Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt: Why Feud Has Strengthened Reigns

Roman Reigns will finally get his hands on Bray Wyatt at WWE's Battleground event on Sunday, July 19.  The match comes after weeks of stalking by Wyatt, whose work in this feud is actually strengthening Reigns.

Reigns came into this rivalry as a defeated man.  After being unable to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31 against Brock Lesnar, he slid back to the semi-main event.  While this was not necessarily a death sentence for him, it was a departure from the world-title spotlight he had enjoyed prior to that point.

He was no longer the next top guy, the heir apparent to John Cena.  The hate and criticism he had received for so long had seemingly affected his character, as he stopped being so heavily featured on WWE programming.

The critics who had mercilessly berated him for so long had apparently been proved right: He was not what WWE or the fans needed, and the top title was just not his to hold.  His star had seen its brightest day, and his career was reaching its darkest night.

Seth Rollins was wearing the championship, and Reigns was left to feud with Kane and Big Show—feuds that would take him nowhere fast.  But that was not to be the case for long, as he was once again elevated into world-title contention.

Money in the Bank saw the once-promising main event threat finally attempt to reach the top once again. He was mere inches away from pulling down the briefcase containing a guaranteed title shot when Wyatt made his presence known.  Once again, Reigns was taken down, and his potential future as WWE's top guy was back in serious doubt. 

But the man who entered the feud with Wyatt is not quite the same man fans see now.  

This is not the Reigns who inundated WWE programming in the months leading to WrestleMania 31.  This is also not the Reigns who was placed back in the main event scene at Money in the Bank.  This is a Reigns fans have never seen before; he's a man fighting for what's right.

His purpose in The Shield was questionable in the beginning.  The Hounds of Justice were heels, and to suggest they were doing the right thing by attacking random Superstars was laughable.  When The Shield turned face, its mission took on a whole new meaning, as it was finally standing up for true justice.

But when The Shield split, its members began fighting for themselves.  Rollins took the easy way out by aligning himself with Triple H, while Dean Ambrose and Reigns both began singles careers that flipped back and forth from the main event scene.

However, Reigns' cause is now an admirable one.  He's not just out for himself or championship glory; he's out to defend his family.  When The Eater of Worlds began taunting Reigns on Monday Night Raw with a photo of his daughter and mocking a tea party shared between the two, he crossed the line.

Preventing Reigns from winning at Money in the Bank was all business, but bringing the Samoan's family into the equation was personal.  When that happened, all championship aspirations went out the window and all self-serving career ambition was put on hold.

Reigns is now just one of the guys—a strong babyface fighting for something important and doing so like the tough soldier he's always been portrayed as.  Reigns puts his head down and fights, doing everything in his power to win the match and to inflict as much damage as possible.  

He doesn't cut many promos concerning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship these days.  He also doesn't get shoved down the throats of fans like he was before. Reigns is just a regular guy trying to do the right thing for his family and for himself.  As he does this, he is surely turning heads.

When the main event spotlight began to turn ever so slightly from him, things changed for Reigns.  The pressure to take over the world is off, and he can focus solely on having the best match he can and get better as he does it.

This is the strength he was searching for the entire time, the strength his character has needed.  Wyatt is such a force of personality, such a presence in so many ways, that to share the stage with him is a tall order.  But Reigns has been up for the challenge. He is out for vengeance on Wyatt, and the crowd is beginning to buy in as well.

Reigns vs. Wyatt must go more than one match for Reigns to fully realize the positive impact it will have on his career.  But so far, it's working.  Fans seem much happier with Reigns as the man backed into the corner instead of the man seemingly being handed the world on a platter.  When the time is right for Reigns to emerge from this rivalry, he will likely do so taking more fan support with him than he's enjoyed in the past.

That fan support may also be more willing to go along with him on the ride back to the top.  Reigns will finally have what he needs to get over, and WWE will finally have the strong babyface it's been looking for on the main event level.

Reigns is looking better than he ever has, and much of that is thanks to Wyatt.  This feud is helping Reigns, and that will continue past Battleground.

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