There are two sides to the Roman Reigns: Universal Champion story, and it’s time for the positive one. Even with a few caveats, it's impossible not to acknowledge all that he does.
For better or worse, nobody could have done this job in WWE at the moment - or certainly nobody as well.
Reigns performs with such incredible menace that he goes some way to smashing the theory that weekly episodic monsters can’t really exist. He wrestles like a hybrid powerhouse but his aura is that of a seven foot super heavyweight. He doesn’t tolerate sh*t despite working in a universe smeared in it. He doesn't lose ever (not even when he could justify the odd one or two) in an organisation where even the winners are booked more to "steal" their successes than earn them.
He's a rule-proving exception that should in fact be the f*cking rule, but it's to his credit that he remains that way regardless. A WrestleMania crowning of a brand new star in his stead feels more mythical than topical, but that's not Reigns' problem.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
