10 Wrestlers Who Deserve A Big Push After WWE Royal Rumble 2020
6. Roman Reigns
Reading Roman Reigns' crowd reactions was an interesting exercise last night.
It was impossible for fans not to cheer him during the King Corbin bout, so effective is the former 'Lone Wolf' in his antagonist's role. That isn't to take anything away from 'The Big Dog' either, who has been great at drawing sympathy throughout this programme, with these two factors combining to create a near-perfect face/heel dynamic in the PPV opener.
Reigns' Rumble reactions weren't as warm. His entrance was greeted with smatterings of jeers and these intensified when he threw Edge out. Granted, whoever eliminated 'The Rated-R Superstar' was always going to get heat and Roman's boos weren't at the building-shaking decibel of old, but the contrasting responses suggest live crowds have made their mind up on Reigns. They like him as an upper-midcard babyface, but as a potential Rumble winner? Perhaps not.
Regardless, Roman has served his time away from the main event scene. WWE has smartly kept him away from the spotlight to minimise the post-comeback backlash, but now, surely, it's time to try this again?
'The Big Dog' could make magic opposite a villain as effective as 'The Fiend,' and his efforts over the past few months have been nothing short of excellent. Let's give this another shot. Let's give him one more try as the top SmackDown babyface. If it doesn't work, dial it back and think again, but if it does? WWE will be printing money.