The Deconstruction of Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns was the guy. It was not just a tagline he used in promos, this was the real deal. The former Shield strongman was WWE's pick to carry the company into the future, and on paper, everything looked good.
But in reality, it wasn't working. It really never worked, and now it's over.
There's plenty of blame to go around here, and not all of it falls at Roman's boots. This is about a promotion that over-promoted, eventually oversaturating the marketplace with an unwanted product.
Reigns was not the Superstar fans wanted, or deserved.
But once Vince McMahon gets his mind set on someone, there's no turning back. WWE's Chairman decided a long time ago that Roman was the next big thing, and evidently no one had the nerve to tell him otherwise.
The funny thing is, this is Vince's field of expertise. This is what he does. If there's anyone in the industry with a better eye for talent, he's certainly the best kept secret in pro wrestling. Vince is it, and he's been it for a long time.
However, the creative genius has seemingly lost his touch.
Fans didn't want Roman Reigns, they wanted Daniel Bryan. When Daniel was unable to continue, fans wanted Dean Ambrose. When it became apparent WWE wasn't going to elevate Dean, fans wanted AJ Styles. When AJ lost to Roman, fans gave up.
No one was listening. It was obvious.
WWE, and pro wrestling as a whole, is unlike any other major sport in the world. The object is not to win a championship for a city. It's not to build a dynasty to rule over a league of teams. It's not about playing hard to amass a great win/loss record.
WWE's sole purpose is to entertain. Roman's continued run at the top was not very entertaining.
But now he's taken a step back, and many fans could not be happier about it. The Wellness Policy violation led to his pinfall at Battleground, which led to his pinfall on the following Monday Night Raw. For the first time since The Shield imploded, Roman Reigns looks very human, and very beatable.
The experiment has failed. Roman's direction is now extremely unclear.
The best answer was to turn him heel. It's the one saving grace for any talent that just can't get a foothold as a babyface. It's not a miracle cure of course, but it does tend to get things moving in the right direction. Many believed it should have happened, that it was the only way to truly get him over.
But does any of that even matter now?
Considering Roman's current situation, the answer is probably no. It may indeed be too late now. Even if he turned and dropped every face on the Raw roster, then put Mick Foley through a flaming table, it likely still wouldn't help. Fans would just see it as a desperate attempt to get Reigns back on track.
Of course maybe the answer is not to get him back on track. Maybe the answer is to let him remain down the ladder where he's fallen, and let him work his way through it. Book him patiently, keep an even pace, and remember that slow and steady wins the race.
It's the only way to handle this. It's the best way to go. Anything else will be the wrong move. Roman is still there, he still has a great upside, and there's a possibility that he can one day make it back to the top.
But that must come one day, not today.
To get behind Reigns again any time soon is not the way to build him up. He deserves every opportunity to improve, and to find his way; he can't do that if WWE insists on booking him to the moon again. This is why using Finn Balor at the top is logical; he's ready. The bulk of his growth has already taken place.
The same cannot be said of Roman.
Reigns can still become an asset to the company, but it will take time. It has to take time. He needs all the time he can get. All of this makes sense on paper; fans can only hope that this time the company sees that, and does the right thing.
