How MJF Succeeded Where Roman Reigns Failed

Roman Reigns WWE WrestleMania 32
WWE.com

There were moments where Roman was cheered, but mostly, this period of WWE's history was such an oppressive and inevitable and uninspiring experience. It's not an overstatement to write that the Roman Reigns babyface push, in addition to being an indirect business disaster that haemorrhaged viewers and created the thirst for an alternative, stripped WWE of all drama, suspense and catharsis. You knew the babyface was going to win, and you didn't want him to win - only, his coronation was delayed so often as a result that they didn't even rip off the plaster.

Before Roman, John Cena split the audience right down the middle. The millennial crowd aged out of his brand of babyface and jeered him relentlessly for his puerile, unfunny material and flimsy, contrived ring work. It was tough to take - those fans believed their longstanding loyalty should have been rewarded - but WWE naturally wanted to secure a younger audience. The rancid material of the Attitude and 'Ruthless Aggression' eras no longer connected and was no longer financially viable, and a youthful fanbase is always the goal. They stick around longer.

Eventually, Cena was embraced, when he elevated the United States title and embraced a more modern and thrilling style in 2015, but it took nine years.

Even in AEW, Cody Rhodes could not fight the inevitable wave of a fan reaction. He wasn't unanimously jeered, but a not inconsiderable number of fans resented his excesses, which trapped a man once considered the heroic face of the revolution in a cycle. If fans murmured online that he was blading too much, why, he'd simply set himself on fire!

Which only intensified the feeling.

CONT'D...(3 of 6)

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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!