7 Reasons Roman Reigns is the best WWE champion in history
Haters will hate, but you have to give credit where it's due. Roman Reigns has surpassed Cena and Hogan.
When it comes to world champions, the WWE has a great and storied history.
Long before the Rock n Wrestling connection changed the business model of pro wrestling forever, there was an organization called the WWWF, or World Wide Wrestling Federation. Though at one time it was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance, it also operated for years under its own auspices.
When you talk about WWWF champions, the man who comes most to mind is probably Bob Backlund. The former amateur wrestling standout had strength, stamina, and presence that served him well as champion.
But Backlund could do more than just grapple; He was also a fierce brawler who could more than hold his own if the match degenerated into a slobber knocker. His five-year title reign lasted 2,135 days, during which time he held off legends like Jimmy Snuka and Ken Patera.
After the WWWF dropped a letter and became simply the WWF, the champion was Hulk Hogan. While Hogan didn't have Backlund's amateur background or technical skills, he was a great talker and many of the top wrestling moments from the 1980s involve him in some form or fashion.
Post-Hogan, during what has been called the New Generation era, Bret Hart was the primary face champion, though his reigns were never as long as had been in previous eras. He shared the spotlight with Yokozuna and Shawn Michaels during this period. Hart restored technical wrestling to the main event picture and presented a much more underdog character when wrestling as a babyface.
Then there was the Attitude Era, with Steve Austin being the biggest name star. Stone Cold created the archetype of the wrestling antihero, which is still seen in use today. Finally, in the Ruthless Aggression and PG era John Cena has been the man most prominently featured...until Roman Reigns.
As great as all of those former WWE champions are, here are seven reasons why Roman Reigns was the best WWE champion of all time.
#1 The Superman Punch
There have been many legendary finishing moves utilized by WWE champions. Macho Man Randy Savage favored a flying elbow drop off the top rope. Many camera flashes went off when he raised his arms in the air before flying through the air and crashing down on his hapless opponent.
Hulk Hogan had the Immortal Leg Drop, a relatively simple manoeuvre that Hogan made look more impressive by virtue of his massive size. The Hulkster would often set up the leg drop with either a big boot or a body slam. John Cena utilizes the Attitude Adjustment, a modified shoulder slam, and sometimes uses an STF as well.
But the Superman punch is superior to all of them. Unlike the elbow drop, Roman's opponent does not have to be prone on the mat. And Roman does not have to lift his opponent to perform the finishing move, an advantage against larger opponents.
Of course, he can also hit the move from anywhere in the ring, or outside of it for that matter. Its versatility, explosiveness, and damage make it a better finisher than any other WWE champion.