10 Facts To Silence The Roman Reigns Critics
4. Consider Who He Has Bettered
The AJ Styles Vs. Chris Jericho programme was something of a letdown.
Their match at WrestleMania 32 couldn't steal even a bloated and underwhelming show. Many of the transitions between moves were laborious. It was as if Jericho's mind was too quick for his body. To be blunt: he was a few years past the smooth, technically-leaning match he tried to wrestle. It was a rare psychological blunder from the WWE all-time great - as if he was trying to prove something, rather than show something. He couldn't keep up with the pace because he was in denial. Roman Reigns' matches opposite AJ Style in the weeks and months afterwards were a marked improvement. He could keep up with the pace. The effect was a hermetic, electric styles clash in which both performers contrasted their personas to create a breathless and psychologically rich spectacle.
It wasn't an aberration. Reigns' matches with Kevin Owens were superior than Jericho's, and if that's an unfair comparison, swap around the components and consider his match with Kevin Owens at this year's Royal Rumble. It handily surpassed each and every Owens Vs. Styles bout - those shackled by terrible layouts, and those free of them.
A pattern is forming. You'd have to be at least somewhat obstinate not to acknowledge it.