5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (March 1)

4. The Worst And Best Of WWE

Brother Love
WWE.com

“Will Roman Reigns announce that he has just months to live? Find out, as RAW rolls on!”

Mercifully, Michael Cole did not actually say this—he was his almost-as-offensive usual self—but last Thursday’s announcement of Roman Reigns’ return was very WWE, in the worst way imaginable. A cynical ratings ploy no other entertainment company would ever entertain, WWE preyed on our fears by neglecting to even hint at the nature of the announcement. Any inference of good news was tainted by the fact that WWE is WWE, a company that once exploited Road Warrior Hawk’s real-life struggles with alcoholism on national TV. Oh, and a company that minutes after delivering wonderful news scripted Baron Corbin to claim that his running RAW was more stressful than Roman’s battle with leukaemia.

But before that, the moment of magic happened. Roman Reigns, who in WWE’s defence wished to use his recovery as a platform to fight the disease as part of an instant comeback, received a megastar reaction—a reaction informed by relief, happiness, and not inconsiderable atonement. This was the WWE fandom erupting in a gesture of belated respect and pure admiration, which visibly moved Roman into a massive, beaming grin. It was just a lovely scene, life-affirming, really, one that united us all…

…with the exception of some absolute c*nts who claimed the whole thing was a work to make Roman sympathetic.

Nick Beard was probably wrong in his summation, but no matter: this will live on as a truly special moment in WWE history for anybody who isn’t a psychopath.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!