One of the WWE’s biggest matches of the year is just around the turnbuckle, as Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar are set to go head-to-head for the Universal Championship at the Crown Jewel pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia. The match already had high stakes, but they just grew a bit bigger with an exciting announcement advocate Paul Heyman made just days before the match.
WWE fans have wondered where Paul Heyman’s allegiance would lie, given his current professional relationship with Roman Reigns and past relationship with Brock Lesnar. Heyman has avoided a firm commitment to either wrestler for weeks, but now he’s announced via Instagram who he’ll side with at the big match.
In what shouldn’t be a major surprise in hindsight, Paul Heyman announced he’ll leave with whoever wins the Universal title, adding another stake to the pile. The announcement isn’t so shocking mainly because Heyman historically only backs winners, and the opportunist wants to keep his place at the top of WWE’s programming with the Universal Champion. He’s fine if that’s Roman Reigns, but he’s also fine if that’s Brock Lesnar.
I think, in terms of fans looking for a clear and decisive winner to this showdown, this is a good sign. Paul Heyman refusing to choose sides lessens the chance of him interfering to benefit the wrestler that he favors and ensuring they walk out the Universal Champion. I don’t think fans want to see a match like that and would much rather see Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar slam each other around until there is a winner.
In terms of a winner, though, it does feel more likely that Brock Lesnar will ultimately defeat Roman Reigns and capture the Universal Title for the WWE. Lesnar is one of the biggest names in pro wrestling, and at a time where competition with AEW is at its peak, an ongoing feud between Lesnar and Reigns is a way to engage a casual wrestling audience.
Paul Heyman’s promotional announcement ahead of Crown Jewel comes days after WWE’s SmackDown and AEW: Rampage directly competed in primetime television slots for the first time ever. That evening was seen as the official start to the “Friday Night Wars” between the two rivals, though we’ve seen much the two brands engaging in other stunts similar to Heyman’s announcement in efforts to draw eyes to each organization’s respective events. Heyman certainly did his part, now it’ll be on that match and other WWE bouts to deliver.
WWE’s Crown Jewel PPV will stream on Peacock on Thursday, October 21st starting at 12:00 p.m. ET. Stick with CinemaBlend for more happening in pro wrestling in the meantime, such as the latest on Braun Strowman and what organization he may work for next.
