Vince McMahon Is a Better Rival for Roman Reigns Than Triple H

At 70 years old, Vince McMahon seems to be intent on dedicating the twilight of his televised appearances to making Roman Reigns. Thus far, these efforts have been effective.

Fans can't help but cheer Reigns, who is positioned as more of an underdog when juxtaposed against WWE's almighty chairman. Monday on Raw, after Reigns called McMahon a rich snob, Vince boisterously corrected him, insisting he was a "freaking billionaire!"

The way Reigns coldly refers to McMahon as "old man" hearkens to the generation gap between millennials, whom McMahon infamously criticized in December 2014 on Steve Austin's podcast (h/t PWInisder.com), and baby boomers. This feud is a better illustration of the haves and the have-nots—or in Reigns' case, the have-fewer-than-a-McMahon.

If The Authority-babyface storyline has become old hat, the novelty of a performer like McMahon will be needed to give it just enough steam to power through WrestleMania season.

With a match against Triple H seemingly inevitable, Vince serves as a more useful foil for Reigns. Through the unmatched presence of the chairman, the contrasts between valiant hero and vile villain come alive. 

Reigns and Triple H have been at odds for years. As I mentioned on PodNasty, fans have seen just about everything from these two, outside of what will be a heavily anticipated, full-blown match.

Promo exchanges between Reigns and Triple H are typically one-sided, with Triple H cutting long-winded monologues while Reigns broods for as long as he can.

For those who subscribe to the WWE Network and are part of NXT's growing fanbase, many see Triple H suddenly switch to a meta babyface without warning as he champions the future of WWE.

Just days after being destroyed by Reigns at TLC, Triple H kicked off the NXT Takeover: London broadcast by saying he would have had to have been dead to miss the event. The comment sparked the type of babyface pop that would have killed all of his credibility as a heel had it happened on Raw.

WWE is wise to keep Triple H off television as it builds toward a showdown against Reigns. 2015's summer plague of ratings, which lasted well into the winter, was somewhat of an indictment of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon's appeal. The couple was prominent on several Raws that garnered year-low ratings.

Fans endured a very similar, and more emotionally compelling, storyline in 2014 with Daniel Bryan opposing the powerful duo. With Vince McMahon now getting involved, however, this becomes a fresher rivalry.

In fact, Raw viewership surged over 27 percent per Showbuzz Daily (h/t WrestlingInc.com) with the return of McMahon two weeks ago. This past week, ratings were up five percent per Showbuzz Daily (h/t WrestlingInc.com) with McMahon advertised, despite directly competing with a Monday Night Football game that drew its highest rating of the season.

With WWE announcing McMahon as the special guest referee for next week's main event, Raw's numbers should continue to trend upward with a physical confrontation looming.

WWE has already given away the big retaliation spot on Triple H, but with McMahon in the fold, the possibility of a Reigns beating up the big boss will keep fans engaged. As long as WWE doesn't overexpose the Chairman, routinely crossing paths with Reigns will continue to raise the former Shield member's profile.

Simply standing in the ring opposite Vince McMahon is the ultimate WWE seal of approval. Few WWE Superstars have been this involved in a Vince McMahon angle without not only getting over but staying over. 

Despite his pugnacious nature, Vince won't beef with just anybody. Such a coveted spot is reserved for either rising stars or bona fide legends.

The Rock, Mick Foley, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Ric Flair and, most notably, Stone Cold Steve Austin have all shared the honor of feuding with McMahon across multiple eras. It's no coincidence that all are either current or future WWE Hall of Famers.

Winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship established Reigns as the future of WWE, but Vince McMahon is WWE. Through their current feud—in possibly one of Vince's final runs as a television character—WWE is communicating to the viewer the importance of Reigns as an essential fabric of the product for years to come.

Alfred Konuwa is a featured columnist and an on-air host for Bleacher Report. Like him on Facebook and listen to a special PodNasty WWE Awards Spectacular.

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