Roman Reigns Must Continue to Improve Promos to Win Fans over

Intensity is Roman Reigns' best friend.

It guides him, defines him and fits him like a glove. As long as there is a measure of intensity in every Reigns promo, he will stay true to his character.

He retains remnants of the vigilante persona that helped define The Shield. He enters the ring through the crowd. His theme music remains the same. He operates on his own accord, with fans only beginning to warm up to him.

Staying true to his mantra, it's still one versus all.

A sloppy comeback storyline followed by uncharacteristically playful promos did Reigns no favors. From "suffering succotash" to banal Superman quotes, Reigns sunk with interviews that would seem stale on The Merv Griffin Show.

Roman Reigns—Geriatric Jester

Air Date	WWE Program	Dated Reference Made by Reigns
January 5, 2015	Raw	Superman (circa 1939)
January 9, 2015	SmackDown	Looney Tunes (circa 1930)
January 12, 2015	Raw	"Jack and the Beanstalk" (circa 1807)

These awkward monologues contributed to the notion that Reigns isn't ready for a WrestleMania 31 main event. No such sentiments were apparent one year earlier.

Reigns' brand of silent assassination carried The Shield through the 2013 Survivor Series match and made history at the 2014 Royal Rumble. He looked the part, and that's half the battle.

Reigns is returning to form as WWE heads closer to WrestleMania. On Monday's Raw, he verbally sparred with Paul Heyman and succeeded in delivering an intense, clear-cut message. This wasn't a competition for best mic skills, and it didn't have to be. In fact, Heyman spent much of his time putting over Reigns as somebody he would bet on in any era.

The challenger followed up seamlessly. He spoke softly but remained intimidating. Seething. Growling. He wasn't exactly Jack Bauer, but he showed promise. Ever the slimy manager, Heyman further helped Reigns' cause by scampering off fearfully. 

Reigns is coming off the best singles match of his young career after beating Daniel Bryan in a back-and-forth spectacle. While that seemed like the hard part, his toughest tests lie ahead.

WrestleMania takes place in less than five weeks, but this is an eternity as restless meta-fans remain eager for Reigns to slip up. Reigns will now have to sell himself as a viable No. 1 contender on the microphone. Lesnar shows up on Raw only occasionally, even when he is scheduled to appear (per PWInsider h/t WrestlingInc.com).

Reigns will play a major part in carrying the storytelling aspect of a blockbuster main event. The pressure couldn't be any more intense. That's just how Reigns should like it.

Listen for more on whether Reigns is ready in the latest episode of PodNasty!

Follow @ThisIsNasty