We were all so effin wrong.

[AegonTargaryen]

I admit that I was myself wrong and many of us here who sort of thought "Roman Reigns is a bad wrestler/5 moves of doom/Super Cena v.2" were all wrong. There, I said it. I begin with that confession because even though I was never a Roman Reigns detractor or full-fledged supporter, I knew for a fact that Roman Reigns matches bored me and I wondered why. I even made a thread a few weeks ago entitled "Could Roman Reigns improve as a wrestler" ...the premise of which just automatically presumed that he was a boring wrestler: P.

Nevertheless, I'm pretty elated and excited about the future, so don't get me wrong. I just finished watching the mainevent of Raw, besides having watched the "phenomenal" main event match between Styles and Roman Reigns within the last 24 hours.

These are the points I want to make:-

1)Roman Reigns' wrestling style/ability can be best identified as a sort of hybrid of Batista and The Undertaker. Much more like the Undertaker I believe.

What that entails is that wrestlers like Reigns and Taker have always needed smaller/faster/technical wrestlers to "complement" them and get the best out of them. Think about it. There are 100s of Undertaker filler matches you can find from Raw and Smackdown, lets say, Undertaker vs Val Venis from Raw in 2000. None of those matches are even GOOD let alone great. The best Taker can do in such a match is Chokeslam the opponent for a quick victory. Also, MOST of the Undertaker's matches in his early career are dreadfully boring. I'm talking about opponents like Mabel, Kama/Godfather, King Kong Bundy, Giant Gonzales, Mark Henry, and the list goes on and on. (Ironically and funnily enough, BOTH of Taker's matches against Khali from 2006 are very watchable and entertaining). But with Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, Mankind, and Kane(in 1998), The Undertaker gave us innumerable classics.

Reigns' case is similar. Paired with Bray Wyatt or Sheamus, Reigns' 15-20 minute matches bored me. Also, for obvious reasons the intensity was lacking because Reigns knew he was supposed to be this corny babyface. But IMO, the match with AJ Styles from Payback was just phenomenal. I don't remember the last time I enjoyed a world championship match so thoroughly. Of course, a lot of credit also goes to AJ Styles. But the point I make here is that Reigns is pretty much like The Undertaker- agile, tall, fierce striker (The Undertaker did the Flying Clothesline/Reigns does the superman punch, Taker's suicide dive is the most picturesque and best leap in the business/Reigns suicide dive is pretty cool for a large guy like him). And a bit like Batista because of his build/power wrestling. I think it makes him a pretty good wrestler IMO. After all, he's Roman Reigns and he's not supposed to be like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, etc. I just think he would be even better if he added a move or two to his arsenal- like the vertical suplex, spine buster, or powerbomb(not the triple power bomb he already does).

2)Vince Mcmahon chose the right guy. Like him or hate him, the Roman Reigns we have been seeing recently is NOTHING like corny Super Cena. He's intense. He's big, intimidating. He's Awesome. A complete package. Roman Reigns as the WWE WHC, IMO, is pretty legitimate.

I know some of you are still stuck in the "Roman Reigns sucks/can't wrestle/lacks XYZ". I'm not going to oppose you or anything. But I just think Vince was right all along and he knew WHAT he was investing in. It's not out of foolishness or delusions that he built the corporate empire. He saw in Roman Reigns 2 years ago what I am seeing now- a pure beast, a mainevent talent, period.

We have all agreed that Reigns was boring as a babyface and that they needed to change that. But now they have. He may not be a full-fledged heel. But for me, Roman Reigns post-wrestlemania, "I'm not a good guy, I'm not a bad guy. I'm THE guy" is working. And after the intense main event from Raw, I was just left with the thought "Roman Reigns is fucking awesome".

I haven't been this excited/amazed by the main-event/wwe title picture in so long, I can't even remember. There's chemistry and intensity between Styles/BC and Reigns and it's palpable. I'm not a huge Usos fan. I rather dislike them but I guess they're OKAY for the role. I'd have preferred Asa and Sika or someone like Haku. But nevertheless.


Do you agree or disagree, and to what extent?

Your thoughts on Reigns vs Styles from Payback?

I foresee Roman Reigns(heel probably) vs Seth Rollins(face) in the near future(Summerslam or WM) tearing the house down in what could be a really amazing match for the WWE WHC. Your views as to that?

 

[enviousdominous]

There's no shame in being that one guy in the crowd who doesn't conform. Booing Reigns is a fun crowd activity these days, I highly doubt that most people who boo him have thought about it long enough to reach conclusions that are nearly as insightful as what you've shared.

I've never changed my opinion of Roman Reigns, so I don't see how I've been effin wrong. I think he was great in The Shield as their heavy, I think he rocked is first Royal Rumble and I think after that he was a victim of being booked against the popularity of Daniel Bryan. As far as I'm concerned, he still hasn't proven himself. Our opinions obviously differ on how amazing his most recent work was, but I'm not in the camp that believes that he's a bad performer.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I never understood the Reigns hate. Maybe a lot of it is some bandwagon mentality, maybe a lot of it is just bitching for the sake of bitching, but the way I see it, Reigns is fucking great.

First and foremost - his look. This guy looks unbelievable. From the attire, to the tattoos, to his hair, to his eyes, his menacing looks, his expressions. It's perfect. He looks like someone who can kick ass in real life.

To me, he's got some Khal Drogo stuff going on.

His mic skills are sub par at best, but with that look and that gimmick, he doesn't have to be amazing. In a way, it adds to his character. Big intimidating guys aren't big talkers, fine - whatever.

Wrestling wise we can't ask more than what he has. He's agile for his size, he's not sloppy, and in reality - his work is stiff and tight. His superman punch is always on point, he moves great, he sells just like he should be selling.

In the end, Roman Reigns is overall a pretty great choice for a Main Eventer. The only reason why he's hated is because he got pushed down our throats and I can definitely agree - that's annoying, but he's getting way too much crap. Sheamus got pushed down our throats too and he's worse than Roman.

I definitely think he's getting way too much shit for nothing. His segment with AJ and whipping his ass all over the ring was amazing. The look on his face, how he threw him around - awesome.

Roman is cool people, let's face it.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

I've been one of the few roman reigns supporter on this board for the last year. The guy as all the tools to become the next main event talent and last night was probably his best match since his match at last year wrestlemania against brock lesnar. Reigns style isn't a technical style and it should be that type of wrestler. He's wrestles in a more physical style that big man like him should be doing. His new personna is perfect for him and you been seeing this since last december.

the funny thing is that for some weird reason, wwe seem to want to play with the crowd noise on their tv show lately since sometime on raw, you can clearly heard the crowd cheering for reigns but they add boo's to make you think that he's more hated then he is.

vince did pick the right guy for the job because just like cena, roman reigns can adjust to any situation and when he gets a great opponent, the guy can carry the load of the match and have a great match.

 

[Blade]

Reigns is quite good. He's not "the guy" good, but he's probably the best choice for WWE champion at the moment, during WWE's awkward transitional period.

The problem with people is that they're stupid. They want to boo Roman because he's the one that was chosen by Vince. They feel like he's being "shoved down our throats" -- which, what does that even mean?

Each person wants things their way. And many people believe that if something's not the way they want it, then it's wrong. Oh, Roman Reigns isn't 180 pounds, and doesn't do flips and shit, therefore we will boo him. It's a ridiculous mentality.

But kids seem to be enjoying Reigns, so that's good. The ironic thing is, kids know more about how to enjoy wrestling than many of the adult fans who mock them. Morons.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I've never really seen Reigns as "the guy", I just don't think he has that level of talent, but I've always liked him. I don't think that he's a long term main eventer, but I do think that he has something to offer.

A huge reason for the Reigns hate is because he's someone that a ton of smarks know for a fact that Vince personally chose and likes. That's it. That's the primary reason a lot of them give him crap; booing him relentlessly is their way of being rebellious or some bullshit like that. Also, as has been pointed out, booing Reigns is sort of the thing to do for live crowds just as it's been for John Cena for the better part of 10 years.

However, Roman Reigns does get a strong response and that's not a bad thing. It's when fans sit on their hands and don't give a crap one way or another that there's a real problem going on. Whether he's cheered or booed, people do invest in what Reigns is involved with. He's not going to be the next Rock or Austin, he's not going to be the next Cena because he just doesn't have the mic skills or charisma, but Reigns is going to be a prominent player in WWE so people might as well get used to it.

 

[The Yes Guy]

Ok. I get it. You like Roman Reigns.
But let's get the facts right. No one said Reigns was terrible. The major complaint was that he "wasn't ready".
The fans had problem with him being corny Cena 2 (which Cena is terrific at btw) and revolved around him being booked wrong.

With that said, I'd say I'm a promo guy. I want my wrestlers to have amazing mic skills; of which, Reigns seems to have none. I don't believe he's become better. Just that his character has become more like the way it should have been from the start.
What he's done well in the recent times is that he's realised his strengths and weaknesses. He's carefully avoided stuff he's weak at. That's commendable.

 

[justinept]

So we were wrong because he had a great match Sunday night? You realize that Cena has had dozens of 5-star quality matches over the past decade, yet you still chose to take multiple swipes at him in your post. I guess Cena's clinic with Shawn Michaels clinic at WrestleMania 23 didn't win you over... nor did his numerous matches with Punk or Bryan.

The thing about Reigns is that we all get him. He's a big guy with great athleticism and intensity. No one has ever denied that! But the guy is probably batting .500 when it comes to having great matches. You can point to his match with Styles as being an epic showdown. It was. Hell, he's had other great matches over the past few years as well. But this is the face of the company. He's the guy that's going to be promoted over everyone else on the roster. And there's no guarantee the guy is going to show up wanting to give people their money's worth on any given night. Hell, look at WrestleMania. His match with Triple H was awful. We're a month removed from this guy stinking up the arena in the main event of the biggest show of the year against a guy who is one of the best technicians of all time! But we're just going to forget that happened? We're just supposed to forget that this guy has tapped out of consecutive Royal Rumbles (once by choice, the second by terrible booking.) We're just going to forget everything we know because he put on a great match? That's ridiculous.

Is his new direction encouraging? Maybe... I'm not a huge fan of it. In fact, it kind of reminds me of 1997 when everything felt muddled from a face/heel booking perspective - and that's not a good thing. But then, Austin did emerge from that muck. So I'll give this some time to develop. One thing is certain, though. Keep this guy away from a microphone. I don't believe anything he says. And that completely destroys whatever bad ass character they're trying to create here.

 

[Azane]

I still think Roman spends too much time on his back and knees for how dominant he's supposed to be. His cardio is way off or he blows all his stamina early, so he's spending a lot of time either taking rest bumps or just laying around. The Sunday match as an example, he was on his feet around 7 minutes and off for about 22, We saw similar back in Royal Rumble when they literally had him go back and rest for half the match, because WWE didnt believe he'd last the full RR match, which is something that needs to be done to be -The Guy-.

They're still booking him as the underdog comeback king, while wanting him to seem dominant in promos, Hell, they even had him turn super saiyan after The Usos got Chairshot this Monday, he went from lights out knocked out, to SSJ2 Spirit Bomb Punch in seconds.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Ok. I get it. You like Roman Reigns.

No he doesn't. This OP has made so many "I hate Roman Reigns" threads it's stupid. One of his recent ones he even called John Cena "atrocious" in the ring.
If you actually read a chunk of this thread, it boils down to "Reigns isn't terrible if he's carried in a match." It's just a poorly veiled insult.

He's likely either realized his stereotypical ways took hyperbole to a whole new level and mellowed out a bit, or he was sick of all his threads getting trashed because they were filled with the earlier part of this sentence.

No one said Reigns was terrible.

This is blatantly false and the OP has proved it many times.

Truth is Reigns is good at some things and not good at others. To say he can only go with small guys is just dumb. Many people still believe his match with Big Show at whatever PPV it was last year was the best of the night. But it doesn't matter. The guy is new. This isn't a skill you pick up overnight, especially with how much WWE limits their wrestlers. The OP even pointed out how Undertaker used to be boring in the ring. Clearly he doesn't take his character into matters, but even so, I guarantee you Mark Calaway wasn't as good back then. Over time though he has built up his arsenal and become very well respected in the business.

A lot of bigger guys don't get their due inside the ring. You can hate Sheamus's character all you want, but inside the ring he can make a good match out of guys with all sizes.

 

[NegativeFeedback]

I didn't see the match. Maybe I should check it out, but honestly, I'm kinda done with WWE right now. I thought Mania was awful, I thought the next night was nothing special, and everything else I've seen feels unoriginal and uninspired. They rehashed the Screwjob gimmick for the millionth time. They're doing "guy beats champ, non-title, then loses title match" again. Jericho and Ambrose are feuding over a talk show. Roman is cutting the same stupid promo every week, and commentary is talking about how much fun it is too boo him. It's all stupid. And if you had told me a year ago that Sami and Kevin's first main roster match would be on the undercard of a B-PPV with both guys coming off of losing streaks, I would tell you that I wasn't surprised in the least, because that's WWE for you. On top of all that, Roman is the centerpiece of every show and I just don't like him at all. I don't like his spear, I think it's the worst one since Edge, but Edge at least had great theatrics before hitting it. I don't like his look, he looks like a shitty Lobo cosplayer who forgot to wear makeup. I don't like his promos, they're all monotonous, disingenuous and he shows no charisma whatsoever. I don't like his matches, I feel everything is telegraphed and he does nothing special or out of the ordinary to entertain us. I don't like his character either, but that's besides the point, even if it wasn't stale, I can't imagine I'd like him as anything else. I'm a bonafide hater at this point. The best thing Roman has done this year was disappear so Dean and Triple H can have a proper WrestleMania main event before he came back and ruined us with reality. Call me up when he does it again as I'd love to see AJ and Dean tear up the house.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

People are always going to shit on Reigns wrestling ability much like they did John Cena's despite the fact that it really wasn't warranted. Reigns has put on plenty of good singles matches and he was doing it long before WM32, I myself can think of at least 10 that are 3.5 stars or higher. Reigns issue is pretty obvious and it isn't his wrestling ability, I really don't know when everyone needed to be Kurt Angle to have a good match according to the fans. Whenever I hear stuff like "he can't wrestle" it just reasserts my original premise that those people don't know what the fuck they're talking about.

In a lot of ways Reigns issues aren't really anything to do with him specifically, rather it has to do with WWE's handling of the guy. To quote Jim Cornette wrestling in a nutshell is take a guy that people love, take another guy that people hate, give them a reason to fight and sell some tickets, obviously there is more to it than that but that's the basic premise. One of the initial keys though is "take a guy you love/take a guy you hate", WWE really didn't give people a reason to love or hate Reigns and that's where they fucked up in my eyes. It's the same thing with Rocky Maivia, he had all the tools in the world to be a big star (which he ultimately did) but in order for people to buy into him they had to let him get over instead of strapping the rockets to him before people could make a decision. With Rocky it wasn't until they took the rockets off him, made him heel and let him show off his talent and make HIMSELF into someone people cared about, essentially Rock had to connect with the crowd first before people bought into his pushes going forward. Reigns at the moment just doesn't connect with the audience and it's because WWE never really gave him the opportunity to do so, they decided one day that they found their guy and they were going to push him no matter what. When that happens you can't just expect people to be like "Ok WWE, I'll cheer for whoever you want me to cheer for", it doesn't work like that. I think turning Reigns is a good idea, I really do but that's only because they didn't give Reigns a chance to connect as a face, if they did that initially it wouldn't be a problem but much like Rollins and Daniel Bryan before him it wasn't until they became heel that they were really given that opportunity. They don't need to turn Reigns heel, they just need to give him the opportunity to connect with the fans but at this point it's a lot easier to do that if they just make the switch.

 

[kwig2121]

Change is hard for the average fan to take though we beg for it. The negative backlash against Reigns is probably because the average fan is tired of the "Super Hero" as the WWE Champ. Over the past 7-10 years, dominant muscular athletes have dominated the top spot. From Super Cena, to the Animal Batista, The Cerebral Assassin HHH, The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar...to THE GUY...THE ROMAN EMPIRE. Do you see a pattern here?

However when Vince went away from that, forced by the fans to run with Punk, or Bryan, the internet community loved those guys, but in Vince's opinion they didn't SELL.

Vince believes the Super Hero sells. Batman vs Superman, tomorrow all of us will go see Capt America vs Iron Man, then X-men will come out next and we will be there. You catch my drift?

Reigns is way more athletic then Cena in the ring. What separates him from the Universe is he can't cut promo's. Neither can Seth Rollins. Neither can AJ Styles.

But those guys can really wrestle and because of their athletic ability tell a pure story.

I like Reigns. And he is best for business right now as the WWE Champion. Because the Super Hero sells. So The Guy v The Phenomenal One. The Guy v Super Cena...The Guy vs the Beast....The Guy vs Seth Rollins.

We will watch those matches! We will pay to see those battles! And in the end our paying makes money for the WWE & ultimately Vince McMahon. So cheer or boo Reigns.

It's not Reigns fault. It's just the facts and it's just what's best for business.

 

[Navi]

Okay let's put it this way, I've turned the corner on Reigns. Loved him when he was with the Shield, felt sorry for him after they broke up, was pissed with the way he was booked as an underdog, and now am apathetic about the whole thing.

No one said he was a terrible wrestler, in fact he has put on some great matches over the last couple of years. But personality wise, well i look at the Rock even the Uso's after their HOF induction speech for their Dad, and look at Roman and yea he comes in in last place. I said this before that the Samoan's seem to have a charisma gene somewhere, and he just has to find it an unlock it. He is very boring on the mic. His "I'm a good guy etc etc" has now worn out it's welcome, because I don't even think he believe's it.

He desperately needs a gimmick change to get him away from the Shield persona. Change the clothes and the entrance music, let him be him and maybe I'll get invested again. Right now I can't anymore.

I'm firmly in the Cesaro section now.

 

[d_henderson1810]

Ok. I get it. You like Roman Reigns.
But let's get the facts right. No one said Reigns was terrible. The major complaint was that he "wasn't ready".
The fans had problem with him being corny Cena 2 (which Cena is terrific at btw) and revolved around him being booked wrong.

With that said, I'd say I'm a promo guy. I want my wrestlers to have amazing mic skills; of which, Reigns seems to have none. I don't believe he's become better. Just that his character has become more like the way it should have been from the start.
What he's done well in the recent times is that he's realised his strengths and weaknesses. He's carefully avoided stuff he's weak at. That's commendable.

So, if you're a promo guy, and want wrestlers to have amazing mike skills, then does that mean that you were never a fan of Kane between 1997-2000, Mortician Undertaker, Ultimate Warrior, Andre The Giant or Chris Benoit?

These guys went pretty far without mike skills, so it is not the be-all and end-all.

 

[d_henderson1810]

Change is hard for the average fan to take though we beg for it. The negative backlash against Reigns is probably because the average fan is tired of the "Super Hero" as the WWE Champ. Over the past 7-10 years, dominant muscular athletes have dominated the top spot. From Super Cena, to the Animal Batista, The Cerebral Assassin HHH, The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar...to THE GUY...THE ROMAN EMPIRE. Do you see a pattern here?

However when Vince went away from that, forced by the fans to run with Punk, or Bryan, the internet community loved those guys, but in Vince's opinion they didn't SELL.

Vince believes the Super Hero sells. Batman vs Superman, tomorrow all of us will go see Capt America vs Iron Man, then X-men will come out next and we will be there. You catch my drift?

Reigns is way more athletic then Cena in the ring. What separates him from the Universe is he can't cut promo's. Neither can Seth Rollins. Neither can AJ Styles.

But those guys can really wrestle and because of their athletic ability tell a pure story.

I like Reigns. And he is best for business right now as the WWE Champion. Because the Super Hero sells. So The Guy v The Phenomenal One. The Guy v Super Cena...The Guy vs the Beast....The Guy vs Seth Rollins.

We will watch those matches! We will pay to see those battles! And in the end our paying makes money for the WWE & ultimately Vince McMahon. So cheer or boo Reigns.

It's not Reigns fault. It's just the facts and it's just what's best for business.

Here's the problem right here.

You say that the fans didn't buy into Reigns and FORCED Vince into pushing Punk and Bryan.

I think part of the problem is the WWE Universe overrates itself. Many of the people booing Reigns or Cena think they are the star of the show.

Yes, the customer is important, but they are not the be all and end all. Vince has to answer to shareholders, TV stations and the bottom line, not just fans.

It seems that if Vince says "Yes" many of you say "No". Heaven forbid if you ever agree with Vinnie Mac. I mean, he is ALWAYS wrong and you guys, are ALWAYS right, aren't you? I forgot your years of running successful wrestling companies.

The fact is most of you don't have the first effing clue how to run a wrestling company, so put your God-complex to one side, and realize that the people making the decisions, whether they turn out to be right or wrong, know more about the business than you would know in ten lifetimes. Get over yourselves.

Just once, just once, I would like to hear someone admit that they got it wrong when it came to who WWE pushed and you refused to get behind.

 

[AegonTargaryen]

Okay let's put it this way, I've turned the corner on Reigns. Loved him when he was with the Shield, felt sorry for him after they broke up, was pissed with the way he was booked as an underdog, and now am apathetic about the whole thing.

You've been apathetic when it comes to Roman Reigns for quite a while now. What baffles me though is you're apathetic NOW, now that he is actually interesting personality-wise. He's not exactly a heel or a face. But every week since Wrestlemania, the Roman Reigns we've been seeing has been one who sort of conveys this "I don't give a fuck if you boo me. I'm the champion. I'm the mainevent feeling, and it's palpable and believable. At least to me it is!

I've also read your other post in which you say that you've lost interest in the AJ Styles-Roman Reigns storyline, etc. "The main event stuff I'm losing interest in. They've been booing Reigns forever now, so do something with him, either turn him full heel along with the Uso's, cause they're getting boo'd now too. Don't really mind seeing two heel factions go at it, with Styles caught in the middle. Looking forward to ER just for this match alone, the main event can go suck eggs."

I actually feel that the whole scenario is pretty interesting. Would you rather have the same age-old face faction vs heel faction? I WANT SUSPENSE AND INTRIGUE. I feel that I haven't been this excited about the WWE title picture in quite a long time, as I am now with the whole Styles/BC/Reigns scenario.

No one said he was a terrible wrestler, in fact he has put on some great matches over the last couple of years. But personality wise, well i look at the Rock even the Uso's after their HOF induction speech for their Dad, and look at Roman and yea he comes in in last place. I said this before that the Samoan's seem to have a charisma gene somewhere, and he just has to find it an unlock it. He is very boring on the mic. His "I'm a good guy etc etc" has now worn out it's welcome, because I don't even think he believe's it.

I disagree here. The Usos IMO are like just any other generic high-flier tag teams with only half the talent and agility. Brian Kendrick and Paul London for example, were pretty boring as personalities, but they were superbly dynamic in the ring. Usos just happen to be Samoan and less talented. I think the Usos entrance schtick is LAME. To call them charismatic would be a crime to the word charisma. They have neither the talent of the Hardys(in their prime) nor the intimidating size/aspect of the Wild Samoans. Basically, they're just there. Roman Reigns might not be 1/10th as charismatic and good on the mic as The Rock. But The Rock is GOD, an exception. To say that he lacks some "Samoan charisma gene" is wrong. If anything, with the exception of the Rock, Roman Reigns is the closest to possessing Charisma in the entire history of Samoans in wrestling. Or do you believe Rosey, Eddie Fatu/Umaga, and Rikishi were all CHARISMATIC and Roman isn't?

He desperately needs a gimmick change to get him away from the Shield persona. Change the clothes and the entrance music, let him be him and maybe I'll get invested again. Right now I can't anymore.

I agree that he could use some other Entrance theme, but I don't think I want(or anyone else wants) to see Roman Reigns in your typical wrestling trunks like The Rock, Austin, HHH, and Randy Orton did. I think it'd be weird. The gear he has right now is fine. Or they can do a variation.

Roman Reigns doesn't need a gimmick, like lets say Randy Orton did in 2007 where he evolved from the Legend Killer to the Viper. Roman Reigns is like Batista. He can be an angry ass-kicking asshole who doesn't give a shit about the fans (so long as he's THE GUY), or a slightly mild version of that which we've been seeing lately. That's IT. No gimmick or persona is needed because a 6'3, beast of a guy who's all about intensity and is the WWE WHC doesn't need a gimmick.

 

[ShinChan]

You've been apathetic when it comes to Roman Reigns for quite a while now. What baffles me though is you're apathetic NOW, now that he is actually interesting personality-wise. He's not exactly a heel or a face. But every week since Wrestlemania, the Roman Reigns we've been seeing has been one who sort of conveys this "I don't give a fuck if you boo me. I'm the champion. I'm the mainevent feeling, and it's palpable and believable. At least to me it is!

I've also read your other post in which you say that you've lost interest in the AJ Styles-Roman Reigns storyline, etc. "The main event stuff I'm losing interest in. They've been booing Reigns forever now, so do something with him, either turn him full heel along with the Uso's, cause they're getting boo'd now too. Don't really mind seeing two heel factions go at it, with Styles caught in the middle. Looking forward to ER just for this match alone, the main event can go suck eggs."

I actually feel that the whole scenario is pretty interesting. Would you rather have the same age-old face faction vs heel faction? I WANT SUSPENSE AND INTRIGUE. I feel that I haven't been this excited about the WWE title picture in quite a long time, as I am now with the whole Styles/BC/Reigns scenario.



I disagree here. The Usos IMO are like just any other generic high-flier tag teams with only half the talent and agility. Brian Kendrick and Paul London for example, were pretty boring as personalities, but they were superbly dynamic in the ring. Usos just happen to be Samoan and less talented. I think the Usos entrance schtick is LAME. To call them charismatic would be a crime to the word charisma. They have neither the talent of the Hardys(in their prime) nor the intimidating size/aspect of the Wild Samoans. Basically, they're just there. Roman Reigns might not be 1/10th as charismatic and good on the mic as The Rock. But The Rock is GOD, an exception. To say that he lacks some "Samoan charisma gene" is wrong. If anything, with the exception of the Rock, Roman Reigns is the closest to possessing Charisma in the entire history of Samoans in wrestling. Or do you believe Rosey, Eddie Fatu/Umaga, and Rikishi were all CHARISMATIC and Roman isn't?



I agree that he could use some other Entrance theme, but I don't think I want(or anyone else wants) to see Roman Reigns in your typical wrestling trunks like The Rock, Austin, HHH, and Randy Orton did. I think it'd be weird. The gear he has right now is fine. Or they can do a variation.

Roman Reigns doesn't need a gimmick, like lets say Randy Orton did in 2007 where he evolved from the Legend Killer to the Viper. Roman Reigns is like Batista. He can be an angry ass-kicking asshole who doesn't give a shit about the fans (so long as he's THE GUY), or a slightly mild version of that which we've been seeing lately. That's IT. No gimmick or persona is needed because a 6'3, beast of a guy who's all about intensity and is the WWE WHC doesn't need a gimmick.

I disagree. He needs a gimmick, for sure. Gimmick is a useful way to connect with the crowd. He is getting boos not because he has connected with the crowd, its just that crowd don't want to see him.

You say, gimmick isn't needed for the champ. Then tell me why I should be emotionally invested in him? Why should I cheer or boo him? Just because he conceives himself as THE GUY?

I love that Roman Reigns which he became near Survivor Series. He needs to move from everything about Shield. Its been 2 years since the breakup and he is still wearing same attire and music and all.

And Navi meant to say that Usos were charismatic in the HoF induction ceremony of their father.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Reigns is where Taker was in 1995... Been pushed higher that his abilities merited at the time.

But whereas Taker had a second gear that was found quite by accident when they stopped him fighting "Monster of The Quarter" and moved him into serious main eventing, with Reigns, they are trying it the other way round and it hasn't worked because so far, Reigns doesn't have the gift Taker had.

Taker was an exponential learner when the chance came. He was relatively one dimensional as a worker until Mabel broke his orbital... that forced them to rethink and they put him with guys who really could work... and Taker soaked it up like a sponge... within two years he had moved to being a top level worker just by working with the Brets, Shawns and Foleys of the world.

There is an element of this in the AJ feud, Styles is not there to win the title but for Reigns to hopefully learn quickly from and elevate his own game. After that they probably go with Owens or Cesaro for the same reasons...

Reigns hasn't shown that aptitude yet... they've fed him strong workers pretty solidly since his singles push and while improvement is there, it's not quick so far.

Ambrose on the other hand HAS visibly improved in the year or so since he got the Mania head injury... with Rollins due to return very soon, Reigns probably has 3 more months before they have to really decide... and if he hasn't hit a certain mark, I can see them ditching him.

 

[Navi]

You've been apathetic when it comes to Roman Reigns for quite a while now. What baffles me though is you're apathetic NOW, now that he is actually interesting personality-wise. He's not exactly a heel or a face. But every week since Wrestlemania, the Roman Reigns we've been seeing has been one who sort of conveys this "I don't give a fuck if you boo me. I'm the champion. I'm the mainevent feeling, and it's palpable and believable. At least to me it is!

Listen I was a huge Shield mark and still am. If the Shield reunited tomorrow I'd be the happiest WWE fan around, well maybe with the exception of $$, cause he's a big Shield mark as well.

When the Shield split I thought there was big things for all three. I've watched Rollins become a great heel, and Ambrose, poor Ambrose get used to push Roman. They've been pushing this guy for two years now, two years and he's still not over. Something tells me that if it hasn't happened before now it's never going to happen. It's like buying a car and it constantly breaks down. How much money are you going to sink into it before you realize it's a lemon and get another one? Roman is the lemon of the Shield. Great in a group, on his own not so great. Ambrose and Rollins did most of the mic work, and the in ring work when they were the Shield, Roman provided the muscle.

Everyone says he was over in the Shield, and that's true, but the group as a whole was over. Since he's been on his own the cracks in the facade are very apparent. I've given him the benefit of the doubt, I just can't anymore.

I've also read your other post in which you say that you've lost interest in the AJ Styles-Roman Reigns storyline, etc. "The main event stuff I'm losing interest in. They've been booing Reigns forever now, so do something with him, either turn him full heel along with the Uso's, cause they're getting boo'd now too. Don't really mind seeing two heel factions go at it, with Styles caught in the middle. Looking forward to ER just for this match alone, the main event can go suck eggs."

I actually feel that the whole scenario is pretty interesting. Would you rather have the same age-old face faction vs heel faction? I WANT SUSPENSE AND INTRIGUE. I feel that I haven't been this excited about the WWE title picture in quite a long time, as I am now with the whole Styles/BC/Reigns scenario.

The only interest I have in the main event scene is because of the Bullet Club and Styles. Hopefully it means they will call Balor up and run riot throughout the roster, similar to what the Shield did. Other than that, no I'm just not invested anymore.

I disagree here. The Usos IMO are like just any other generic high-flier tag teams with only half the talent and agility. Brian Kendrick and Paul London for example, were pretty boring as personalities, but they were superbly dynamic in the ring. Usos just happen to be Samoan and less talented. I think the Usos entrance schtick is LAME. To call them charismatic would be a crime to the word charisma. They have neither the talent of the Hardys(in their prime) nor the intimidating size/aspect of the Wild Samoans. Basically, they're just there. Roman Reigns might not be 1/10th as charismatic and good on the mic as The Rock. But The Rock is GOD, an exception. To say that he lacks some "Samoan charisma gene" is wrong. If anything, with the exception of the Rock, Roman Reigns is the closest to possessing Charisma in the entire history of Samoans in wrestling. Or do you believe Rosey, Eddie Fatu/Umaga, and Rikishi were all CHARISMATIC and Roman isn't?

Yes the Uso's are stale, but did you watch their HOF induction speech, it was great. And they do have charisma. Compared to Reigns they have it in spades. He might have the look the WWE is craving, but there isn't much else behind it and he's not selling what they are giving him. Not to me anyway.

I agree that he could use some other Entrance theme, but I don't think I want(or anyone else wants) to see Roman Reigns in your typical wrestling trunks like The Rock, Austin, HHH, and Randy Orton did. I think it'd be weird. The gear he has right now is fine. Or they can do a variation.

Well at least we agree on something.

Roman Reigns doesn't need a gimmick, like lets say Randy Orton did in 2007 where he evolved from the Legend Killer to the Viper. Roman Reigns is like Batista. He can be an angry ass-kicking asshole who doesn't give a shit about the fans (so long as he's THE GUY), or a slightly mild version of that which we've been seeing lately. That's IT. No gimmick or persona is needed because a 6'3, beast of a guy who's all about intensity and is the WWE WHC doesn't need a gimmick.

He does need a gimmick, because he is not the Rock. Just coming out and standing there he looks great, but oh my God when he opens his mouth, it all goes downhill. The Shield gimmick worked for him, no reason another one can't. Bottom line for me is he's boring. I just can't believe that it's not okay not to be a Reigns fan
anymore.

EDIT: What THTRobTaylor said I think is true. Now they are using Styles to help teach him and get him jump started again. It's like he's still in development, and he's the WHC champion. Once Rollins, Cena and the rest come back, Roman might just fade to the background.

 

[ShinChan]

I'm firmly in the Cesaro section now.

Yay! I am loving him more and more since he returned. Tear away suit is just too awesome. He no more looks like a generic wrestler. I am still hoping that he becomes the WWE World Heavyweight Champion in future. He is one of the few wrestlers who can entertain with wrestling itself which is too rare nowadays. He is extremely talented in in-ring work. Welcome to Cesaro Section.

If not the ultimate title, then he should surely win the Intercontinental title at Extreme Rules off The Miz. It looks like we would be getting a fatal four-way match including Owens and Zayn too.

 

[The Yes Guy]

So, if you're a promo guy, and want wrestlers to have amazing mike skills, then does that mean that you were never a fan of Kane between 1997-2000, Mortician Undertaker, Ultimate Warrior, Andre The Giant or Chris Benoit?

These guys went pretty far without mike skills, so it is not the be-all and end-all.

Kane was always a badass character. And he did have a little guy named Paul Bearer to take care of his promos. Same goes for The Undertaker & Brock Lesnar.
I was never a fan of Andre, though I marvelled at his presence.

For the same reason, I was never a fan of Bret or Owen Hart. But that's just my opinion.

The only exception to this rule would be Benoit who had exceptional spirit. He'd just come, wrestle his ass off and leave.

 

[Un-Bo-Lievable Jeff]

I like Roman. Think he is decent enough in the ring, not great, but not bad on the mic and carries himself well.

He was given the opportunity, which i'll agree he probably wasn't fully ready for, but I think he has done pretty well with what he has done.

I think it has become the popular thing to be against him. If you're not against him, you are not a proper fan. Just my opinion but that's how a lot of discussions feel to me on here.

Similar things Reigns done are ridiculed but only because it is him. For example, when he cocks his wrist before the superman punch. I've read quite a lot of people completely ridiculing him for this, but surely this is just a movement to show he is setting up the move. I honestly don't see any difference to HBK stamping before sweet chin music. Or Undertaker giving the throat slit gesture before a tombstone, but because Reigns is very disliked, he's a clown for it. If you break it down, why would HBK stomp on the mat to let his opponent know what he's planning? Exactly, to get the crowd hyped up, same reason with Reigns.

Just my opinion, and my observation. As a couple people have mentioned, I don't think the hate for Reigns is 100% honest, I just think it is the 'Cool' thing to do and a lot of people follow that suggestion

 

[Navi]

Similar things Reigns done are ridiculed but only because it is him. For example, when he cocks his wrist before the superman punch. I've read quite a lot of people completely ridiculing him for this, but surely this is just a movement to show he is setting up the move. I honestly don't see any difference to HBK stamping before sweet chin music. Or Undertaker giving the throat slit gesture before a tombstone, but because Reigns is very disliked, he's a clown for it. If you break it down, why would HBK stomp on the mat to let his opponent know what he's planning? Exactly, to get the crowd hyped up, same reason with Reigns.

And I agree, it's part of the move and he shouldn't be ridiculed for it. Others do the same thing each time they perform. For myself I don't have a problem with him so to speak wrestling really, it's more of a personality conflict, or lack of one thereof. He has to show more.

 

[Hem]

I think you're giving Roman a bit too mich credit right now. Standing against one of the greatest wrestlers in the world, you are bound to have a great match.

Roman can put on a good match almost all of the time but he's usually against a good opponent. It takes two to tango though and I must give Roman credit for his decent ring skills.

The current cocky Roman is a good character fit for him and he knows how to play it but the dialogue with "I'm the guy" has to stop.

Give him time, he has improved tremendously since breaking up from the Shield and the future should be bright for him.

I alwayd compare him to Batista rather then Cena because he is who the WWE wanted but it took him a long time to find his footing and when he did, he was an epic heel.