Sunday night, the most heated rivalry in WWE will come to a head when Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman meet in the main event of Payback, a Raw-exclusive pay-per-view extravaganza that figures to position top stars and feuds for the upcoming summer months.A rivalry that has spanned many months and featured red-hot angles on WWE's flagship show, it figures to culminate in a physical brawl, a high-intensity match that plays to the strengths of both men and generates the loudest reaction of the night.With a polarizing star such as Reigns at its core, the atmosphere will be electric.Whether the match delivers up to expectations remains to be seen, but the crowd will be there, ready to explode with every near-fall and high spot they execute.How did the performers get here, who will leave San Jose, California, with his arm raised in victory and how will it affect both Superstars moving forward'Unstoppable Force vs. Immovable ObjectWrestleMania 33 was a night of triumph for Reigns and massive disappointment for Strowman.The Big Dog defeated and retired The Undertaker in what was arguably the biggest victory of his career. Strowman, on the other hand, was unceremoniously eliminated from an Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal he was heavily favored to win.Enraged following the loss, he wasted little time re-establishing himself as The Monster Among Men the following night on Raw, confronting top champion Brock Lesnar and planting the seeds for a WWE Universal Championship showdown with The Beast Incarnate.On the April 10 episode of Raw, Strowman continued his warpath, attacking longtime rival Reigns and brutalizing him in the backstage area. Still fuming over a loss to the second-generation star back at February's Fastlane, Strowman pummeled him into oblivion. He tossed the three-time WWE champion around with reckless abandon, rolling him off a ledge and to the hard concrete below while Reigns was tethered to a stretcher.He then proceeded to tip over the ambulance Reigns was in, drawing a huge ovation and inspiringmemes.Since then, Strowman has continued to obliterate anyone in his vicinity. The Golden Truth and Kalisto were the next to suffer at the hands of the mammoth competitor. To cap off a destructive April 17 episode of Raw, the former Wyatt Family member delivered a massive superplexthat collapsed the ring.A loss to Kalisto in a dumpster match only further infuriatedStrowman, who beat down the former United States champion and shoved him off the stage.Conspicuous by his absence was Reigns, who was both selling the injuries he received at Strowman's hand and coping with the death of his brother, Matt "Rosey" Anoa'i.The MatchThe war between Reigns and Strowman is too heated to be confined to a basic singles match. Though there is no announced stipulation or gimmick, expect a wild brawl that reflects the tone of their rivalry.Broken ringside furniture and a shocking conclusion that leaves the feud somewhat open-ended ahead of Extreme Rules should be expected.The fact of the matter is that while the program should wrap up Sunday night, Raw is seriously devoid of Superstars at the top of the card. With no Lesnar to fuel championship rivalries, Reigns is the top star around whom the whole show revolves.Strowman is his main antagonist, and there is no obvious heel to rise to that level.All of that creates a scenario that favors one last chapter in the Reigns-Strowmanstory.A match in which both are kept looking strong and neither endures a loss is to be expected, most likely resulting in a main event that ends in either a count-out or disqualification.Not the most appealing finish to a pay-per-view bout, let alone the main event, it is a necessary evil given the circumstances.PredictionRoman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman ends in a double disqualification following a wild brawl that spills out of the ring.The FutureWith the aforementioned Extreme Rules pay-per-view upcoming, Reigns and Strowman figure to square off in some sort of high-profile gimmick match. Given the recent use of ambulances to tell Strowman's story, that may well lead to the rarely used ambulance match, which would see one man stuff his opponent into the emergency vehicle to score the victory.As the lead babyface on the flagship show, the feud almost certainly ends with Reigns standing tall. Fans may have a problem with that and insist that such a victory would kill Strowman's heat, but it is the right call for WWE to make.It will be up to management to continue presenting Strowman in a way that maintains his momentum. If it cannot come up with a way to retain the heat Strowman has enjoyed, the issue would not be with Reigns' winning ways but ratherWWE Creative's inability to properly book anyone other than him.
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