Roman Reigns' US Title Run Is WWE's Best Shot to Revitalize Main Event Status
Roman Reigns is the new WWE United States champion, and that step up came not a moment too soon for his fanbase. The reason for that has to do with The Big Dog's stalled main event career, which has been in desperate need of an adrenaline shot for quite some time.
Indeed, this is not a case of the man making the title, but the title making the man. This is WWE's best shot at revitalizing Reigns' main event status.
This is like John Cena's U.S. title run, only in reverse. In that case,Ā WWE's top guy brought some much-needed prestige to the title and used his status to elevate the belt back to its former glory. The company's secondary championships have a history of being overlooked, as all the focus is usually placed on the WWE world and tag team titles.
Cena's title reign changed all that.Ā He put the U.S. title back on the map in a big way. The championship never meant more in the modern era than it did when it was around Cena's waist. This was the impact that Cena had, and it proved the titles are not beyond saving.
But will the same be said of Reigns one day?
Fans are sick of the same old routine when it comes to Reigns. Week after week, he is booked like an unbeatable megastar, and week after week, no one seems to be buying it. He continues to get booed out of the building every time he hits the ramp, and he can't seem to win over fans who loved him as the muscle of The Shield.
However, putting the U.S. title on him could be the one move that makes all the difference.
WWE is surely hoping the title will put Reigns back on the map. Reigns had never been more over than when he beat Sheamus on Raw to become the newĀ world heavyweight champion, but that's in the past.
What matters is now, and if fans are ever going to accept Reigns again, he needs a little something more.Ā
But the question is, will this work? Is the U.S. title enough to make fans forget the countless times Roman was hyped and promoted as Cena's heir apparent? The fact is that, at this point, it's the only move the company has left.
A WrestleMania victory over Triple H himself wasn't enough, and neither was the most storied championship in the industry. Reigns is booked as a babyface, but he cannot sway the majority of an audience to support him. That's not getting any better, either.
Fans are sick of him, and they have been for a long time.
But becauseĀ WWE refuses to change him and insists on booking Reigns as a main event Superstar, the U.S. title is a logical step now. If he keeps the title and defends it successfully against all challengers the way Cena did, then maybe he will finally get the WWE faithful on his side.
Of course, this is also an opportunity for him to recharge.
Reigns must get his second wind and change the perception that he is an undeserving talent who's unworthy of a top spot. He's been carrying a chip on his shoulder, and some fans love that tough-guy approach, but it hasn't worked so far.
So maybe it's time for him to channel his frustration toward becoming the best U.S. champion he can possibly be.
This is the right way to handle Roman's career now. He's been on top, he's seen and done it all, but now he's back to semi-main event status. It's obvious that WWE is not giving up on him, and it's also obvious that he's not giving up on WWE. If he's going to be there and he's going to be a featured talent, then he's in the right position to make it work.
So if this is a success, what happens afterward?
WWE believes in Reigns, and that means when the time is right, he will be elevated back to main event status. He could do so with a new heel persona, or he could do so with a renewed babyface character and sense of purpose.
But this new U.S. title run is the key to getting him back to that elite level. He has a chance to rebuild, and it's the best chance WWE could give him.
Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Android, Windows Phone and online here.
