WrestleMania 31: Will Former Georgia Tech Star Make History at Levi’s Stadium?
By Nate Miller
Former Georgia Tech football star Joe Anoa’i, aka WWE’s “Roman Reigns”, always wanted to make his mark to the public eye on Sundays in an NFL stadium. This Sunday night, he will get the opportunity to do just that, though it will not come on the football field, but rather in the squared circle on “The Grandest Stage of Them All”.
WrestleMania 31 will go down this weekend at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers. The main event for professional wrestling’s premier showcase, the Super Bowl of sports entertainment if you will, is set to match current WWE Champion and UFC great Brock Lesnar against the rising powerhouse Roman Reigns.
For WWE diehards, the question mark in regards to this event over the last couple of months pertains to Reigns ability and readiness to be at the top of the industry. That issue has yet to be decided, but could be answered definitely by the end of Sunday night’s Pay-Per-View.
Being a member of one of professional wrestling’s most prestigious and loved families certainly comes with its share of benefits, and many of Reigns’ detractors, whether it be justifiable or just plain malicious, place the reasoning behind his preemptive push on those grounds.
The Anoa’i family has left its thumbprint on decade-upon-decade of wrestling history. Joe, along with his cousins and current tag team “The Usos“, currently bears the torch for the lineage, which includes the likes of the legendary Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It is unfair to presume that the family pulled some strings, or even have any to pull, but WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon has every reason to be loyal to this bloodline.
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Others feel that Reigns, who undoubtedly looks the part of a WWE headliner, has been forced up the ranks of the roster for that simple aspect alone. It is clear to many veteran viewers around the ring that the yet-to-turn 30 year old, who has spent less than three years at wrestling’s top level, is still mostly “green” and in need of more molding despite his physically dominating appearance.
Be all of that as it may or may not, the question of Reigns’ readiness is basically irrelevant at this point. The stage is set and once the bell rings, no one can take Joe Anoa’i’s status as a WrestleMania Main Eventer away. The real question is if he will become a history maker or flash in the pan. Personally, I say GO JACKETS!!!