WWE's Growing Problem With Roman Reigns' Part-Timer Schedule

Roman Reigns is headed to WrestleMania 42 to challenge CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship, but his recent Royal Rumble triumph only enhanced WWE's growing problem with his part-time schedule.

For all of the star power, main event credibility and undeniable popularity that he brings, Reigns' on-off schedule is problematic because it:

• Boxes the company in creatively
• Halts the momentum of other Superstars
• Waters down his returns

A Limited Creative Scope

Reigns' part-time schedule was more palatable at the height of the Bloodline story because even when he was not there, the overarching storyline allowed The Usos, Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa to remain relevant main event stars.

That is not the case as much anymore. While Reigns will share the screen with The Usos occasionally and try to motivate Jey to get back into the world title picture, it feels less like part of a larger story and more like a reminder of what was.

Then there is the issue of Triple H and the creative team not feeling like they have the freedom to advance stories because Reigns returns and shifts the narrative.

Instead of being able to write long-term, cohesive stories with a beginning, middle and end, the writers have to account for Reigns' returns and disappearances, accommodating his schedule at the expense of a long-form arc.

Halting the Momentum of Other Superstars

Bron Breakker had built seemingly unstoppable momentum this past summer, only for it to be slowed when Reigns returned and partnered with Jey Uso to beat The Badass and his Vision partner, Bronson Reed.

Punk has delivered some of his best work since returning in 2023, returning old-school professional wrestling to the top of the Raw card as its world heavyweight champion, only to face the very real possibility that Reigns dethrones him at WrestleMania and becomes a part-time champion.

Finn Bálor is doing some of his best work in years, facing a moral dilemma while establishing himself as a championship contender.

Unfortunately, his quest to dethrone Punk in Chicago at Elimination Chamber is essentially a foregone conclusion in that we already know The Best in the World will defend against The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania in Las Vegas on April 18-19.

Reigns has long believed in "high tides raise all ships," and when he was at the forefront of the Bloodline story elevating the talent around him, that was undeniably the case.

Without that narrative tying together multiple stories, his presence may move the needle and pop the audience, but it is more disruptive creatively.

Watered-Down Returns

There is an argument to be made that bringing Reigns in as a special attraction every few months keeps him fresh and does not allow fans to tire of him and his act.

Eventually, though, the novelty of a Reigns return will wear off. It will become predictable. Worse yet, fans may even be dismayed by it as another part-time Superstar waltzes back into the fray at the expense of the names they have watched grind their way to the top, only to be swatted down by the face of the company in one of his many reappearances throughout the year.

When something happens too often, it loses its luster. Instead of being that unforgettable moment, it feels like more of the same. That has not been the case to this point, but the more the fans have to play the waiting game for Reigns to follow up on a storyline that was left hanging by his latest hiatus, the more likely they are to eventually turn on him.

Or, at the very least, grow tired of that element of his presentation.

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There is no denying Reigns is one of the biggest stars in the industry and someone who has a proven track record over the last five years of elevating whatever he is involved in.

As WWE tries to build the next generation of stars to carry the company forward, though, his momentum-freezing returns and inadvertent overshadowing of those same stars will only prove detrimental to the company in the long run.

That is, unless The OTC, Triple H, the creative team and Paul Heyman can work together to tell another epic story involving Reigns that is beneficial to all around him, as they did with The Bloodline.

Until that happens, Reigns' schedule, albeit well earned, will remain a problem that will continue to plague the WWE product.