I’ll be the first to admit I spent years complaining about John Cena and his monster push in WWE and how he was the worst etc.
WWE stuck to their guns despite the constant boos, and fans for the most part I eventually grew to enjoy his later work, especially with Brock and KO.

Skip to years later and I see the exact same push happening with Reigns and I’m just amused by it. I really enjoy Roman’s ring work and his most recent promos, but I of course understand the criticisms considering my past hatred of Cena’s push.

Do you think Roman’s run in the main event scene would be over if fans accepted his Rumble win and he went on to beat Brock? As KJ mentioned, a lot of fans seem to dislike Reigns just because of Bryan’s lack of a push that fans couldnt understand (which makes senses now in hindsight).

If you were a booker how would you get Roman over? You’re not allowed to turn him heel. (Because Vince said so).

Or do you think white meat babyfaces are an aspect of Pro Wrestling that is outdated and doesn’t work in the current era?
[


Do you think WWE will abandon Reign’s push anytime soon if negative reactions continue?

Discuss.

I don't think babyfaces are an out dated aspect in the current era, but it has to be done correctly. See Daniel Bryan, and more recently Johnny Gargano on NXT.

The thing for Roman he is obviously the chosen one, and the fans of the current era don't want to get behind someone because they are told to, it needs to organically grow. Again see Bryan's run, Gargano, Strowman to a certain degree as well.

The Roman run looks in tatters for me and I'm not sure how you rescue it. The fans are never going to accept Roman as the top guy. It's a shame as he has most of the tools to be the top guy, but he was given too much too soon.

The better question is why is WWE pushing someone who the IWC, fans, reviewers have turned on? Hell even booking has turned on him as his two year push always ends with him losing to Brock. I mean sure he is the big dog or whatever, but nothing he says means shit since he cannot beat Lesner and at this point, if he does, it will be a one off.

As for Cena fans only took to him when he took extended breaks away and stopped carrying the title.  That is the exact opposite of a push.

May 1, 2018 22:51:53 GMT c said:

The better question is why is WWE pushing someone who the IWC, fans, reviewers have turned on? Hell even booking has turned on him as his two year push always ends with him losing to Brock. I mean sure he is the big dog or whatever, but nothing he says means shit since he cannot beat Lesner and at this point, if he does, it will be a one off.

As for Cena fans only took to him when he took extended breaks away and stopped carrying the title.  That is the exact opposite of a push.

Plus I don't feel like Roman has evolved much outside the ring. He has shown flashes a different kind of swagger in the feud but beyond that, I find him pretty stagnant.

Move him to Smackdown where he could pretty much run the place. Or do a trade for Daniel Bryan to Raw. I think he's stagnant because he's a one show guy. But his work rate is amazing right now and he's starting to cut decent promos. I prefer him over Brock right now. But then again I believe the Universal Champion should be at every Raw. I think that's why the ratings are going down.

You know what's interesting. They're already doing what they need to do with Roman. They're just doing it with Randy Orton instead.

The thing is, Roman isn't being pushed the same way as Cena. Whether you liked him or you didn't like him, the WWE booked Cena as the ace of the company and fans got so used to it anytime they tried to push somebody else like Lashley, Orton or Sheamus, the fans never took to it.

With Roman he's constantly been screwed over the championship and when he did have his coronation, it only lasted a few months because of his drug violation. As stubborn as the WWE has been, they haven't been stubborn to the point where fans actually buy Roman as a champion. In fact he's seen more as a choke artist who constantly messes up in the big game. It's pretty fitting he was apart of the Minnesota Vikings camp, because that's who he represents to a tee.

The thing is, if you remove the awful promos and the nothing angles he's been involved in, I genuinely think he's one of the best performers in the company. His timing is great, he's got a fantastic presence, he's established his own personality in the ring etc. etc. The problem is the WWE keep feeding him to the wolves.

I just don’t understand the pay off of him not being able to beat Brock is? Just finally beat him and get booed more than usual?

The only other explanation seems to be a heel turn, but after Wrestlemania was the perfect opportunity and nothing happened.

If it was up to me, I'd have Braun beat Brock & Reigns in a triple threat. Roman finally has Brock beat, only for Braun to take it away from the last moment. Reigns cracks, turns heel and wins the belt at SummerSlam. At Survivor Series, Finn Balor beats Roman Reigns and we kick off the Wrestlemania Season with an Adam Cole vs. Finn Balor program.

I wouldn't make Braun a long term champion because he's too cool for the championship. It's the same deal why Taker was never a good fit for the role. There's nothing worse than a monster who has a responsibility.

I agree with a lot of the comments already made, and like Big Pete, genuinely feel that Reigns is one of the best performers in the WWE.

He looks like a champion, carries himself like a champion, he works unlike most men his size and has one of those intangible qualities - his presence, that can't be taught. The problem with Reigns, is the problem with the WWE - failing to evolve, or not being allowed to evolve beyond a certain point, because to an extent, it works.

I also think it reveals an even bigger issue in the WWE, that being Brock Lesnar and the Universal Title. Brock is WWE's Thanos. Untouchable. Absolute beast. Everyone on that roster pales in comparison to Brock Lesnar in terms of 'legitimacy' and sheer physicality. The wrong person defeating Lesnar kills his mystic. An individual that hangs with Lesnar, needs to at least look like a credible challenger. Roman Reigns.

To me, Reigns is on the wrong show. He should be on Smackdown, murdering guys like Styles and Nakamura - away from the continually peripheral of Brock Lesnar. He needs to be legitimized as a monster-heel in his own right.

May 2, 2018 0:01:32 GMT kbc said:

Move him to Smackdown where he could pretty much run the place. Or do a trade for Daniel Bryan to Raw. I think he's stagnant because he's a one show guy. But his work rate is amazing right now and he's starting to cut decent promos. I prefer him over Brock right now. But then again I believe the Universal Champion should be at every Raw. I think that's why the ratings are going down.

Don't jinx us in the SD universe....we are content being Reigns- free.

Reigns needs to go away awhile a la Cena. Ask Rocky to get Reigns a movie role...

No

May 2, 2018 6:59:59 GMT System said:

I just don’t understand the pay off of him not being able to beat Brock is? Just finally beat him and get booed more than usual?

The only other explanation seems to be a heel turn, but after Wrestlemania was the perfect opportunity and nothing happened.

I thought the explanation was simple.  WWE thinks they need brock to bolster up these big events and will do whatever it takes to keep the man around even if he's around at the expense of your "top guys".  People seem to be under the impression that Roman is "The Guy" when he isn't.  Brock is the guy and will be until the day he gets tired the business but considering he only shows up for a dozen dates a year, he can stretch that out for a damn era.   

May 2, 2018 16:35:03 GMT Mistress said:

May 2, 2018 0:01:32 GMT kbc said:

Move him to Smackdown where he could pretty much run the place. Or do a trade for Daniel Bryan to Raw. I think he's stagnant because he's a one show guy. But his work rate is amazing right now and he's starting to cut decent promos. I prefer him over Brock right now. But then again I believe the Universal Champion should be at every Raw. I think that's why the ratings are going down.

Don't jinx us in the SD universe....we are content being Reigns- free.

Reigns needs to go away awhile a la Cena. Ask Rocky to get Reigns a movie role...

Hollywood already has Jason Momoa who is the much cooler and charismatic version of Roman Reigns.  

Vince says can't make him heel. Tell him no we are making him heel. He needs a hard reset on his face character and the only way to do it is have him go heel for awhile. Switching to different types of faces won't save him. Jim Cornette on one of his shows talked about how to build good heels and faces and how to save their popularity when they switch which thinking about has a good track record of working.

They also have tried to use the Rock to fix Reigns but not take the lessons from Rock's booking. He was hated as a smiling nice babyface. He went heel completely changed his personality and was one of the top guys while being a heel. Then when he switch back he still pretty much acted like a heel but he was going after heels. He keep his heel persona but flourished as a face and the guy.

May 6, 2018 19:28:39 GMT X-zero said:

Vince says can't make him heel. Tell him no we are making him heel.

I don’t think you understand how Vince McMahon works 😂.

May 6, 2018 17:14:37 GMT vendrell said:

May 2, 2018 16:35:03 GMT Mistress said:

Don't jinx us in the SD universe....we are content being Reigns- free.

Reigns needs to go away awhile a la Cena. Ask Rocky to get Reigns a movie role...

Hollywood already has Jason Momoa who is the much cooler and charismatic version of Roman Reigns.  

In a convo on Twitter about Reigns a guy called Roman Reigns the poor man's Jason Momoa and another guy chimed in w/ "AquaRoMan". I chuckled.

May 7, 2018 0:59:47 GMT System said:

May 6, 2018 19:28:39 GMT X-zero said:

Vince says can't make him heel. Tell him no we are making him heel.

I don’t think you understand how Vince McMahon works 😂.

Stubborn as a mule

May 7, 2018 0:59:47 GMT System said:

May 6, 2018 19:28:39 GMT X-zero said:

Vince says can't make him heel. Tell him no we are making him heel.

I don’t think you understand how Vince McMahon works 😂.

I hear he actually likes people to stand up to him.

May 7, 2018 4:39:01 GMT X-zero said:

May 7, 2018 0:59:47 GMT System said:

I don’t think you understand how Vince McMahon works 😂.

I hear he actually likes people to stand up to him.

Edge couldn’t convince him that Gene Snitsky should have a gimmick name, because why would anyone have a fake name in WWE...

Thank goodness Roman was in the mainevent last night at Backlash. If Roman stops maineventing I am going stop watching

Rumor has it, they're going to try the DB angle with Roman....him being screwed over by management...

Kinda hard to claim screwjob when you get your ass handed to you for 15 mintues, then boom, pin Samoa Joe.

I think Roman Reigns is a meta heel. I don’t think the WWE intended for it to happen, or if they’re even aware it’s happening, but I think that’s what we have.

The only people I would expect to realize something like this are Triple H and Paul Heyman, and maybe they have enough creative pull that it’s being allowed to continue. They know the reactions Reigns is going to get every night. They know the fans better than they know themselves (generally speaking). They know what they’re doing and they are just seeing where it goes because they have nothing to lose.

I like to interpret Roman Reigns as a social experiment being conducted by Hunter and Heyman. Makes it more fun.

And hey, it could be worse. I don’t hate Roman Reigns. I don’t care if he succeeds or not, which is bad for a top face, but I also enjoy watching him fight and think he does good things more often than not.

Reigns is naturally a heel. Anybody see his promo in NXT?