4 mistakes WWE has made with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania
Roman Reigns is one of the biggest stars in pro wrestling today. As The Tribal Chief of The Bloodline, Reigns has embarked on an unprecedented run of terror and dominance.
The current Unified WWE Universal Champion has seven WrestleMania main events to his name. He has competed as a member of The Shield, a challenger for the World Title, and walked in as champion in four consecutive shows, including this year.
However, WWE has made a few ill-advised decisions with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, and here, we look at four such instances.
#4. Pushing Roman Reigns to the moon for a match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31
As soon as Roman Reigns made his debut as the Juggernaut of The Shield, it was evident that Vince McMahon was incredibly high on The Big Dog. He had all the tools to become a megastar. Unfortunately, WWE jumped the gun on his push to the summit.
The Big Dog won the 2015 Men's Royal Rumble match and booked a date with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31. The problem was that Reigns was too inexperienced, and many felt he wasn't ready. For one, his promo skills weren't up to par.
Secondly, Daniel Bryan had recently returned from a career-threatening injury, and fans wanted to witness him regain the World Championship.
Fortunately, Reigns vs. Lesnar at 'Mania exceeded expectations, and The Big Dog came out looking like a million bucks. However, the fan resentment against the Samoan would have never risen if WWE hadn't rushed with his push and given Bryan his moment.
Although all worked out well in the end, it was unnecessary, and Reigns never truly became the loveable babyface he was meant to become.
#3. The Big Dog should have never been the under-dog against Triple H at WrestleMania 32
Luckily, WWE averted disaster at Levi's Stadium when Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract mid-way between Reigns vs. Lesnar and pulled off "The Heist of The Century."
One year later, Vince McMahon, adamant about completing "The Roman Reigns experiment," booked The Big Dog in the main event of WrestleMania 32 against Triple H. This was an underwhelming headliner because the sold-out crowd couldn't care less about the match.
Fans pretty much knew the outcome, as Hunter was certainly not going to walk out with the WWE World Heavyweight Title. Secondly, the company portrayed Reigns as the underdog in the storyline and throughout the match, a move that backfired.
The Big Dog had more of an anti-hero personality like Stone Cold Steve Austin. Treating him like a Daniel Bryan or Rey Mysterio wasn't a wise decision. Rather, if he were booked like a rebellious figure, the crowd may have cheered him on.
#2. Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 35 fell flat
In October 2018, The Big Dog had to relinquish his Universal Championship to fight another battle with leukemia. Reigns fought and returned to the ring five months later, just in time to make it to WrestleMania 35.
Since the fans were cheering Reigns, WWE felt the need to put the longest-reigning Universal Champion on the card for 'Mania. Drew McIntyre emerged as his first singles opponent upon remission.
However, there was nothing memorable about Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 35. Metlife Stadium was not too interested in the bout, detracting from the overall quality of the match. In their defense, the battle never reached a "fever pitch," and McIntyre was seen doing most of the work.
WWE could have held off Reigns' return to the ring since he didn't seem ready for the occasion. Secondly, the placement of the bout was also questionable because it occurred late in the evening, a few matches before the main event. The crowd was too lethargic to care about anything until then.
#1. Roman Reigns "retired" The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33
The Big Dog eliminated The Undertaker from the 2017 Men's Royal Rumble match to a chorus of boos. This was a clear indication that WWE was planning 'Taker vs. Reigns at WrestleMania 33.
With the shape The Deadman was in, it felt as if this was 'Taker's swan song. Fans were demanding a massive dream match between The Phenom and John Cena. However, WWE wanted The Last Outlaw to put over Roman Reigns before riding off to the sunset.
As for the match, it became a botch-fest towards the end as the battered Undertaker struggled to keep pace. Reigns landed a massive Spear through the heart of The Phenom to seal the victory.
The Big Dog received nuclear heat upon the win as he was booed out of the building on the following night. In hindsight, it didn't matter because 'Taker returned a year later, but a controversial Ssperstar retiring as the most revered figure in wrestling history was bound to backfire.