SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Lesnar did it. Almost.
With the formerly spotless Undertaker and iconic John Cena in his rearview, The Beast Incarnate stepped face-to-face with the rampaging Roman Reigns delivered a beating to him that, at times, made his SummerSlam match with John Cena look like a pillow fight. And then Seth Rollins made his move, cashing in his Money in the Bank contract in historical fashion and stealing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship away from both the champion who expected to keep it forever and the challenger who swore he could, and would, beat The Beast to claim it himself. Believe that.
Watch: Lesnar conquers The Streak | Reigns punches his ticket
Well, believe this: He didn’t. When all was said and done and the dust cleared, Reigns, who clawed his way through a Royal Rumble, a grudge match with Daniel Bryan and the animosity of the WWE Universe itself to become No. 1 contender, was left to watch the man he once called a brother walk away unscathed with his family’s birthright. Before that, however, the defining bout of WrestleMania 31 unfolded exactly as the WWE Universe initially expected it to: A pound-for-pound slugfest between two of the ring’s heaviest hitters. The hostile crowd acted almost as a third competitor of sorts, raining boos upon the embattled 2014 Superstar of the Year and throwing themselves wholeheartedly behind The Beast, who days earlier revealed his intentions to remain a WWE Superstar over a rumored return to the UFC.
Photos: Lesnar vs. Reigns ... and Rollins?