Roman Reigns Working with Acting Coach Addresses His Achilles' Heel

While Roman Reigns heals from hernia surgery, WWE is wisely looking to refine what is holding him back the most—his mic skills.

On the main eventer checklist, Reigns has just about everything a wrestling company looks for: size, presence, explosiveness, strength, athleticism, looks. His interviews, though, have been his weak point. WWE has hooked him up with renowned acting coach Howard Fine to change that.

Fine tweeted over the weekend that he was wrapping up a three-day class with the former member of The Shield:

WWE knows this is where Reigns needs to improve. As PWInsider.com's Dave Scherer reports, "WWE feels that being more rounded as a character is something Reigns needs to work on."

This is one of WWE's smarter moves. The company has a gifted athlete with rare physical skills charging up the ladder. Should he elevate his verbal work, he's destined to be a guy WWE can build around.

Even though he has improved as a talker since debuting in 2012, Reigns' recent post-Hell in a Cell interview reminded us of how far he has to go:

Michael Cole and Co. asked him about his recovery and his thoughts on the Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose match. It's a decent performance from Reigns, but he's a bit wooden at times. It looks as if he's uncomfortable in this spot.

When he's in the midst of a slobberknocker, there is an ease to his movement, an energy to his actions. That hasn't translated to the mic yet.

That's why so many of his verbal performances have been kept short. It certainly fits his character to deliver to-the-point speeches. For him to progress and be able to work marquee feuds, though, he's going to need to do more than hit-and-run promos.

Former hardcore champ Bob Holly believes it's partly a matter of opening up:

He's right. Reigns is a likable guy armed with charisma ready to be tapped into. There's a definite star quality about him, but he comes off as if he's holding back with a mic in his hand.

Working with Fine is a great way to counter that.

When Rollins tore down The Shield, Reigns delivered a quick-burst promo. It remains one of his best performances, a glimpse of what he can be.

There was an aggression there that catches one's attention. Glaring at the camera, calling out Randy Orton and Triple H, Reigns was the most engaging as a talker he's ever been.

Acting lessons can help Reigns understand why that promo worked and why others were more forgettable. They are a good way for him to feel more at ease during promos.

His sessions with Fine won't magically turn him into 1980s Ric Flair, but they are bound to help.

Reigns is in the process of refining his game, both in the ring and on the mic. At just 29 years old, he still has time to do so. 

In July, Jim Ross wrote on his blog, "Reigns was good in his verbal role and simply needs to keep working to 'find his voice' and his cadence. Next year at this time, we shouldn't even recognize the verbal skills of Roman Reigns."

Ross is spot-on here. Finding his voice is key for Reigns. Underneath that rawness as a talker is a performer crackling with presence.

Hopefully, Fine has helped him draw that out.