The Fallout from Romangeddon

Roman Reigns is public enemy number one for WWE fans. The guy that at one time was considered to be a rising star, a much needed breath of fresh air in a company dominated by John Cena, is now hated by the masses.

Okay so the truth is, not everyone is on the hate Roman bandwagon. But that sure seems to be the overwhelming sentiment.

In the past few days I have debated fans from all walks of life over this subject. I have also sat back and watched the conversations unfold on Twitter and Facebook alike. And I keep seeing much of the same talking points repeated over and over again.

One of those points can basically be summed up in one statement: Poor Roman, he doesn't deserve this.

At first glance, it's hard to disagree with that sentiment. After all, Reigns has worked his way up over the past two years on the main roster. Just because The Shield received rockstar treatment from day one, that was no guarantee that Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins would indeed get over as a unit.

The trio was given an opportunity to shine and they took full advantage of it. All three men made the best of the time they had and impressed every time they were on TV. The Shield became the hottest thing in WWE and that was thanks in large part to the work put forth by all three members.

As The Shield grew bigger, it was only natural to begin looking at the vast potential of their individual careers. A faction is great in the short term but when it's done right, everyone involved benefits in the long term. The Shield was designed to propel its members into successful solo careers and that is exactly what happened.

So for anyone to suggest that Roman shouldn't have had the chance to ascend the ladder in WWE is honestly being a bit unfair. He may not have had the indie background that both Rollins and Ambrose had but he has put his time in with WWE. And they obviously want him in this new role.

But to feel sorry for Roman implies that something bad has befallen him and that is just not the case. Roman Reigns has taken the first step to main event stardom in the biggest pro wrestling company on the planet. His next stop is the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which he will win in the main event of WrestleMania.

That's not exactly what Dusty Rhodes would call hard times.

Now, if you want to be upset and frustrated over the fact that WWE will once again feature a top guy that is hated when he should be loved like John Cena, then go with God. Vince McMahon's company is definitely to blame for how this is all going down and let's face it; no one wants to go through another 10 years of corporate excuses and zero character evolution.

But that was Cena's legacy, it does not have to be Roman's. Reigns has the opportunity to shine on the worldwide stage and a clean slate to make his own path. He doesn't need anyone's sympathy for the circumstances surrounding his rise to the top. The blame for that lies with WWE.

So don't cry for Roman. He's good.