6 Ups & 8 Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (Aug 29)

3. Let Roman Be Roman

If you’re a fan of The West Wing, then you know the phrase, “Let Bartlet be Bartlet.” It comes early in the show as the staff realizes that President Bartlet is getting hammered for being too timid, trying to please his critics and avoid controversy. The solution lies in allowing the fictional president to be himself rather than something he’s not.

For months upon months now, Roman Reigns has faced a mountain of criticism from fans and observers for various reasons, some legit, some just kvetching to kvetch. But one of the most enduring criticisms of Roman has been how he carries himself on camera, transitioning from the silent assassin to the smug, winking, joking, John Cena-lite babyface. He went from punching people in the face to saying, “Sufferin’ Succotash!” on camera… and then winking.

But Monday, Reigns was asked – after the other three competitors in the WWE Universal Championship fatal four-way match spoke – what his thoughts were. Roman stood up and paced around a bit, then simply turned and slugged Kevin Owens (the closest wrestler) and started a full-on brawl, after which he was the last one standing.

It was a simple thing, but letting Roman get away from trying to be cute or funny or menacing on the mic and just get back to what made him popular in the Shield in the first place – punching people – is critical to rebuilding him.