12 Ups & 13 Downs For WWE In 2019 (So Far)

5. Ruining Roman's Comeback

Joe Anoa'i beating his leukaemia into remission for a second time provided the year's most organic emotional release. The scare was over, and with 'The Big Dog' free to resume his wrestling career, WWE had the chance to finally push and promote him as a true-to-life hero - the kind that can't be manufactured in a creative meeting.

And they blew it. The year's easiest lay-up spun around the rim and flew out of play.

All was going well until Fastlane, where Roman Reigns and his Shield brothers starred in a breathtaking trios bout. The former Universal Champion's performance was particularly stirring. In it, his efforts somehow helped make Baron Corbin look like the most exciting heel wrestler in the promotion, and it seemed as though everything would be just fine going forward. It wasn't, though. WWE systematically failed at keeping Reigns over. They ruined the crowd's enthusiasm for his comeback by giving him nothing interesting to do, culminating in a p*ss-dull clash with Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 35, where what was supposed to be a triumphant singles return played out to a near-silent crowd.

Now, Reigns is almost back to where he was. The cheers have all but dried up, and it's hard to see his current feud with McIntyre and Shane McMahon swinging them back around. Somehow, their writing has contrived to make a literal cancer survivor somebody the audience don't want to invest in.