Triple H vs. Roman Reigns: The Good, Bad and Ugly of Current WWE Feud

WWE has the volume turned on nice and loud with the Triple H vs. Roman Reigns feud, but the wrong note is blaring from the stereo.

The battle for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is amply vicious and nasty. It's a showcase of pure rage. Violence is begetting violence, with the intensity rising each time.

With another set of warriors in these roles, this rivalry would be eliciting rousing chants. If it starred a hero people were more behind, it would be everything a WrestleMania showdown should be.

The trouble is that WWE's issues with a disconnect between Reigns and the audience continue. 

That's the growing crack on the glass that can't be ignored. That's what is holding back WrestleMania's marquee matchup. 

The Good: Brutality, Intensity

Reigns is at his best when he punches more than he talks—when he's a gladiator, not a glib, wise-cracking John Cena ripoff. The Big Dog we are getting ahead of his showdown with Triple H is the right one in that regard.

Every time these enemies collide, Reigns comes off like a crazed animal let off his chain. That has him in a position miles better than he was in his feud with Sheamus, where the two rivals bantered too often. 

And WWE has pushed the limits of violence that are still acceptable within a PG-TV rating.

Beginning at the end of TLC, Reigns showed off a more brutal side of himself. He throttled The Game, smashing him through a table and leaving him in need of medical attention.

Triple H paid him back with an unsettling beating weeks ago. Blood painted Reigns' face red. The attack left Triple H's wrist tape stained with blood, adding another lasting image of the savagery these men were composing.

On Monday's Raw, the cycle of payback continued when an enraged Reigns attacked Triple H.

Reigns pounded his foe backstage with everything within reach. He cracked him with a TV and hurled a trash can at him. Had this featured someone more popular wielding all this carnage, the audience would have been howling in approval.

This rivalry has been a throwback to the over-the-top violence that marked the Attitude Era—a time when blood was a more common narrative tool. Reigns' bloodshed was followed by The Game needing staples to close the wound on his head.

On a visceral level, Reigns vs. Triple H has delivered. 

There is no mistaking how personal this battle is. There is no question about how far each man is willing to go. It's the actions, though, as much as the motivation that are holding the story back.

The Bad: Lack of Character Clarity

Reigns isn't an antihero babyface in the vein of Steve Austin; he's an angry ass-kicker. Austin represented opposition to authority, but that angle isn't translating to Reigns' story.

His speech on Thursday's SmackDown is an indication of what's missing with him.

He didn't talk about taking down a tyrant. He didn't proclaim that he fights for what is just. He barely even mentioned the championship at stake. 

Instead, he warned Triple H, "I'm going to beat your ass again because I can." 

That's the wrong direction to take this. While it's clear why fans are supposed to root against The Game, one can't say the same about the reasons to pull for Reigns. Triple H has demeaned audiences of late, talking about how hopeless their lives are and how men in charge like himself will always rule them.

That narrative worked when fans could see themselves in the man opposing him. It made sense when Daniel Bryan stood up to the man trying to keep him down. Bryan, though, was more righteous, a leader of the people, a hardworking do-gooder.

Reigns is a less likable warrior in his own personal war.

That's an odd way to present him, considering his issues with getting over. And WWE has missed opportunities to paint him as more of a hero.

He didn't assist Dean Ambrose at Roadblock. He didn't support him by showing up at ringside or console him after his defeat.

On the Raw where Reigns did return, he waited until after Dolph Ziggler had lost. Vaughn Johnson of Philly.com is among those who thought that aiding The Showoff in his important bout would have earned him some babyface points:

To better play up Reigns' role as the rebel pushing back against The Authority, he has to capitalize on opportunities to play the cavalry. Have him fight alongside The Usos, collude with Shane McMahon or save Ambrose from a Triple H-led beatdown. Show him trying to stop The Authority's unjust actions.

Remind us that he's fighting the good fight and not just flexing his muscle.

The Ugly: Fan Reaction

Throughout this story, WWE has failed to steer the crowd in the direction it wants. Fans have been vocal about not buying into Reigns as a headliner and a fan favorite. 

Will Pruett summed it up for ProWrestling.net when he wrote, "I've never seen the totality of an audience rebel for this long without WWE listening. It's absolutely mind-blowing."

Triple H vs. Reigns is a mess in terms of response. The crowd booed when Reigns made his triumphant return from injury on Monday night. It cheered when Triple H smashed his fist into The Big Dog's face.

It wasn't until The Game turned his attention to Ambrose before Roadblock that WWE garnered the right reaction, as Scott Fishman of the Miami Herald pointed out:

The difference between those moments is an indication of each man's connection to the audience. Fans appear to be wholeheartedly invested in Ambrose's journey, cheering him on at every stage. Reigns, meanwhile, is struggling to win the WWE Universe over.

That's only made worse by how high-profile this match is. Reigns is supposed to be the babyface in the main event of WrestleMania. And he's getting a villain's welcome each time out.

The easiest, most sensible solution is to run with that emotion. Make Reigns a heel. As the feud progresses, plant the seeds of his turn.

Should Triple H somehow find a heart at WrestleMania and Reigns fully embrace his dark side, the WWE title match promises to go from a display of stubbornness to a bit of masterful storytelling.