10 Live Observations From Attending WWE Raw In Minneapolis

1. Reigns Has “It”

I’ve seen Roman Reigns three times now live, and personally I get why most of the hardcore fans don’t like him. I’ll never go out and buy a Roman shirt, even it was on clearance for $3 at Kmart. But the man really connects with some portion of the crowd in a way that nobody else does.

Seth Rollins may be a far superior wrestler, but his entrances were greeted with more polite applause than passion. Yes, every time Roman’s photo was aired he was booed. Yes, half the crowd left for his dark match (though since fans had already been there for nearly four hours that’s likely a testament on the length of the show), but for those who stuck around, many were star struck.

It’s purely anecdotal evidence, but the level of enthusiasm some fans around me had for seeing him live was far beyond anything Rollins, Sami Zayn or any other face on the show generated. He instills passion in some people that just can’t be manufactured. There really is something about him that almost no other wrestler has.

Again, I’m not on the Roman train by any means, but after tonight I at least understand a bit more why Vince just won’t give up on the guy.