WWE SmackDown: Slow Booking Roman Reigns Makes Long-Term Sense

The April 23 edition of WWE SmackDown was the first full night on the blue brand for many new superstars that came over through the superstar shake-up, including Roman Reigns.

Last night’s WWE SmackDown saw the short-term plans for Roman Reigns take shape after his explosive actions last week. While Mr. McMahon was announcing Elias as the “biggest free agency signing in SmackDown history,” The Big Dog interrupted the proceedings and laid out both Mr. McMahon and Elias before claiming SmackDown is his yard now.

It wasn’t Mr. McMahon that kicked off last night’s show, but instead, Shane McMahon did so and he had plenty to say regarding the actions of Reigns last week. He said what Reigns did was like disgracing the American flag and he pondered what punishment he should hand down to Reigns. Instead, he called out Reigns to come out to the ring, which he promptly obliged.

The two appeared to be set to battle, but instead, Elias jumped Reigns from behind and despite The Big Dog’s best efforts, the two-on-one attack proved to be too much. Both Shane and Elias managed to ground Reigns as they both walked away proud of their work after a clearly-orchestrated attack and plan laid out. Later in the night, Elias issued a challenge to Reigns for a match at Money In The Bank, which Reigns agreed to before saying he’ll break Elias’ jaw.

As soon as Reigns came over to the blue brand last week, many fans began wondering when it would start to feel like the old days. And by the old days, they mean when Reigns was shoved down everyone’s throats to a fault and many fans booed him. However, his start on Tuesday nights has been handled appropriately thus far in terms of his long-term status on the blue brand.

It would have been quite eyebrow-raising to see Reigns come in and immediately jump into the WWE Championship picture or something along those lines. That would have likely turned off many fans that have started cheering for Reigns more since his valiant and triumphant return from defeating Leukemia. The Big Dog is a symbol of overcoming the odds and finally the beloved figure that Vince McMahon has always wanted him to be for the WWE universe.

However, if his debut on SmackDown would have resulted in an immediate title shot against Kofi Kingston, those fringe fans would have probably turned on Reigns. Some feel like it’s only a matter of time before boos return, so it makes much more sense for the WWE not to rush Reigns into the WWE Championship picture right off the bat. Because let’s be honest, pitting him against Kofi would never get him cheered as much as Kofi at this moment in time.