It would appear WWE had everything under control after all.
For all of us who thought the rise of the “Roman Empire” would never happen, boy were we wrong. Sunday night proved to be the calm before the storm for Roman Reigns and his rightful place atop WWE’s mountain in what can be described as the perfect end to a tumultuous year for the former Shield member.
Kudos to Vince McMahon for having the grapefruits to push through a WWE World Heavyweight title change on Raw in front of the Philly fans who once booed Reigns out of the building at the Royal Rumble only 11 months earlier. The move, which was never a question once McMahon took to the ring, was a stroke of genius and proved even at 70 years old, the owner of the company still has the vision and forethought to pull off such a change.
Above everything else, making Reigns the centerpiece of a new and challenging WWE is what’s best for business.
On a night when the final pay-per-view of the year, WWE Tables, Ladders, and Chairs, was one of the least anticipated events of 2015, everything came into focus for then-WWE World Heavyweight Championship contender Roman Reigns. No, he did not claim his belt back Sunday night—finally getting his due the following night in ass-kicking fashion. That particular battle he lost. But in the end, Reigns won the war.
And on Monday, he changed the direction of the company with a Superman Punch and a Spear. Reigns became the beast we all wanted to see since a hernia injury knocked him out of action late in 2014, therefore killing any momentum he was riding towards a certain WWE World Heavyweight Title run back then. At the time, Armageddon had the door shut in its face.
Now, there has to be a push to maintain the excitement we all felt and saw Monday night. If there is to be a long title run, McMahon and the creative team has to strike while the fire is hot and continue to push their new leader to be better than he is right now.
McMahon has to make that happen. There are plenty of challengers for Reigns to face, but this is a Steve Austin moment waiting to happen with a new generation of WWE fans.
Right now, after trial and tribulation, Reigns is finally gaining the respect McMahon thought he should get all along, only this time it is given by the fan base. And for that reason alone, Reigns should have staying power to continue as champion for the foreseeable future.
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David Levin
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