The Greatness of Roman Reigns and Storytelling in Wrestling

Storytelling in WWE today feels like such a lost art with so much emphasis being placed on quick payoffs rather than actually telling a good long story. The return of Roman Reigns this past SummerSlam and his ongoing storyline as the Head of Table has been incredibly refreshing and proves that the best stories in wrestling don’t need to be rushed.

Ever since his return, Roman Reigns has without a doubt been the best thing going in the WWE. His alliance with Paul Heyman and Head of the Table persona fits him so well and has translated to significant improvements in both in the ring and on the microphone. This has ascended Reigns to not only the top spot in WWE but one of the top spots in the entire wrestling world. Fans that pleaded for years for him to turn heel have had their wish granted and so much more with the long-term story being told on Smackdown.

What has truly made this recent run so special is the fact that nothing feels rushed or jumping to a conclusion, something WWE is extremely guilty of doing regularly. Countless times over the past few years have we seen stories wrapped up prematurely or started and just as quickly finished, taking away from their overall impact on viewers. The opposite can be said here as the Roman Reigns storyline on Smackdown has consistently delivered new story arcs and character details to keep fans engaged in a story that began almost a year ago!

Take the addition of the Usos for example: rather than simply pairing them alongside their cousin without any explanation, we got to see how Roman Reigns earned both of their loyalties individually through matches and manipulation to the point where they are now standing alongside him. Doing so has really shined a light on both Jimmy and Jey Uso as individuals rather than as a tag team, something we haven’t seen in their careers thus far.

If this much attention to detail in long term storytelling was applied to the rest of the main roster, the WWE product would be so much better off. Prioritizing long and meaningful storylines between superstars over one-off matches with no payoff would greatly enhance both RAW and Smackdown and give viewers a reason to want to tune in week after week once again.

Roman Reigns has continued to look stronger and stronger as his story progresses and is clearly in a tier of his own as the Universal Champion on Friday Night Smackdown. As we look ahead, the title picture for the Universal Championship is highly intriguing for the rest of the year as the Head of the Table storyline continues.

We saw Seth Rollins in a brief stare-down with Reigns back in May, John Cena has been rumoured for a match with Reigns at Summerslam, and in what would be a dream match with The Rock is always still on the table for the Head of the Table. While future opponents remain unclear, one thing that is extremely clear is that Roman Reigns is on top of his game right now and proving to the world that long term storytelling still has a place in wrestling in 2021.