WWE News: Ryback explains why Roman Reigns got a title shot and not Bobby Lashley
What's the story?
Ryback may not longer be a part of WWE, but he certainly offers his wisdom and insight whenever he can. He does this through his Podcast- 'Conversation With The Big Guy' (thank you to Wrestling Inc. for the transcript).
According to Ryback, WWE did not miss an opportunity by not having Lashley face Lesnar for the Universal Championship, as a lot of fans have been stating online.
For them, Reigns is a proven commodity and having him win the Universal Championship creates a bigger impact worldwide, whereas Lashley's fan base is far more hardcore.
In case you didn't know...
Lashley and Reigns both won triple threat matches to determine who would face Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Reigns defeated Lashley and is the new Number 1 contender.
Lashley defeated Reigns clean at Extreme Rules, in a match with no real stipulations. Fans have been asking for a Lashley vs. Lesnar match for years, because of their similar MMA backgrounds. This is the fourth encounter between Lesnar and Reigns.
The heart of the matter
According to Ryback, the thought of Lashley facing Lesnar for the Universal title was never a possibility. For them, Reigns was always going to be the man to defeat The Beast:
They want Roman Reigns to be the guy to beat Brock Lesnar. You have to look at it that you are selling to the house market that a big win over Brock Lesnar does more for you worldwide than just that hardcore audience [if Lashley would have won] regardless of what they think.
Moreover, Ryback believes that WWE have built up Reigns to be in this spot. Many milestones have led to this point, such as his win over The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33, a feat that was once thought impossible.
What's next?
With one week to go until SummerSlam, the stakes are sure to be high on RAW. How will WWE build the big feud between Reigns and Lesnar? Let us know in the comments.