Something I Noticed About Roman Reigns

[BringThePain834]

Now I only just recently watched he & the Bellas' GMA appearance and the poor guy, despite being physically blessed, given the keys to the city by Vince and coming from a near royal wrestling lineage, the man (at least to me) showed signs of being very socially awkward and uncertain of himself. There was an instance where he went to clap after Nikki boasted about her Diva of The Year award but paused as if he was uncertain if he should.

It was funny but kind of sad at the same time because you definitely realize he's a deer in headlights who wants to come across as likeable and relateable but is just too nervous and stays inside his own head too much. It's like 60% of the time he comes across as the kid who was shunned and bullied in high school but has gotten to junior year of college and blossomed and yet he's the only one who doesn't realize it. I think he comes across like that backstage too which is why his peers are rooting for him and like the man so much.

Edit: 2:30 - 2:38

[YOUTUBE]HlV0L3ktauQ[/YOUTUBE]

I feel like a guy like Dean welcomes the limelight but a guy like Roman is more than comfortable playing the background, but he'd be a moron to turn down the opportunity Vince is throwing him. I don't think he has it, but I'm pulling for him in whatever his role may be. I definitely feel that the correct move, even though it won't happen, at Fast Lane would be a Dean win and Reigns heel turn, leading to a triple threat at WM w/ Hunter.

A win at Fast Lane could really give Dean the nudge he needs and a heel turn for Reigns gives the performer time to find his character and comfort level while still getting the push without being expected to carry business. Though I have little to no optimism about how predictable and disappointing FL will end, I'm still looking forward to this main event more than I have any other main event in a long time.

The fact they're in Dean's hometown makes it even more suspenseful. Surely that's not a coincidence but we'll have to wait to find out I suppose.

 

[fizzdaboi]

I think one thing is that, Roman hasn't been in the business that long compared to many others and all he's probably nervous whereas Dean, who's run around the indies, then gone to FCW and now being on the WWE main roster, he's more comfortable because he probably has that "It's about time" train of thought.

 

[Coco]

I think you're onto something. Your reading of those few seconds of footage from a morning talk show captures the essence of Reigns as a person. You can really see the scared little boy cowering behind the eyes of the smooth, sexy badass athlete from a good wrestling family. I bet a lot of this insecurity stems from Dwayne showing up over the holidays and getting everyone's attention in spite of the fact that Roman knows he's had a good year too. Why is nothing he does ever good enough for you, mom!

Honestly, Roman should take a page out of Ambrose's playbook. Dean seems like he's more comfortable now, but Roman is one life-altering substance abuse problem away from being a huge mainstream star. Mark my words. Hope Roman bums a little meth off his brother and puts on the performance of his life tomorrow.

 

[Azane]

It shows in a lot of his promos, a bit part of which, it feels like they have to be 100% scripted for him.

The Infamous Tater Tot Pipebomb comes to mind, when he did the nervous laugh at his own "joke" that little quirk is something that screams that he's not ready to be on Live TV cutting a promo, much less being handed the world title 2-3 times in a short period, while still being not ready.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I honestly think that Reigns does his best, he genuinely tries, but I don't believe he simply has that IT factor. Reigns is a big, good looking stud who happens to bear quite a bit more than a passing resemblance to the Rock, but those attributes just aren't enough to have me view him as a credible main event presence. I'm not hating on Reigns, I like the guy, but, and I don't think I'm alone here, I find myself comparing him to just about every other guy over the past 15 years that's been in the main event spot. He just doesn't measure up well with a lot of them in terms of overall ability. From an overall perspective, when I put him up against Austin, Taker, Rock, Foley, Jericho Cena, Orton, Edge, Triple H, Punk, Bryan, Rollins and a few others, I just see a whole slew of guys who, in my opinion, are just flat out much better and more entertaining pro wrestlers than Roman Reigns. It's also not gonna get any easier for Reigns when you consider other guys that a lot of fans are quite into and want to see pushed to that main event spot, such as Dean Ambrose, Cesaro, Bray Wyatt or Kevin Owens, or fresh faces to WWE like AJ Styles or, depending on how he does in NXT & is received by fans, Shinsuke Nakamura, or NXT guys like Sami Zayn and Finn Balor. In terms of characters, personality, mic skills, in-ring ability or some combo of any or all of the above, they just plain outshine Reigns by a considerable margin in the eyes of a lot of fans.

When I say that, I don't mean to say that Roman needs to be "just like" so & so or any of that kinda stuff. It's just that when I look at Reigns, I see someone who's identity seems to revolve around little more than him at one time being the muscle of the Shield and bein' a big ol' studmuffin.

I also get that some of it isn't his fault as Vince has given Reigns some outright ridiculous things to say during his promos. Aside from the Tater Tot Pipe Bomb, anybody remember the "Sufferin' Succotash" Incident? It was so awkward, so pitifully cheesy that people still groan when they think about it.

It's not to say that Reigns hasn't come a long way, fans aren't booing him out of the building anymore, but he's a long way from being as over as Vince wants him to be and I just don't believe it's going to happen the way Vince wants it. I mean, look at the response that Dean Ambrose has been getting during his involvement in this triple threat situation with Reigns and Lesnar; fans aren't going to cheer for Reigns over Lesnar and they sure as shit won't over Ambrose and the more Vince tries to force the issue with Reigns the harder he actually makes it for Reigns.

 

[MERPER]

Being comfortable in public is not easy and doesn't come naturally to many people, and unfortunately it seems difficult for Roman.

I also don't think fans have helped him with the on-again/off-again support and criticism. It has made both he and the WWE think twice about everything with him. Pushing him to new heights, putting the belt on him, etc. etc.

So combine is awkwardness already with the fact it's in his head and I do feel sorry for the guy.

I'd also like to point out there's a difference between being in the ring in front of thousands when his role and lines are set and determined vs. being on a show like this where it is more natural.

I know someone with severe social anxiety but is fine in front of cameras and doing interviews because they know WHEN to talk/answer questions but is strange in social settings because they aren't sure when it's appropriate to speak and act on something.

One final note: I don't think comparing him to Dean is fair, especially since we've seen very little of Dean in a setting such as Good Morning America. As far as character, I think it might be easier to play a psycho/crazy wrestler guy where you can basically say whatever you want or act in whatever way and don't need to worry about being overly polished and well-spoken. Dean says some awkward stuff in promos as well and sometimes gets rolling too fast and screws up the wording but we all just laugh and chalk it up to "crazy Dean."

 

[KromyD]

Of all that i think i just wasted 20seconds of my time reading a lame excuse for someones reasoning about possible character problems, you cant be that gullable to believe a program in that way can you? we have no idea what pressure hes under back stage, he might already be John Cena 2.0 within the company.

 

[DCLXVI]

Okay we all know Roman Reigns isn't exactly a natural or the smoothest guy on the planet - but let's be real... this GMA segment is awkward in general. It doesn't fit with whatever his character is this week - so he's a bad ass who tore through Triple H and he's sitting there while the Bellas discuss their health tips for women on a morning show... nobody could pull this off short of John Cena and not only does he date one of the Bellas - it fits his "good will ambassador for WWE" position. Roman Reigns is light years away from that and inexperienced. They are giving him acting classes. Good wrestling talkers are not actors, they are more like improv guys and quick on their toes.

Austin would not be put in that situation, if he did it would have to have some purpose - if he shows up he's promoting something that pertains directly to him... The Rock couldn't show up on Raw without suggesting him and Lana were banging on live TV which some interpreted as misogynistic... in his time he would never have been put on a morning show with two females whose main spot in the company now is to promote a show called Total Divas geared towards women.

So overall - I think it's a little unfair to dissect this one.

 

[Navi]

Now I only just recently watched he & the Bellas' GMA appearance and the poor guy, despite being physically blessed, given the keys to the city by Vince and coming from a near royal wrestling lineage, the man (at least to me) showed signs of being very socially awkward and uncertain of himself. There was an instance where he went to clap after Nikki boasted about her Diva of The Year award but paused as if he was uncertain if he should.

It was funny but kind of sad at the same time because you definitely realize he's a deer in headlights who wants to come across as likeable and relateable but is just too nervous and stays inside his own head too much. It's like 60% of the time he comes across as the kid who was shunned and bullied in high school but has gotten to junior year of college and blossomed and yet he's the only one who doesn't realize it. I think he comes across like that backstage too which is why his peers are rooting for him and like the man so much.

I couldn't disagree more on the socially awkward part of your statement. I've said it before and will say it again. Reigns comes from a family with a rich history in sports. He was a football player at Georgia Tech, and went on to be drafted into the NFL. I don't know what happened with that, but he ended up playing a season or two with the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League.

He then went into the WWE and become part of one of the best factions ever produced, The Shield. He is also a father to a real cutie and his wife is gorgeous. The guy has everything and has lead a very charmed life.

I think his problem is that anything he's tried has come easy to him. When Vince caught sight of him and decided on this push, here was something else that came on a silver platter. The thing that hit him square between the eyes is the fact that the fans who had cheered him as part of the Shield now didn't want him. All of a sudden this guy who had everything didn't have what he wanted the most, to get over with the WWE universe. Instead of stepping back and laying low, the WWE soldiered on making it worse and worse for him.

Yes he is a very soft spoken person, quiet and polite, and not at all like his cousin The Rock. The are like apples and oranges. He is not comfortable in front of the camera, that is glaring obvious, and it doesn't get any better for him when The Rock shows up and blows it out of the water. It just show how much of a gap there is between the two of them.

I like Reigns always have, liked him when he was with the Shield, and feel sorry for him with what's happened to him since they split. His booking was horrible, and he had the worst lines ever to say in promo's. They made him look like a fool, and the poor guy was just out there doing his job. I just wish they had laid off for awhile and let this happen naturally. He does have a great look, which isn't going anywhere and the fans who liked him before would have come back. As it is though the WWE has managed to drive a wedge between Reigns and a lot of them, who are quite frankly just tired of him now.

 

[dsotm5150]

That's why I've always felt like Reigns should have been a silent monster type character. In the least he needs a good manager, someone to speak for him. He's got the ability to be a main events, he's just not ready right now.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Does anyone remember this Roman Reigns promo during his brief time in NXT?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pbS7iCMxn0

In that promo he seems very comfortable and natural on the mic. Why? Because he doesn't have all the pressure in the world on him. It isn't scripted. He can just be himself. WWE gave him the biggest push anyone has ever gotten, and he failed miserably because he wasn't ready for all that.

Roman Reigns has a lot of potential but WWE is going to have to try harder for him to be successful. Their former mindset was to send Reigns out there, cut long scripted promos, push him to the moon, and make everyone love him. That has never worked and never will. WWE needs to stop scripting his promos and stop pushing him to the moon. Then Roman Reigns will be successful.

 

[Navi]

Roman Reigns has a lot of potential but WWE is going to have to try harder for him to be successful. Their former mindset was to send Reigns out there, cut long scripted promos, push him to the moon, and make everyone love him. That has never worked and never will. WWE needs to stop scripting his promos and stop pushing him to the moon. Then Roman Reigns will be successful.

He does have a lot of potential, but just what are the WWE going to do to try even harder. I think they've tried just about everything they can so far, even so much as to having Vince come out and get Superman punched by Reigns. I can't remember the last time Vince came out and was an active supporter in trying to get someone over.

They've used almost the entire roster, Ambrose especially. A lot of wrestlers not involved with the Reigns push, have had nothing to do. Most of what happens seems to centre around him, shit he's already a two time world champion in the space of three months. I really do think they've tried so hard, they've damaged him to a point where I don't know if he can make it back. And this isn't something new, I think I said this before Wrestlemania last year when the crowd was turning on him.

Some tried to blame Daniel Bryan's fans because they wanted him in the main event, well duh who doesn't want their favourite in the main event. The problem with Reigns is that he has the look but not much more to back it up. And believe me I'm not hating on him. If they had given him time to get over organically it might have worked for them. But no they pushed ahead ignoring all the red flags that were being put up.

So now what they have is probably the guy with the best look on the roster, he should be world champ but a lot of the fans don't want him in that position. They can continue down this road, but I don't see it happening, especially with the new guys coming up.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Personally, I like Reigns somewhat, but I'm not sure if it isn't time to face the music. They've been trying to get Reigns over with everything they got these past two years, firing on all cylinders. He won more matches than any other superstar on the roster, he has been involved with the biggest names available to WWE right now... and still, nothing is working.

Sure, he's had some tough times with WWE scripting really, really bad lines for him, and as many others have pointed out, he is not the best on the mic, especially in today's environment. Though I think comparing him to The Rock is unfair - Rock, I think, would still be successful in this environment, but it would be tougher for him as well; even now in the PG era he is the one guy that WWE lets off the leash, and lets do whatever he damn well pleases when he is out there. If you take that away and have Rock play along the same rules as all the others, with scripted promos and all the "do's and don'ts" that WWE makes their workers adhere to, it'd also be harder for him.

But of course Reigns and Rock are still worlds apart in terms of charisma and working a crowd, nonetheless. Reigns isn't very comfortable in that role, and despite having a great look, there's just not much to him. And the crowds' reactions just show it. People aren't really buying into him, no matter how hard WWE is trying and no matter how hard they are pushing. The people somehow don't want Reigns in the role that WWE wants him in, and thus they shoot him down.

For the sake of finality, WWE naturally has to go through with Reigns beating Triple H at Mania, there is no other logical conclusion to the story, and to basically 2 years' worth of work that was put into the guy. Give him his Mania Moment, have him become champion... but at this point, I feel it's a given he'll be a transitional champion only until one Seth Rollins comes back, who has been the breakout star of the Shield against all odds. Rollins is just that much more of the complete package between looks, in-ring skills and mic charisma than Reigns, who really only convinces in the looks department.

The main problem I see with Reigns, however, is that WWE sees him as "the next John Cena", and while I - and I guess everyone else - could live with a Reigns title reign here and there, and him being in a prominent upper-midcard to main event league over the years, is that there's just not enough to him to be THE guy. He can't be the one to carry the whole company on his back, like guys such as Hogan, HBK, Bret Hart, Austin, Rock and Cena have been before him. I just can't picture Reigns going for another 10-15 years in a role such as Cena has occupied.

Again, I like the guy, and he definitely belongs in WWE - but I think he would be better suited as an ancillary character and "enhancement talent" who can jump in and out of the main event scene when and if needed... but right now, I don't see him becoming THE guy, simply because he just doesn't get universally over.

 

[ShinChan]

If they had given him time to get over organically it might have worked for them. But no they pushed ahead ignoring all the red flags that were being put up.

Totally right.

I always think that if they had built him rightly and gave him a couple of midcard title reigns, He could have been hugely over till now. Let him have some accomplishments in midcard level. He would have surely gained confidence while having these reigns.

Why straight to main event?

Still I think that its better late than never. Either turn him to a badass dominant heel or let him in midcard/upper midcard level thus to get organically over.

​

 

[A11oftheLights]

Does anyone remember this Roman Reigns promo during his brief time in NXT?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pbS7iCMxn0

In that promo he seems very comfortable and natural on the mic. Why? Because he doesn't have all the pressure in the world on him. It isn't scripted. He can just be himself. WWE gave him the biggest push anyone has ever gotten, and he failed miserably because he wasn't ready for all that.

Roman Reigns has a lot of potential but WWE is going to have to try harder for him to be successful. Their former mindset was to send Reigns out there, cut long scripted promos, push him to the moon, and make everyone love him. That has never worked and never will. WWE needs to stop scripting his promos and stop pushing him to the moon. Then Roman Reigns will be successful.

All that says to me, more than ever, is that he needs to have a run as a heel. Stop trying to make him another modern cena. Make him into what is in his blood, The Rock

 

[Mustang Sally]

All that says to me, more than ever, is that he needs to have a run as a heel.

For sure. The biggest reason so many pro wrestlers want to play heels is because it's easier to make people hate you than like you. For someone like Roman, who hasn't found it easy to excel on the mic.....especially because he had so far to go with his ring work at the same time..... It might have been better to let him find himself as a singles bad guy first. He's getting there but it's harder than people think.

Make him into what is in his blood, The Rock

Another good suggestion, although I doubt Roman will ever attain Rock's mic ability. After all, Rock is a good guy whose actions scream heel. There aren't many performers who could manage that.

 

[FromTheSouth]

Does anyone remember this Roman Reigns promo during his brief time in NXT?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pbS7iCMxn0

In that promo he seems very comfortable and natural on the mic. Why? Because he doesn't have all the pressure in the world on him. It isn't scripted. He can just be himself. WWE gave him the biggest push anyone has ever gotten, and he failed miserably because he wasn't ready for all that.

Roman Reigns has a lot of potential but WWE is going to have to try harder for him to be successful. Their former mindset was to send Reigns out there, cut long scripted promos, push him to the moon, and make everyone love him. That has never worked and never will. WWE needs to stop scripting his promos and stop pushing him to the moon. Then Roman Reigns will be successful.

That link led to me clicking around and finding a video called "Roman Reigns" funniest moments. There were 2.

I kind of agree with the social awkwardness. He sometimes looks like a deer in headlights when someone improvises a little. He looks pissed that someone went off script.