The Trouble With Roman Reigns, Or The Loss Of Authenticity

WWE policy seems to be KEEP ROMAN REIGNS STRONG unless he's cutting promos
Photo Credit: WWE.com

Remember the Shield? The collective of 3 guys that, as a unit, managed to tick off every single box that Vince McMahon seemed to want in a main event guy? Seth Rollins brought the athleticism, Dean Ambrose the intense promos, and then there was Roman Reigns. Roman was literally bursting at the seams with the kind of charisma that you don't see that much anymore, plus he was a heartthrob of the sort that WWE hasn't really produced since a prime Rock. He looked, and seemed, like a matinee idol. But you'll notice I'm using the past-tense in all of this, and there's a reason for that. That guy I mentioned, the guy who was supposed to be the WWE's answer to Khal Drogo (right down to making Renee Young Daenerys Targaryen) is now doing this. And this is awful.

On the face of it, someone wanting revenge for betrayal is as easy a promo as you can write. Top stars from San Francisco to Tampa have all delivered it, and delivered it with varying degrees of success, but here's the key to it. THEY delivered it. When Jerry Lawler was pissed, you knew he was because everything was genuine. Same with Tom Prichard, Bruno Sammartino, Dusty Rhodes, Konnan, or any top territory star you might want to name. The point remains the same.

Roman Reigns, on the other hand, is clearly trying to remember lines as the WWE tries desperately to force a triangle into a circular hole. Not everyone cuts promos the same. Roman Reigns needs to show up, look cool and be cool, and cut promos with a minimum of fluff. Perhaps Reigns should try this instead:

Because right now, this road he'se going on is killing everything that made him interesting. And I don't want to see it. And if the WWE, in their increasingly less-than-infinite wisdom, thinks that this is the best way to make a new star, I don't want to see them "try".