7 Huge Problems The WWE Wild Card Rule Has Created
3. Roman Reigns
When you talk about lazy booking crutches, this one might be the biggest of them all.
The Wild Card Rule came about (in storyline) when Roman Reigns showed up on Raw despite being a SmackDown superstar. Vince McMahon declared that he would allow wrestlers to jump between shows rather than admit he had lost control of his company (as three SmackDown superstars had shown up on Raw in the opening segment).
The huge problem this has created for Reigns is that he’s become one of the poster boys for the Wild Card Rule. He’s appeared on four straight episodes of Raw, despite having a feud with SmackDown wrestler Elias and now blue brand Commissioner Shane McMahon. There’s really no reason for him to be on Raw – except that WWE believes it’ll juice ratings. His appearance on the 20 May Raw was particularly bad, as he simply came out to engage in a promo battle with Shane.
All of these appearances run the risk of undoing the goodwill Reigns has built up since his return to the ring. Fans tired of Roman years ago because it felt like he was being shoved down our throats. Now, he’s engaged in a feud with a McMahon and showing up on both shows, whether it “makes sense” or not.
And it's worth noting that ratings have not increased as a result of Reigns' presence, so that argument is out the window. Let’s just say that it’s been noted here in case you see it happen in the coming weeks.