How Good Was Babyface Roman Reigns Actually?

6. Cultural Significance

In a business that plays on nostalgia in such a meaningful and deliberate way, there’s a reason why you never see video packages put together that showcase the early history of Roman Reigns. This is a man who has headlined more WrestleManias than anybody in history, but WWE purposefully keeps Roman’s past locked away in a fashion they do not for stars like John Cena or even CM Punk. That's 'cause this period of Roman’s career is so far beneath the stories he crafts and the feuds he inhabits today that it would be to his detriment to put his past in front of a modern audience.

The Shield will be remembered forever. The 'Tribal Chief’s' 1,316-day title reign and telling one of the best long-running stories in wrestling with The Bloodline changed the fortunes of WWE at a time when the company’s credibility was on its knees. The truth is that nothing that happened between these duelling eras will make it into Roman’s overall highlights package.

Again, we have to point towards the state WWE was in during these years.

All 3 of The Shield have gone on to have immense moments and feuds away from McMahon-led creative. Imagine Jon Moxley giving a fig about a potted plant as the head of the 'Death Riders'? Compare Seth Rollins righteous anger towards CM Punk and compare that to his nonsense around 'The Fiend' or under The Authority. The babyface period of Reigns’ career will not leave a cultural footprint for any positive reason, and that is as much to do with his brilliance on either side of these years as it is the playground slop he was having to serve up back then.

The only reason he had cultural significance during those years? He was put in 'Mania headline slots and had WWE Championship reigns. His runs with the United States and Intercontinental Championships did nothing to elevate the status or significance of those belts. You can’t be irrelevant when you’re the guy WWE is pinning their hopes on, despite how futile that felt during this era.

4/10