Roman Reigns Must Defeat WWE's Heavy Hitters to Become Top Guy

Roman Reigns is a WWE Superstar whom many fans feel is on the way up.  His look and combination of size and strength are enough to convince many of the WWE faithful that he is the next big thing and will one day be elevated to the spot of top guy.

But becoming a major player in WWE requires much more than just fan support and the apparent right mix of main event qualities.

Being a top guy in Vince McMahon's company means that booking must be right and the win/loss record must be impressive. The fact is that Reigns must beat WWE's heavy hitters to become a top guy.

Reigns is one of those Superstars who turns heads every time he enters the room. He has a presence about him, an aura that oozes of star power. It's strong at times and subtle at others, but there can be no denying that Reigns has something special.

And the funny thing is he may not have been the first choice to even reach the top.

Credit: WWE.com

When The Shield debuted in WWE, it became very clear very quickly that Dean Ambrose was the face of the group. He did the majority of the talking and his character completely embodied everything The Hounds of Justice stood for.

He had the charisma, the personality and the swagger to lead The Shield to the very top of the company. As far as many fans were concerned, Ambrose was the lead singer while Reigns and Seth Rollins were merely playing backup.

But Rollins' intensity in the ring was evident, and little by little, he began to steal the show.

His daredevil style and high-flying moves were enough to bring both the fans to their feet and more spotlight on him as a viable future star.

Credit: WWE.com

Somewhere along the way, the same thing happened for Reigns.

The Shield's strongman began to emerge as something much greater than anticipated. He went from being nothing but the muscle to a suave, polished powerhouse. He took the notion of swagger to a whole new level, and the talk of Ambrose's possible ascension up the WWE ladder suddenly began to morph into discussion of Reigns in a prime role.

The Shield unofficially became Reigns' group in the minds of many fans and his future as a top guy was the focus. But that spot will not come without some serious work.

The truth is that Reigns must beat WWE's top stars to become one himself. It's like a rite of passage in McMahon's company, one that every top guy from Hulk Hogan to John Cena has undergone. Every name that is used on the main event scene in any capacity must be bested by the next man in line.

This will surely be the case for Reigns, who only recently returned from injury. Assuming he is indeed on the way up, the time for him to begin a winning streak is now.

Credit: WWE.com

Reigns must look strong, must be dominant and must be presented in a way that makes him appear to be the guy to beat in WWE.  He must be the favorite to win in every match he's in, and if he's not, then it falls on him to prove he deserves the victory.

WWE creative can put him in the right places, but for him to truly succeed, Reigns must make the best of his opportunity. His swagger must reach an all-time high and his wins in the ring must be as impressive as the opponents he faces.

Working midcard talent will not be enough for Reigns to reach the top. He needs to face the best to become the best.

Rollins is a great place to start. Physically dominating The Big Show would be a nice touch. Handing Rusev his first loss would be a feather in his cap. But for Reigns to truly advance, he must keep building on those kinds of victories until he reaches the upper echelon of WWE.

That means Cena will one day face Reigns, and when that happens, the former Shield powerhouse will hand Cena a loss. It's a moment that must happen in order for fans to see Reigns as the top guy that he is believed to be.

All of the speculation about his ascension will end and the proof of his rise will be there for the whole world to see.

If that moment comes, then it will only be a matter of time until Reigns faces Brock Lesnar.

It's a showdown that many fans feel is inevitable and would be the ultimate test for Reigns to prove that he deserves the top spot in WWE. But first, he must earn it. And he must start now.