Roman Reigns "Injuries"

[Jack-Hammer]

As part of the continuation of the beatdown angle on Raw involving Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman, WWE put out a statement detailing Reign's "injuries" suffered during said attack. It was mentioned on Raw in an updated report that Reigns had "internal injuries" and "cracked ribs", and these "injuries" were confirmed in the statement earlier today along with a "dislocated shoulder." In a related note, kayfabe is still alive, at least to some small degree, as there's an online petition going around that has around 2,000 signatures on it last I heard and was demanding that WWE fire Braun Strowman for his actions on Raw.

Now, one would think that Reigns will be returning to challenge Strowman at Payback and I think there's a possibility of seeing an emergence of Super Reigns at the ppv. Given the severity of the storyline injuries, Reigns will be booked at not being 100% but will valiantly fight on against Strowman and in spite of the agony and pain will manage to come out with a victory. I'm hoping and praying that WWE doesn't go down this road as it gives them an opportunity to take the feud a little further and actually have Reigns evolve to some degree. I'm all for Reigns putting up a valiant fight, giving it everything he's got but I'd like to see him lose at Payback as a means of setting up one final match between them at the Extreme Rules ppv in early June. Given how Strowman has been booked overall, coupled with his beatings of everyone he's been up against, the way he manhandles even a healthy Reigns and the fact that, kayfabe, the guy overturned an ambulance, Reigns losing this second match to Strowman won't hurt him one iota. It sets up a rubber match between them where the feud is ultimately put to bed with Reigns scoring the win in an Extreme Rules match.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

If we are being real here, Reigns should be out for at least 3 years if not dead. But he will be back next week like nothing ever happened and whoop Strowman's ass. I haven't laughed that hard at a wrestling segment since probably the last Owens and Jericho segment. That was fucking great. "IM NOT FINISHED WITH YOU" *crowd pops*. I really doubt that was the point, and if it wasn't it was one of the best unintentional comedy segments I have ever seen.

I could more than go for Reigns limping or even crawling to the ring at Payback and proceeding to get massacred to the point where the Ref stops the match and declares Braun the winner setting up their weapons match at Extreme Rules which could be pretty awesome. If that isn't how it will go and Reigns just ends up becoming Superman and winds up getting destroyed the whole match to get a spear in to win...I'm running out of things to say about this Reigns push. I love the guy. He's fucking outstanding, but good lord almighty give the guy some adversity for a change. Nobody gives a shit The Rock is his cousin or about his family lineage. It just makes them hate him more because it gives off even more of an impression that he was given all that he has.

They had a good idea going with making him United States Champion, but that went south rather quickly because the Rusev feud sucked and Reigns didn't do shit with the title the whole time he had it and low and behold he wound up right back in the main event scene like it never happened. I really fear for this whole Strowman feud. For both guys actually.

 

[Xemmy]

I don't like the idea of them trying to build sympathy for the guy that's gotten more heel heat than anyone has in years. I cannot remembered the last time a guy got so booed that he couldn't speak. And it looks like they're just tossing a mega-heel down the drain. Then again, Braun got the biggest pop of the night when he yelled "I'm not done with you" as they had him on the stretcher. So. Who knows. I do love the feud though. I'm just not sure I like where it's headed. I agree with you. Roman shouldn't come back like Superman. While it makes sense for him to ultimately win the feud, he should lose their next match.

 

[The Perfect Max]

This has me slightly worried because of WWE's tendencies to book Roman Reigns in a way that even John Cena, at times, was not so "super". If Reigns comes back from these devastating injuries and whoops Braun Strowman's ass at Payback, I really am done at this point. And I'm a supporter of Reigns in the sense that they could really use him as a great magnet of heat, but there is getting heat, and then there is bad booking that just ruins your product. I think WWE thinks beating Braun at Payback will draw more attention to Reigns, but it just ruins their opportunity to put Braun on the next level.

There is no denying that the segment on Raw where Strowman annihilated Reigns was beyond satisfying for the fans. It's a level of violence we haven't seen in a backstage segment in a looooonngggg time. That Strowman was able to garner such cheers and even laughter at times makes me think that WWE could really capitalise here and have him win at Payback. Let it be a simple 10 minute match where Strowman just beats down on Reigns and eventually picks up the victory. Nothing more is needed. If this whole heel/face thing no longer really exists, then WWE should accept the fact that what Strowman has done these past two weeks have really gotten people talking. The confrontation with Brock Lesnar and this past week with Reigns has made me forget about the tragedy that was his WrestleMania appearance, and there is an opportunity to capitalise on this and take Strowman to that next level like I've said.

If WWE keep going the way they are with Strowman, the eventual match with Lesnar (I'd be surprised if that didn't happen) will be a major draw for fans. Of course, Reigns eventually gets the win over Strowman and I don't mind that. But at Payback, I hope it's a rather one-sided affair to sell the injuries and push Strowman further.

Also, on a side note, it's great that kayfabe still lives from time to time, but this whole internet petition thing really makes me (a) laugh, and (b) fucking annoyed. Ah well.

 

[ShinChan]

It's make or break for me and I ain't saying this for the sake of just saying.

The segment was very good and made me sympathize with Roman Reigns. I guess that it's the first time WWE made me do so.

The return of Reigns will determine my next move. Seeing that WWE is hyping bunch of injuries suffered by Roman Reigns, I don't think that he will be back this soon and he shouldn't as well. Let's see how WWE books him this time. Fingers crossed.

 

[Navi]

If we are being real here, Reigns should be out for at least 3 years if not dead.

This to be honest. If Reigns in fact suffered the injuries that he did then he shouldn't be back for months if not up to a year.

I had a bad fall about 15 years ago. Cracked my ribs on my left side, tore my rotator cuff and cracked my collar bone. Everything and I mean everything you do sends the pain up and down your body. Couldn't walk, sit, stand up, lift anything and even getting dressed was a chore. I was off work for almost 6 weeks and didn't get a full night's sleep for longer than that. Even my husband rolling over in bed was enough to wake me up.

There is no way and I don't care who you are could come back in two weeks and get into a wrestling ring. I'm afraid they've blown this one way out of proportion as anyone who has had any kind of injury like this knows who long the healing time is. Doesn't matter how in shape you are, the injuries that Reigns apparently received should put him on the shelf for awhile. Orton was out for a long time with his shoulder problems.

If they are really serious about this feud they can't have Reigns come back, crippled like he is and beat a monster like Strowman. It was ruin anything they tried to accomplish on RAW Monday night.

 

[enviousdominous]

While the WWE is trying to have us believe that Roman is injured, and that we should feel bad for being happy during the beat down that caused his injury, they should take their stupidity to the next level.

Next Monday we'll be seeing a profuse apology by Braun Strowman, during which he'll apparently wrap up his apology before saying "I'm not done yet".

Braun will then hear something strange in the background, Roman Reigns is screaming for help as he's trapped in a turned over ambulance. Braun rushes to his aid and expertly pulls the ambulance back to an upright position, and then he checks on Roman.

Later on, Braun will discover that the neglectful EMTs had left Roman laying in a stretcher while they went to get coffee. Braun, standing on a loading dock, encourages Roman to fight through his restraints, and is surprised when Roman manages to jump onto the loading dock while still strapped on the stretcher.

The two are so happy they celebrate in the backstage area, up until they tire themselves out and Roman sits down for an interview.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

I'm hoping that all of this happened, so that Braun can beat Roman at Payback. Strowman gets heat, Reigns enters a tough fight, gives it all and falls like a hero.

Then Braun goes on to challenge Brock. Braun loses to Brock. Reigns makes a comeback and settles the feud once and for all against Braun in a grudge match.

At least that's what I think would make the most sense for the future.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

If we are being real here, Reigns should be out for at least 3 years if not dead.

But it's not "real" and everyone with any real sense about them knows that. Pro wrestling is mock combat centered around men and women with over the top personas who're not ordinary, mortal human beings. They don't "get hurt" in the same ways that we do, they're much "tougher" than we are, they "heal" faster, etc. but still within some degree of exaggerated practicality. If you're interested in something being real, then there's no sense in watching pro wrestling at all because it's just good ol' fashioned escapism and if you can't suspend disbelief, then it's a waste watching it at all. If you allow yourself to think about it too much, the flaws are beyond apparent and then whatever entertainment is to be had is pretty much gone. After all, Braun Strowman didn't really tip over that ambulance Monday night; ambulances are designed, in the first place, to be all but impossible to tip over by conventional means and, on average, they weigh 12,000 to 14,000 lbs. I "know" that he didn't do it, but it looked like he did, it looked really cool, so I'm going along with it.

 

[Navi]

But it's not "real" and everyone with any real sense about them knows that. Pro wrestling is mock combat centered around men and women with over the top personas who're not ordinary, mortal human beings. They don't "get hurt" in the same ways that we do, they're much "tougher" than we are, they "heal" faster, etc. but still within some degree of exaggerated practicality. If you're interested in something being real, then there's no sense in watching pro wrestling at all because it's just good ol' fashioned escapism and if you can't suspend disbelief, then it's a waste watching it at all. If you allow yourself to think about it too much, the flaws are beyond apparent and then whatever entertainment is to be had is pretty much gone. After all, Braun Strowman didn't really tip over that ambulance Monday night; ambulances are designed, in the first place, to be all but impossible to tip over by conventional means and, on average, they weigh 12,000 to 14,000 lbs. I "know" that he didn't do it, but it looked like he did, it looked really cool, so I'm going along with it.

I think most of us know it's not real JH but it doesn't make it anymore absurd does it. The injuries that were reported are injuries that Reigns could have obtained during that beatdown and the throwing of the stretcher off the dock. Having one of these is more than enough to incapacitate someone for some time, having all of them is overkill at this point. That is if he comes back in two weeks and slays the beast called Strowman.

Can't speak for that person who is gathering signatures to have Strowman fired or all the people that have apparently signed it though. They still believe it's real to them.

 

[Vanilla Midget]

Braun should beat Reigns at Payback, especially after that attack. The trouble is Roman is just coming off beating (possibly retiring) the freaking Undertaker at WrestleMania, his momentum should continue.

But Roman just pinned Braun at Fastlane about 6 weeks ago, plus you have to now factor in this over the top beat down. It seems as though Strowman should win given that he's the up and comer between the two.

Strowman shouldn't be used as a pawn to push Roman. If he does get used that way then it's just going to push him further down the card.

We've seen more ridiculous comebacks than this. We've seen John Cena recover from similar beat downs. We just saw Triple H destroy Rollins' knee with a foreign object, then Rollins wrestle (an albeit unsanctioned) match. We saw nWo run over the Rock's ambulance with a semi-truck, The Rock wrestled shortly after when he probably would have died IRL.

Maybe it was just the ambulance, but this beat down reminded me of that Hogan beat down on Rock. The almost cartoonish hyper-violence that tugs on the suspension of disbelief. It's easier to buy Mick Foley eating a dozen chair shots than a man strapped to a gurney coming out of a loading dock fall like that.

The most surreal thing about it was the pops Braun was getting. It'll be interesting to see if they're edited out at all next week. It's clear that they plan on continuing to push Reigns as a face, he would have gloated about beating the Undertaker otherwise.

That segment was meant to garner sympathy for Roman and push Braun as a mega heel, but it may have just put Strowman over with the adult male crowd more than ever. "Thank you Strowman" was a chant that could be heard.

Most likely Super Roman overcomes the odds, ridiculous injuries and all. Best scenario sees Reigns selling the injuries into the match and loses to Strowman (ref stoppage, count out, something not a pin). If they want Braun vs Brock this year, then Strowman should start to win again.

The whole beat down makes me think of WWE creative as kids on a school ground, trying to one up each other to hyperbole. Have Strowman flip over an ambulance with Reigns inside after a crazy beat down is pretty much a kid screaming, "I'm gonna kill you times infinity!"

It's strange to see these pure kayfabe style bookings in the reality era. It's a throwback, but it's unlikely to glean WWE's desired effect. Roman will be booed, Braun is now the biggest babyface on Raw.

 

[Navi]

That segment was meant to garner sympathy for Roman and push Braun as a mega heel, but it may have just put Strowman over with the adult male crowd more than ever. "Thank you Strowman" was a chant that could be heard.

It's strange to see these pure kayfabe style bookings in the reality era. It's a throwback, but it's unlikely to glean WWE's desired effect. Roman will be booed, Braun is now the biggest babyface on Raw.

I have to agree. By mistake they've made Strowman is the biggest babyface on the RAW roster now. Probably the complete reverse of what they wanted to achieve.

Oh and just read that Reigns will be working live events this weekend. The whole thing just hilarious now.

There does seem to be some sort of a question mark as to whether wrestlers will follow the shake up or not. The live events still may take a few weeks to work themselves out. Word is that wrestler's will work the shows that they were scheduled too before the shake up. Just though I'd throw that in there in case anyone was attending one.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

But it's not "real" and everyone with any real sense about them knows that. Pro wrestling is mock combat centered around men and women with over the top personas who're not ordinary, mortal human beings. They don't "get hurt" in the same ways that we do, they're much "tougher" than we are, they "heal" faster, etc. but still within some degree of exaggerated practicality. If you're interested in something being real, then there's no sense in watching pro wrestling at all because it's just good ol' fashioned escapism and if you can't suspend disbelief, then it's a waste watching it at all. If you allow yourself to think about it too much, the flaws are beyond apparent and then whatever entertainment is to be had is pretty much gone. After all, Braun Strowman didn't really tip over that ambulance Monday night; ambulances are designed, in the first place, to be all but impossible to tip over by conventional means and, on average, they weigh 12,000 to 14,000 lbs. I "know" that he didn't do it, but it looked like he did, it looked really cool, so I'm going along with it.

Usually I agree with and respect anything you post JH, but this seemed rather out of line/had a bad day post. I understand pro wrestling, I don't need a lecture about it. I can suspend disbelief just fine and always turn my mind off when watching wrestling. The phrase "if we are being real here" was a sarcastic remark and I think you were the only one who didn't catch that. Hell Undertaker has been buried alive like 50 times and has been back a couple weeks or months later not to mention the rock getting smashed with a semi truck by the NWO and was still on Raw the next week.

So obviously I understand the context of professional wrestling, thank you for that by the way. But this is a wrestling forum where we discuss things such as these storyline injuries, make fun of segments, talk about why someone is good or sucks and everyone with any real sense about them knows that.

 

[RAWisWAR]

My thought process was to put Roman out of action while he enjoys some much needed time off after carrying the company on his shoulders this past year.

I think they are also using this time to gauge the ratings/atmosphere on both RAW and SMACKDOWN to see how they will fend with their biggest superstar out of action. I believe there is a strong chance that when Roman Reigns returns, it will be on SMACKDOWN to help AJ carry that show.