Throwing Reigns in the fire early might work out

[Deleted]

He's definitely busting his ass to improve leading up to the show. His moveset is expanding and he's doing everything he can to silence the critics. There's some reality to his promos about it. He's going to come out a better performer for all this. I'd just say don't run with him yet.

Best thing that could happen for Reigns is that he puts on a great performance at Mania and falls short of winning the title.

Of course, that might mean next year we get RomanMania 2: It's Hunting Season. Depending on the circumstances, that could be a drag.

[Deleted]

He might be improving (emphasis on "might", only thing I've seen since the Rumble was the Bryan match, I thought it was boring and it was as much on what Bryan was doing as on him), but his ability to be THE top guy has been completely shot by this. He might manage to get a chunk of the crowd cheering him on the regular again, but I think this has really completely shot the idea of him ever having the crowd unanimously behind him again and is going to sour people on the idea of him having any future successes. Though I do think if anything could help, him losing clean to Lesnar would be the way to do it. Maybe go from there to him being the one to end Rusev's streak or something, I dunno.

Either way, with the unimpressive ratings Raw's been doing in the run up to Mania this year and the apparent lack of reactions for him now, I can see WWE cowering out on really giving him much of a sustained push as the absolute, tip-top man and more start leaning back toward Cena if beating Lesnar doesn't magically make him a star (which it won't).

And if he can indeed legitimately, visibly improve in just a month or so of time, then he's lazy and should have done it ages ago.

[Allie Kitsune]

Mar 20, 2015 13:18:43 GMT -5 @lovehater said:

He's definitely busting his ass to improve leading up to the show. His moveset is expanding and he's doing everything he can to silence the critics. There's some reality to his promos about it. He's going to come out a better performer for all this. I'd just say don't run with him yet.

Best thing that could happen for Reigns is that he puts on a great performance at Mania and falls short of winning the title.

Of course, that might mean next year we get RomanMania 2: It's Hunting Season. Depending on the circumstances, that could be a drag.

I'd almost consider reuniting the Shield at this point.

Reigns somehow works his ass off against Brock but comes up short. Seth cashes in, and out of frustration for not being able to beat Brock, Roman helps Rollins win.

Or, you can keep Ambrose out of it so he can stay a face if you want. Have Sting win at WM and start to distance Rollins (with Reigns in tow) from HHH and Steph.

Roman can play the role of Seth's go-to Heavy (the Diesel/Sid to Rollins' HBK) for a while, and eventually get tired of him and turn on him down the road.

[FAR5222]

Reigns has been doing this since 2010. I don't understand how he hasn't improved to where he needs to be. Come on son get your shit together so fans don't go freaking crazy.

[Deleted]

Mar 20, 2015 13:28:14 GMT -5 Lizuka #BLM said:

He might be improving (emphasis on "might", only thing I've seen since the Rumble was the Bryan match, I thought it was boring and it was as much on what Bryan was doing as on him), but his ability to be THE top guy has been completely shot by this. He might manage to get a chunk of the crowd cheering him on the regular again, but I think this has really completely shot the idea of him ever having the crowd unanimously behind him again and is going to sour people on the idea of him having any future successes. Though I do think if anything could help, him losing clean to Lesnar would be the way to do it. Maybe go from there to him being the one to end Rusev's streak or something, I dunno.

Either way, with the unimpressive ratings Raw's been doing in the run up to Mania this year and the apparent lack of reactions for him now, I can see WWE cowering out on really giving him much of a sustained push as the absolute, tip-top man and more start leaning back toward Cena if beating Lesnar doesn't magically make him a star (which it won't).

Well, I'm not really concerned with him being the new John Cena or anything. But I think if he fails at Mania this year, and maybe 2 years down the line gets another shot, maybe he'll have found something to connect with the fans who weren't feeling it, the way Ryback did.

Or, hell, just push Ryback?

I just wanted to make this thread to point out that Reigns is putting in some work. I believe that John Cena is a much better wrestler than he would've been if the crowd bought his push and loved him unconditionally. We might see the same thing with Reigns, just hopefully not as our "controversial!" top babyface overlord for the next 2 decades.

[Mid-Carder]

I agree. Reigns "almost" making it would really help to build sympathy. Then they would have until, say, Summerslam to (excuse the expression) make look strong

[Deleted]

Mar 20, 2015 13:31:06 GMT -5 Allie Kitsune said:

Mar 20, 2015 13:18:43 GMT -5 @lovehater said:

He's definitely busting his ass to improve leading up to the show. His moveset is expanding and he's doing everything he can to silence the critics. There's some reality to his promos about it. He's going to come out a better performer for all this. I'd just say don't run with him yet.

Best thing that could happen for Reigns is that he puts on a great performance at Mania and falls short of winning the title.

Of course, that might mean next year we get RomanMania 2: It's Hunting Season. Depending on the circumstances, that could be a drag.

I'd almost consider reuniting the Shield at this point.

Reigns somehow works his ass off against Brock but comes up short. Seth cashes in, and out of frustration for not being able to beat Brock, Roman helps Rollins win.

Or, you can keep Ambrose out of it so he can stay a face if you want. Have Sting win at WM and start to distance Rollins (with Reigns in tow) from HHH and Steph.

Roman can play the role of Seth's go-to Heavy (the Diesel/Sid to Rollins' HBK) for a while, and eventually get tired of him and turn on him down the road.

I'd love that Rollins/Reigns thing, but they'd need to emphasize Reigns's size more. Maybe have him wearing street clothes more often or something. It's hard to do that bodyguard thing when they're around the same height (Reigns may even be a bit shorter) and only about 40 pounds apart.

If they were both smug heels though, it would be awesome and Reigns would get over again, especially if he developed a real promo style. That could be the key to him eventually becoming that babyface WWE wants him to be.

As for the Shield as a whole reuniting, I think it'd be too early.

[Gravedigger's Biscuits]

I think Reigns should turn heel. It will make him more popular in the long run.

[The Dark Order Inferno]

By throwing Reigns into the fire early they have wasted what should be the defining moment of a guy's career and have defined him in the eyes of the fans as a chosen one, a great character for a heel but will kill a face dead. The story of Reigns ascent to the title won't be one of a man who broke away from a tag team and over the course of two years, built an identity, a fanbase and gained momentum to became an unstoppable force that vanquishes a villainous champion to become the face of the WWE, his story will be one of a guy who was handpicked for stardom and his rise to the top was a battle of wills between management and the paying audience.

It's Boyhood Dream Shawn Michaels all over again. 'This guy is our star and this is the story we want to tell, your reactions are meaningless.'

[01010010 01101001 01100011]

I said this about him falling short at WM in another thread:

Honestly, having Brock take down Roman in a close match and Roman working his way back would probably do him better in the long run than the Superman push he's getting now.

Roman goes to spear Brock who turns it into a Kimura and breaks Roman's arm for the win. Roman takes a month or so "to get healthy" and show videos of him training and talking about having to get better, play up how scary it is that the guy who took Brock to the limit at WM is improving and growing. Have him return and bust out some new moves, new finish and play up how he's improved, start having Heyman duck his challenges, have Roman win MITB and have him announce ahead of time that at Summerslam he is going to end Brock's one year run on top of WWE. Brock shows no fear because he already beat him but Heyman knows it is a different Roman and at Summerslam go for the Spear/Kimura spot but Roman powers out, Lesnar freaks out and Roman takes him out with his new finish to win the title.


Of course I much prefer Rollins Curbstomping the WM winner as the confetti falls and taking the title then.

I think the idea of him falling short but coming back for redemption/revenge is more interesting than just taking the throne.

[Deleted]

Mar 20, 2015 14:10:47 GMT -5 The Dark Order Inferno said:

By throwing Reigns into the fire early they have wasted what should be the defining moment of a guy's career and have defined him in the eyes of the fans as a chosen one, a great character for a heel but will kill a face dead. The story of Reigns ascent to the title won't be one of a man who broke away from a tag team and over the course of two years, built an identity, a fanbase and gained momentum to became an unstoppable force that vanquishes a villainous champion to become the face of the WWE, his story will be one of a guy who was handpicked for stardom and his rise to the top was a battle of wills between management and the paying audience.

It's Boyhood Dream Shawn Michaels all over again. 'This guy is our star and this is the story we want to tell, your reactions are meaningless.'

But what if Michaels lost? Wouldn't that have been interesting?

That's what I'm hoping they do with Reigns. He's different from Michaels though, in that he needed to get better and this build is forcing him to do at least try and improve drastically. So he's going to get something out of this win or lose, I just think he gets more out of it losing.

[xxshoyuweeniexx]

Mar 20, 2015 13:33:44 GMT -5 FAR5222 said:

Reigns has been doing this since 2010. I don't understand how he hasn't improved to where he needs to be. Come on son get your shit together so fans don't go freaking crazy.

He's not awful or anything, hell if he was IC Champion (a competently booked one, lol crazy I know) and mixing it up with guys like Harper and Rusev and Ziggler on a weekly basis, I think he'd do well.

This "crowned anointed THE TOP babyface of the next decade RIGHT NOW" routine? No. And I'm not gonna be surprised if it falls flat on it's ass.

[A Platypus Rave]

Mar 20, 2015 14:38:45 GMT -5 @lovehater said:

Mar 20, 2015 14:10:47 GMT -5 The Dark Order Inferno said:

By throwing Reigns into the fire early they have wasted what should be the defining moment of a guy's career and have defined him in the eyes of the fans as a chosen one, a great character for a heel but will kill a face dead. The story of Reigns ascent to the title won't be one of a man who broke away from a tag team and over the course of two years, built an identity, a fanbase and gained momentum to became an unstoppable force that vanquishes a villainous champion to become the face of the WWE, his story will be one of a guy who was handpicked for stardom and his rise to the top was a battle of wills between management and the paying audience.

It's Boyhood Dream Shawn Michaels all over again. 'This guy is our star and this is the story we want to tell, your reactions are meaningless.'

But what if Michaels lost? Wouldn't that have been interesting?

... Shawn DID lose first.

[Deleted]

Mar 20, 2015 14:46:56 GMT -5 A Platypus Rave said:

Mar 20, 2015 14:38:45 GMT -5 @lovehater said:

But what if Michaels lost? Wouldn't that have been interesting?

... Shawn DID lose first.

Yes, but as a heel, and not with the boyhood dream type push we're talking about.

Mania 11 in general just...doesn't count.

[Bad Moon]

I think the character they're building with Roman Reigns like a modernized repeat of Cena, but in a good way.
When people turned on Cena back in 2005 they just flat-out ignored it, but with Reigns they're actually embracing it and acknowledging it in his promos. Both the kayfabe management and the fans tell him that he's not ready brother and he's rebelling against that and trying to prove that he is.

[thegame415]

Going in the fire early helped kane

[Deleted]

Mar 20, 2015 14:26:37 GMT -5 01010010 01101001 01100011 said:

I said this about him falling short at WM in another thread:

Honestly, having Brock take down Roman in a close match and Roman working his way back would probably do him better in the long run than the Superman push he's getting now.

Roman goes to spear Brock who turns it into a Kimura and breaks Roman's arm for the win. Roman takes a month or so "to get healthy" and show videos of him training and talking about having to get better, play up how scary it is that the guy who took Brock to the limit at WM is improving and growing. Have him return and bust out some new moves, new finish and play up how he's improved, start having Heyman duck his challenges, have Roman win MITB and have him announce ahead of time that at Summerslam he is going to end Brock's one year run on top of WWE. Brock shows no fear because he already beat him but Heyman knows it is a different Roman and at Summerslam go for the Spear/Kimura spot but Roman powers out, Lesnar freaks out and Roman takes him out with his new finish to win the title.


Of course I much prefer Rollins Curbstomping the WM winner as the confetti falls and taking the title then.

I think the idea of him falling short but coming back for redemption/revenge is more interesting than just taking the throne.

I think him failing then trying for a rematch is their best bet of salvaging Reigns, but I don't know if it'd actually work. That'd leave you Rollins to deal with (could always have the Authority handwave away the, "Do it within a year," stipulation I guess, but then you have two people with useless briefcases and a newly appointed champion who just got a big win), and at this point they might've damaged Reigns too much for the crowd to actually want him to get redemption. Maybe could try a mix of the ideas, Reigns loses, snaps and just goes ballistic on Lesnar afterward allowing Rollins to cash in, then on Raw or something Reigns goes apeshit on him and beats him half-to-death and you work on double-turning them.

[g1megatronfan]

They should have went the early Cena route with Reigns. WWE actually took the time to build him up. Fans knew why they liked Cena all those years ago. His first big WrestleMania match was for the U.S. Title. This should be where Reigns should be right now. By building him up...WWE gave fans a reason to like Cena from WM 20 until WM 21, but they have given ZERO reason to like Reigns. Why should I as a viewer like him?...his looks?...lol. His great promo skills?...lol

Just why the hell should I like him?

[tms]

Mar 20, 2015 18:55:36 GMT -5 g1megatronfan said:

They should have went the early Cena route with Reigns. WWE actually took the time to build him up. Fans knew why they liked Cena all those years ago. His first big WrestleMania match was for the U.S. Title. This should be where Reigns should be right now. By building him up...WWE gave fans a reason to like Cena from WM 20 until WM 21, but they have given ZERO reason to like Reigns. Why should I as a viewer like him?...his looks?...lol. His great promo skills?...lol

Just why the hell should I like him?

This is the truth. At the end of the day, it's a ton of sizzle and about two bites of steak.

[Instant Classic]

Do not wanna see Reigns win the rumble twice in a row.