WWE’s 10 Worst Moments of 2016

Credit: WWE on Twitter

2. Roman Reigns’ Main Event Victory at WrestleMania 32

There has never been a WrestleMania where the winner of the main event was booed. Never has the audience in attendance been so upset with the result that they left the show angry. Never had the heels in a match had to placate the crowd to try and send them home a little less angry.

Until WrestleMania 32 earlier this year.

It’s often said that the most devoted of wrestling fans attend WrestleMania live. These are those people that have the most passion for the product and are willing to spend thousands to prove it. So when they attend a show and they let their voices be heard, it really should matter.

Roman Reigns was booed the moment he first entered the arena too long after the cameras stopped rolling. Every move he did received a negative reaction, even when he Speared Stephanie McMahon. When he began his celebration, you could tell few people, if any, were happy. Many of those fans had sat for around six hours from start to finish, only to have that kind of an ending. This was a perfect example of booking a show to anger fans that still follow the program solely out of loyalty and years of goodwill. This match shattered that goodwill and may have serious long-term ramifications.

WWE has a hard enough time keeping their current fanbase at stable levels. It’s even more difficult for them to attract new viewers. Given how they booked this match, how Vince and company went out of their ways to do what they want instead of making the paying fans happy, you shouldn’t be surprised the company isn’t doing well.