Roman Reigns will once again be headlining WrestleMania as he battles Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship on Sunday night. Reigns has been subjected to backlash from wrestling fans for years while WWE has tried over and over again to present him as the face of the company. Fans of Roman Reigns believe that he deserves to be “The Guy” in WWE, while others have grown tired of WWE placing him in the main event.

Here is a look back at some of the times WWE has tried to get the fans behind Reigns and the backlash it created from fans:

The Evil Boss Makes His Return (2015-2016)

Sheamus defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Reigns at WWE TLC 2015. Roman scaled the ladder and was inches away from retrieving the title, but Alberto Del Rio and Rusev came down to the ring and interfered. Reigns fought them off with a couple of Superman Punches, but turned around into a Brogue Kick from Sheamus. The interference allowed Sheamus to retain his title. After the match, Reigns lost his mind and beatdown Sheamus, Del Rio and Rusev.

Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and WWE officials came down to the ring to stop Reigns. Roman turned his attention towards Triple H and delivered an epic beatdown to the WWE COO. The following night on RAW, Vince McMahon made his first appearance on WWE RAW in over a year. McMahon was fired up and wanted to fight Reigns. Sheamus interrupted and stated that he wanted the pleasure of beating an apology out of Roman Reigns himself. Sheamus asked for a match that night and added that he wanted to put the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line. The crowd chanted “yes” and Vince McMahon said that there was no chance in hell of that happening. Reigns insulted Vince’s manhood and McMahon made the match official.

Vince added a stipulation to the match, if Reigns didn’t win he would be fired. Vince then extended his hand for a handshake, but delivered a low-blow instead. Roman went on to win the match to become to the WWE World Heavyweight Champion later that night.

Reigns was then forced to put the title on the line in the 2016 Royal Rumble. The League of Nations got their revenge for what down at TLC 2015 and attacked Reigns during the match. Roman made his triumphant return to the match a half hour later, but ultimately lost the belt to Triple H. Reigns went on to recapture the title at WrestleMania 32, but the fans had already turned their backs on him once again.

Daniel Bryan Shakes Roman Reigns’ Hand At WWE Fastlane 2015

Roman Reigns won the 2015 Royal Rumble in Philadelphia to become the #1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31. The Philadelphia crowd booed Reigns out of the building, as most of them wanted to see Daniel Bryan win the match and headline a second straight WrestleMania.

Despite winning the Royal Rumble match, Reigns went on to battle Daniel Bryan at WWE Fastlane 2015 to determine who will face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31. Reigns and Bryan put on a very solid match. Bryan went for the running knee but Reigns countered into a Spear for the pinfall victory. Following the match, Daniel Bryan shook Roman Reigns’ hand and told him to kick Brock Lesnar’s ass at WrestleMania. The crowd was fully behind Daniel Bryan, but WWE hoped that Bryan showing Reigns respect would get them on Roman’s side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhYKPqZsvBM

Unfortunately for WWE, their plan didn’t work out. The crowd at Levi’s Stadium for WrestleMania 31 were more behind Brock Lesnar than Roman Reigns. Seth Rollins wound up cashing in his MITB briefcase and pinned Roman Reigns to become the new champion. Even though Rollins was a heel at the time, the crowd rejoiced as the fireworks went off around him on the entrance ramp.

The Rock Saves Roman Reigns At WWE Royal Rumble 2015

Photo Credit: WWE.com

The month before WWE Fastlane 2015, Reigns won the Royal Rumble match. The crowd turned on the match immediately after Daniel Bryan was eliminated. It was a foregone conclusion that Reigns was going to win and the crowd wasn’t having it all. The final three Superstars in the match were Reigns, Kane and Big Show. Reigns eliminated them both and seemed to have won the match. However, Rusev was hiding outside the ring and had not been eliminated. The Philadelphia crowd at Wells Fargo Center grabbed onto that last bit of hope tjat Reigns wouldn’t win as Rusev snuck into the ring to try to and eliminate Roman. However, Reigns eliminated Rusev shortly after and won the match anyway.

After the match, Kane and Big Show attacked Roman Reigns from behind. The Rock came down to the ring and helped out Roman Reigns. The Rock then raised Reigns’ hand and the crowd booed them out of the building. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon came down to the entrance ramp pissed off because Reigns won and The Rock was in the ring celebrating with him. The hashtag #CancelWWENetwork was the number one trend on Twitter following the show. Amazingly, even The Rock couldn’t get the fans to cheer Reigns at WWE Royal Rumble 2015.

https://www.instagram.com/p/yT6y3qIh_e/

Roman Reigns “Retires” The Undertaker At WrestleMania 33

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Last year at WrestleMania 33, Roman Reigns faced The Undertaker. The entire build to this match was both Superstars wanted to prove that WWE was their yard. Reigns defeated The Undertaker by connecting with a massive Spear. After the match, The Undertaker left his hat and jacket in the ring to symbolize that he was retired.

The following night on RAW, Reigns came down to the ring to an unbelievably negative reaction from the crowd. Roman stood tall in the ring and took it. Whenever he tried to talk, the crowd would get angrier and chant louder. After several minutes of hearing nothing but negativity, Reigns simply stated “this is my yard now” and left the ring to a chorus of boos.

The negativity towards Reigns has never been as loud as it was on the RAW after WrestleMania 33. The victory over The Undertaker did not cause the majority of fans to find a new level of respect for Roman Reigns, it just made them even more sick of him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsoq1MteXSU

John Cena Raises Roman Reigns’ Hand At WWE No Mercy 2017

Photo Credit: WWE.com

WWE just recently had John Cena pass the torch to Roman Reigns at WWE No Mercy 2017. The build up to this match featured several promos in which Cena and Reigns traded insults. During one promo, Reigns forgot his lines and Cena told him that he is going to have to learn how to do promos if he wants to be “The Guy”. Reigns blasted John Cena for being a part-timer and Cena responded by stating that he could do this part-time better than Reigns could ever do full-time.

John Cena lost to Roman Reigns at No Mercy and raised his hand after the match. John Cena claimed that Reigns was not capable of being “The Guy”, but after the loss he showed Reigns a ton of respect. Cena then appeared on RAW Talk following the PPV and stated that he didn’t pass the torch to Reigns, Roman took it. Cena added that WWE’s future is in good hands with Roman Reigns.

John Cena emotional saying future in good hands. Says he didn't pass the torch. Roman Reigns took it. Put him over huge on #RawTalk. #WWE

— Scott Fishman (@smFISHMAN) September 25, 2017

Brock Lesnar Is “Vince’s Boy”

Roman Reigns called Brock Lesnar “Vince’s boy” on March 12. Lesnar had been no-showing episodes of WWE RAW and Reigns was pissed off about it. Reigns took it as a sign of disrespect to him, the Superstars in the back and the WWE Universe. Reigns marched backstage and confronted Vince McMahon. The two then argued in Vince’s office and Reigns was indefinitely suspended. Vince admitted to Renee Young that Lesnar does have special privileges, but claimed that he has earned them.

On this past Monday’s episode of RAW, Kurt Angle instructed WWE Superstars to line up on the entrance ramp to prevent Reigns from getting into the ring with Lesnar. Reigns asked the Superstars if they really wanted to protect a part-timer who didn’t respect them. The Superstars cleared a path for Reigns to get into the ring. Lesnar rolled out and grabbed a chair before getting back in the ring with Reigns. Roman connected with 5 Superman Punches, but somehow Lesnar shook them off and planted Reigns with an F5.

Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns this Sunday at WrestleMania 34. The build for this match has placed Reigns in the position of fighting not only for the title, but for the Superstars in the back and all of the fans that enjoy WWE. UFC President Dana White has conveniently announced that Brock Lesnar will be returning to UFC at some point. WWE is hoping that enough fans in New Orleans will cheer for Reigns during the match this Sunday.

The storyline for this match has had Lesnar attack Reigns while he is in handcuffs and mercilessly beat him down. Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman, has admitted on the microphone that Lesnar only cares about the money and doesn’t give a damn what the fans think. Vince McMahon even suspended Roman Reigns for questioning him and accusing him of catering to Lesnar. All of these elements are supposed to get you on Roman Reigns’ side at WrestleMania 34. Just like every previous attempt to get the majority of fans on Reigns’ side, it will likely backfire on Sunday night.

Paul Heyman recently did an interview with USA Today’s “For The Win” to promote WrestleMania 34, and his client Brock Lesnar’s Universal Title defense against Roman Reigns. Here are the highlights:

Brock Lesnar will take the stage at WrestleMania having held the universal title for more than 365 days – the longest reign of his career. Where does Brock’s reign rank among the great heavyweight champions?

“I never rank Brock alongside anyone else, because I don’t think Brock belongs in a category that should be shared by others. Brock Lesnar is the most unique athlete in this history of World Wrestling Entertainment, and I say that with without embellishment or exaggeration.

“A, there’s no one that has his credentials that has ever stepped into the ring. B, I daresay there’s no one that has his ability, either in the aspect of entertainment or in the aspect of legitimate fighting, that’s ever stepped into the ring. And C, he is the only person in history that has been able to go back and forth between mixed martial arts and sports entertainment with this level of success. So I never compare Brock to others, nor others to Brock, because I feel he’s a category all unto himself.”

You shared an amazing photo on Twitter from when you managed the Samoan Swat Team – what was that experience like and how well did you get to know that family?

“I’ve known the members of Roman Reigns’ family since I was 15 years old. Afa and Sika [Reigns’ father] were very generous with their time and their teachings with me and to me. I knew Roman Reigns when he used to come into the locker room with his father, holding his father’s hand, barely out of diapers. And I don’t say that as an ironic statement… I mean it sincerely. So I’ve known Roman Reigns his entire life and I’ve known his family and worked with his family since I was 15 years old. I had a wild time with the Samoan Swat Team in 1989. Samu and Fatu, who’s now better known as Rikishi, were just coming into WCW from Dallas, Texas, and they were as wild as wild could be.

“There are famous stories about wars we had on the road, on the highways, with Sting and the Steiners that are legendary in the South. I, to this day, am blackballed from renting a car in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, because of the Samoan Swat Team…. It was a most unique experience for me, but it was a learning experience because I learned so much about the culture and the upbringing and the closeness of that family.

“Without any kind of exaggeration, there’s about 100 members of that family that are in and around and involved in the pro wrestling business. They all have each other’s back, they all have a passion for this industry – or the others won’t allow them in. So for Roman Reigns to now step up as the leader of the family, and taking the family name and legacy into the main event of WrestleMania for the fourth consecutive year is an awful lot of pressure on Roman Reigns. And I commend him on the dignity with which he carries that legacy.”

People love to speculate about who you may advocate for in the future – but it’s very clear that you have a special connection with Brock Lesnar. If Vince McMahon told you ‘hey, I want you with so-and-so tomorrow,’ is that something that could even work, or do you have to be invested in that performer first?

“Yes, I would have to be invested in that person first. B, I think I have established such credibility in the things that I say with Brock Lesnar, that I don’t envision Vince McMahon forcing someone to be paired with me – because unless I truly believe in that person, I don’t think Vince would want me to advocate for them. And again, to be blunt here, Brock and I are fully committed to making this WrestleMania, April 8th in the main event with Roman Reigns, as memorable an event as has ever been presented by WWE. Neither one of us has made the commitment to stay after April 8th yet because we’re so focused on April 8th.

“Brock is very task-oriented. He learned that on the dairy farm in Webster, South Dakota, when he was a child. 5 a.m., wake up, milk the cows. 7:30 a.m., get the eggs from the chickens. You handle the wheat at 11:00 a.m. And he takes on each task as it stands in front of him. We both made the commitment through April 8th. I can, with great candor, tell you I have no idea WrestleMania for either one of us in this business, because Brock is obviously eyeballing a return to the octagon.

“It’s no secret now. I’m developing projects in a co-production between my agency, the Looking 4 Larry agency, and Roy Bank’s Banca Studio, to pitch to networks. Whether that means April 8th is the last day in this industry? I don’t know yet, and I’m very comfortable with that because it just allows us to laser-focus on putting together the greatest main event possible for this year’s WrestleMania.”

You can ready Heyman’s full interview with USA Today’s “For The Win” by clicking this link here.

It turns out that the current, reigning, defending, undisputed WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar will indeed be coming back to the UFC.

It’s been well documented that his contract is up with the WWE this month after WrestleMania 34 where he’s slated to defend his title against Roman Reigns in the main event.

When Lesnar signed with WWE and later made his main roster debut in 2002, he was a young prospect, who was pushed heavily.

He was an amateur wrestler and made the transition into pro wrestling very quickly. There are only a handful of guys that have made the transition and had major success. Lesnar is one and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle is another.

Although he was pushed to the moon by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and the WWE creative team, Lesnar was not one who liked to be on the road. In WWE, you are on the road for at least 300 days a year if not more.

That is taxing on someone’s body as well as the mind. Thus, Lesnar saw the exit door and took it following his match with Bill Goldberg at WrestleMania 20 in 2004.

After briefly competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling and having a successful run in the UFC, the current champion decided to return home.

Lesnar returned to WWE on April 2, 2012, on Raw by confronting and delivering an F-5 to John Cena. This move made sense for both sides. WWE needed star power, and Lesnar got paid extremely well for working a limited schedule.

Since he returned to the company, Lesnar has slowly but surely started working more events that include TV, PPV (pay-per-view) and house shows.

UFC President Dana White has confirmed that Lesnar will be returning to the UFC during Wednesday’s edition of “UFC Tonight” but didn’t know when or his opponent would be.

“Yeah, Brock Lesnar’s coming back. I don’t know when, but yes he is.”

Paul Heyman will walk down to the ring alongside Brock Lesnar for the main event at WrestleMania 34 this weekend but if he has his way, he’d love the opportunity to work with his opponent Roman Reigns as well.

It’s no secret that Reigns has remained one of the biggest superstars on the WWE roster and fans generally feel passionately about him — either he’s beloved or he’s despised and there doesn’t seem to be much of a middle ground.

Perhaps one of the biggest shortcomings during Reigns’ WWE career has been his inability to really cut a solid promo, which is a staple for most athletes that transcend from superstar status to icon.

That’s why some have suggested that Reigns teaming up with Heyman would be the best thing for his career as the former ECW owner is typically regarded as the best talker and hype man in professional wrestling today.

If given the chance, Heyman would love to work with Reigns and he believes that the 32-year old veteran performer might already be the biggest commodity on the entire WWE roster if not for his current client who holds the WWE universal championship.

“Three years ago in the buildup to WrestleMania 31 I said straight to Roman Reigns’ face a comment that can be taken as both story line and as reality. Roman Reigns is the right guy, in the right place, at the wrong time,” Heyman told NBC Sports. “In any other time in history, Roman Reigns would be so dominant on top, both in a story line capacity and a box office capacity in WWE. No one would be in his stratosphere. He would absolutely be the Paul Heyman guy for I would be auditioning every single solitary day to define my role as a Roman Reigns guy. We would be sitting here talking about Roman Reigns approaching 1,000 days as the top champion in WWE. There’s no doubt in my mind about this. No one would be in his league.

“But the unfortunate thing for Roman Reigns is that he lives in a time period that is dominated by Brock Lesnar. Brock Lesnar is the only athlete who can go in-between WWE and UFC seamlessly at a top tier, main event level.”

“Working with Roman Reigns would be an absolute career defining moment for me” ~ Paul Heyman

Still given the chance to work together, Heyman believes that he could do great things alongside Reigns while serving as his ‘advocate’ on television.

It’s entirely possible that scenario plays out considering Lesnar is a free agent after WrestleMania 34 and there has been a ton of speculation that he’s considering a return to the UFC rather than signing a new long term deal with WWE.

If Lesnar exits, that could open the door for Heyman to team up with Reigns after WrestleMania 34 is finished.

“Working with Roman Reigns would be an absolute career defining moment for me,” Heyman stated. “I have nothing but the upmost respect and admiration for him as an athlete, a performer, and as a man.”

Would you like to see Paul Heyman team up with Roman Reigns after WrestleMania 34 is finished? Sound off in the comments and let us know! 

We now know which match will close the show this weekend at WrestleMania 34.

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and the rest of the creative team have been planning Roman Reigns challenging Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at the biggest event of the year for the sports entertainment company since 2017.

The idea is to have Reigns go over on Lesnar to make him a top babyface, which is something that the WWE has been attempting to do for many years now despite the backlash from their fans.

Bryan Alvarez reported on Tuesday’s edition of Wrestling Observer Live that as of Monday, the plan is to have Lesnar vs. Reigns serve as the main event.

Keep in mind that historically, WWE doesn’t make the final call on which match will main event the show until the morning of each WrestleMania.

WrestleMania 34 is set to be held on Sunday, April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This event airs on pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network. It’s the most successful and longest-running professional wrestling event in history. Both Raw and SmackDown rosters will be featured.

H/T to RingsideNews for the news

Brock Lesnar will once again become the most coveted free agent in professional wrestler or mixed martial arts in just a matter of days.

The reigning WWE universal champion has a contract that reportedly runs through WrestleMania 34 where he will compete in the main event against Roman Reigns. Now it’s entirely possible that Lesnar will opt to remain with WWE but there’s also little doubt that he would love the opportunity to fight in the UFC again.

Lesnar is a former heavyweight champion but at 40 years of age, time will begin ticking away on how much longer he has left to compete with the best fighters in the world so his next contract negotiation may decide that.

Paul Heyman, who has worked alongside Lesnar for nearly two decades, knows that Lesnar is seriously considering a return to the UFC even if some believe that’s just a negotiating tactic to get the WWE to offer him a bigger deal.

‘I don’t think it’s any secret that Brock is looking to get back into the Octagon,” Heyman told Newsweek about Lesnar’s future. “He is obviously eyeballing another fight in UFC. There’s no secret. He’s posing for pictures with Dana White wearing a UFC shirt in the UFC offices in Las Vegas.

“That’s not a negotiating tactic, Brock Lesnar wants to compete inside of the Octagon. There’s no leveraging that; it’s a fact.”

“That’s not a negotiating tactic, Brock Lesnar wants to compete inside of the Octagon.” ~ Paul Heyman

While it might seems that Lesnar is stuck in an ‘either/or’ situation, Heyman suggests that it’s still entirely possible that the hulking heavyweight has an opportunity to do both at the same time.

Lesnar’s last fight inside the Octagon took place at UFC 200 while he was still under contract with WWE. Vince McMahon signed off on allowing Lesnar to fight again while UFC president Dana White was more than happy to have him back if only for one night.

There’s no telling if that would happen again but it’s entirely possible Lesnar could use that as part of his deal to re-sign with WWE so long as they allow him to pursue another fight in the UFC.

“Brock Lesnar fought Mark Hunt at UFC 200 and, six weeks later, main evented SummerSlam against Randy Orton,” Heyman said. “Brock Lesnar can do both and he has proven that time and time again.”

Because Lesnar rarely makes public appearances much less does interviews, he’s been quiet on any decision making about his future behind his current contract.

As for Heyman, he’ll certainly address Lesnar and much more during WrestleMania 34 weekend when he conducts a popular one man show in New Orleans where he engages with fans and answers questions on stage.

Will Brock Lesnar return to WWE or go back to fight again in the UFC? Sound off in the comments and let us know!

Current WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is scheduled to work the final live event of his current WWE deal on Friday in Boston from the TD Garden. WWE actually added Lesnar to this show early in February. He will defend his title against Kane and Braun Strowman in a Triple Threat match. Lesnar is currently involved in a storyline with Elimination Chamber winner Roman Reigns, who he will defend his Universal Title against at WrestleMania 34 next month in New Orleans.

Lesnar is currently scheduled to appear on tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW from Cleveland, Ohio, as well as next week’s episode from Atlanta, Georgia. Last week Lesnar made his return to WWE TV to attack Reigns, who had been handcuffed by the authorities for showing up to RAW during his suspension. It’s expected that Lesnar will drop the Universal Championship to Reigns at WrestleMania in order to anoint “The Big Dog” the new face of the company.

WWE is still in negotiations to re-sign Lesnar, who they’d like to work a program with the returning Bobby Lashley if possible. “The Beast” still has the option to return to the Octagon in the UFC. The interest is certainly there as he was photographed with UFC President Dana White in Las Vegas last month. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…

Ladies and gentlemen, Paul Heyman is about to crossover from professional wrestling into the world of unscripted television.

Heyman, best known as the advocate and mouthpiece for WWE Universal champion Brock Lesnar, has inked a deal with Roy Bank’s Banca Studio to develop several new television series including one that will star the former ECW owner.

Bank is best known for producing reality series such as “The Apprentice”, “Are You Smarter than a 5^th Grader?” as well as “Flea Market Flip”. Now Bank is teaming up with Heyman to produce a new series of unscripted television shows including the debut project that will star the humble advocate.

“Against my strenuous objection, Roy Bank has decided our first collaborative project will be centered around me,” Heyman told The Wrap. “I have come to the educated conclusion Roy has made this decision based on a desire when pitching from the networks that we learn how to deal with rejection.”

All jokes aside, Heyman’s initial project with Bank remains shrouded in secrecy but the series will reportedly “straddle the line” between a talk show, opinion, comedy and pop culture.

“If you are a fan of Paul Heyman or you’re a fan of the energy that Paul Heyman exudes — even if you are not familiar with him directly — you’ll love this show,” Bank said about the planned series.

From the sound of things, Heyman will lead a talk-show style format of some kind with plans to pitch the series directly after WrestleMania 34 wraps up next weekend in New Orleans. Heyman already has a one man show scheduled that same weekend in New Orleans as well as inducting Bill Goldberg into the WWE Hall of Fame. 

Then on April 8 Heyman will join Lesnar for his WrestleMania main event match against Roman Reigns.

Heyman’s work on his new television series won’t interfere with anything he does with WWE, although it’s entirely possible there would be some future crossover with his new show and the professional wrestling world.

Will you watch Paul Heyman in his new show? Sound off in the comments and let us know!

– Braun Strowman recently took to Twitter to complain to the Wendy’s fast food restaurant chain for not ever having any grilled chicken ready. He joked that Alexa Bliss, who he noted he is filming an episode of Ride Along with, is trying to keep him calm before saying somebody might “get these hands”:

https://twitter.com/BraunStrowman/status/978082101466673159?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandatory.com%2Fwrestlezone%2Fnews%2F936005-braun-says-someone-at-wendys-may-get-these-hands-wwes-top-10-most-vicious-brock-lesnar-assaults

– WWE has released a new YouTube video of Brock Lesnar’s most vicious assaults in WWE. You can check it out here below:

WWE Champion AJ Styles recently participated in an international media call to promote WrestleMania 34 and his dream match against Shinsuke Nakamura at the event. Styles discussed whether or not he believes this match is the biggest of his career, and also talked what it was like working with Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. You can check out the highlights here:

You’ve been in 2 WrestleManias so far, but this looks to be the biggest one yet. Do you consider this to be the biggest match of your career, and what have you learnt the most from the past two WrestleMania experiences?

“I do think this is the biggest match of my career. I think this is the match that most people want to see. We’re doing it at WrestleMania, so it doesn’t get much bigger than that. I’ve learned that it’s huge, for one. Thousands of thousands of people are at a show. Just take it all in. Don’t rush to the ring. I don’t do a lot of things right, but my first WrestleMania, I took it all in and I think that’s the one thing, I’m, going to do every time I get the opportunity. It’s just not to rush to the ring, but just to take it all in and enjoy the ride.”

What was it like working a physical style match-up with Brock Lesnar? How do you feel you were able to bring out the best performance of his career in many years?

“I think that it’s something he’s always capable of. It’s all up to him if he wants to do it. I think he and I put on a spectacular match and it was a good opportunity for me to be in the ring with Brock Lesnar. It was an exciting match, one that one kind of expected but at the same time didn’t know what to expect. I think it was a great match and I’m very proud of that match.”

You can read some more form Styles’ participation in the media call by clicking this link here.

Earlier this week, UFC heavyweight slugger Francis Ngannou called out WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar for a fight inside the Octagon.

TMZ Sports caught up with Lesnar’s WWE advocate, Paul Heyman, to get his thoughts on Ngannou – and others, like Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder – calling out his client.

Heyman says he’s not surprised that so many people are coming out of the woodwork and throwing Brock Lesnar’s name around. It’s WrestleMania season and Brock Lesnar is the biggest box office attraction in all of professional sports. It’s one thing to throw out empty challenges – it’s another thing to actually stand toe-to-toe with The Beast.

Fans saw on RAW what happened to Roman Reigns when he got too close to Lesnar – and Francis Ngannou wouldn’t fare any better than Reigns did.

You can check out Heyman’s awesome promo below. Visit MMANews.com for read what Francis Ngannou had to say about WWE’s Beast Incarnate.

– WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz used Finn Balor and Seth Rollins’ old indy names (Prince Devitt and Tyler Black) on Monday Night RAW last night during a promo. Miz mispronounced Balor’s indy name, however, calling him Prince “Nevitt” instead. Balor responded to Miz’s mispronunciation on Twitter:

Prince Nevitt??
….. and Miz is talking about ‘no respect’ HA!

— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) March 20, 2018

– RAW opened up yesterday with Roman Reigns being handcuffed by US Marshals before taking a savage beating from Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. When Reigns was put up on the stretcher and escorted out of the arena, WWE snapped a photo that caught “The Big Dog’s” wrists bruised and scarred after the segment. Check it out:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bghls0YAEUo/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_test

Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder wrestled his final collegiate wrestling match on Sunday night for Ohio State University. What was the first thing he did afterwards?

He called out WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.

Kyle Snyder’s amateur credentials are staggering. He won the gold medal at the 2016 Olympic games from Rio – making him the youngest gold medalist in history – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  He’s youngest wrestler ever to win the World, NCAA, and Olympic championships in a single year. Earlier this year, he won his third-straight individual national championship as a heavyweight.

The 22-year-old Snyder tweeted the following on Sunday night, indicating that he’s considering a future with WWE.

Kyle Snyder vs @BrockLesnar for the @WWE Heavy Weight championship of the world. Who wants it to happen? pic.twitter.com/fwfw1jlelJ

— Kyle Snyder (@Snyder_man45) March 19, 2018

A WWE showdown between Snyder and Brock Lesnar is unlikely, but not impossible. If Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar’s success in WWE are any indication, Snyder would almost certainly be a quick study should he decide to begin training for a pro wrestling career.

Brock Lesnar’s future with WWE is also uncertain, with his contract rumored to be expiring some time after WrestleMania 34 next month.

Kyle Snyder Also Considering An MMA Career

There’s also the possibility that Snyder decides to pursue a career in mixed martial arts. Just last month, Kyle Snyder offered to train Conor McGregor for his next fight, so the UFC is also on his radar. Snyder attended two UFC shows last year (UFC 203 in Cleveland and UFC 207 in Las Vegas) and admitting that he’s considering a future in the Octagon.

“They put on a great show, it’s really exciting,” Snyder said about the UFC last year. “I think it’s something that I could excel in. I haven’t done much boxing or jiu-jitsu or striking or stuff like that but I think that I could pick it up pretty quickly. The crowd and the way they made the whole thing a big show was just exciting for me. It’s something that I want to do.”

Wherever Snyder winds up, UFC or WWE, it’s not a stretch to bestow upon him the label Brock Lesnar once enjoyed as “The Next Big Thing.”

WWE Superstar Roman Reigns recently joined Cheap Heat with Peter Rosenberg to promote his upcoming WrestleMania 34 Universal Title match against Brock Lesnar next month. Reigns has been doing quite an excellent job of hyping his match with “The Beast” at WrestleMania with some shoot-style promos on his adversary for seemingly skipping out on his Monday Night RAW appearances.

This, of course, is all part of WWE’s storyline and Reigns commented on Lesnar’s current standing with the WWE Universe:

“It’s a little bit different for him, right now, especially where we are at and the stuff I am bringing to light about him and his character and work ethic, I think some of the fans are taking it negatively,” Reigns said. “For the most part, Brock Lesnar is a cool dude, you can’t deny the fact that he is a big, jacked up brother who comes in and throws people on their necks.”

Reigns said that he has worked with Lesnar plenty of times before, including their main event match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31. “The Big Dog” said he and Lesnar have developed some good chemistry inside the ring, however, they don’t have much of a relationship outside of their professional one:

“I’ve had interactions with him, I’ve had history with him. We had our main event match at WrestleMania 31 and we had a few different Four-Ways and Triple-Threat matches like that where other characters are involved. It’s a different dynamic,” Reigns said. “Every time you are in a situation like that you do get to spend a little more time with somebody. Yeah, on his own time he seems like a cool dude, I don’t know him that well, but we’re not friends or anything.”

As fans saw during Braun Strowman’s interaction with Lesnar during their Royal Rumble match, where Lesnar legitimately punched Strowman in the jaw for delivering a stiff knee to him, the former UFC heavyweight champion puts on some extremely physical matches. Reigns said Lesnar’s aggressiveness inside the ring isn’t something he shies away from, and his past as a college football player allows him to match that physicality when need be:

“If he throws two at me I’m throwing three back. My dad was a big man. One of the easiest things about wrestling Brock Lesnar is that there isn’t much thinking about it. It’s just all physical stuff, and I’ve been doing physical stuff since I was seven years old. I played Division-One Football at Georgia Tech, so I’ve seen and been around some of the best athletes in the world,” he said.

“What we do is a different form of entertainment and athleticism, but you still have to be an athlete in order to do what we do all year round, you have to keep yourself in that shape so, I’m never scared to be able to push that button, let’s go, if I have to protect myself, I’m more than capable, no doubt.”

You can listen to Reigns’ interview on Cheap Heat with Peter Rosenberg by clicking this link here.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

– A new episode of WWE 24 airs this Monday after Raw on the WWE Network and it gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match. Here is the synopsis:

“Female Superstars are redefining sports entertainment with groundbreaking matches and the addition of Ronda Rousey to a star-studded roster.”

WWE has released a teaser clip of Dana Brooke honoring her late bodybuilder boyfriend, Dallas McCarver, who died suddenly on August 22, 2017.

Last March, Brooke and McCarver both competed in the 2017 Arnold Classic. To honor McCarver, she incorporated a small piece of McCarver’s posing trunks from the event by having it stitched onto her ring gear for the Women’s Royal Rumble Match. She had WWE seamstress Terry Anderson make the piece look like a dumbbell and have it placed over her heart.

On her tribute, she tweeted the following:

???? I am forever grateful 4 my angel @DallasMcCarver my heart aches daily but reminding myself he is always w/ me makes me stronger! PLEASE TUNE IN! @WWENetwork @WWE I thank u for allowing me to share this! I am forever thankful https://t.co/CJDRcFtlGa

— Ash By Elegance (@Ashamae_Sebera) March 18, 2018

According to Medium.com, an autopsy determined that McCarver died after an unwitnessed cardiac event contributed to by of combination of coronary atherosclerosis (a buildup of plaque in the arteries) and an enlarged left ventricle (a thickening of the heart muscle that causes it to work harder). McCarver had a family history of cardiovascular disease including both hypertension and atherosclerosis.

– New York Knicks player Enes Kanter attended Friday’s WWE live event at Madison Square Garden in New York City and posed for photos with WWE stars backstage, including Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman, The New Day, and John Cena.

My next chapter ? ? @WWE pic.twitter.com/aXopaVt2kg

— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) March 17, 2018

Lesnar & Kanter. #WWE #WWEMSG pic.twitter.com/jovDGfHeMO

— MSG (@TheGarden) March 17, 2018

Michael Conlan, an Irish professional boxer from Belfast, was also backstage (as seen here in this photo with Finn Balor).

https://instagram.com/p/BgbmAHjHS32/

• Bayley and Sasha Banks have backstage heat – details

The Road to WrestleMania 34 heats up on next week’s WWE RAW from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX two matches and a segment already confirmed.

Asuka will do battle with RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss in a non-title match that should see the confirmation of Nia Jax vs. Bliss for WrestleMania 34.

WWE will also air The Ultimate Deletion match next week, which was recently taped at The Hardy Compound in Cameron, NC. Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy will go at it in what may be the end of The Great War between the two.

Next week’s RAW will also feature an appearance by WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, according to Vince McMahon. Lesnar was once again off this week’s RAW, missing the scheduled face off with Roman Reigns, but Vince gave his word that The Beast will be back next week. As noted, Vince “temporarily suspended” Reigns with an angle on tonight’s RAW and there’s no word yet on when he will be brought back, or if he will be in Dallas next week to face off with Lesnar.

It will be interesting to see if The Undertaker returns to WWE TV on next week’s RAW in Dallas. WWE currently has John Cena advertised to appear and tonight’s RAW saw Cena issue a WrestleMania 34 challenge to The Dead Man. Taker lives in Texas.

Vince McMahon temporarily suspended Roman Reigns in the storylines during a heated opening segment on Monday’s WWE RAW in Detroit. No word yet on when Reigns will be brought back from the storyline suspension but we will keep you updated.

This week’s RAW kicked off with General Manager Kurt Angle announcing that WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar was not there for his in-ring meeting with Reigns, his second RAW no-show during WrestleMania 34 Season. Angle did not have a solid reason as to why Lesnar wasn’t there tonight, which brought Reigns out. Reigns blamed Vince, saying Lesnar is Vince’s “boy” and saying being disrespected by Lesnar is one thing but he will not be disrespected by Vince. Reigns then marched into the Gorilla Position backstage and confronted Vince. RAW then went to commercial and came back to Renee Young outside of Vince’s office.

Reigns walked out and was in no mood to speak but Vince made it clear that Brock is not his boy or Paul Heyman’s boy, he’s nobody’s boy but he is a man, his own man. Vince admitted that Lesnar has privileges but said he believes Brock has earned those privileges. Vince also acknowledged that people often take advantage of what’s given to them and Brock may have gone too far now. Vince then gave his word that Brock would be here on next week’s RAW in Dallas and promised he would face Reigns in the WrestleMania 34 main event. Vince then temporarily suspended Reigns for his previous behavior.

We’ve noted several times how WWE’s goal for the Reigns vs. Lesnar build is to get Reigns cheered by fans, which is something that isn’t always guaranteed, which would hopefully lead to a positive reaction when he wins the title at WrestleMania. WWE officials also want the build to Reigns vs. Lesnar to come across like a shoot as much as possible.

With Brock Lesnar’s WWE contract set to expire soon after WrestleMania 34 in April, it’s still up-in-the-air whether or not “The Beast” will stay with the company or return to mixed martial arts (MMA) competition in the UFC. Lesnar is currently scheduled to defend his WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania in New Orleans next month.

It’s expected that Lesnar will drop the strap to “The Big Dog.” WWE would like for Lesnar to enter a program with the returning Bobby Lashley soon after, but that’s dependent on whether or not he re-signs with WWE. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that if Lesnar does want to return to the MMA world he won’t be allowed to work for the UFC simultaneously while with WWE:

“They won’t let him do it again and that’s why he’s leaving. Failed drug test is probably why. It’s a big risk for them. I was really surprised they let him fight with Mark Hunt. He had to kind of talk them into that. I think that they thought that he would beat Mark Hunt, which is surprising to a degree just because – well he did win. I thought that fight was far from a given that he would win.”

Meltzer then noted that a possible superfight at heavyweight against former 205-pound UFC champion Jon Jones is a key reason Lesnar is interested in returning to UFC. He also suggested, however, that “The Beast” could simply be leveraging WWE for more money:

“The big fight with Jon Jones is probably one he won’t win but there is so much money to be made and I think that’s why he wants to do that fight. I don’t think UFC is that comfortable having to work through WWE to get somebody that they don’t have under contract. I mean they did because it was UFC 200 and it was a special show but I think that they would rather not do that.

“I think that he would rather not have to go and get Vince McMahon’s approval on everything he does. So it just makes sense. If the right fight is there, then the money is there for him to leave. If it’s not, it’s different. The flip is this may all be a bluff anyways and he’s just doing it to leverage and to get a better deal from Vince.”

H/T Ringside News for the transcriptions

At Saturday night’s WWE live event from Minneapolis, Minnesota WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar was in action against Intercontinental Champion The Miz. You can probably guess how this one played out.

The Miztourage (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) tried helping out, but Lesnar ended up destroying them as well with suplexes. The referee called the match after about a minute after Lesnar had F5’d Miz, Dallas, and Axel.

The bell was rung without a pinfall even taking place and Lesnar was given his title back, which he hoisted up above his head as the crowd cheered.

“The Beast” then turned to the referee and hit him with an F5 as well before leaving the ring.

https://twitter.com/JJWilliamsWON/status/972312995932995587

Brock Lesnar © vs. The Miz – WWE live Minneapolis #WWEMinny: https://t.co/veOOyMSJZF via @YouTube

— WWEFanCam (@ProWresFanCam) March 10, 2018

Brock fighting everyone at #WWEMinny pic.twitter.com/fKqJTtDmNK

— Dan Virchow (@dannyvirchow) March 10, 2018

Brock Lesnar may decide not to leave the WWE after all.

Lesnar’s contract with WWE is set to expire after WrestleMania next month. At the mega pay-per-view, Lesnar is set to defend his Universal title against Roman Reigns. Many have speculated that Lesnar will do the favors for Reigns and exit the WWE.

In a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that Lesnar has shown great interest in staying on the WWE roster. The report notes, however, that WWE officials are prepared to do business without the “Beast Incarnate” in an effort to downplay the impact of a potential departure.

During the WWE Elimination Chamber event, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White posted a picture where he and Lesnar were all smiles. Soon after, White said there’s a “very good chance” that Lesnar would make his return to the Octagon. Lesnar is a former UFC heavyweight champion.

No matter where Lesnar goes, it’s no secret that he’s in high demand. Lesnar returned to the WWE in 2012 and broke barriers within the company, being allowed to have sponsors on his ring gear. He was also allowed to compete in an MMA bout while under his WWE contract at UFC 200.

– As seen on Monday Night RAW this past week, Matt Hardy challenged Bray Wyatt to come and confront him at the Hardy Family Compound. Some footage from the compound was also featured during the segment, which we later found out was filmed by Reby Hardy. Wyatt took to Twitter to accept Hardy’s challenge:

https://twitter.com/WWEBrayWyatt/status/970867101241151489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The #UltimateDELETION is the only way to cleanse the POST-PANGAEA Plane of #SisterAbigail & Bray Wyatt.. https://t.co/LlkvVO5dAz

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) March 6, 2018

It's time to CONVOKE my TRUSTED Platoon.

Queen Rebecca
Senor Benjamin
Vanguard 1
King Maxel
Lord Wolfgang
Skarsgård

The SACRED Land of DELETION, The #HardyCompound, will be where Bray Wyatt is sentenced to The #UltimateDELETION. pic.twitter.com/OaVcrIIzqS

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) March 6, 2018

Senor Benjamin, Prepare the Battlefield for… ANNIHILATION !!! #UltimateDELETION @BenjaminSenor https://t.co/yuIRS1r7dn

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) March 6, 2018

Listo. Siempre. pic.twitter.com/TjEyQ3ZfgQ

— Señor Benjamin (@BenjaminSenor) March 6, 2018

– WWE posted a promo on Twitter for next week’s episode of Monday Night RAW from Detroit, which is said to feature a face to face confrontation between WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and Elimination Chamber winner Roman Reigns. Check it out:

NEXT MONDAY, THE BEAST RETURNS TO #RAW! #SDLive @WWERomanReigns @HeymanHustle @BrockLesnar pic.twitter.com/mHYTSitVCj

— WWE (@WWE) March 7, 2018

– Paige took to social media to note that she’s currently on tour with her current boyfriend, Kalan Blehm’s, band, Attila. She won’t be appearing with Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville at WWE live events this week:

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/971102051416539136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgAfTWbFA0I/

In his first match since the Royal Rumble pay-per-view in January, Universal Champion Brock Lesnar returned to the ring on Saturday night at a WWE live event in Chicago, Illinois.

His return, however, was brief as “The Beast” beat Kane with the F-5 in just 35 seconds at the United Center.

You can watch the match in its entirety in the video below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgOwFeNUI-Y&w=560&h=315]

This is the total time for the @BrockLesnar and @KaneWWE match at #WWECHICAGO. Squash would be an understatement. And yes, that’s seconds. pic.twitter.com/tU6GgptTb8

— G. Root (@groot26) March 4, 2018

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf4xPqfg5G6/

Pinned Kane in 30 seconds! ? #WWEChicago @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/LQ0QRG9Ie9

— I’m……. That Guy. (@BrockLesnarGuy) March 4, 2018

https://twitter.com/IHeartCrosby/status/970128543903600641

https://twitter.com/Jamesspunk/status/970128307202199553

Earlier in the week, Lesnar and his advocate Paul Heyman did not appear on Raw as originally scheduled. His absence led to an angle where his WrestleMania 34 opponent, Roman Reigns, revealed that Lesnar never came to the arena for their scheduled confrontation. Reigns called Lesnar “an entitled piece of crap who hides behind his contract” and lambasted him for what he claimed was a disrespectful attitude toward fans and WWE.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU1RxhTB71E&w=560&h=315]

• The latest wrestler to make his WWE NXT debut…

UFC President Dana White says chances are “very, very, very good” that Brock Lesnar returns to UFC later this year.

Brock Lesnar is scheduled to defend his WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania on April 8th. His WWE contract expires shortly thereafter and there’s been a lot of speculation that Lesnar has his sights set on another return to the Octagon later this year.

While Reigns was earning the right to face Lesnar on Sunday night at Elimination Chamber, Dana White tweeted a photo with the former UFC Heavyweight Champion. Lesnar was scheduled to confront his WrestleMania opponent the following night on RAW, but did not appear as advertised. Whether the no-show was a hardball-negotiating tactic by Lesnar or entirely part of the WrestleMania storyline, it’s not a secret that The Beast Incarnate is weighing his options.

Lensar has earned the reputation as an astute negotiator, getting the best possible deal for himself by pitting WWE and UFC against each other.

Should Lesnar decide that he wants to test his skills inside the Octagon once more, he’ll need to re-enter the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) testing pool for at least six months. The remaining five months on his suspension (stemming from a summer 2016 failed drug test) would run concurrently, so he could be fighting for UFC again in the fall.

Are you a UFC fan? Make our affiliate site MMANews.com your destination for MMA news!

It looks like the recent steroid accusations made against Roman Reigns have stirred up some concern from WWE officials over the main event of WrestleMania.

Reigns won the first-ever Seven Man Elimination Chamber match this past weekend to earn his spot opposite Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 34. The two men will be competing for the Universal Championship. In recent weeks, however, accused steroid ring leader Richard Rodriquez tells filmmaker Jon Bravo that Reigns, as well as several other celebrities and WWE Superstars, were clients of his. Rodriguez claimed evidence of Reigns’ involvement would be revealed soon:

“That information with us communicating with Roman via text messages will be provided to the appropriate party which will then be disclosed prior to our documentary that’s going to be filmed soon,” said Rodriguez.

Dave Melter of Wrestling Observer Radio recently confirmed that there is indeed some concern backstage about the accusations and how it could affect their plans for WrestleMania. If the claims against Reigns are serious then WWE would need a backup plan for the main event against Lesnar.

There could also be some serious concern with Lesnar. Nobody knows why he was a no-show for RAW last night after being advertised for the show for the past several months. He was recently spotted in Las Vegas taking photos with UFC president Dana White, perhaps using it as a negotiation tactic against WWE.

It should also be noted that in a recent Instagram post from Jon Bravo, Lesnar was tagged as a hashtag in the caption of one of his photos. The photo’s caption suggested more WWE Superstars would be named in the steroid scandal, so perhaps Bravo hashtagging Lesner into the post is his way of hinting that “The Beast” could also be involved.

Regardless, Meltzer reports that WWE is currently keeping Braun Strowman’s WrestleMania schedule open in case any changes need to be made to the main event:

“I don’t know if they are going to go with Strowman and Reigns with Brock Lesnar but if something happens with Lesnar, obviously Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman is the only match that you could put in that spot.

“If something happens with Roman Reigns and something still could, Strowman is also the only other guy you could put in that spot as well. There is concern about Roman Reigns for sure but right now the idea is that he’s the main event at WrestleMania. There is a Braun Strowman back up plan clearly in place.”

If Strowman isn’t needed, however, he will likely be paired up with Elias for a feud at “The Showcase Of The Immortals”:

“They could go with Strowman vs. Elias, if they have Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.”

H/T RingsideNews for the transcriptions

– Brock Lesnar had been scheduled for several months to be appearing on last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW, however, he ended up being a no-show. Roman Reigns cut a tremendous promo on “The Beast” for not showing up as advertised and claimed he has no respect for the industry. WWE.com posted the following about Lesnar not showing up for the event:

Why wasn’t Brock Lesnar on Raw as scheduled?

After Universal Champion Brock Lesnar failed to meet his WrestleMania challenger, Roman Reigns, face-to-face on this week’s Raw, WWE.com reached out to The Beast’s advocate for an explanation or, at the very least, a rebuttal to The Big Dog’s incendiary critique of the champion on the broadcast. Unfortunately, Heyman has not responded to requests for comment.

Reporters have also contacted the office of Raw General Manager Kurt Angle, but following Triple H’s attack on the WWE Hall of Famer in the wake of Stephanie McMahon’s confrontation with Ronda Rousey, Angle remains unavailable.

Stay with WWE.com as more details on Lesnar become available.

– Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio was in attendance for last night’s WWE SmackDown live event in his hometown of San Diego, California. He took the following picture with Sin Cara after the show:

Gracias por tu humildad y tus consejos querido amigo. ????? Mi admiración y respeto como siempre! Aca te espero para hacer historia juntos ?????. #VivaLaRaza ?? pic.twitter.com/emVIoftWEW

— CintaDeOro (@CintaDeOro) February 27, 2018

– On last night’s RAW one-half of the RAW Tag Team Champions, Sheamus, took some pretty nasty chest chops from Titus O’Neil. “The Celtic Warrior” posted the following picture of his red chest after the match:

A congratulatory pat on the chest from #TitusWorldwide for being #4Time Raw Tag Team Champs… shame those guys go to the back of the queue… aloe vera or sudocrem? pic.twitter.com/7hSiEBkm1z

— Sheamus (@WWESheamus) February 27, 2018