Roman Reigns skill rating

[ASKane]

I have seen Roman Reigns get a lot of hate since the Rumble and have heard alot of his critics try to pick at any weakness they can see, despite 3 very good PPV matches the criticism has dropped but hasnt stopped but the legitimate reasons seem to have stopped so what I want to do is see how the people who dislike him truly rate his abilities so I am gonna create a list of categories I think a wrestler can be judged in and want people to rate them out of 10 for Roman Reigns. This isnt limited to his haters as I would like to see what the general opinion is on him but I more curious to see how his haters rate him. In terms of moves like the finisher and signature moves dont judge on based on how many moves he has as that is a category of its own but judge on your rating for the specific moves and his execution of it.

Ring Gear -
Entrance -
Entrance Music -
Physical Appearance -
Character/Gimmick -
Mic Skills -
Finisher -
Signature Moves -
Move Set -
Move Set Depth -
Selling/Bumping Ability -
Whole Package -

There are 12 categories in which I would like you to copy and paste and then rate Roman Reigns out of 10, you can add a comment on your ratings and debate others, if this gets a lot of interest as well as good suggestions I might adapt the list for others in the future.

 

[MCMG]

Ring Gear - 7. I suppose it's unique. There are only so many wrestlers who can wrestle in tights.

Entrance - 9. This is also unique to Roman and when it's a favourable crowd this looks awesome. You can see the fans go crazy for him. I mean, there have been times where it looks like some women are having a fit. Plus, it's pretty cool and sets him aside from the rest.

Entrance Music - 8. Sure it's the same as the one The Shield used but it is better than the majority of theme songs.

Physical Appearance - 10. I think everyone can admit Roman is a good looking guy and has a perfect look for this era. The WWE have an extremely athletic roster and this guy is the perfect poster boy for just that. He's not too big where you instantly think steroids but he is big enough to have a presence.

Character/Gimmick - 5. They have messed around with him especially after his injury. They probably need to refine it a little but, overall, the badass character works for him.

Mic Skills - 6. Definitely still needs work but he is improving. His last few promos have been very good and if you were to watch them without knowing about his past performances then you would think he can really talk.

Finisher - 9. It's simple. It's effective. It's believable and it's the best spear since Goldberg. Indeed, some of his spears have looked better that Goldberg's.

Signature Moves - 7. He maybe needs to add a couple more. Especially one that could conceivably beat someone. I really like the superman punch: the set up is good and it's marketable. Apron dropkick and the dive over the top rope are great moves too.

Move Set - 7. He has really shown what he can do in the last few months. That was probably out of necessity but at this stage in his career, he has a great move set for who he is. You DON'T need superkicks and suicide dives to be a great wrestler.

Move set depth - 7. I suppose the same as above. He could definitely add the odd signature move that looks like it could be the finish. Roman is a bigger, stronger guy so he conceivably needs fewer offensive moves to win.

Selling/Bumping Ability - 8. I think he is pretty good at selling. Indeed, many wrestlers would argue that the selling part is the hardest part of a match and what Reigns did at Mania was nothing short of remarkable.

Whole Package - That would be an average of about 7.5. I'd say that's about right if not a tad generous. He has had three show stealing matches in a row. He is improving on the mic and has one of the best looks in the WWE - if not the best. He has unique character traits with regards to his entrance and his look. Plus he has moves such as the superman punch and the apron dropkick that I haven't see anyone do before. He is clearly an immense talent and sooner rather than later he will be a megastar.

 

[Uncle Sam]

A performer is more than the sum of their parts. What I will say for Reigns, gladly, is that he's proven his critics wrong by consistently showing he's a) humble, b) versatile and c) exciting to watch.

 

[Boxhead333]

Ring Gear - 8 - it's certainly unique, and it compliments his physique. I'm glad that he's starting to slowly differentiate it from his original Sheild attire.

Entrance - 7 - I like his entrance though the crowd and the little foot stomp on the ramp he does when he hops the barricade.

Entrance Music - 5 - it's a good entrance for a wrestler, it has that great opening sound that pops the crowd, reminiscent of the Stone Cold Glass shattering. The reason I haven't rated it very high is because I really think he needs his own original music. I think a lot of people's problems with Reigns is that his entrance, his music and his gear is exactly the same as when he was on the Shield. Whilst Ambrose and Rollins have changed all of that. I'd like to see him break away from the Shield characteristics a little.

Physical Appearance - 9 - as others have said, Reigns has a great look. He's good looking and has an athletic build. He's not too big to be a freak like Ryback or Cena, but he's big and muscular enough to stand out. He reminds me of Orton in that respect.

Character/Gimmick - 7 - when he plays the no-nonsense badass, Reigns character really works. Of course he floundered when management tried to paint him as Cena 2.0 but thankfully they seem to have realised that he can't pull off that type of character. His current gimmick works just fine.

Mic Skills - 7 - he has shown great improvement on the mic. And I never thought he was particularly bad anyway. Of course the material has let him down in the past, but as with his gimmick and character, I think management have learnt there lesson with what kind of promos he can pull off.

Finisher - 9 - the spear has always been a great looking finisher, and it works much better with a bigger man like Reigns. It looks devastating. And he performs it really well. I don't think anyone can say that Reigns doesn't have one of the best spears of all time. He really throws himself into it. I haven't seen better since Goldberg.

Signature Moves - 9 - one of the things that made me a Reigns fan in the first place is his unique signature moves. The superman punch looks awesome, along with the spear it's one of those great "out of nowhere" moves that pops the crowd. I really like his drop kick on the apron as well, although I haven't seen him do it in a while. His theatrics along with his moves like the cocking the fist and the lion roar before the spear are really good too. It gets the crowd pumped.

Move Set - 7 - I'll get into depth in a minute but his current move set works well enough. He performs all his moves well.

Move Set Depth - 6 - I really like the moves that Reigns already uses, but he really needs to add a few more to his arsenal. (I know it's not his decision to limit his moveset, but still) I'd like to see him add a few power moves into his repertoire, like a spine buster or power slam. He could also bring back the powerbomb he did when he was in the Sheild. It also wouldn't hurt him to add a submission move, nothing fancy just a simple abdominal stretch or something would work. I think the crowd wouldn't sour on him as much if he won a few matches with something other than the Spear.

Selling/Bumping Ability - 8 - I think he showed everyone during the Lesnar match that he can sell very well. Enough said.

Whole Package - 8 - despite some shortcomings I really believe Reigns has everything it takes to be the top guy. And I really hope he does. He has all the tools to become a franchise player for the WWE. He just needs a few tweaks and he'll be ready. He's already improved dramatically since his debut, people just need to give him a chance. Some quality opponents to work with wouldn't hurt either, he showed he can put on a great match with the right talent.

P.S. Great thread btw, I'd like to see more like this

 

[Prince Vee]

Okay here is my scores for Roman Reigns!

RING GEAR - 6
He really should change it. He isn't Shield anymore. So he certainly should change that attire coz he uses the Shield's theme as well and it suits him.

ENTRANCE - 9
If someone complains about his entrance, he is just a hypocritic IWC. It's perfectly fine but he should come through the crowd while interfering or saving another superstar from an assault as well.

ENTRANCE MUSIC - 7
I don't know if it was the Crowd's irresponsive reaction or something but his music doesn't reach me when I watch TV. He doesn't need to change it but maybe he can alter it a bit!

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE - 9.5
Alright its pretty obvious he got a look of some Roman God.

CHARACTER/GIMMICK - 5
WWE creative team fucked up with that! It'll take him at least one or two year to recover! He got shoved down our throat and people in this era are just way too smart to accept that!(?)

MIC SKILLS - 6.5
It had considerably improved over the months but he should be allowed to talk like he wants to and his voice doesn't suit his physical appearance. There had been occurrences I barely heard what he said! Even if he gets great Mic Skills, this factor will affect him!

FINISHER - 5
I guess I'm gonna be the only one who doesn't appreciate his finisher! How many superstars have used it over the years?? Even the current roster has been using it! Big Show uses his occasionally to build up the momentum and Big E's spear through the ropes is devastating and looks painful as hell!!

SIGNATURE MOVES - 6
Superman Punch is stupid to me as always! I love Disaster Kick better than that! It actually connects to the side of the head better than a jumping punch. So does his clothesline and corner clothesline!

MOVE SET - 7.5
He does got a lot of move set in his arsenal but he just doesn't use them a lot!

MOVE SET DEPTH - 7
He doesn't got any special moves or moves to showcase his strength and agility! Like Gutwrench Suplex of Cesaro, Winds of Change of BNB, Sitout Powerbomb of Harper, Roman doesn't have anything so special!

SELLING/BUMPING ABILITY - 5
I guess his acting class when he got injured never helped! Please don't show his face so close during the matches!!

WHOLE PACKAGE - 6.6
Well I'm an engineering student ehhh ehm so I just took an average of all the above!!

Cheers!!

 

[ASKane]

Its my own thread so I might as well chip in
Ring Gear - 7
I don't think Orton style trunks or Ryback style singlet would work so without a better option I think a 7 is a fair score
Entrance - 8
I really like the entrance and the only thing holding it back is the current fan reaction but if he had the support Bryan did during the YES movement it would be a 10
Entrance Music - 8
Nothing too wrong with it, gets a good initial pop and isn't generic like Ambrose and Rollins but is too close to the Shield to score higher
Physical Appearance - 9
Everything WWE could ask for in a Samoan Powerhouse
Character/Gimmick - 6
WWE Creative/Vinces fault here they have given him something good to work with and his acting isn't good enough to turn it into gold like Mizdow did
Mic Skills - 8
His mic skills are good in short bursts but yet again Vince/Creative is holding him back with some awful material that no one could really succeed with
Finisher - 9
Spear has always been one of my favourite wrestling moves, I may not have been fortunate enough to grow up in the Goldberg era but I had Rhyno and that was good enough. Reigns spear along with the 2 men I have mentioned are the best 3 in wrestling
Signature Moves - 9
Powerful High Impact moves that work perfectly when he does the comeback or hot tag, the jumping clothesline, samoan drop, apron dropkick then a superman punch followed by a spear is an excellent way to end a match
Move Set - 7
Not enough power moves, I think this is due to being forced against heavier opponent likes Big Show and Kane but he has the strength advantage he does show some good moves like a Belly to Belly v Bryan
Move Set Depth - 7
More than people think but he just doesn't use too many in a match but again I bring the problem back to Vince/Creative, with Reigns as the underdog winning via a comeback it doesnt put him in a position that gives him many moves per match, if that changed the score would be higher
Selling/Bumping Ability - 9
A very unrated skill of his in my opinion, can make Powerhouse like Lesnar look like beasts and can work really well against faster paced opponents
Whole Package - 8
I rate Reigns highly a think the WWE picked the right man, I just cant understand why they have been so poor in his booking which for me is only thing holding him back. Shorten the promos, develop the bad ass character more and allow him to control the pace of matches by using his power to dominate like Lesnar and you have the man who can carry the company

 

[OYDK]

I'll make it short and sweet;

Ring Gear: 8
Personally, I dig the bullet proof vest and slacks look. Makes him look like a badass secret op.

Entrance: 9

Probably the most unique entrance in the E. Fans love it.

Entrance Music: 6.5

It's not bad, and I think it's too late to change it, but it could have been a lot better. Doesn't necessarily give off that "oh shit" sort of vibe that Roman should have when he comes out.

Physical Appearance: 10

Guy might have the best "WWE look" ever. He's a stud, much like his cousin.

Character/Gimmick: 5

Don't really know what it is at this point. Is he the jokester, the cool guy, or the badass? He's gotta be able to mesh every aspect of his gimmick much better going forward.

Mic Skills: 6

Still don't think he's as good as some seem to think he's become. Kinda one dimensional and still can't really carry a longer promo. Getting better though.

Finisher: 7

I like Reigns' version of The Spear but it's so generic to me. Would like to see a more power oriented finisher, and the spear transitioned into a signature.

Signature Moves: 9

Always liked the SMP and I popped first time I saw the apron dropkick. Kind of took Cena's reverse suplex, but that's okay.

Move Set: 8

I think he's got a better moveset than some give him credit for. Off the top of my head, I can name; Spear, SMP, apron dropkick, flying clothesline, samoan drop, flying tackle, over the top rope crossbody, *belly to belly, german, standing suplex (occasionally). He had much more in NXT as well.

Move Set Depth: 8

See above.

Selling/Bumping ability: 7

He's taken some really hard bumps throughout his career, but his selling still borders on corny to me. He just has to touch it up.

Whole Package: 7.5

As of right now. He still needs to improve a few aspects of his game, but he's getting there.

 

[Navi]

Okay here's my rating of Roman Reigns.

RING GEAR - 8

For some reason it suits him. Others want him to change it but I just can't see him in trunks. He wore them in NXT, but looks much better now.

ENTRANCE - 7.5

Very reminiscent of the Shield who were my favourite faction ever. The only thing that bothers me about it, is if he has to get to the ring in a hurry, coming down those stairs through a crowd of people doesn't make sense. But all in all, I'm okay with it.

ENTRANCE MUSIC - 8

Again, it's the Shield's music and nothing wrong with that.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE - 10

He is the best looking guy on the roster, friggin gorgeous. He also has the perfect look for a wrestler and a champion.

CHARACTER/GIMMICK - 6.5

I was fine with his Shield gimmick, but they screwed around with it too much afterwards. Now that he's settled down a bit, it's a lot better, and I'm sure will improve as he get more comfortable.

MIC SKILLS - 6

He speaks very softly at times and it's hard to hear him. He used to be just horrible on the mic, but has gotten a lot better with practice. He's still not up to Ambrose and Rollins level, but it will come.

FINISHER - 9

His spear looks like it would hurt, and he does it much better than Batista ever did. It suits him being a former football player, so do what you know best and it will look natural. Just like it does with Reigns.

SIGNATURE MOVES - 8

He only does two that I know of the Superman Punch and the jumping apron kick. A lot of wrestlers do a Samoan Drop of some kind, even Ryback does a modified Samoan Drop with his Shellshock. Reigns moves suit him well and he's the only one that does them.

MOVE SET - 7

His move set for a big guy is pretty good, I would like to see him put some sort of submission move in there to balance it out somewhat though. But he's quick and agile, he could do more.

MOVE SET DEPTH

I don't really know what this means so I won't rate it.

SELLING/BUMPING ABILITY - 8

He managed to sell the beating he got from Lesnar, and seem to hold his stomach a lot. Might be a hold over from the surgery last year. He's fine at selling the moves.

WHOLE PACKAGE - 8.5

His look can't be denied and once he get more comfortable on the mic I think we'll see a huge improvement. He still looks like he is finding his way around the ring a little, but with anything practice makes perfect. He should go a long way in the WWE if they don't fuck around with his character again.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Ring Gear - 7

Ring gear is something I generally don't give a whole lot of thought to. Most of the time, I couldn't care less if a guy wrestled in traditional tights or a tuxedo. Given that most wrestlers still wear some variation of tights, Reigns' gear helps him stand out so that's always a plus. Reigns' gear is mostly black and, let's face it, everyone wants to be a badass in black sometimes.

Entrance - 8

His entrance also helps him stand out and simplicity is sometimes the way to go. Most everyone else comes out on the stage with some flashing lights, pyro and/or playing up the crowd; Reigns just comes out through the crowd without a lot of pomp and it makes an impression.

Entrance Music - 8

While I think Reigns' entrance music works, it's not something that hugely connects with me because I identify it with The Shield as a whole rather than one guy. But, it's recognizable, generally simple and straightforward; so it works just fine.

Physical Appearance - 9

Arguably, Reigns' greatest asset is his look. I've said lots of times that if you took off the long hair and the goatee, he could pass for The Rock's younger brother. Reigns is about 6'2, about 250 pounds or so and he's got the whole stud thing going for him. The fact that he has such a strong physical resemblance to The Rock can only work in his favor, especially with Vince.

Character/Gimmick - 4
In my opinion, and that's all it is, I think people are being way too generous here. Reigns' doesn't really have much of a character or gimmick. He still uses the ring gear and music of The Shield yet in terms of personality, Reigns' persona was far less pronounced than that of Rollins and Ambrose. Reigns was the mostly silent muscle, though he spoke when he had something to say that was usually short and to the point. It worked just fine because that was his role but now that he's out on his own, there isn't really anything there as far as a character goes. Take away Reigns' getting over as part of The Shield, and he's a fairly one dimensional bruiser.

Mic Skills - 5

While Reigns has gotten better on the mic, he's not what I'd really call good. He's no longer quoting Looney Toon character catchphrases and he does seem a little more comfortable out there, but he still has a ways to go in my eyes and he still makes me cringe when he tries to be cutesy and funny during his promos. MAYBE it'd be easier for him and he could show a whole lot more confidence if he was saying what was on his mind rather than saying what Vince writes for him to say.

Finisher - 7

I think Reigns' finisher is a solid move that's easy to perform. At the same time, the downside is that it's such an easy move that ANYONE can perform it. I think one thing that holds the move back is that we've seen it so many times from so many different guys over the years either as a finisher or as a signature move that it just feels overused. I will say, however, that Reigns is someone who has the type of physical look and build that's more cohesive with this move than someone like Edge. Reigns has a more compact, thickly muscled build and it gives the impression/illusion that he can deliver more impact with the move during a wrestling match.

Signature Moves - 7.5

Reigns' set of signature moves isn't anything special, but they can be exciting and entertaining to watch. They're not overly complicated, but they involve power and it's ultimately what's going to be his bread & butter. Reigns is never gonna be a technical whiz, a high flyer or a submission specialist; he's a bruiser and his signature moves reflect that.

Move Set - 7
Again, nothing overly spectacular as far as his move set goes but, at the same time, still entertaining for the most part. You're not gonna see Reigns' flipping over the top rope or performing hurricanranas all over the place and that's okay, doesn't mean the man's lousy inside the ring. While everyone obviously can't be a 6'2" 250+ pound slab of Samoan muscle, not everyone can be a 5'10" 185 pound bundle of speed and agility either.

Move Set Depth - 7

See answer above.

Selling/Bumping Ability - 8.5

Reigns has strong, very solid selling capabilities and isn't afraid to take a bump. We saw during his match with Lesnar at WrestleMania XXXI that Reigns isn't afraid of taking some stiff shots, nor is he opposed to working a very stiff style. Neither he or Lesnar probably had to really sell that much, truth be told, as they were kickin' the snot out of one another. I didn't have a lot of faith in these two being able to pull off a strong match if they didn't turn it into a physical brawl, but they did it and it definitely surpassed expectations.

Whole Package - 7.5

Like Sam said, a wrestler is more than just the sum of his parts. These factors don't take into account whether or not the wrestler uses or understands psychology, knows how to tell a story inside the ring and is able to pull everything together to deliver an entertaining overall package. I don't think Reigns is the next big thing, I think he has work to do and that he definitely needs to improve in some areas; I also think WWE did the right think by not having him win the title as he needs more seasoning and to build up these weaknesses he has and that can only happen with time.