WWE is 'banking' that less will mean more when it comes to Roman Reigns
For WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns, life is pretty good right now. He's standing on top of the sports entertainment world as the face of the industry's largest promotion.
WWE could finally cash in on the immense talent that had Reigns marked as their franchise player for several years. However, it didn't work out quite the way they originally planned. After being rejected over and over again by the fan base, Reigns eventually turned heel and has been on the best run of his career ever since.
Once he vanquished Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania earlier this year, The Tribal Chief took a couple of things from The Beast. The first was the WWE Championship, essentially merging it with his Universal Championship. Another thing that Reigns inherited was Lesnar's cushy schedule.
Much like with the former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Reigns now wants to work a slightly lighter schedule to preserve his body and career. He's been running pretty hard for a while now, so it's understandable that he wants to pump the breaks a little bit.
He's also looking to dip his toes in the waters of Hollywood possibly and will need extended time to explore that option. Many critics and observers believe it's only a matter of time before he follows his cousin, The Rock, into the action movie genre.
Like Lesnar, this will also be an effective way for WWE to market The Head of the Table. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and that's probably as true in professional wrestling as anywhere else.
When a performer leaves - even if just for a little while - their eventual return consistently garners a huge ovation. For someone of Reigns' superstar stature? That ovation will be amplified ten times over.
It shouldn't be a surprise that WWE isn't scheduling Roman Reigns for Money in the Bank
Rumors have been out there since 'Mania that Reigns would be pulling back a bit and would be treated more as a 'special attraction' by the promotion. So, for him to miss Money in the Bank isn't really a big deal.
Roman Reigns is no longer scheduled to work Money in the Bank.
- SI https://t.co/fklMlEja9U
As much fun as the event can be to watch; it isn't considered a top-tier show for WWE. They can hold the champion out of this one and get him ready for his SummerSlam storyline.
There's no need to invest in Money in the Bank with an appearance by Roman Reigns, so WWE is basically just saving him for later. They believe that this approach will pay greater dividends down the road.
This is not a new strategy in professional wrestling, and it certainly didn't start with Brock or Roman. In the past, stars like Hulk Hogan often didn't make regular appearances on television. When they did, it was usually in previously filmed interview segments.
“July 30th, he may actually wrestle on TV before that, but July 30th is his first PPV Championship match.
He may do a television match before then. If he wrestles Riddle it’ll be on TV,“
- Dave Meltzer on when Roman Reigns will wrestle next
(via WOR) https://t.co/rJxeJge4yX
The fans didn't have a problem with it then, and they shouldn't now, either.
In many ways, the 'less-is-more' approach should probably be prescribed to the audience in even greater doses, as it keeps the product from being overstaturated and the stars from being overexposed.
As much as the WWE Universe may be miffed or believe that Reigns is getting preferential treatment, it's really not about that at all. It's more about taking something special and making it even more special. Rarity has that effect on everything, and it's especially true in the case of our heroes and villains.
So, you're not going to see as much of the leader of The Bloodline going forward.
But when you finally do, it will mean more. In the case of Roman Reigns, quality will defeat quantity - by both pinfall AND submission.