For the first time in over 10 years, a WWE superstar is on the verge of becoming the next mega-star in professional wrestling. John Cena had the “green light” from WWE officials and they expected him to take the ball and run with it. Cena sprinted with the ball and created a legacy that will never be matched again. Roman Reigns is in the exact situation Cena was in over 10 years ago.
Reigns has the size, looks, charisma and lineage to succeed in the WWE. He comes from a wrestling family that is rich in skills. Reigns is related to one of the most successful WWE superstars of all-time, the Rock. Clearly, Reigns is supposed to succeed. Since his return, that hasn’t been the case. In fact, apprehension is beginning to set in.
The plan right now is for Reigns to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31. Before that, Reigns is slated to win the Royal Rumble match. The bad thing for Reigns is that it’s all written in pencil, not pen. As the weeks go by, WWE officials are becoming unsure of Reigns this year. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter , his lack of crowd response is another worry for WWE Creative.
WWE’s decision to have Roman Reigns face Seth Rollins on Raw raised a few eyebrows backstage as many felt it should have promoted stronger. Furthermore, Reigns’ lukewarm crowd reaction since his return has reached a point of concern with management, and it could impact his status.
Dave Meltzer reported Wednesday in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that current creative plans call for Reigns to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania, whether it be from Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins or even John Cena. This spot, however, is his to lose, according to Meltzer.
The report goes on to talk about the fact that on December 18, the plan was for Reigns to win the Rumble match and headline WrestleMania 31. A feeling is still present that Reigns just isn’t ready for that kind of responsibility. Crowds aren’t “blowing the roof off” the place for him, which is an issue with Reigns.
Could it be that the exciting wrestlers like Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper and basically the entire NXT roster is making Reigns look boring? That is an argument Justin LaBar, columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, makes on Reigns. He doesn’t, however delineate from the fact that Reigns wrestles his own style.
He isn’t flashy like Rollins, but he does have a style similar to Cena or Randy Orton. They aren’t boring in the ring by any stretch, but Reigns will outlast Rollins and Ambrose in the WWE. That’s a fact. Reigns must work on his microphone skills in a WWE ring, or that belt won’t be his at WrestleMania 31.
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