5 feuds Roman Reigns absolutely needs to have before WrestleMania 34

With around half a year to go to WrestleMania 34, I think it's safe to say that Roman Reigns is in the home stretch before he usurps the throne of the Beast, Brock Lesnar.

But is the Big Dog quite ready to become the top dog in the WWE?

The answer to that would have been a resounding 'NO!' before the Undertaker, Braun Strowman, John Cena and Shield angles, but now, I can't deny that he's coming into his own.

Personally, I've never been against the idea of Roman Reigns taking over from where John Cena left off.

After all, he's certainly got the look and he's a pretty darn good worker in the ring.

But before the hard-hitting salvos with Braun Strowman, top billing clash against John Cena and the raucous Shield reunion, he did seem some way off the mark from fully growing into the mantle of top babyface.

Now, that tells us two things primarily.

One, that it's taken the WWE a lot to put to Roman Reigns over...but more importantly, that their efforts haven't been wasted.

So Roman Reigns can become everything Vince McMahon had in mind for him when he hand-picked him while he was running with the Shield.

But before that happens, presumably at WrestleMania 34, here are 5 feuds that he absolutely needs to be a part of.

Disclaimer: Some of the names may currently be Superstars plying their trade on SmackDown Live. But never say never in the WWE, right?

Ps. If there's a feud you think would be great for Reigns... do grace the comments section with your inputs below.

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#1 The Undertaker

The Undertaker's final match HAS to be better...

It wasn't only the fans of the Undertaker but the pro wrestling fraternity as a whole with whom the Phenom's 'retirement' at WrestleMania 33 didn't sit well.

For one, bearing in mind the kind of retirement matches that Stone Cold, Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair had at Mania, Taker's match with Reigns was underwhelming.

Also, the Undertaker looked every bit of his 52 years, coming in pretty much out of shape and labouring to create any real momentum in the match.

For such a celebrated and storied Superstar, hobbling into the horizon simply isn't a good enough way to go.

Perhaps, health permitting, the WWE owes it as much to the Phenom as it does to us to run back his match with Roman Reigns.

And this time, they had better get it right.

#2 Finn Balor

Can Roman Reigns beat the Demon?

Here is an interesting match-up simply because Balor and Reigns have never really been involved together in a proper angle before.

Balor, the man, has been booked pretty strongly but it is his alter ego, the Demon, that has never tasted defeat in the WWE so far.

Of course, it goes without saying that the Big Dog will put that statistic to the test... but storyline-wise, there's always room for good booking when something genuinely has to give.

Reigns has run roughshod over everyone in his path of late. The Undertaker, Braun Strowman, John Cena... the list goes on.

But will he be able to take down the seemingly invulnerable Demon who just can't seem to be beaten?

I, for one, would love to find out.

#3 AJ Styles

These two seem to have great chemistry in the ring...

After wrestling two phenomenal matches against Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules and Payback last year, this match practically sells itself.

Anything that AJ Styles touches turns to gold. And Roman Reigns isn't half bad between the ropes himself.

After John Cena, there is also a valid case to be made that AJ Styles is perhaps the most over Superstar in the WWE today.

And having him put over Roman Reigns through another solid match would only be beneficial for the Big Dog on his road to WrestleMania 34.

#4 Braun Strowman

Fight forever! *clap*clap*clap clap clap*

Enter Roman Reigns' arch enemy. The Rock to Reigns' Stone Cold.

Don't call me out for the stretch of an analogy just yet. I'm sure you agree that no other Superstar is booked on the same footing as Reigns in the WWE today.

But Braun Strowman comes close.

Of course, Brock Lesnar exists but he's what he's always been... an entity onto himself.

But there is something special budding with Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns. The duo seems to bring out the absolute best and worst in one another, not unlike Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens... or, in this case, the Rock and Stone Cold.

As a result, we get hard-hitting, bone-shattering encounters between them that are contested with vigour and malintent.

As an audience that craves great in-ring action, there's nothing more we can really ask for.

#5 Samoa Joe

Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe is a feud that seems to stem from reality...

Before Samoa Joe got injured and written off television, the friction between him and Roman Reigns was already simmering.

Joe has always been a bada** lone ranger type of character and that's a rarity in the Samoan culture, where all of them seem to be big on family.

So when Reigns called out Joe for being an outcast, the heat between them almost felt real.

But we were deprived of a full-blown feud between the two based just on their heritage by Joe going after Brock Lesnar and Reigns having his hands full with Braun Strowman.

When Joe returns after injury, however, there is no reason why the WWE can't resume where they left off.

Joe is great on the mic and in the ring while Reigns seems to have legitimate heat with him.

And as we've seen time and again in the WWE... the best rivalries are the ones that borrow from reality.

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