Brock Lesnar is still the WWE Universal Champion, much to the delight of his Advocate, our boss Paul Heyman, but Roman Reigns has a legitimate gripe. The two clashed inside a steel cage at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia, and the match ended in a wild controversy that has everyone talking. According to WWE.com:
Roman Reigns stood face to face with The Beast Incarnate in a Steel Cage Match and hit him with everything he had, but it still wasn’t enough. In a controversial ending to the Universal Championship Match, Brock Lesnar retained the title after being Speared through the cage because his body touched the arena floor first, sparking a debate that has the WWE Universe wondering what the future holds for Roman Reigns.
The Universal Champion slowly stalked around the cage before the bell, forcing Reigns to wait as long as possible before they were both locked inside the unforgiving structure. Once the cage’s door was locked shut, Reigns tried to go right after The Beast with a Superman Punch. However, Lesnar was ready and waiting to take him to Suplex City, delivering four consecutive German Suplexes before planting Reigns into the mat with a thunderous F-5.
The Beast sought to continue the punishment with a second F-5, but The Big Dog slipped out of his clutches and staggered Lesnar with three massive Superman Punches. Reigns went for a Spear, but soon found himself positioned into another F-5. Reigns got away again and tried to climb over the top of the cage, only to get caught by the champion. Lesnar also tried to ascend over the cage, but he didn’t look comfortable scaling the steel structure. That gave the challenger time to recover, grab Lesnar off the cage and drive him into the canvas with a powerbomb.
Reigns looked to be in the driver’s seat and on his way to finally capturing the Universal Title after hitting The Beast with three straight Spears, but Lesnar somehow managed to survive. Having weakened The Beast, Roman then looked to exit the cage through the door. That’s when Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman, leapt into action, slamming the cage door into Reigns’ head and sending the challenger back into another bone-rattling F-5.
Again The Big Dog endured, but Heyman then introduced a steel chair into the fray, throwing it into the cage. Lesnar grabbed it, but Reigns met him with a fourth bone-rattling Spear before he could use it. Reigns took the chair for himself and unloaded on Lesnar, the sound of steel on flesh and bone echoing through the sold-out King Abdullah Sports City Stadium. As Lesnar staggered between the ring ropes and the cage, The Big Dog hit a massive fifth Spear, breaking through the steel structure and sending both Superstars hurtling to the arena floor.
A hush fell over the capacity crowd as the official and Paul Heyman tried to make sense of what just happened. The referee then made his ruling: Because Lesnar was the first person out of the cage, The Beast was ruled the victor and still Universal Champion.
Roman Reigns has tried on four occasions to dethrone Brock Lesnar, and he has come up short in all of them. How Reigns reacts to this setback will be extremely important, as he now has to focus on a rage-fueled Samoa Joe at WWE Backlash.
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