Roman Reigns Fan Incident Will Generate Sympathy from Naysayers

A homemade Money in the Bank briefcase careening over the ring ropes and into the back of Roman Reigns' head served as a reminder of the Superstar's humanity.

Suddenly, Reigns wasn't just some larger-than-life character on the screen or the center of fans' vexation over WWE's booking. He was a man dazed in the corner, an artist injured by the audience, a victim.

This happened as Reigns battled Bray Wyatt at a house show on Saturday in Victoria, British Columbia. It's a familiar matchup for Reigns these days, as the powerhouse is in the midst of a feud with WWE's resident madman. A bizarre act derailed whatever WWE had scripted for that night.

In a frightening moment, a WWE fan entered the in-ring narrative. Spectator became participant when a 31-year-old male flung a metal briefcase at Reigns. 

The action stopped. Reigns clutched his head in pain. Wyatt stalled. Security pounced on the attacker.

VL Photography caught the briefcase in mid-flight:

A fan-shot video of the aftermath has since made its way around the Internet:

Not surprisingly, security ejected the man. He won't be putting any more Superstars in danger, either. The Canadian Press (via CTV News) reported that the fan "has been banned from any WWE wrestling shows in the future."

The attacker's story is a short one. The climax has already come and gone.

But for Reigns, this tale will become a part of his lore, a badge of honor. That will be helpful for a man who is so often scoffed at by a portion of the WWE fanbase. It's a way for him to stumble into some sympathy.

Once it became clear that Reigns, not the beloved Daniel Bryan, was going to win the Royal Rumble this year, many fans turned on him. Boos filled the arena that night despite Reigns' babyface status. Angry discussions soon filled the Internet, some claiming that Reigns wasn't ready and that WWE was shoving him down the crowd's throat.

He has since become the next John Cena in the sense that in cities heavy with "smarks," he is welcomed with jeers. In other places, he either garners a split reaction in or is treated like a red-hot babyface.

On a Raw in March this year, fans started chanting "Daniel Bryan!" during Reigns' speech:

Some of that negativity comes from his being the scapegoat for WWE's failure to push guys like Bryan, Dolph Ziggler and Cesaro more. Some of it, though, was born from his perceived easy path to where he stands today.

Reigns didn't travel the world for years, wrestling for any number of indy promotions, a la Bryan. He didn't first earn his fame wrestling in armories and bingo halls for just enough cash to cover the travel costs to the next town.

Still, he fought for his success. He worked on his craft when the cameras were off. 

Of his days in the WWE developmental system, Reigns told Kenny Herzog of Rolling Stone: 

"

It's rigorous. You bust your ass in that warehouse. I was hurt, banged up, bruised, nicked. I crushed the brachial nerve that runs down your neck, I've lost all strength in my right side, had atrophy, but I still wrestled. I think I missed one show, like, the day it happened. People don't realize there's way more than what you know.

"

This incident in Victoria is the opposite of those arduous steps in his journey. This was public. We saw Reigns' pain, his vulnerability.

He shook off the blow to the head and finished the match. In fact, he worked in Victoria the very next night, stepping into the ring with Wyatt once again. 

That speaks to the kind of toughness that being a pro wrestler requires. Perceived silver spoon in his mouth or not, Reigns puts himself at risk for injury from wear and tear, from an errant, mistimed move or, as we saw Saturday night, some insane man hurling an object into the ring.

On the Internet, fans are full of bluster. They may talk about how much they hate Reigns, but they really dislike his persona or how WWE books him. They don't know Reigns the man.

And as he grimaced in pain in Canada on Saturday, lucky to not have been hurt worse, fans got a peek under his cape. That glimpse had to help remind even some of his most ardent critics that they aren't booing a fictional character but instead a man working his ass off in a strange, precarious world.