WWE Needs to Keep Pushing Roman Reigns Toward Anti-Hero Status

WWE may wish to have Roman Reigns occupy the spot on the company ladder that John Cena stands on, but it can't make him the same kind of babyface. Reigns' ideal fit is as a taciturn, sneering, ass-kicking anti-hero.

As fans saw on Monday's Raw, WWE may be figuring that out.

Rather than have him do corny promos with bad jokes or make him an affable, straight-laced character, the company is shifting Reigns toward something darker. That movement needs to continue.  

Reigns marched through the stands and grabbed a microphone to open Raw. The powerhouse's history of struggles with promos made this a surprising move. Fans braced for the worst.

In a straightforward speech, Reigns promised to defeat Daniel Bryan at Fastlane and move on to dethroning Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. It was a logical promo, one that allowed Reigns to come off as focused and formidable.

Credit: WWE.com

He issued a general warning to anyone looking to stop him: "If you come my way, I have a spear with your name on it."

There were no lines pulled from cartoons, no retelling of fairy tales. This was a version of Reigns with the kind of edge he showed while still with The Shield.

When Bryan came out to confront him, The Juggernaut kept up his momentum. While Bryan provided the humor, Reigns served up the intensity. The submission specialist said he was a better wrestler than Reigns, a claim that Reigns responded to only with a glare.

Credit: WWE.com

Reigns looked more comfortable here than he has in a long time.

Credit his persona moving away from Cena 2.0 to something more fitting for him. His size, dark ring gear and tattooed arms all scream anti-hero. Let Cena be Superman; have Reigns be The Punisher.

In Raw's main event, that side of Reigns emerged again. He and Bryan teamed up against J&J Security, Seth Rollins, Big Show and Kane. The bout turned chaotic toward the end, with a brawl ensuing on the entrance ramp after guys from Team Cena got involved.

That left Bryan alone with Joey Mercury, whom he proceeded to kick across the chest again and again. Bryan then lined him up for his flying knee, but Reigns popped up and tagged himself in.

Why? Presumably because Reigns just wanted to hurt someone and didn't care about pushing Bryan aside to do it.

A spear finished Mercury off, and a tense scene followed. Bryan got in Reigns' face, barking at the big man. Ricky Steamboat or Kofi Kingston may have responded to that by shaking it off. Cena may have warned Bryan.

Reigns is not any of those men.  

He flew off the ropes and floored Bryan with a spear. That's a bold move from WWE. Knocking down the beloved Bryan isn't the easiest path to win fans over for Reigns. It is, however, the right move.

Credit: WWE.com

A grittier Reigns who truly lives by his "one versus all" motto is more appealing than the version of Reigns the company has tried to portray him as recently. Trading in cheesiness for an action hero-like aura will pull fans in.  

From Roddy Piper to CM Punk, straddling the line between good guy and bad guy has been an effective tool for many stars in the past. WWE would be wise to continue that tradition with Reigns.

As a more traditional babyface, he hasn't clicked. His best moments have come when he has been a destroyer and a predator. En route to his battle with Bryan, this is what we need to see more of. 

Cut out the meant-to-be funny lines from his speeches. Allow him the freedom to move beyond the moral limitations that constrain a standard babyface.

The anti-hero coat WWE has slipped on him lately fits him rather snugly.