t disappoint the fans. It was a physical match between the two behemoths. There were Spears as well as F5s. Roman Reigns tried escaping the colossal steel stricture, but Paul Heyman prevented it, making sure Lesnar retains the title.
But the finishing of the match was highly controversial, leaving fans in dilemma. Roman Speared Lesnar through the steel cage, and the steel cage broke. Even though Reigns touched the floor first, which looked like a botched move, the referee gave the decision of the match in Lesnar’s favor. Technically, Reigns should have won, but Lesnar was announced the winner, and he still retained the Universal Championship. The match was also not lengthy, as it lasted just over 9 minutes.
# 3 Crown Jewel 2021
After The Greatest Royal Rumble, a second match took place in the desert three years later. The two arch-enemies faced each other at Crown Jewel 2021. Although the Universal Championship was on the line this time, the roles were reversed between the challenger and the champion. Roman Reigns was the champion this time, while he was the challenger. Moreover, Reigns was the hated heel, and Brock Lesnar was the babyface with a new farmer look, unlike their previous bout in Saudi Arabia. Brock Lesnar came back to WWE for the first time in the post-pandemic era.
Since he lost the WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 36, he returned for the first time to confront Roman Reigns, who was dominating as a heel. The difference was The Beast had a different character and look. He sported long hair and beard, combined with a different outfit inspired by farmers. Lesnar snatched Paul Heyman’s service from Roman Reigns, and Heyman was by Reigns’ side at Crown Jewel 2021.
Their Crown Jewel 2021 match was remarkable. Like their previous matches, it was a fast-paced and physical battle between the two heavyweights. Lesnar dominated the first part of the match. He delivered some nasty Suplexes to the Tribal Chief. After some F5s from the Beast, there was a near fall. But Heyman threw the Universal Championship in the ring, and it was picked by both men. Nobody was sure to whom Heyman threw the title. After a tug war with the gold, The Usos interfered and Superkicked Brock Lesnar, allowing Reigns to pin Lesnar. While the match was good, interference from the other Bloodline members deteriorated the quality of the match at the end.
# 2 WrestleMania 38
Brock Lesnar was the WWE Champion, winning it on Day 1 pay-per-view. On the other hand, Roman Reigns was the Universal Champion, who was enjoying a long and impressive title reign. WWE decided to have them face at WrestleMania 38 match while putting both titles on the line. The Beast agreed to put the WWE Championship on the line, while Reigns agreed to put his Universal Championship on the line at WrestleMania 38, making it a winner takes all Title Unification match. Furthermore, WWE advertised the match as ‘the Biggest WrestleMania match of All time’.
Despite all the hype, the match wasn’t anywhere close to the biggest WrestleMania match of all time, at least in terms of the quality. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t even the best bouth between the arch-rivals at WrestleMania. As usual, it was a hard-hitting match with multiple Suplexes, Spears, F5s, and Superman Punches. Reigns closed the deal after a battle of over 12 minutes. Given it was the main event and billed as the Biggest WrestleMania match of all time, the match should have been longer.
# 1 WrestleMania 31
Yes, Seth Rollins might have been added here, but he wasn’t originally a part of the WrestleMania 31 match. The match was between Brock and Roman, as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship was on the line. Lesnar, the champion, defended the gold against Roman Reigns, who earned the right to face him after winning the Royal Rumble 2015 match.
The match was brutal, especially from Lesnar’s point of view. The Beast Incarnate dominated the first ten minutes of the match. Reigns was on the receiving end of multiple Suplexes as well as three devastating F5s. However, Reigns didn’t give up, and he made a comeback with some Superman Punches and two back-to-back Spears. In the later moment of the match, a big twist happened, which made the match even better. As both Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar were down, Seth Rollins decided to cash in his Money in the Bank contract. Rollins stomped Reigns and pinned him to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 31.
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Avik Das is the founder of Sportsheed. He is a sports lover with broad knowledge of Professional Wrestling, MMA, Football, and Cricket. He has an English major and has previously written articles for various sports and entertainment websites
