4 Ways to Make Roman Reigns Exciting Again After Dull Comeback to WWE

When Roman Reigns reappeared on our televisions to announce his leukemia was in remission in February, it was a beautiful, heartfelt moment. The fans, for all their varied complaints on the Reigns character, were fully supportive of Joe Anoa'i.

And then, because Dean Ambrose's contract was running out and because it was a guaranteed babyface reaction, WWE broke narrative continuity and reunited The Shield. At the time, it was a questionable decision but a great one in hindsight.

We weren't sure we would see Reigns in a ring again, let alone with his two real-life friends. Every Shield appearance reinforced that under the right creative guidance and with the right storyline, Reigns was a great main event wrestler.

Then Ambrose's contract ran out, and he left the company, while Seth Rollins won the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 35. And Reigns has spent the last several weeks in an interminable holding pattern, engaged in feuds with little emotional heat, and for petty stakes.

WWE has taken a massive reservoir of goodwill and drained it. The current reaction to Reigns is hardly a vicious booing—it's a positive reaction. But it's muted and more tepid than it ought to be.

Here are four ways to improve The Big Dog, before the crowd reaction slides back into negative territory.

Get Shane McMahon off Television

This is first and foremost.

When Reigns headbutted Vince McMahon in the ring, the same night he got "shaken up" to SmackDown, it seemed like this new angle could work. The WWE chairman may be older and slower, but he's still one of the greatest heels alive.

Shane McMahon, on the other hand, is an awful heel. His character is that of a spoiled rich boy who got his position and backup based on nepotism, rather than earning it. Unfortunately, that's closer to the truth than it is to fiction. Jumping off tall stuff does not a wrestler make.

Shane-O-Mac has far less charisma and presence than either Stephanie or Vince. And because of this, he needs to revert back to being a manager or an authority figure of some sort, rather than an in-ring performer.

Reigns has never been a strong talker. Having Shane in the ring with him, cutting promos, does nothing to help matters or sell this as legitimate.

Put Him Up Against Lars Sullivan

A great opponent for Reigns would be Lars Sullivan, who is currently squashing the Lucha House Party rather than working a personal feud.

The point has already been made: Sullivan big and scary. It's time to put him up against better talent, while also not placing him in contention for a title. Reigns fits that bill perfectly.

The Big Dog has an unrivaled talent for selling his opponents' offense; he's better at this than selling his own. We saw proof of this after WrestleMania 33, when Reigns single-handedly got Braun Strowman over by taking massive bumps for him.

Sullivan can be the next wrestler to follow this reliable, entertaining storyline.

Make Him a More Exclusive Attraction

Putting Reigns up against Sullivan means he can get kayfabe-injured, which will give him some time off our televisions and make us miss him a bit more.

The Wild Card Rule may allow Vince McMahon to front-load his shows and gain viewership in the short term, but it will do long-term damage.

There are already too many performers on the roster with not enough to do—they're part of the massive crowd engaged in a Benny Hill chase with 24/7 champion R-Truth.

Reigns' appearances don't need to be as sporadic as those of Brock Lesnar, but he needs to be closer to a marquee attraction with more limited time on screen.

A Brand New Start

And with time off television, WWE has a chance of helping Reigns by doing what it should have done when The Shield first broke up: let the man change his character. Lose the full outfit. Lose the music. Expand the move set.

The last three months have proved that fans like Anoa'i a lot better than Reigns. And a more personal gimmick, rather than an old one that reminds us of past glories, could turn things around.