Legend on the backstage reaction to Roman Reigns going off-script in WWE recently
Sheamus recently expressed his frustration at Roman Reigns and The Bloodline's segment running long on the July 7 episode of WWE SmackDown. Legendary wrestler Konnan believes the Irishman had every right to be annoyed, especially as the segment affected his own position on the show.
The SmackDown episode began with The Usos placing Reigns on trial as part of a Tribal Court segment. The in-ring back-and-forth lasted 20 minutes longer than expected, meaning other parts of the show had to be moved around. Sheamus later said in an interview with Alex McCarthy of MailOnline that other members of the roster also deserve television time.
Konnan, the booker of Mexican promotion AAA, said on K100 that Sheamus was likely not the only person who had issues with Reigns going over his designated time:
"I'm thinking the boys are backstage, and they're looking, and they're like, '30-minute segment? 20-minute segment? And we only got a five-minute match?' We'd be doing probably the same thing, and we've been in those shoes before, so it's a fascinating look because he's talking for the dressing room. He's not talking just for him, so he does have some valid points." [11:41 – 12:00]
The Tribal Court segment revolved around Roman Reigns handing over his Tribal Chief status to Jey Uso. The emotional moment turned out to be a ploy, however, as the Bloodline leader struck his cousin with a low blow. He then joined forces with Solo Sikoa to attack The Usos.
What did Sheamus say about Roman Reigns?
The July 7 episode of SmackDown took place at one of WWE's most historic venues, Madison Square Garden. Sheamus was due to appear in two long segments with Austin Theory, but they featured in three short segments instead due to time constraints.
Sheamus acknowledged that Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns have been involved in compelling storylines over the last three years. However, he also questioned why other WWE stars cannot receive more exposure on television:
"It's definitely benefited him [Reigns] a lot, and Heyman and the story they've been able to tell, all within that family and stuff," Sheamus stated. "But yeah, as I said, there's plenty of other people on the roster too that could do with story time as well. You'd see a lot more people over."
Reigns has not competed in a match since defeating Jey Uso at SummerSlam on August 5. Sheamus' last in-ring encounter occurred on the August 18 episode of SmackDown, where he lost to WWE Hall of Famer Edge.
Do you think Roman Reigns was wrong to go over his time? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit K100 and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use the first set of quotes from this article.