WWE: Five candidates for midyear MVP – Men’s Edition

1. Roman Reigns

I drafted this list quite a few times, changing wrestlers and positions.

Roman Reigns was on the no. 1 spot every single time.

Simply put, there’s no one in WWE quite like Roman Reigns right now. I’d go even further and say that not only is Roman the best wrestler of WWE in 2021 so far, he’s also the best wrestler in the world, period.

Who would’ve thought that WWE’s years of insistence on portraying Reigns as the top guy and fans’ years of frustrations on constantly seeing him in all the top spots could be solved by a simple heel turn?

Well, simple is an understatement, to be fair. Because the Head of the Table, the Tribal Chief, the Universal Champion Roman Reigns is anything but simple. It’s possibly the most meaningful and layered character work and storytelling WWE has done since the Gargano Ciampa rivalry in NXT.

Roman Reigns, with his associate Paul Heyman and his henchmen the Usos, feels like a true megastar, the likes of which we haven’t seen in years.

Reigns is doing the best work of his career right now. Everything, from his wrestling to charisma to mic skills and to overall appeal, has improved leaps and bounds ever since he turned heel. Big Roman with his big, massive back single-handedly makes SmackDown worth watching.

Reigns started 2021 with a banger in the form of a Last Man Standing match against Kevin Owens. He then moved on to an extended program with Daniel Bryan and Edge, which produced some more straight-fire matches. He faced Cesaro in another classic at WrestleMania Backlash. Then he destroyed the Mysterio family, winning an intense Hell in a Cell match against Rey, and he’s currently involved in a feud with Edge.

Reigns have been fantastic at making his matches and segments feel important. All of his rivalries have been personal and intense affairs. His ongoing storyline with the Usos is excellent, long-term pro-wrestling booking. He has mastered the art of storytelling in matches and even though he’s clearly the biggest star and supposed to look strong, he always gives his opponents a lot in matches and he looks beatable at several points of a match.

Roman Reigns is the best thing going in WWE (unless you prefer the Lily stuff, which you’re entitled to, of course) and, at least according to me, he’s the best wrestler on the planet right now.

Future potential matchups with the likes of Edge, John Cena, Big E, and The Rock suggest that the Roman train is showing no signs of stopping any time soon.

Seriously guys, acknowledge him.