Universal Title vs. WWE Title - Which World Title Match should close Wrestlemania 34?
''Two swords cannot be contained in one sheath'' - This quote holds true for all phases of life. Professional wrestling presents the perfect example of how, when two equals try to occupy the same spot at the same time, one of them has to give up eventually. WCW folded in front of WWF, with its World Title unified and deactivated in favor of the WWE Title in 2001. WWE brought back the World Title after the brand extension in 2002, but eventually retired the big gold belt again for the same reason. So, ever since the WWE reintroduced a new World Title in the form of the Universal Championship after reverting to their brand extension idea in 2016, there has been quite the buzz whether WWE would treat both its World Titles equally, or one of the two would get the same ill-treatment that the World Heavyweight Title got during its twilight years.
One thing is very clear from the WWE programming, no matter how hard WWE tries to convince us that SmackDown is on par with Raw, it's nearly impossible to believe any of that. WWE clearly considers SmackDown its B-show and hence the Universal Title on Raw is now the superior world title in WWE. Even the positions on the match card on the Big 4 pay per views provide a similar picture, with the WWE Title Match always happening before the Universal Title match, barring Royal Rumble in 2017, since the brand extension in 2016. So, with WrestleMania fast approaching and a lot of buzz being generated regarding the World Title matches on the Grand Stage, again the question arises - Will the Universal Title Match close the show again or will the WWE Title match finally get a chance to close the show one more time?
Looking at the stats and figures, 2017 was not a good year for either of the two World Titles, with the Universal Title being held by Brock Lesnar for a majority of the year, who rarely defended the title, or worse, scarcely appeared on WWE programming. To make matters worse, the World Title on the Blue Brand was held by Jinder Mahal, whose lacklustre reign brought the most prestigious title to the ground. Leaving aside the reign of AJ Styles at the start and at the end of the year, 2017 was arguably the worst year for the title. It is almost certain that Brock Lesnar would to drop the Universal Title to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, but does it have to be in the main event, again. Should there be another failed Roman Reigns Coronation to End the Grand Spectacle? Well, looking at the way the previous two attempts ended and how the crowd reacted to Reigns defeating The Undertaker at last year's event, it is definitely not the right choice.
The Royal Rumble winner is, technically, guaranteed a shot at the World Title in the 'main event' of WrestleMania and with WWE already adamant on having Roman Reigns beat Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title, the match is now all but confirmed for the Grand Spectacle. Looking back at WrestleMania History, WWE clearly doesn't believe that SmackDown World Title matches are hyped enough to close the Biggest Event of the Year. (Only twice, has a Smackdown Match closed the show)
Shinsuke Nakamura's Royal Rumble win was like a whirlpool of fresh air. WWE finally presented a winner that the fans loved to support and cheer for. WWE needed a pay per view like Royal Rumble to have a positive start to 2018. Furthermore, Nakamura needed that big victory to make up for the loss of momentum and charisma he had endured ever since his main roster debut. Nakamura now has a chance to get his WrestleMania moment. Moreover, It also gives the fans their dream rematch - Styles vs Nakamura for the WWE Title.
WrestleMania is supposed to end with the people cheering the winner of the last match and one thing is very clear- Roman won't be cheered by the crowd in New Orleans under any circumstance. No disrespect to both Lesnar and Roman, but Styles and Nakamura are notches above them as professional wrestlers. Both of them have worked very hard to earn the right of closing the biggest professional wrestling event of the year. Not only Nakamura and Styles, it is the WWE Title, the most prestigious title in sports history, that needs to end the show in order to bring some credibility to it. WWE had given a Smackdown title match, involving Edge and The Undertaker, the final slot, ahead of another World Title match involving John Cena and Triple H, two of their main headliners. WWE could do a similar thing this year and have AJ Styles, who has inarguably cemented his place as the best wrestler in WWE and arguably in the whole wrestling industry, defend the WWE Title in the main event of WrestleMania.
Come April 8, 2018, It is almost assured that the wrestling world would again witness Roman Reigns hold the Universal Title high above his head. But it won't be completely wrong to have two of your best wrestlers tear each other apart and produce a masterpiece, instead of having your two most protected one's wrestle to a chorus of boos. The WWE Title match should close the show. The fans deserve it, AJ Styles deserves it and even more, this is what the WWE needs right now.
Send us news tips at fightclub@sportskeeda.com