Roman Reigns’ Fight for Respect Continues at WrestleMania 34

Roman Reigns versus Brock Lesnar is the match that most WWE fans expected for WrestleMania 34. It was the logical next step for Reigns, whose main event run includes key victories over John Cena and The Undertaker. The Big Dog has moved past everyone put in front of him. But he never moved past The Beast Incarnate.

This was a storyline that wrote itself. It was obvious that WWE was going in this direction. Fans have known it for a very long time and that belief was reaffirmed when Lesnar won the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 33. When that happened, the road to April 8 became clear. This is Roman’s year.

Of course many critics would say that every year is Roman’s year now. Indeed the former Shield strongman has yet to fully sway the majority of WWE fans to his side. He’s put the work in when it comes to the ring and it shows. His mic skills are okay, depending upon the situation. But the most obvious plus for Reigns is that WWE has his back.

Roman Reigns unleashes on Brock Lesnar before WrestleMania: Raw, April 2, 2018

Despite how many times the crowd boos him out of the building, Roman Reigns remains on top. No matter how many times his opponent is cheered more than him, Reigns still works like a babyface. The man that was supposed to be John Cena’s heir apparent is experiencing exactly what his predecessor did. Yet the company continues to stay the course.

There’s just something about Reigns that keeps a great number of fans at a distance. However if those fans were pressed, many of them would likely admit that it’s not personal. Reigns does love the business and it shows every time he speaks. His heart is in it and fans respect that. But when it comes to everything else? The WWE faithful are just not buying it.

But once again the company has backed Roman into a corner and once again he has the opportunity to come out swinging. This is exactly what WWE gave Cena so many times over the years and it seems to be the norm for Reigns as well.

WWE stacks the deck against him. His opponent is a guy with no heart yet there’s no reason why Reigns should win. Lesnar took him down once, he can do it again. But Reigns doesn’t know when to quit. Not only did he want this match, he picks a fight with Lesnar every chance he gets. It’s the same tried and true formula that was used for Cena and now it’s being recycled for Reigns.

Fans know this of course. It’s obvious. There are countless ways to get Reigns over, not the least of which is a heel turn. But WWE doesn’t want that. Reigns could come clean in the middle of the ring and pour his heart out to the crowd. He could admit that he knows fans don’t like him but he is passionate about the sport and he will always do the right thing because that’s who he is.

Roman Reigns sounds off on Mr. McMahon: Raw, March 12, 2018

He could also tell the world that yes, he has made mistakes. Roman Reigns knows he’s not perfect. But this is his life and he has more respect for the business than anyone knows. He’s humbled to be here and more importantly, he’s honored to perform for the fans; even the ones that despise him.

But that promo is not happening either. Instead, WWE continues to book Roman as the unstoppable babyface that fans must respect because he’s awesome. How could anyone hate the man that fights his heart out every time he steps into the ring? Isn’t he the guy that every man in the crowd wants to be? Isn’t he a hero to kids everywhere? He’s a great guy and he was born to do this. Fans must love him for that. Right?