Who Should Face Triple H At WrestleMania 32?

The biggest question going into WWE Fast Lane 2016 is who will emerge as the challenger to Triple H’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship? Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, and Dean Ambrose face off in a triple threat match in the second ever WWE event of this name with that very stipulation on the line.

In this article, I lay out the four best outcomes to this match as I see it. With only three competitors, I’ve obviously added in a slightly screwy outcome onto my list. I really like that screwy outcome, so I think it’s a worthwhile pitch.

Even with the potential volatility that might arise from the fallout of the Fast Lane main event, I’m optimistic that this will be an entertaining match. There’s some odd elements to factor in (like the likely Wyatt involvement), but all three of the competitors involved are well above average wrestlers. This could be the best match of the night on a card that already has a few solid bouts booked.

So who gets the honor of staring into the eyes of The Game in front of 100,000 people in Dallas? Here’s my take on the best options…

4. Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns may be WWE’s preferred choice for a WrestleMania opponent against Triple H, but he’s merely batting cleanup on my list. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to bash Roman as being inept. He’s definitely got what it takes to be a champion, just not in the way WWE wants him to be.

Roman is the big dog that has a great look and a dynamic move set. At every house show I’ve attended he’s been accepted as the hero of heroes. In many wrestling eras of the past nobody would’ve batted an eye at his presentation as the company’s top babyface. However, all of that doesn’t change the fact that right now he gets a very mixed reaction anytime he’s in a major market area. John Cena might be able to handle the bipolarity of the audiences from night to night, but not everybody is John Cena. Few top guys can handle being so many things to so many different people.

If Roman is the winner at Fast Lane and goes on to face Triple H all by his lonesome in the main event of WrestleMania, the heel/face roles will most definitely be reversed. Just like the ending of the Royal Rumble, Triple H will get strong praise during his offense and massive boos when he ultimately loses to Roman.

WWE would have to be full on stubborn if this scenario is what happens and then they have the audacity to act shocked when Roman is not celebrated as the hero in Dallas. But would it really surprise anybody if WWE was this stubborn?

3. Brock Lesnar

Even though Brock Lesnar’s booking hasn’t been quite as dominant over the past month or so as it has been over the past few years, he still is the most unstoppable force WWE has right now. Having this former UFC Heavyweight Champion in the main event of the biggest show of the year is the flashiest name they can put on their marquee. Lesnar versus Helmsley has name recognition that even the most casual of fans will take notice of. If WWE wants 100,000 people in attendance for this event, this is the matchup that increases that possibility the most.

Regardless of how big of a main event this is from the perspective of name value, it doesn’t make as much sense as the other two potentials. Brock and Hunter have plenty of history but there hasn’t been a ton of interaction recently. The Authority’s focus has been almost soley directed towards Roman. Plus, it’s painfully obvious to everyone that Brock will be facing someone from the Wyatt Family at WrestleMania. The setup for a match against Bray or one of his buddies will begin during this main event at Fast Lane unless some major changes happen at the last minute.

I’m not totally sold on the idea that a match between The Beast Incarnate and a member of the Wyatt Family is what I want out of Brock for WrestleMania, but I’m willing to watch a pan out. Even so, Triple H defending his title against Brock is a slightly more palatable match then Triple H against Roman Reigns.

2. Dean Ambrose

Now THIS is what the people want to see. If Triple H absolutely must be the heel in the main event of WrestleMania then Dean Ambrose is the only guy that will force him into that role. Ambrose is a crowd favorite, no doubt about it. Even better, a singles win over Triple H in the main event of WrestleMania for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship would undeniably establish him as a main eventer.

I recall the brief revival of the feud between Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in 2015. At Elimination Chamber, Dean shocked the world when he captured the title to a massive pop. Of course, this was a Dusty Finish so Dean didn’t actually win the belt. But I look back at this night as a test to see if Dean was ready to be champion or not. According to the reaction of those in attendance and the critics afterward, the results were massively in his favor.

As much as the powers that be in WWE have been persistently waiting until the fans finally get on board with this perpetual Roman Reigns push, many fans have equally been persistently waiting for WWE to get on board with Dean Ambrose. His connection with the fanbase is genuine, there’s nothing manufactured or forced about it. If one of these guys is to face Triple H, make a star by picking a guy that’s already overwhelmingly liked.

1. Both Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose

If I lived in a dream world, Dean Ambrose would’ve captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship by winning the Royal Rumble and Roman Reigns would’ve turned heel to challenge him at WrestleMania. But then again, in my dream world Seth Rollins would’ve never become injured and this would’ve been a Shield triple threat main event for the title. We can’t always get what we want, I guess.

The best compromise for fans and for WWE is that some screwy finish allows both Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns to advance to Dallas to face Hunter. I’m not totally sure how to make that happen, but I’ll brainstorm a couple of ideas…

After a lengthy, tiring match, (and Brock being already disposed of by the Wyatts) Triple H could make his way down to the ring with a sledgehammer in hand to take out both Dean and Roman. The match would then be over without a decisive victory. Hunter could tell them in subsequent promos that he’s disgusted with both of them and wants to personally take out two birds with one stone. This would start a path of handicap matches and other unfair tactics to make sure they are completely beat up long before they get to WrestleMania.

Another idea is that since Bray and friends are already going to be attacking Brock, why can’t they just take out everybody at once? Since the match won’t have a decisive ending, all three competitors can justify that they are still in line for a title shot. Brock can save his shot for a future event since his attention will be focused on Bray or Braun or whoever, but Roman and Dean can both go after Hunter now.

It’s hard to figure out how both Roman and Dean get into the WrestleMania main event but it does make the most amount of people happy. Vince can still get Reigns winning and the fans can watch Dean not take the pin. After the match, Dean can raise his brother’s arm to celebrate the victory, then make some sort of statement to signal that he wants a title shot. It can be a playful yet competitive tease at a Dirty Deeds like on last Monday’s Raw or it can be an actual attack, showing that the two are no longer best buddies forever.

I personally believe that Roman and Dean should be battling each other over the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for the few months after WrestleMania anyway, so putting them both opposite Triple H in the main event could be the start of that. Those two have enough history to carry out a program until the injury bug eases up on a few of the other top stars. Maybe Ambrose could even win the title for real at some point during these months, even if it’s just a brief stint until Roman moves on to someone like Cena or Rollins.

Final Ramblings And Plugs

So there you have it. The best scenario to come out of the main event of Fast Lane is for both former Shield members to somehow get inserted into the WrestleMania main event. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments below.

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For a preview of Fast Lane that also includes the other matches, check out mine and my wife’s podcast. It’s called Wrestling Date Night and you can listen to it simply by pressing the Play button below. You could also subscribe to us on iTunes or Stitcher or Spreaker, but you do whatever’s easiest for you.