5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE Raw (29 Aug)

1. Loser: Roman Reigns

As a member of The Shield, Roman Reigns was universally liked by WWE fans. He wasn’t as flashy as Seth Rollins or as edgy as Dean Ambrose, but he didn’t need to be. Reigns was the group’s enforcer: all he had to do was remain stoic and brutalise the opposition with his powerful move-set when called upon. It was a straightforward role that hid his weaknesses, maximised his strengths and made him more popular and exciting than he’s ever been since.

Things started going awry when WWE starting pushing him at a time when the fan’s were pining for Daniel Bryan’s ascent, and Reigns jumped the shark as soon as he entered the WWE Title scene. He’s been a life-sapping presence at the top of the card ever since, and it’s only recently that WWE have shown signs of removing him from the title picture.

Reigns walked into last night’s Universal Title match as the second favourite behind Seth Rollins. There was a strong chance he’d walk out with the belt and reignite fans’ distaste for him, but it didn’t materialise: Reigns was laid-out by the returning Triple H, then pinned by Seth Rollins to ensure a third-place finish.

Reigns was at the heart of a couple of great spots including a midair Superman Punch on Rollins, but his role in last night’s match served only to build surprise for Triple H’s turn on Rollins. The nature of his pinfall protects him from the loss, but Reigns was used as no more than a doormat in the Rollins/Triple H story.

There were worries that he’d resume his old role as a hated main event protagonist after a brief dalliance in the United States Title division, but last night confirms Reigns’ relegation to the supporting cast.

A wise decision for a man who’ll never be WWE’s top babyface, no matter how hard they push him.