Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: Not Crowning Roman Reigns WWE Champ Was the Right Move

1. Roman Reigns Was Ready, the Fans Aren't

The thrilling way that WrestleMania 31 ended, the brutality that Brock Lesnar issued and the blood that oozed down his face overshadow the fact that Reigns looked every bit like the main eventer WWE believed him to be.

He brought intensity and presence worthy of that grand stage. He played a key role in a great match, the second time he has done so in the last two pay-per-views.

Still, being the hunter is the better role for him than titleholder right now. Put that belt on him, and the fan backlash only worsens. Too many members in the audience feel that Reigns is being forced down their throats.

WWE went the hurried route with Alberto Del Rio, and fans pushed back, never fully appreciating his skills. 

Instead of going with the ending most expected at WrestleMania and instead of making Reigns the next Del Rio, the company delivered a smart surprise. Lesnar can now exit the title picture and be a part-time attraction. Seth Rollins slides into top-heel status, coming off as a crafty opportunist in the process.

As for Reigns, he becomes a more sympathetic figure, a man on the chase rather than the golden boy handed a crown.

Credit: WWE.com

This gives Reigns more time to win over fans. It allows the perception of him to shift. This commonly spouted idea that he hasn't yet earned a top spot makes less sense the more he delivers. 

Let him show off more of his toughness in hard-fought bouts. Let him put together a string of memorable matches. Let him continue the impressive growth he has experienced in the last two years.

There's no rush to have Reigns wear WWE's top title; he's just 29 years old. Rollins will thrive with that strap around his waist for now.

Reigns' time will come. When it does, we will look back at WrestleMania and how comfortable he looked under the brightest lights WWE has to offer as a turning point, as a precursor to his long stay on the mountaintop.

2. Looking at Rusev's Streak

Someone finally pinned Rusev. John Cena did the honors at WrestleMania 31, taking away the powerhouse's claim to the United States Championship. While some fans are sure to label that victory a "burial," it was simply the end of a chapter.

Reflecting on what Rusev accomplished in his first year, one sees just how much effort WWE put into starting his career off with plenty of momentum. 

Rusev amassed a total of 53 wins before suffering his first pinfall loss. That includes nine pay-per-view victories, four wins by referee stoppage and seven former world champions on his list of victims.

Including non-televised action, he won a total of 136 matches in 2014 and 2015. That's more than Big Show or Rollins and nearly more than 100 more victories than Luke Harper had in that span.

WWE clearly wanted to make Rusev a big deal. Look for him to stay in the spotlight after the company spent so much time building him up.

All match statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net.

3. The GTS!

CM Punk took Hideo Itami's finisher while the kick-happy warrior was still known as KENTA. Now that Punk is prepping for a UFC run and Itami is a part of NXT, many wondered if WWE would have the GTS return to the man who created it.

Itami has teased using it in several matches and finally hit it at a WrestleMania Axxess show over the weekend:

The company would be wise to not have him use that move on TV for a long while. Have him tease it again and again until finally whipping it out at a big event such as SummerSlam. The crowd reaction is sure to be massive, an amplified version of what it captured in the above video.

4. Why Change What's Working?

Adrian Neville made his way onto the main roster on Monday's Raw. His first name was gone, and a purple cape hung off his shoulders.

While The Man That Gravity Forgot is plenty talented enough to get over regardless of what he's called or what he's wearing, it's baffling that WWE makes these kinds of changes at all. Neville had developed a following at NXT. Things were working just fine.

Instead of having NXT talents simply continue what got them over at Full Sail University, WWE is making last-minute adjustments that are either unnecessary or ill-advised. 

Making The Ascension more cartoony certainly hasn't helped it. Neither has shrinking Bo Dallas' gimmick down to a catchphrase. And has it really elevated Rusev, Cesaro or Big E to have a shorter name?

5. Throwback Video of the Week: Kevin Nash

Before Nash became a Hall of Famer, before he was WWE champ or a founding member of the NWO, he was a big man in search of the right gimmick.

His early career is filled with bad ideas from bookers. He was a mobster named Vinnie Vegas, a wizard named Oz and one half of The Master Blasters. Seeing him as half of the face-painted duo is a surreal experience.

It was as if someone were trying to mesh The Missing Link with The Road Warriors. Not surprisingly, Nash's run as Steel was short-lived.

His odyssey of personae is a reminder of just how important that part of the package is. Had he remained Steel or Oz, there is little chance that the Hall of Fame would have been in his future.

6. The Line Between Passionate and Too Far

Buying a ticket doesn't give a fan free reign to say anything to the performers in the ring. Sure, say Sheamus looks stupid or that Big Show should retire as the crowd on the post-WrestleMania did. Just don't get into brutish territory.

The audience in San Jose, California, on Monday night did just that. While some fans were chanting "Let's go Divas!" others were chanting derogatory things at the Divas. Nikki Bella received "You suck Cena!" chants, and her peers soon got similar treatment. 

Whether he was talking about those chants specifically or the general "let's make this show about us" attitude, former referee Jimmy Korderas said it best:

Don't forget that there are people in that ring, people that put their bodies on the line to entertain the fans. Being nasty is no way to pay them back for all the bruises and broken bones they suffer.

7. Hot Rod, Monster Killer

Roddy Piper is getting a second life as a comic-book superhero. As WrestlingNews.Co points out, Rowdy Roddy Piper—Monster Killer is now for sale:

First Comics News provides more glimpses of the artwork, of Piper battling it out with monsters. At first glance, this looks like a brilliant marriage of media. 

8. Neville's Best

To see what WWE newcomer Neville is capable of, travel back to his days as PAC or more recently to his excellent work at NXT. 

• PAC vs. Ricochet—CHIKARA Here Come the International Invaders (2007)
• PAC vs. Prince Devitt—NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 2012
• Adrian Neville vs. Sami Zayn—NXT, November 27, 2013
• Adrian Neville vs. Sami Zayn—NXT TakeOver: R Evolution
• Adrian Neville vs. Finn Balor—NXT TakeOver: Rival

Any of his bouts against Ricochet are worth watching. Those two have great chemistry, and their clashes were showcases of athleticism. Both men were still rather raw during that 2007 battle but thrilling performers nonetheless.  

One can see the extent of Neville's growth by comparing his matches with Balor (known then as Devitt), pre-WWE and then when both men were NXT prospects.

He has become increasingly talented in the in-ring storytelling department. All of the listed NXT matches are proof of that.

9. The Lucha Dragons vs. The Ascension

WWE is clearly higher on Sin Cara and Kalisto than it is on Viktor and Konnor. While The Ascension began their tenure on the main roster by knocking off jobbers while the announcers mocked them, The Lucha Dragons have had a more impressive start.

They have started 4-1, as opposed to 5-0 like The Ascension, but the difference is in the opponents.

Date Taped	Show	Opponent	Result
2/17	Main Event	Curtis Axel and Heath Slater	Win
2/24	Main Event	Cesaro and Tyson Kidd	Loss
3/9	Superstars	The Ascension	Win
3/16	Superstars	The Ascension	Win
3/30	Raw	The Ascension, Cesaro and Tyson Kidd	Win

The Lucha Dragons have collided with the champs early on, bypassed the "defeating local athletes" phase and already own two victories over The Ascension. It's looking more and more like Viktor and Konnor are going to sit on the bottom of the tag team division.

The flying luchadores, however, are already working their way into title contention.

10. The Right Champion

With Daniel Bryan walking out of WrestleMania as Intercontinental champion, talk of that title experiencing a revival is rampant—with good reason.

In an Intercontinental Championship roundtable on WWE.com, Edge said of the title that Bryan now wears, "Being Intercontinental Champion meant you were being groomed for main events. The title wasn't less important than the WWE Championship. It needs to be that again and can be with the right champion."

Bryan is the right man for that job. He will fill his reign with the kind of classic matches that he has produced throughout his career. And his star power will have fans start thinking of the title in the way that Edge describes.