WWE Royal Rumble 2018: The Case For/Against Roman Reigns

facebooktwitterreddit

Credit: WWE.com.

The WWE Royal Rumble 2018 is coming up, which is leading people to speculate who will win. Of course, a popular name to watch is Roman Reigns. What are the pros and cons of Reigns winning?

In 2015, Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble.

However, a lot has changed since Reigns’ first Rumble victory. He’s appeared in the main event of three straight WrestleManias,  has won world championships, mid-card championships and waged war with countless stars.

Reigns has produced quality match after quality match, and has been involved with a variety of high-profile storylines.

This year, “The Big Dog” has another shot to win the Rumble, which would give him a main-event match at WrestleMania 34. The current Intercontinental Champion is obviously going to be a top candidate to win the bout.

It makes sense, as Reigns is someone the company can rely on. After all, his track record is undeniable.

The issue with Reigns possibly winning the Rumble is that there are a variety of pros and cons.

The Case For

There’s literally no denying the fact that Roman Reigns is a superstar. While some may still knock down his promo skills, he’s unequivocally the biggest star currently on Monday Night Raw. Anything he touches receives an additional boost, simply because of the star power Reigns possesses.

Because of that, having him win the Rumble would make some modicum of success. After all, if the Rumble is supposed to be one of the biggest matches of the year, a star of Reigns’ caliber winning makes sense.

If Reigns wins, the road to the big show will have consistent heat. People will either boo or cheer, but there’s no way arenas are going to be quiet. Because of that,

The impending WrestleMania match would have added weight. Whether it was with Brock Lesnar, or, if the company decided to swerve the audience, a showdown with AJ Styles.

Additionally, Reigns winning guarantees reactions. Fans either love or hate Reigns, as there’s really zero grey area. So Roman reigning victorious in Philadelphia would generate a lot of energy from the crowd.

Credit: WWE.com.

The Case Against

Do you remember the last time the Reigns won the Royal Rumble? Coincidentally enough, that match happened in Philadelphia.

To say the fans rejected the result would be the understatement of the century. The fans booed vociferously as Reigns stood in the ring. The Rock, one of the most over superstars in the history of the WWE, couldn’t even get Reigns over.

The company would be insane to repeat the result in the exact same venue. It would be absolutely unbelievable to see the WWE pull the trigger again.

The biggest issue people have with Reigns is the perception that the company is forcing him down their throats. While there are some truth to those claims, the qualms with Reigns would be exasperated with another Rumble victory.

It would also be the most predictable outcome by far. Also, Reigns winning would cement the main event for WrestleManiathus robbing the months leading up to the event of suspense. The general belief is that Reigns is on a collision course with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. However, there is still a chance that match changes.

Next: Top 15 Moments in Royal Rumble History

But with Reigns winning, that match becomes absolutely set in stone. And if that happens, then the company would literally be in the same exact place they were three years ago when they dealt with fan backlash.

Another issue with Reigns winning is that it would be incredibly difficult to book. There are few superstars on the roster who generate more boos on a consistent basis than Reigns. So there aren’t a lot of candidates for Reigns to throw out before winning the match.