WWE WrestleMania 33 preview: The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns

Here is a full preview of the WrestleMania 33 match between The Undertaker and Roman Reigns, what to expect, and a prediction who will win this Sunday in Orlando.

At WrestleMania 33, The Undertaker will square off against Roman Reigns in Orlando. There are a lot of possibilities surrounding this match and what could come out of it. Could this be the last match for The Undertaker? Where does Roman go with a win or loss afterward? Let’s take a deeper look at that match.

How did we get here?

At the 2017 WWE Royal Rumble, Roman Reigns entered as the No. 30 participant in the over-the-top-rope battle royal. One of his first orders of business was to eliminate The Undertaker from the match, a move that shocked everybody in attendance.

In the weeks following the Rumble, Roman and Braun Strowman started having a series of matches that would lead to a showdown at Fastlane in February. And they battled to the point that the ring itself could barely withstand their brawling. Over the next few weeks, Strowman vowed to end Reigns.

On March 6, he intended to do just that. He marched to the ring and called out the former Shield enforcer, but got a shocking visit from The Undertaker instead. Strowman backed off, but we found out that the WWE’s resident phenom wasn’t looking for him. When Reigns confronted The Undertaker about it and told him he wasn’t the one Strowman was waiting for, he received a chokeslam for his efforts. Reigns would get his payback last week, however, when he speared The Undertaker.

What To Expect

Two weeks ago, Shawn Michaels came out to give some advice to Reigns. If anyone knows about The Undertaker, it would be the Heartbreak Kid. The two had a pair of consecutive classics, the first at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania in Houston, and a year later in Arizona. Michaels warned that if Reigns let The Undertaker get in his head this close to WrestleMania, he would be eaten alive.

This is a huge match for Reigns, granted, there’s not an undefeated streak in play anymore. Brock Lesnar took care of that in New Orleans. But for as much as fans hated Lesnar for ending the streak, Reigns could be the most hated man on the planet if he pulls off a win.

WWE has always been known as The Undertaker’s “yard,” but now Reigns is challenging ownership of it and has threatened to retire the Dead Man on April 2 in Orlando. But can he do it? Clearly now we know The Undertaker is no longer unbeatable on the biggest stage in sports entertainment. And this could skyrocket Reigns to unspeakable heights if he knocks off The Undertaker straight up.

On the flip side, we don’t know how many more WrestleMania events The Undertaker has left. If he were able to score the win, it would be his 100th WWE pay-per view-victory. The only other person that even comes close is John Cena, who sits somewhere near 90 PPV wins. Now I’m sure The Undertaker doesn’t give two chokeslams about a win-loss record but it would be a monumental victory in terms of numbers.

He also still hasn’t lost his touch with mind games. That was proven on Monday night in Philadelphia. He appeared on the video screen in a graveyard and moments later he was in the ring, controlling the lights. It’s been a signature page in his playbook for over two decades.

His health is also becoming an issue. We’ve seen in recent years that he has looked rough coming out of his WrestleMania matches. If he shows any signs of a weakness or injury, Reigns can exploit that and go for the kill. Then he’ll need a police escort to get out of south Florida.

Official Prediction

This is tough. As an old school WWF/WWE fan, I will always cheer for The Undertaker at WrestleMania (the only exception being his matches against HBK). But in this case, there is too much potential that lies ahead for Roman Reigns. Officially, I think Reigns shocks the world and picks up the win. 2017 will be a huge year for him, and this will be the start.

As for The Undertaker, I think this is the last ride for the phenom, and it closes the door on what has been a legendary run for the longest-tenured active member of the WWE roster. An undefeated streak, the most respected man possibly in WWE history, and a trail of bodies that stretch across nearly three decades. And the most significant part is The Undertaker was one of the few guys that didn’t jump ship during the Monday Night Wars era.

A loss for Reigns isn’t necessarily damaging for him. Yes, he would be added to the hit list of The Undertaker; there’s no shame in that, if you look at the roster of names that have fallen victim at his hands. But obviously a win will rocket him further.

From here, he can have bragging rights to having defeated The Undertaker on the biggest stage in sports entertainment. But he could also throw his name in the hat for a shot at the WWE Universal Championship. Now that could mean a rocky road that may have to go through Kevin Owens and a couple of other names, but a WrestleMania victory could vault him to the front of the line.

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It’s well documented that fans haven’t been on his side a lot lately. But let’s face it, Reigns will come out on top either way. He’s still young enough that he has the world in front of him. No, it won’t be a technical classic, but it will be potentially his biggest match to date. The Undertaker will ride off into the Death Valley sunset, on a one-way road to the WWE Hall of Fame … and apparently Texas Longhorn spring football practices. But the ultimate winner here will be the fans — as well it should be. It’s WrestleMania, ladies and gentlemen, sit back and enjoy the “ultimate thrill ride.”