Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman at WWE Payback has been in the making for 5 years
This has been a crazy week for WWE, with Payback taking place only seven days after SummerSlam. The main event of Sunday's event will see 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt defend the Universal Championship against both, Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns, in a triple threat No Holds Barred Match.
While the build began at SummerSlam, there is a lot more to it than just one week of build. Reigns, Strowman, and Wyatt have been linked with each other for the past five years, with a sense of inevitability heading into Sunday's clash.
The history shared between the three WWE megastars has made their Universal Title match even more monumental than it already is. Here some of the elements that make Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman a match that is five years in the making.
#5 A monstrous debut
Five years ago on this very week, Braun Strowman made his WWE debut. And which two Superstars were in the ring when it happened? Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt.
An unknown monster at the time, Strowman was revealed as the newest member of the Wyatt Family. His presence rattled Reigns, and this was a sign of things to come, as Strowman's first night as a WWE Superstar saw him lay out both Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose.
The 'Monster Among Men' found his footing as a menacing giant under the guidance of Wyatt, something that could be revisited down the line. Strowman enjoyed a solid start to his WWE career and eventually blossomed into a top star over the years.
It was an intense debut, one that laid down the marker for a career of destruction. Debuting in the middle of Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt's rivalry, Braun Strowman would eventually have storied angles with both Superstars. Five years later, he is set to go to war with both of them.