Roman Reigns' Injury Creates Much-Needed Sympathy for Character

Roman Reigns suffered an untimely and unfortunate hernia injury and will be out of action for four to six weeks according to WWE.com's Zach Linder and Brian Pellegatto.

The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com), WWE had preliminary plans in place to book Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 31. Reigns should be back well before WrestleMania, but as Dolph Ziggler can attest, nothing is guaranteed in WWE, especially to those who miss time with injury. 

In the information age, where these reports travel quickly, fans were beginning to become weary of the impending Roman Empire before it ever even happened. Reigns fatigue was already beginning to set in, with Tweets like this one and further complaints directed at everything from his alleged five moves of doom to his superman booking.

Sound familiar?

Many fans are proactively rebelling against Reigns the minute the path to superstardom bears resemblance to that of John Cena's. For all Cena’s popularity, his most consistent criticism comes from a perceived inability to show off a vulnerable, human side.

Two weeks ago on Raw, Reigns was laid to waste by The Authority inside a steel cage. Although the attack on Reigns didn’t involve cinder block, a similar ambush on Dean Ambrose resulted in Ambrose being put out of commission for close to a month.

Reigns was back on television the following week.

Reigns’ forced invincibility will hurt the believability of the character if WWE follows through on apparent plans to make him a top guy. But just as his injury can be viewed as untimely, it may also end up being a blessing in disguise.

Sitting in a hospital bed, groggily giving updates on his daunting medical status, Reigns appeared more vulnerable than ever before. If this is the last image fans see of the blue-chip star for the time being, it will create sympathy while garnering babyface support ahead of a future comeback.

Often vilified by hardcore fans, Triple H drew the same sympathy and fan support upon coming back from major surgery on a torn quadriceps muscle in 2002. Jim Ross described the reaction, saying "this is as loud as any sustained roar [he had] ever heard in Madison Square Garden."

If WWE dedicates time to Reigns’ recovery and eventual return, fans will have developed a very human connection with him. As cynical as the Internet can be, anyone can sympathize with the plight of an ill-timed injury putting a potential main event star’s stock in jeopardy.

No matter how much Ambrose continues to develop as a threat to Reigns as WWE’s next top babyface, it’s difficult to resent a WWE Superstar making a triumphant return from a serious injury.

The more Reigns’ injury is a point of emphasis as part of WWE storylines, the more his subsequent return will add the depth to his character he is currently missing.

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