Gauging Roman Reigns' Readiness for Push to the Top of WWE

Roman Reigns is WWE's unpolished, misshapen diamond in need of shaping.

The powerhouse certainly looks the part of the fresh top babyface the company so desperately needs. He's no finished product, though. And WWE will struggle to smooth out his rough edges before WrestleMania.

It's clear that WWE wants to put Reigns in that throne atop the WWE that John Cena has sat in for so long.

The last year-plus has been spent making Reigns look formidable, to convince fans that he's in the same superhuman class as Cena. He went on a spear rampage at last year's Survivor Series, tying the record for most eliminations at that event. He followed that up by moving past Kane in the record books, scoring 12 eliminations at the 2014 Royal Rumble.

As that push progresses, doubt behind the scenes lingers.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestle Zone), WWE is planning on having Reigns face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31, but there is reportedly concern about how ready he is for that kind of push. His backstage critics believe he needs a lot of work.

Officials are right in that Reigns needs work before bearing the heat of the ultimate spotlight. He remains unproven in the ring and limited on the mic. The next three months will serve as WWE's chance to prep a would-be king. 

Mic Work

A world champ need not be a world-class talker, but with as much airtime as that position nets one, he needs to be better than Reigns is right now.

Throughout his recovery from hernia surgery, Reigns appeared via satellite to update fans on his progress and talk current WWE happenings. On Oct. 27, for example, he offered his thoughts on Hell in a Cell's main event:

Reigns was unnatural, awkward at times and nowhere near as charismatic as Cena or even Lesnar when he's done his backstage interviews. 

If he doesn't get significantly better in this department, he will struggle in the high-profile feuds that come with being world champ. This isn't a man who can carry the weight of a marquee story. 

The good news is that Reigns has shown some improvement as of late.

In his most recent interviews, he's looked a little more comfortable with the cameras pointed at him. He hasn't seemed as stiff and instead has shown off glimpses of a likable personality. 

Speaking with Byron Saxton after winning the Superstar of the Year Slammy Award, a looser Reigns emerged.

The Juggernaut didn't come off as if he was reciting lines; he seemed to be himself. That's still not where he needs to be, but that's significant improvement in just two months.

Credit some of that with his work with an acting coach. Renowned acting teacher Howard Fine noted on Twitter that he put Reigns through a three-day intensive course:

This kind of outside assistance will push Reigns closer to the level WWE expects him to be at. The company would be smart to have him revisit with Fine or bring in another expert in the field.

Reigns is clearly putting in the work required to get better as a talker, but he's still a few steps away from being someone WWE can more confidently hand a mic to.

Ring Work

Reigns is a phenomenal athlete with a number of moves in his arsenal that show that off. There just aren't many men with both his power and explosiveness. In short bursts, he's one of the most exciting guys to watch in a ring.

His biggest issue is that he has yet to show he can deliver when the match requires more than those bursts.

Of all of Reigns' matches that Dave Meltzer rated four stars or higher on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t ProFightDB.com), only one is a singles bout.

Event	Partner(s)	Opponent(s)	Star Rating (Out of 5)
TLC 2012	Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose	Ryback, Daniel Bryan, Kane	4.5
Raw, Oct 14, 2013	Seth Rollins	Cody Rhodes, Goldust	4
Hell in a Cell 2013	Seth Rollins	The Usos, Cody Rhodes and Goldust	4
Elimination Chamber 2014	Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose	The Wyatt Family	4.25
Raw, March 3, 2014	Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose	The Wyatt Family	4.5
Extreme Rules	Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose	Triple H, Randy Orton, Batista	4.5
Payback	Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose	Triple H, Randy Orton, Batista	4
Money in the Bank	None	Kane, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, Cesaro, Bray Wyatt, John Cena	4
SummerSlam	None	Randy Orton	4

Orton did the majority of the work in that clash at SummerSlam. He spent most of the match handing out punishment before Reigns rallied back at the end.

WWE can't go that route with every Reigns match.

He's going to need to be more active at times and keep the crowd engaged as the aggressor. He has yet to show that he's capable of doing that.

As WrestleMania nears, WWE needs to find out if he has that in him. It doesn't want its world champ to be unable to come through in huge bouts. That's who often wrestles the longest match and is the major selling point for any pay-per-view.

He's going to have work on those slow points in the action between the thrilling flurries. Transitional holds, match pacing and overall in-ring storytelling are all on his "things to improve" list.

In a matchup on SmackDown against The Miz, there was little spark beyond Reigns' signature moves.

That's not what you want to hear about a guy soon to be made the top dog. While Cena is no technical master, he showed early on that he can compose a great bout. 

The next few months are crucial for Reigns as he looks to prove he can do that same.

WWE can help his cause by pitting him against ring generals and men who have a penchant for bringing out their foes' best. Count Cesaro, Rollins and Orton as heels in that category. After Reigns dispatches of Big Show, that's who he needs to mix it up with at Fast Lane and on Raw and SmackDown. 

To get to where Cena and Lesar are in terms of match quality, though, it's going to take more than a few months of tune-ups.

Other Thoughts 

Where Reigns needs no work is "it" factor. Besides his action-figure looks, this is why WWE is willing to move him up the ranks in spite of the concerns about his talking and wrestling ability. 

Reigns exudes stardom and has great presence. Those are rare traits. 

Should he continue to hone his mic work and shine on his own in the ring, WWE is going to be thrilled that it took the risk of sending him onto center stage before it was clear he could handle it. 

Mel Evans/Associated Press

This is the type of bold move WWE needs to make.

The company has felt stale with Cena being such a dominant figure for so long. Reigns may flop in a lead role, but his physical gifts and the electric potential he has shown are likely to make him the next megastar.

When WrestleMania rolls around, WWE will have the choice to stick to what has worked in the past—the reliable but overused Cena—or see what it has in Reigns. 

He will be more refined and more spotlight-ready in time for The Show of Shows. WWE just has to accept that he will still be a gem in the midst of the cutting process.