10 WWE & AEW Wrestlers Who Have Benefitted From The Empty Arena Era
2. Roman Reigns
The Big Dog was in a funny place pre-pandemic. He wasn’t receiving the nuclear X-Pac heat of old, but neither was he in the strongest spot on the card, having recently concluded an interminable feud with Baron Corbin. He was gearing up to face Goldberg at WrestleMania 36, then COVID happened and he smartly sought to protect health and family, disappearing for several months.
Reigns used this time incredibly wisely. He bulked up, ditched the vestiges of his Shield look, and finally made the heel turn we’d all clamoured for. Since then he has been as important as any WWE star, the main attraction on Smackdown and as certified a headliner as he’s ever been.
Were fans in effect when he returned, their reaction may have swayed his villainous rebranding. Instead, creative have been able to plow ahead with what they felt was right, and the results speak for themselves. Roman Reigns' character and his in-ring work are at a career best level right now.
The Head of the Table has levelled up big time in the Empty Arena Era, and the WrestleMania 37 fan return was proof that the efforts had worked. Roman got major heat in the main event - only this time, it was the good kind.