Last night on Monday Night Raw we would see a 2-on-1 match with Roman Reigns taking on Shane McMahon & Drew McIntyre. This match would be an all-out assault against Reigns. Shane would head to the top rope only for the gong to sound and the Undertaker to emerge. So in this piece, we speculate why the Undertaker saved Roman Reigns.
Passing the Torch Moment
A few years ago, when Roman Reigns would defeat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania, the world was in an uproar. Many questioned the decision and how could Roman be “allowed” to defeat the Phenom. But knowing the level of influence that the Undertaker has backstage in WWE, no one forced this upon the legend. Putting Roman over was the decision of the Undertaker and Taker did it graciously and in a believable way. Taker will not have many moments left in the wrestling business. And the mantle on both sides of the curtain must be passed. The “torch” must be passed for the flame that light the Deadman’s path are fading. When Reigns would defeat Taker, it signaled this is the man to take my place atop the food chain in WWE. The Deadman would stamp his approval and pass the torch.
A Kin to One Another
Now, this reason if taken out of context can be misconstrued. But I’ll say it anyway, the characters of Roman Reigns and the Undertaker are very similar. Ok, so before you all start roasting the idea in the comments hear me out. For the majority of both men’s careers, they have maintained mostly the same character. (Yes, minus the few terrible years that the Undertaker was a biker.) Both men have a similar moveset. Big powerbombs, recognizable gestures, flying clothes, and being the leader of a faction are just some common characteristics. But there are more common traits; both men would have “Brother/s” that they would partner with and also have intense rivalries with as well.
And if we dive deeper into the moveset, we can easily correlate each man’s big moves. For Roman Reigns the Superman Punch is the equivalent of the Undertaker’s Chokeslam. The Tombstone Piledriver that Taker features is equal to Roman’s Spear. Then we can also look at the dive over the top rope. Both men are very big, and this maneuver is uncharacteristic of performers of this size and caliber. Beyond that, the backstage presence of both men is undeniable as well as both men are viewed as locker room leaders.
The Obvious, Tag Team Match at Extreme Rules
The main reason was announced last night on Raw as well, and that would be the Tag Team match at Extreme Rules in Philadelphia, PA. This was a smart move by the decision makers in WWE. Philadelphia is a notoriously difficult crowd. The former home of the “bloodthirsty, ravenous” fanbase of ECW. Philly would also be the place where Roman Reigns would be boo’ed out of the building during the closing moments of the 2015 Royal Rumble.
Pairing Roman Reigns with a beloved legend like the Undertaker to take on an annoying team like Shane McMahon & Drew McIntyre is a smart booking decision. Ultimately, Roman Reigns will fall into the John Cena category, either you love him, or you hate him, there is no middle ground. But these are the reasons the Undertaker saved Roman Reigns.
