10 Reasons Why You’re Watching WWE Wrong
8. The Roman Reigns Conundrum
If there was absolutely no upside to positioning Roman Reigns as the company's top babyface, WWE wouldn't do it. McMahon, by essentially every account, is resistant to the loud sentiments of his audience and exists in a bubble ignorant to the outside world - but he's not stupid. He is the majority owner of a global juggernaut of a company.
Reigns is the number one merchandise seller among WWE's full time roster. Granted, much of that has to do with his push. He has been forced down the throats of the audience so steadily that the less discerning, younger set are bound to digest it. They're still buying his t-shirts in their droves. The numbers don't lie.
The WWE audience is fragmented. Those kids get drowned out at such a volume that it's often difficult to remember that they watch the product, but watch it they do, and Reigns is the perfect hero for kids just like John Cena was. Those parallels between Reigns and Cena aren't insightful because he wrestles the old, punishment punishment punishment comeback Hulk Hogan formula to appeal to the broadest audience possible by design.
Reigns isn't meant for the adult set who jeer him endlessly. It's tedious that WWE is replicating the Cena formula with Reigns, but they're doing it because it worked. Cena was booed out of the building during every consecutive pay-per-view for years, but WWE spun it by blathering on about big fight feels and star quality.
The WWE fans, by reacting, are creating the Roman Reigns myth. It's no wonder WWE are persisting with his push.