Roman Reigns' Demotion to WWE's Midcard Is Best Way to Regain Lost Momentum

Roman Reigns has had a tense relationship with the WWE Universe ever since management selected him to be the next big thing, but WWE may have found a way to remedy the situation.

The August 1 episode of Raw featured a United States Championship match between Mark Henry and Rusev, but it was what happened after the bout that mattered.

As The Bulgarian Brute proceeded to deliver another one of his trademark anti-America promos, Reigns came out to defend the honor of this country.

The big difference between this moment and every other time Reigns has entered an arena over the past two years is how the fans reacted. Instead of booing him out of the building like they usually do, Reigns was actually greeted with cheers and people chanting his name.

We all know different cities react to wrestlers in different ways, but this seems more like a sign of something bigger for the former WWE champion.

It feels like a second chance.

When Reigns was given a monster push toward the WWE title, some members of the WWE Universe turned on him, because they felt he was being forced on them instead of having a natural ascension to the top.

If there's one thing WWE fans hate, it's being told who to cheer for, so Reigns was usually met with an overwhelmingly negative response when he came to the ring. John Cena has been going through the same thing for years.

For Reigns, it all started when he won the 2015 Royal Rumble. Even with The Rock by his side for the post-match celebration, the crowd booed him as if he had kicked a puppy on live TV.

There was a brief period where it looked like WWE was flirting with the idea of embracing the hate and turning Reigns heel, but now it appears as if management is taking a different approach.

Instead of trying to keep Reigns in the main event scene, he has been put into a midcard feud with Rusev. Whether this is a response to his lack of popularity or punishment for his recent suspension doesn't matter, because it could be the best possible thing for him.

By putting Reigns into the hunt for the U.S. title, WWE has taken the pressure off him to be the top dog, and this will allow him to naturally grow into the main event star WWE wants him to be.

It's funny to see this happen, because Chris Featherstone wrote a great article just over two years ago about how a feud with Rusev could be the perfect storyline to elevate Reigns, and Matt Camp echoed those thoughts in the video above.

If fans don't feel like WWE is trying to make them like someone, it will be much easier for them to accept Reigns and get back on his side.

Reigns has everything WWE could want in a top star except the support of the WWE Universe. Feuding with Rusev could get him back in the good graces of his detractors and set him back on the path to being "The Guy."

What do you think? Will a demotion to the midcard scene help Reigns regain some of the popularity he lost after The Shield broke up?

Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter @BR_Doctor.