7 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (June 9)

2. The Roman Reigns Push Might Actually Be Pointless

Sheamus Steel Cage
WWE.com

Roman Reigns is a far better performer than he's often perceived.

He has received the dreaded "You can't wrestle!" chants, but most non-partisan fans acknowledge that he has held his own in countless barnstormers. His ability isn't in question; his impossibly favourable booking and incongruous underdog positioning is.

For over three years, WWE has tried. Three years of building Reigns into this unbelievable force capable of overcoming or magically recovering from any obstacle. Three years of the Royal Rumble, ruined. Three years of sufferin' succotash. Three years of tater tots. Three years of reloading his fist (!) every time (!) he gears up to land the Superman punch (get a better gun, mate). Three years of WrestleMania crowd rejections. Three years of "anybody but you, Roman" - six, really, given that the Bray Wyatt feud felt like it took three years in and of itself to lurch to its inevitable conclusion (Roman > anybody). Three years of building Roman Reigns - to the disenchantment of adult fans everywhere - as a transparent, merchandise-shifting hero to children everywhere.

And it's all in vain!

News has emerged in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the media age of people who watch wrestling on television is over fifty. Those kids aren't dragging their parents to shows. Parents are dragging their kids alongside them. Essentially, Roman Reigns' merch is a tall glass of shut up juice.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!