On a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez speculated that Vince McMahon hadn't decided on the finish of the Universal Championship match at No Mercy. He then proceeded to advise any prospective gamblers against wagering on the outcome of the match and said, " I think that he’s [Vince] gonna make his decision late in the day on Sunday. So I guess maybe don’t put any money on that match if you think you know what the finish is because I think that’s gonna be one of those top-secret finish style matches.”
Upon hearing this, there is a temptation to dismiss this sort of speculation as hogwash, as Brock Lesnar is still pencilled in to drop the Universal Championship to Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 34.
However, Billi Bhatti, our featured columnist, reported that there was an outside chance of Braun Strowman winning Monday Night Raw's most coveted prize in the main event of No Mercy. In this proposed scenario, the Monster Among Men would have a brief run with the Universal Championship before eventually dropping the title to Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble.
Considering WWE has invested a lot of television time in Braun Strowman, one can't help but feel that this is the right move for all parties involved. Strowman is one of the two most over characters in professional wrestling today, and this definitely isn't the time to peg him back.
However, the spectre of Roman Reigns looms over the Universal Championship picture, and Vince McMahon will not take a decision that could potentially diminish the magnitude of The Big Dog's coronation at WrestleMania — even if it is to the detriment of the other Superstars on the roster.
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