10 Times WWE Worked Their Audience Into A Shoot

10. John Cena Eviscerates Roman Reigns (Raw - August 2017)

John Cena and Roman Reigns engaged in an in-ring contract signing on the 28 August 2017 episode of Monday Night Raw. Such things invariably end in shenanigans in WWE, but while the duo didn't come to blows, they turned the company's most mundane, predictable segment format into the year's best promo battle.

Reigns threw plenty of kayfabe-busting barbs at Cena, but he was utterly destroyed by his more experienced opponent. 'The Face That Runs The Place' called his foe a "cheap-ass, corporately created John Cena bootleg," savaged his lack of microphone skills, then stated that the only reason he was still around was because Roman "can't do [his] job."

It was a brutal takedown of WWE's most divisive wrestler, and Cena's lines echoed the audiences' biggest complaints against Reigns, leading to the assumption that John was shooting on 'The Guy.'

The perception was that Cena had gone rogue with his promo, and swathes of fans bought into the idea, praising a guy they'd spent years booing for eviscerating their new hate figure. Unfortunately, the illusion was shattered the very next day, when the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer confirmed the segment was 100% scripted.