Just What Is WWE Actually Doing With Roman Reigns?
The Big Dog's plight is as confusing at it is frustrating.
2018 hasn't been kind to Roman Reigns.
Long considered the Network era's indomitable golden child, 'The Big Dog' now lies battered, bloodied, and bruised upon a pile ofh his own shattered credibility. This is a direct consequence of the way he has been handled since falling into Brock Lesnar's crosshairs prior to WrestleMania, with the damage seemingly compounded every time Reigns appears on screen.
It could be argued, without a hint of hyperbole, that Roman is the most mishandled wrestler in the company today. This comes from his presentation. Unlike a Finn Balor or Rusev, he hasn't suffered because of a lack of opportunities (it's impossible to make this case for a man with four consecutive WrestleMania main events to his name), but because his employers have never understood how to push him in a way that plays to his strengths as a performer and draws the desired crowd reaction.
This problem stretches back to The Shield's 2014 break-up. Fans were pining for Seth Rollins or Dean Ambrose to emerge as the group's breakout star, but, unsurprisingly, Vince McMahon went for their bigger, more muscular stablemate. The spectacular 'Architect' and cerebral 'Lunatic Fringe' were elevated as well, but not to Reigns' extent.
Thus commenced four years of Superman bulls***, "sufferin' succotash," and near-universal rejection. Roman became the obnoxious company man pushed at every internet favourite's expense. He was as green as Grinch snot, and nowhere near ready for the spot he'd been shoehorned into, yet WWE refused to abandon the project and kept pushing forward in the face of increasingly negative crowd reactions.
His 2015 Royal Rumble victory was such a failure that not even The Rock could save him from the crowd's fury. Similarly, the reaction to his WrestleMania 32 coronation was so toxic WWE had to mute the arena mics as their 'Guy' hoisted the WWE Championship high. One year later, he bested The Undertaker to a similar reaction in Orlando. The list goes on.
WWE swam against the tide of public opinion all this time, refusing to turn Reigns heel. They couldn't admit their failure, wouldn't alter their course, and kept pushing forward...
CONT'd...