Roman Reigns: Acknowledge the Perception

Roman Reigns, once The Shield’s enforcer, has become one of wrestling’s most polarizing figures, let alone just WWE. There’s even a Wikipedia article about the mere perception of him. He’s had various highs and lows, but WWE’s insistence on him being a top champion inevitably won out, with him being one of the most popular active wrestlers in the industry today.

This is Part 3 in my editorial series on The Shield. In it, I mentioned their impact and the ongoing influence of the group and their architect-turned-visionary, Seth Rollins. Whereas Rollins had been positioned to be one of the top stars (and has become so), Reigns has reached his mountain of popularity—an island of relevancy, if you will.

From being an intriguing case of an unwanted protagonist to the most compelling antagonist, Reigns has had quite the ride in WWE. Hand-picked to take the torch passed by the likes of Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, The Rock, and John Cena, the Tribal Chief eventually found his way. I wanted to discuss his face and heel personas, as they’ve undoubtedly shifted how each was/is perceived.

WWE’s Stubbornness and Roman Reigns’s Reception

While in The Shield, Reigns was popular enough. He was an eye-catching star who worked as a heavy that Seth Rollins could direct, and worked well with Dean Ambrose. There was power within his moveset, and being in a group hid his weaknesses. But what if he had those taken away? What would he be then?

After the infamous chair shot by Rollins, Reigns retained much of what The Shield was. The music, the vest, and the moveset. Yet his charisma floundered, and he stumbled over his words. Reigns had no real identity except for the past, and there was nothing to latch onto other than the past. Though he managed to put it all together as the years went on, the damage was done.

Fans read the writing on the wall, that this was THE guy WWE wanted to push. Whether they liked it or not. And so, they rebelled. Try as he might, Reigns only came off as manufactured, not something organic. Most of it was unfair to him, nevertheless, these were the cards he was given.

WWE, unrelenting, continued to give him high-profile matches. Over time, he grew into this role as a performer, but not as a star. Matches such as the WrestleMania 31 match against Brock Lesnar cement this retrospectively, but the hate at this time was nigh inescapable.. Reigns grew and had a variety of explosive moves, but it was not enough. At this point, he needed a full makeover.

The Tribal Chief’s Impact

All the years spent improving his promos, mannerisms, and expressions paid off, as every movement and diction of Reigns had weight. Though he didn’t acknowledge his past unpopularity (unless fans chanted against him), he acted in familiar callousness to the rest of the roster.

He even manipulated and tormented his cousins, The Usos, as well as Wise Man Paul Heyman and eventual Honorary Uce, Sami Zayn. After enduring so much hate, Reigns directed it at the wrong people. Rather than making him a cut-and-dry heel, Reigns transformed into a character with something identifiable. 

The trouble with the Big Dog was that there was nothing to latch onto. Who was he? The Tribal Chief carried that past, but elevated it. Defined it. There was something akin to movie villains in the way he carried himself.

Whereas his Big Dog Era saw him adopt moves while floundering on the microphone, The Tribal Chief spoke heavily, sometimes without speaking. His variety of moves decreased, though he still read as a threat to the WWE audience.

A Case Study in Character Perception

Nowadays, Reigns is an act fans look forward to, albeit having soured some fans on his political stance on the current United States presidency. But he’s no stranger to that.

The contentious relationship with Big Dog Roman Reigns and fans would’ve decimated most newcomers, but Reigns stuck with it. He tried his best, worked to improve and please the fanbase, but it wouldn’t be enough. That vest symbolized a huge problem within the late 2010s WWE. He became despicable after shedding that visage.

Crowds loved him for it, yet couldn’t help but cheer for him. Now that he’s lost everything and is a baby face, Reigns is in the status WWE wants, and he’s done it his way. The lesson here? Let your wrestlers be themselves. Help them turn that dial to eleven. Know when to pivot when something doesn’t work. 

This is not uncommon in pro wrestling. Often, promoters and audiences may not be on the same page. Such instances also extend to wrestlers. In All Elite Wrestling, Cody Rhodes faced the same issue, though it was his design.

Fans were ready for him to become a heel, yet he didn’t budge. Oh, he alluded to it, but never fully crossed that line. The desire for heat then became go-away heat. AEW visibly learned this lesson during MJF’s face run midway through his AEW World Championship reign, and kept him a heel.

If you want to succeed, you look at your failures. And then you acknowledge them.

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