Five ways the WWE missed the boat with Roman Reigns

Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter

No reset button

Whenever Roma Reigns steps out from behind the curtain, fan reaction is clear and swift. The boos are usually deafening but this isn’t the same as when they are booing a wrestler because their character is easily to despise; see Tommaso Chiampa versus Johnny Gargano. The anger that is sent Reigns way is not only hurting him as a performer, but it’s impacting some of the wrestlers he comes into contact with. Samoa Joe has been nothing short of stellar since moving over to the WWE and his recent match against Reigns was met with utter disdain. So much so, that ticket buying fans left the venue early rather than watch through the full PPV event.

While some will debate whether or not Reigns is “over” with the crowd, it’s clear that the reaction he’s getting is not what the WWE wants with him. During his tenure he’s been taken off of television twice, once due to sickness and the other due to a banned substance violation. When he was relegated back to the mid-card, Reigns was putting on great matches that weren’t at the top of the docket; allowing him to be built back up, whether the promotion wants to or not. In some ways, this leans to the idea that perhaps it could be best to remove Reigns from television for a while, not as a punishment but as an opportunity to rebuild the wrestler.

Think back to some of the best names in the sport. Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, Triple H, John Cena and others have all taken extended leaves from television for one reason or another. When they come back, especially as a surprise, it’s usually met with excitement from fans. If Reigns was removed from television for a while this would give WWE Creative an opportunity to do a “reset” with the Samoan wrestler.