Thursday, March 28, 2024
EditorialWWE Sets the Stage for Roman Reigns to Dethrone John Cena

WWE Sets the Stage for Roman Reigns to Dethrone John Cena

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Could John Cena be the Secret to Roman Reigns Finally Being Over?

Whether you like it or not, Roman Reigns is the second coming of John Cena. Merchandise sales are soaring, his charity work continues to be highlighted and he is gaining national recognition on the morning talk shows all over the globe. Kids and women love him, while older male fans not so much. Do you see the pattern of familiarity starting to build?

Last night it become apparent to me as WWE made a spectacle of Roman Reigns’ charity work and put the spotlight on him as he gave special attention to his guests in the front row. How many times have we seen this same scenario play out with Mr. Cena in the spotlight? Is this just more evidence that WWE is slamming the Roman Empire down our throats? Are they hoping to gain sensitivity from the fans in the hopes it will put Roman over? Or could it be a well devised plan to have roman Reigns battle one of the most hated superstars in WWE in the hopes that the crowd would finally be on his side?

The majority of WWE fandom has rejected Reigns as the next big thing, based mostly on the fact that the company has sent him directly down the same babyface path as John Cena. Nobody wanted him to win the Royal Rumble and no one wanted him to win at WrestleMania, even though we all knew it was going to happen. Either way you look at it, he is getting a reaction and pulling in a monster-sized draw. Being booed or cheered is what matters, and we have already witnessed this in-ring superstar capture both emotions.

When Reigns began setting his feet into the WWE foundation, he owned that bad boy Shield gimmick along with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. Reigns, like Cena, eventually shifted to the good side, and now Reigns finds himself in those same big spots, while receiving those same split crowd reactions.

The invincible and always victorious character that Cena continues to be has split the WWE universe into two divisions. The PG fans that love Cena, and everyone else who wants lingerie matches and profanity. This has resulted in a pretty close split between boos and cheers, with the boos usually winning out. However, when it comes to Reigns the boos severely outweigh the cheers.

He laughs before and after his taunts, which is a sign he’s settling into the kind of “heel for some, babyface for others” role WWE clearly has in mind for him. “I’m not a Good Guy. I’m not a Bad Guy. I’m Thee Guy!” The question is, “Will it all come together and finally work?”

Now that Reigns has accepted the role of the Neutral Guy, we can all debate the same discussions we have under Cena. When will he turn heel? Why isn’t he a heel yet? History has proven time and time again that the some of the most popular superstars of all time were the best heels in the company before going on to stardom. Yet, WWE clearly can’t make up its mind on this one.

One way to possibly revert back to the good guy would be a heated rivalry with John Cena. In a time where they seem to be at a crossroads, the time could be now for it to all come together. What way would the crowd go? Would they side with Cena or play up for Reigns?

Unfortunately, all of these scenarios could be taking us down a road nobody wants to see; one where we have two superstars getting rammed into our televisions set on a weekly basis, while former TNA champ AJ Styles keeps filling up the shows on a weekly basis.

Shane McMahon has at least injected a new era of unpredictable excitement, but for how long will that last? Roman Reigns is clearly Vince’s pick to replace Cena as the Franchise going forward. He is a savvy businessman who will always protect his investment. His investment is Roman Reigns and he will continue to flip the script to transform him into the lead dog, no matter what side of the fence he is on.

It would be in the WWE’s best interest to follow the blueprint of Michaels, Austin and especially The Rock when it comes to Reigns. I know he can’t perform as well as Michaels, he can’t trash-talk like Austin, and he certainly can’t entertain like The Rock. However, does the WWE have any other choice at this point? They have tried every other scenario to put Roman over and none of them have worked correctly. Maybe a trip to C-Nation will be the ultimate rise of his beloved empire!

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