5 moments in Roman Reigns' current title reign that could have been better
Roman Reigns and his Universal Championship run is the greatest thing in WWE today. Ever since his character transformation and title win, The Tribal Chief has knocked it off the park every week.
Reigns is the biggest star not only on SmackDown but in WWE. The Head of the Table is well and truly at the top of the food chain. Although people barely like it, fans have unanimously acknowledged him.
The two-time Universal Champion’s current reign with the title has been nothing short of history-making. In his time as champion, he has shattered multiple records and had stellar matches with every significant superstar in the company. Needless to say, he has come out on top every single time.
The new face of WWE likes to call himself the Midas of the industry. Although he makes a case for himself, not everything he touches is gold. There have been a few instances where the company could have done something better for his storylines.
Here are five moments in Reigns’ current title reign that could have been better.
#5 On our list of moments that could have been better handled in Roman Reigns’ time as Universal Champion: The Last Man Standing match botch
Roman Reigns' heated rivalry with Kevin Owens saw the pair duke it out in multiple great matches. However, one of them was ruined due to a poor botch that ruined the flow of the entire showdown at Royal Rumble 2021.
As the referee started counting and a battered Tribal Chief was handcuffed, Paul Heyman came out to set him free. Unfortunately, he couldn’t free Reigns no matter how hard he tried. It was then made worse by the referee stopping his count while Heyman worked on undoing the cuffs.
Although it was an unfortunate series of events, it was not the best moment WWE has given us.
#4 Roman Reigns’ destruction of Braun Strowman was uncalled for
Let’s face it - no one saw Braun Strowman challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship in October 2020 and thought it was a closely-fought battle. In fact, you could say the new champion obliterated his challenger from bell to bell.
While the result solidified Reigns’ heel turn and established him as a no-nonsense champion, it hurt Strowman's legitimacy. The Monster Among Men was fed to the top dog of SmackDown in a match that was average at best.
Strowman would later make his way out of the company in June 2021 owing to WWE's budget cuts.
#3 He shouldn’t have beaten The Demon King
Roman Reigns’ battle with Finn Balor saw him take on his opponent’s legendary alter-ego at Extreme Rules 2021. The Demon is known for scoring victories against the best of the best and always finding a way to win.
Such a credible character should not have been sacrificed for Reigns. Balor could have challenged for the Universal Championship as himself. There was literally no reason for WWE to have the Demon take the loss and destroy the last bit of credibility the veteran had.
#2 He wins too many matches in dirty fashion
For a guy who says he “smashes” everyone, Roman Reigns is exaggerating a little. He has won countless matches only due to The Usos' running interference. Not exactly the kind of domination you expect after hearing all the trash talk.
The Usos have come to the aid of their Tribal Chief in multiple high-calibre matches against Brock Lesnar, Edge and Daniel Bryan to name a few.
Without his cousins, Reigns would not have held onto the Universal Championship for as long as he has. Although he is the biggest heel in the division, he deserves to win more matches on his own.
#1 The Usos never question why he doesn’t have their back at times
While Roman Reigns always has his insurance policy in The Usos ready, the same can’t be said for his cousins. Sometimes, when they are being beaten up and embarrassed, the Universal Champion doesn’t care about making the save.
More surprising is that The Usos have never once questioned their leader regarding his stance. While this may all be part of a slow-burning face turn for the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, it is a little strange that the family-oriented Reigns fails to help his Bloodline at times.