Proper Booking Would Make Roman Reigns a Top WWE Star

Roman Reigns is one of the most polarizing Superstars in the WWE today, but with proper booking, there is no question that he has the talent and charisma to be one of the top stars in the company eventually.

Unfortunately, the WWE Universe is slowing turning on Reigns due to his lackluster promo work and the role he has been cast in by the WWE. Instead of being portrayed as a cool renegade against The Authority, he is being booked like he is The Rock.

As seen in his promo work on Raw and SmackDown, Reigns is clearly not The Rock.

Over the last several weeks, Reigns has been cutting promos that feature classic fairy tales and Looney Tunes references, and fans aren’t connecting. Instead of just being forced to regurgitate what someone else is writing for him, he should be allowed to show more of his natural personality.

When Reigns is on media tours for the company, he is one of the most genuinely entertaining people to hear speak. Without the pressure of live television and being forced to read a script word for word, he comes off as a cool babyface with the charisma needed to be a top draw for the WWE in the future.

Despite having the same charisma he had when the majority of the WWE Universe loved him in The Shield, it is the promos he has been forced to cut that have done the most damage to his reputation with hardcore wrestling fans.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Reigns’ scripts are being written directly by WWE chairman Vince McMahon, which is one reason why what he is saying isn’t landing with the fans:

While there is no doubt that taking acting lessons with legendary coach Howard Fine has helped Reigns’ delivery, there is still plenty of room for improvement. The problem is that the he shouldn’t be forced to pander to the crowd and cut long promos. He should be a man of few words who lets his actions do the talking.

There is no questioning the aura Reigns carries. Whether you like him or not, when his music hits and he makes his way through the crowd, it’s an exciting moment. He looks like a legitimate tough guy, and when he is scripted to speak, it should be in small segments with the content being short and succinct.

Instead of telling the fans about Jack and the Beanstalk, he should be portrayed as the wrestling equivalent of The Terminator. While Arnold Schwarzenegger had lines in those movies, there weren't many. When he did speak, though, you hung on every word, and it made him sound like a bona fide tough guy.

Another major weakness for Reigns is his ability to work longer matches. While there is no questioning the explosiveness of the big spots in his move set (the Superman punch, the spear, the apron drop kick, etc.), there is no fluidity to his matches from move to move. At times, he looks to be just biding his time before hitting his spots instead of telling a story in the ring that eventually leads to him hitting his signature moves.

Over time, he will improve in the ring by working with the top performers in the company, but the biggest concern is still the promos. Until the WWE decides to give Reigns a longer leash and allows him to show his true personality, he will continue to lose support from the fans.

With a slight change in how his promos are written, though, the majority of the WWE Universe would be back on Reigns’ side quickly. Most fans want to like this guy, but when he references fairy tales, it’s hard to take him serious.

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