WWE Royal Rumble 2015: Why This is Not Roman Reigns’ Fault

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The decision to allow Roman Reigns to win the Royal Rumble, and headline WrestleMania against Brock Lesnar, is an unpopular one.

Following last night’s main event in Philadelphia, fans took to the internet to vent their frustrations with the WWE and last night’s results. Some even cancelled their WWE Network subscription. In fact, the site was flooded with so much traffic that it crashed.

I have to admit,  I was one of those people who cancelled. Never would have expected the WWE to put out a result so bad that it would drive me to cancelled my subscription.

One thing needs to be made very clear about last night. Roman Reigns winning is not a terrible thing. Initial reactions may want to believe that Reigns winning will ruin the main event scene and ruin WrestleMania. That may very well be the case, but WWE could have very easily found a way to get John Cena in the Rumble and allowed him to win it.

What transpired last night was different, a breath of fresh air. Where many, including myself, take issue with the Rumble center around the booking of the main event.

The Rumble is not just used to crown the main event for WrestleMania. WWE uses it to cement future stars and lay the ground work for the grandest stage of them all, WrestleMania.

Going into last night there were at least five different people that could have realistically won the Rumble and it make sense. Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler all could have won the match. Those are five guys that have main event written all over them.

All five can’t main event WrestleMania, that is obvious. The WWE still hopes to put those guys in positions to have good WrestleMania matches, while setting up for the future.

Last night did not do that. Reigns winning is not as bad as many will say, it’s how he won that people should be frustrated with.

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Bray Wyatt had a very impressive start to his Royal Rumble. Wyatt, who entered at # 5, rolled through his competition. He had the ring all to himself at points, and even cut a promo on the entire locker room. That run would last for a little while longer until entry # 10.

Daniel Bryan. Those of you keeping score at home, mark this down as the moment the Rumble went downhill. Bryan came into the match with his rival Bray Wyatt waiting for him inside the ring. These two have a well-documented history and WWE played to that last night. They even brawled outside the ring after a Daniel Bryan suicide dive through the 2nd rope.

Then the WWE Universe turned on the WWE. Like a heel turn, the Philadelphia crowd turned on those still left and took over the show. Daniel Bryan was eliminated. He was bumped off the apron by Bray Wyatt. Daniel Bryan’s WrestleMania main event dream was over.

Bryan was taken out of the match before entry #16 entered the match. A very anti-climatic end to Bryan’s rumble. No big eliminations and no advancement to his character. Just a dream, the WWE Universe’s dream, shattered.

Still, Bray Wyatt remained in control of the Rumble. It looked like the WWE was ready to give Wyatt the keys to the building and push him to the moon.

The next fan favorite to arrive was Dean Ambrose at # 23. His booking in this match is beyond confusing and it mirrors what happened to entry # 30, Dolph Ziggler and Wyatt. These three superstars fell fate to Big Show and Kane, and were just disposed of like trash.Wyatt was knocked over the top rope by Show, in a way that made what Wyatt had done all night meaningless. Ziggler got KO punched by Show off the top rope. Big Show and Kane proceeded to dump Ziggler’s body over the top rope. Ambrose fell victim to the same fate, as his lifeless body was also removed from the ring.

Left standing were Big Show, Kane, Roman Reigns and Rusev on the outside. Reigns used his super strength to overpower Show and Kane, making it look like he had won the Rumble.

Show and Kane, in their Authority ways, proceeded to beat down Reigns after the match was “over”. It’s here were the WWE put icing on the cake. Knowing the boos would be coming for Reigns, they setup this beat-down for Reigns to be save by his own cousin, The Rock.

The Rock was brought in to shelter Reigns from the boos and help WWE save the show. Philadelphia saw right through the smoke screen and was not buying it.

When The Rock gets booed by a PPV crowd, the WWE has to know that they did something wrong. Roman Reigns winning would have been fine. Reigns vs. Lesnar for the WWE World Title is a different, fresh look to the title scene. But in the process they destroyed the momentum of Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Bray Wyatt and arguably their number one face Daniel Bryan.

Here are some questions that the WWE need to answer:

Why bring back Daniel Bryan for the Rumble, announce in a big segment on RAW to just eliminate him the way they did Sunday?

Why have Bray Wyatt dominate the competition, be in the Rumble match for over 40 minutes, cut a promo in the middle of the match to just have Big Show closeline him over the top like he was Adam Rose?

Why have Dolph Ziggler come out #30 and have the mega-push from Survivor Series if he was going to be tossed out like a piece of garbage by Big Show and Kane in mere minutes?

Explain why Dean Ambrose closed out the show on Smackdown standing tall, to just be another victim of the Big Show and Kane shovel train that ran over WWE’s main event players?

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Answering those four questions includes what those guys are going to do at WrestleMania. At first glance, these four guys really don’t have a place on the card. That doesn’t include the returns of Randy Orton and Sheamus, who will easily find their way onto the card.

The WWE made a big mistake on Sunday. They mishandled four of their biggest talents in order to make one guy look strong. A guy that even The Rock could save from being booed.

It’s not Reigns’ fault. He has the potential to be the guy that the WWE wants him to be. Forcing him down the universe’s throat is not the way to get the fans to like him. That’s how the fans turn on him and that’s how last night happens.

62 days separate the wrestling world from WrestleMania.  That gives the WWE 62 days to hopefully save themselves from the mess they’ve created. If they don’t, the boos will be even louder at Levi’s Stadium. And that is something the WWE cannot afford.