10 Embarrassing Times Wrestlers Tried To Be Badass

2. Roman Reigns Won't Let Go

HHH Terminator
WWE.com

WWE has done a lot worse - they do a lot worse on every recent edition of Monday Night RAW that you can think of - but given the stakes, the timing, and how they wanted you to perceive Roman Reigns, this was one of more inexplicable moments in its history.

Roman Reigns was meant to be a badass with a dry cool wit with which he could be an action hero.

This wit manifested as lame recitals of fairy tales, obviously, but that was the plan. He had long hair, he dressed all in black, and he worked a power-based brawling style designed to get him over as a hard-nut alpha.

And yet, on the WrestleMania 31 go-home RAW, he played tug-of-war with Brock Lesnar and his WWE Championship. The idea, one supposes, was to portray Reigns as an unflappable hero who wouldn't stand down. In execution, he was acting like the entitled office favourite the fans resented him for being. They might as well have stuck the poor prick in jorts, Reeboks and an ugly t-shirt.

No, mine! he seemed to say, but he hadn't f*cking won it.

It wasn't an angle; it was a promotional photo shoot that you had to watch play out.

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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 current Undisputed WWE 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!