Gimmick Problem?

[ShinChan]

So The Shield was one of the awesome stables in this decade. The stable was damn over. Reigns was the powerhouse, Ambrose was the lunatic one and Rollins was the strategist. Then Rollins backstabbed Ambrose & Reigns while it looked that Ambrose would be doing it.

Now almost 2 years since its break-up, We have 2 World Champions and 1 Mid-Card Champion out of the aforementioned guys. Rollins was quite over and had a good run as a champion. Ambrose has been in big fights although he tends to lose them all. Reigns has been a 3 time World Champ now.

BUT Reigns isn't as over as the other two stablemates. So I wanted to discuss that does Reigns' no gimmick has any role in not getting over?

I think, Yes. Rollins had a gimmick of a chickin-shit heel. Ambrose has a gimmick of a lunatic fringe. What does Reigns have? Powerhouse? Underdog?

He still wears the same Shield attire and has the entrance music. Not a long ago, Entrance was totally the same.

Through a gimmick, I see a way of getting emotionally invested in the wrestler. Like Bryan made me invested in him as an underdog.

I have liked Roman Reigns since his debut but there is no way to get me emotionally interested in him. A heel turn for him has been suggested since a long time and we haven't got it. After Wrestlemania, He has been acting as somewhat of a tweener which is better.

So I wanted to ask you all, Does gimmick play a role in Reigns' not getting over? Be it minor or major, but does it?

 

[Azane]

somehwat, Reigns reason for not getting over, is because he's Samoan Cena, they have him set to win everything with no Mic skills and no entertainment value, he has 2 moves of doom, You see Superman Punch reving up, and you can just turn off the TV, you know the ending.

His Gimmick doesn't help, but I think Reigns could of been over if they never fed him Looney Tunes Lines and didn't design his matches to be him lying around for 15 minutes, then Superman Punch and Spear out of nowhere, omg can you believe it? He wins! THE UNDERDOG THE 24-0 ROMAN REIGNS WINS!

I also think the Man himself is jst not a natural entertainer, like both Ambrose and Seth seem to be. Seth making Looney Tunes jokes? I'd laugh, I think he could make succoring succatash and Tater tot jokes funny, Ambrose? If he said those same lines, or did a YOUR DESPICABLE Daffy Duck line, We'd laugh at him. Roman does it? We just boo and laugh at how bad his delivery is.

I've turned a corner on Reigns, where I actually find the idea of how EVERYTHING he does is bad, and the responses from the crowds are legitimately the most entertaining thing on the show for me. I wish he wasn't in the main event scene, but Reigns having a gimmick where everyone just boos him is actually really entertaining for me now. If he does this in the midcard with random jobbers, I think it's gold and could actually create some great faces in the midcard that are ready for the ME Scene.

 

[mkw1962]

I like Roman a lot but he is kind of boring, I think his main problem is he is Vince's hand picked baby to replace John Cena and people do not like that. Roman does need a gimmick and a heel turn to get him over, the question is how to change him and make him likable to the fans.
I would turn him heel he could come out in all black attire give him a stable that he can lead. Give him a devastating submission hold that can put his opponent out, and let him go into the ring and destroy his opponents.
So to answer your question yes it basically is a gimmick problem with him so what they do is make him cocky like Chris Jericho or Seth Rollins, make him a monster in the ring like Brock and last his attire like Sting without the make-up and his entrance kind of like Bray Wyatt.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Reigns wasn't done any favors with the early days in which he was being given the John Cena formula; fans were able to see where Vince wanted to go with him and far too many of them didn't buy into it. It's not just that many fans didn't buy into the formula, it's also that Roman Reigns isn't remotely as good as Cena is. John Cena is a damn good pro wrestler no matter what his critics say and he's proven it countless times. Whether it's inside the ring, as a persona, on the mic or just flat out personality, Roman Reigns is inferior to Cena and I think that's another reason why the Superman formula didn't catch on with a lot of people. There's also the problem of Vince McMahon wanting fans to cheer for Roman Reigns without really being given any incentive to do it; he's a hunk of man sure, no question about that, but he's not all that interesting, he's nothing special in the ring and his personality is just plain bland.

I think there are some fans who're going to piss in Reigns' corn flakes no matter what direction WWE tries to take him. Seriously, there are fans out there who've made their minds up to dislike anything to do with Roman Reigns on some strange, warped sense of principle that makes sense only to similar minded smarks; they exist with John Cena and I've no doubt they exist for Roman Reigns as well.

This is just my opinion, but I'm of the plain and simple mind set that possibly the biggest problem Reigns has is that he just isn't good enough to be in the spot he has. I like the guy overall, but I've seen nothing in the nearly 2 years since the Shield broke up to convince me that Roman Reigns is a real main event level player. While the gimmick he has plays its role as well, it's all part of Reigns' capabilities as a wrestler; I like the guy, but that doesn't mean that he has the goods to be a main eventer. I see him as someone who could do well in the mid-card and tag team pictures, I think he could do just fine there, but I think he's been pushed above his abilities when you compare him to so many other main eventers of the last 5 or 6 years. I know it's easy to lay everything at the feet of creative and it is genuinely the fault of the creative team sometimes, but sometimes it's also up to the wrestler to let his personality shine through with what he's been given and that's a problem when you don't really have a personality.

 

[WhiplashUnited]

That two moves of doom reminded me of the something I said to a mate today after Payback finished. 'The Roman Reigns spear is the 1993 Hogan leg drop.'

We've all seen it long enough that it has lost any impact it could have.

Cena and Hogan could talk and invest you in to watching their matches even if their in ring skills weren't that great. Watching the Samoan Rey Mysterio (get squashed through out the match but always win with a minimum of offence) is getting tiresome and hard to watch.

With no disrespect at all to the women's division and full indictment of Reigns as champions I say this: I'd rather watch the Women's Championship matches than the WWE WHT matches.

99% watched to see AJ Styles wrestle as well as the involvement of Anderson and Gallows.

 

[enviousdominous]

What in the Hell is Reigns' gimmick supposed to be anyway?

Why does he wear tactical gear to the ring? I know that it's a SHIELD thing, but he's not fighting for justice anymore.

He's talking about how he's "THE" guy. Okay, that's cute. I'm not sure what he's going to do after he loses the belt, he can't just follow the new champ around saying that the new champ is "THE" guy.

Roman Reigns is his gimmick, and Roman Reigns is just some guy who goes "OOOO-WAHHHH!" sometimes. He may as well just be Joe Anoa'i and wear the same tactical gear, it's not like being "Roman Reigns" matters in any way to his style except that audience members can make signs saying "Roman Empire" and "Reign o'er me".

I think he's talented enough to drop all the useless aspects of his gimmick, but whatever.

 

[Alex]

If The Shield were a band that broke up and they went to do other things Dean Ambrose would be the one doing whatever the hell he wanted, Seth Rollins took the band formula and tweaked it to better suit him. Reigns is the guy who keeps mentioning the band to get himself noticed/always playing the hits.


Reigns is ok, but creative's insistence on keeping the Shield comparisons is hurting him. The Shield gear, the Shield music everytime I see him I think of The Shield as a unit and how Ambrose and Rollins have evolved and Reigns hasn't.

I'm not saying don't keep aspects of The Shield gimmick. I could live with the attire but some new music would be good. It also doesn't help that he's just not that good on the mic or seems to have much of a personality. The stuff they give him to say, Ambrose and Rollins could probably pull off because they're better than him on the mic. I mean 'THE GUY' promos could work for Rollins because he's got good mic skills and has the arrogant edge to pull it off. Reigns doesn't

Reigns comes across like the guy in school who knows the popular people and wants to be like them but can't pull it off because it's just not him.

 

[Vanilla Midget]

This has been talked about to death. There were so many logical points to repackage or alter the gimmick that it almost feels too late.

They could go full Spartacus with him, dressing him in Roman gladiator armour and the core issues at hand will remain.

He behaves like such a goof. Smiling when he should look serious, and talking way, way too much. Instead of letting him grow and develop they strapped a rocket on his ass and sent him to the top. Those subtle behaviors need to change before they consider a repack.

I think the op notices one of Roman's core issues as to why the hardcore fans don't like him. Rollins has been a chicken shit slimeball for the better part of two years and will get a bigger pop than Roman upon return. All the gimmick really adds up to though is the coat of paint on the crappy car.

If Reigns gets a repack I would lose the vest for sure. He has the physique they like, why cover it? The music needs changing too. Imagine if Triple H or Shawn used the dx theme as their personal theme? It wouldn't have been quite as exciting when they finally reunited would it have?

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

What is Roman Reigns' gimmick? Seth Rollins is the cowardly heel who joined the Authority, and Dean Ambrose is the crazed lunatic. Roman Reigns is.. well.. Samoan? Tall and strong, maybe? He still wears the Shield gear and still uses their entrance theme. Ambrose and Rollins have evolved while Reigns is still the same. He has had little to no character development since the Shield split.

Also Reigns' booking has been terrible to say the least. He has been portrayed as an underdog. Problem is he has the size (6-3, 265) and accomplishments (3-time WWE Champion, 2015 Royal Rumble winner) that scream anything but an underdog. He has looked strong since day one and shown no weaknesses. How is Reigns an underdog? Simply he's not.

As the OP pointed out, how do you get invested in Reigns' character? He's an underdog who has everything going for him. What? Exactly. It makes no sense.

 

[rmp0012002]

Trying to be a nice guy just doesn't fit his strengths of being a bad ass brawler/enforcer. Get rid of the vest, pump up the ego and the women will go nuts. He can get away with his limited skills but he needs to be smooth in his actions and on the mic but he's still green. Keep training the guy and help him with his issues. He needs a nastier attitude.

 

[Navi]

He has no gimmick other than he is "The Guy". The Shield has been no more for over a year now, so get rid of the attire, the music and give him something else to work with, cause this is going nowhere fast. As others have mentioned, the two other Shield members have evolved. Reigns comes off as just someone who can't, won't or is unable too.

In order to make any gimmick work you have to have the personality to pull it off. That is where he is lacking, personality. Take a group like New Day. When they first started they were pretty bad, but between the three of them, they made it work, just like the Shield did. The difference is, all three members of New Day could have singles careers and be successful, Reigns can't. The guy is boring, and just sticking him with others like his cousins, or pitting him against wrestlers who have a ton of personality, just shows how little he actually has.

I really was hoping that when he went on his on it would work for him, but it hasn't. Yes he has the looks, but that is where the train stops. There is nothing behind the facade. People compare him to Cena and they couldn't be more wrong. Cena is great in the ring, has just ton's of charisma, and can work a crowd like a fiddle. Reigns is okay in the ring, has to be carried though, gets gased quickly, and still can't go on the mic. He is bottom line no John Cena.

Don't know how much more they can keep protecting him. He hasn't lot a one on one match ever I believe, and his title run is kind of boring. He would be much better in the mid card going after the US title or the IC title, but we all know Vince will not let that happen. I can't wait for Rollins to come back.

 

[kadroan]

This has been talked about to death. There were so many logical points to repackage or alter the gimmick that it almost feels too late.

They could go full Spartacus with him, dressing him in Roman gladiator armour and the core issues at hand will remain.

He behaves like such a goof. Smiling when he should look serious, and talking way, way too much. Instead of letting him grow and develop they strapped a rocket on his ass and sent him to the top. Those subtle behaviors need to change before they consider a repack.

I think the op notices one of Roman's core issues as to why the hardcore fans don't like him. Rollins has been a chicken shit slimeball for the better part of two years and will get a bigger pop than Roman upon return. All the gimmick really adds up to though is the coat of paint on the crappy car.

If Reigns gets a repack I would lose the vest for sure. He has the physique they like, why cover it? The music needs changing too. Imagine if Triple H or Shawn used the dx theme as their personal theme? It wouldn't have been quite as exciting when they finally reunited would it have?

Yeah Reigns need more character development. New theme song, attire would be key.

It's good they stop having him come out of the crowd.