Report On Universal Championship Plans For WrestleMania
It appears that WWE already has several matches being planned for WrestleMania later this year.
According to a report, Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman are set to engage in a program after Strowman cost Reigns a chance to win the WWE Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble. It appears that they will be going up against each other on RAW house shows leading up to WrestleMania 33.
Another house show match that is being planned is Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn for the Universal Title, rekindling their feud from last year, which was an extension of their feud on NXT and on the indies. According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer, even though Owens vs. Zayn will be for the title on those house shows, it will be Reigns vs. Strowman who will be headlining those shows.
As far as WrestleMania plans are concerned, Reigns will be facing Strowman on house shows, but Reigns will be facing The Undertaker at WrestleMania, according to those reports. Undertaker vs. Reigns was hinted at after Reigns eliminated Undertaker during the Royal Rumble match.
Meltzer also said that Owens will be defending his Universal Title against Goldberg at the Fastlane pay-per-view on March 5. The plan is for Goldberg to beat Owens and have Goldberg defend the title against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, confirming the report from a recent issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that neither Owens nor AJ Styles were going to come into WrestleMania as champion. Styles lost his title to John Cena at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
Goldberg winning the title would follow the trend of champions heading into WrestleMania when they do not work live events. Goldberg does not work house shows, but neither did Triple H heading into last year's WrestleMania. Brock Lesnar was also absent from the live event circuit as well when he was champ in the lead up to WrestleMania 31 in 2015.
