10 Losses That Must Happen At WWE SummerSlam 2016
5. Roman Reigns
Who knows how much longer Roman Reigns is going to remain in the doghouse. It’s debatable that he’s already out, but he isn’t headlining WWE shows at the moment, and that’s critical. Fans have been sick of The Rock’s most divisive cousin for a long time now, and with his popularity at an all-time low, he’s going to benefit immensely from working alongside Rusev, who might be the company’s most natural heel.
Other heels like Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins garner reactions peppered with cheers, but not Rusev. It’s testament to the great work that he and Lana have done as disdainful aggressors that their arrival is met with universal hatred on a weekly basis, and it was a smart booking choice to pit him against Reigns. Fans often cheers Reigns’ opponents out of spite, but there’s little chance of that with Rusev, who’s one of the best heels in the business today.
With that being sad, there’s little to gain from having Reigns win here. Rusev is in the midst of his own rehabilitation period after having much of his own mystique robbed by John Cena in 2015, and the US Title scene is only just taking off on Raw. If Rusev is to maintain his monster-like aura, he cannot afford another Cena-esque burial at the hands of WWE’s latest “chosen one”, and he must regain his championship at SummerSlam to maintain any forward motion.
For Reigns, there’s little he can do with the US Title that Rusev can’t. The belt is in dire need of a rebuild, and if it’s put around Reigns’ waist, fan interest in the division is going to hit a new low. This is a great opportunity for WWE to give Rusev a signature win over a man who remains a big name despite his obvious flaws.