10 Reasons WWE Fans Will FINALLY Accept Roman Reigns
Spearing the narrative.
Roman Reigns is the most polarising wrestler in the world.
Reigns is pilloried for using the same weapons in his arsenal, match on match - despite the fact that every last wrestler on the planet does this. Teddy Hart is perhaps the exception, and he's no role model to follow...in any walk of life. Those who criticise Reigns for this are perhaps unaware that the "Five Moves of Doom" meme was devised by Scott Keith as an affection critique of Uncle Bret - who is also held aloft as the pinnacle of in-ring achievement.
Reigns is pilloried for his use of the Superman Punch...by those who grew up on Hulk Hogan's Big Boot, with which he used to initiate his finishing sequence to the delight of his younger fans sparked into action and emotion by the comfort of routine and the promise of their hero emerging victorious.
Reigns is pilloried for daring to exist in 2018. There is a certain pocket of the fandom in outright denial of Roman's superb body of work - so much so that nothing, it seems, can stem the tide.
He will, however, finally overcome...
10. He Is No Longer Looney
The Roman Reigns stigmatised as a lame, unfunny John Cena clone is not the Roman Reigns presented on WWE TV in 2018. Eventually, the perception of the character will mirror the direction. Fellow Shield member Dean Ambrose no longer draws prop comic accusations because, prior to his injury layoff, he was no longer a prop comic. Shinsuke Nakamura is longer a main roster disappointment because he is belatedly impressing, and is booked to impress.
Perceptions change with the subject.
Roman's presence is more pronounced, and the increased scrutiny means that he is unable to remove the stigma in plain sight. But he will - provided McMahon is too busy with the XFL reboot to micromanage his pet project once again - overcome.
Reigns has eradicated the nonsense from his verbal game. His latter "...b*tch!" shortcut is, while obvious, a start, at least. Tater tots; sufferin' succotash; those words are no longer in his vocabulary. Nor for that matter is Reigns presented as a smiling family man, as he was in the midst of his 2015 programme with Bray Wyatt. It was a role to which he was unsuited, and which WWE has quietly recast.
Just as quietly, the realisation will dawn on the audience that the Roman Reigns of 2018 is closer to badass than bad comedian.