WWE Misses Major Opportunity with Roman Reigns' Return to Raw

WWE Creative had a golden opportunity to make Roman Reigns a knight in shining armour upon his return to Raw on Monday night.

The moment was set up perfectly. Dolph Ziggler, a beloved Superstar among both casual fans and the Internet Wrestling Community, was fighting for a spot on the WrestleMania 32 card against Chief Operating Officer Triple H. 

Instead, the exact opposite happened: Triple H cleanly pinned Ziggler, making the latter lose a spot on the WrestleMania roster.

What happened after that—the post-match beating, the chorus of boos from a disappointed crowd—was validation that WWE doesn't know how to book its top babyface.

Even making Reigns the violent, silent mercenary can't work anymore. The fans have already turned. There is no interest in a Roman Empire overtaking WWE, as noted by WWE fans on Twitter following the encounter:

Monday night was Reign's first appearance on WWE programming since February 23 following a vicious beating at the hands of Triple H. It makes sense that Reigns would want revenge, but WWE booking a tit-for-tat mauling seems cheap and uninspired.

WWE Creative had a chance to do something different, something that would have not only elevated Reigns but another top-flight Superstar in Ziggler, one of the most underutilized men on the main roster.

What better way to generate fan support than helping one of the company's most "over" Superstars win not only a spot on the WrestleMania card, but a match of Ziggler's choosing?

WWE could have played that drama out for a couple of weeks, having Ziggler tease his entry into a match up until the week of WrestleMania 32. His Twitter feed, already a must-read, would've been nuclear.

Instead, WWE Creative missed the mark yet again with Reigns, the man being set up to be the company's top babyface in the near future. WWE Creative decided to flip the script and make Reigns the bad guy, as noted by Miami Herald wrestling contributor Scott Fishman:

It is the type of booking that WWE has continually blundered with Reigns, the main reason he continues to fall flat among devoted WWE fans. Monday night was the latest mistake, one he could not control yet continues to pay the price for.

Think how Raw could have been different: Reigns' music hits, distracting Triple H and allowing Ziggler to roll up the champ for a three-count.

The remainder of the segment could have played out as it did, and Reigns would have been cheered. Sure, it would have been short-lived. Of course, a select group would have continued to complain about Reigns' push. But Reigns helping Ziggler win would've been the best possible outcome on Monday night.