Roman Reigns' Suspension Stops The Fall Of The 'Roman Empire'

As soon as WWE issued a statement regarding the suspension of former WWE World Heavyweight champion Roman Reigns, I had visions of Vince McMahon wiping his brow, breathing a sigh of relief.

For the next 30 days, the Roman Empire is on lockdown. The build up of Battleground’s main even now falls on the shoulders of Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins—which is what should have happened all along. As for Reigns’ involvement, we’ll have to wait and see. Though, his timeout is a good thing.

If there is a wrestler on the company’s roster who needs a break, it is Reigns. The fans are tired of accepting him as the second coming of John Cena. And truthfully, it looks like McMahon has given up on trying to get him over as the future of the company. A suspension for any reason is never good, but in this case, it might just save Reigns’ career before he tumbles into an abyss not many can recover from.

You have to wonder if this changed the plans at Money in the Bank. Did the McMahons know this ahead of time and altered the ending of both the Money in the Bank Ladder match and the main event? For whatever reason, there really is a new era in this business, and it starts with a lunatic and an architect, with the WWE Universe left hoping it is as good as it looks on paper.

We don’t yet know the substance that Reigns was suspended for. But before we all jump down his throat and label him as a cheater, abuser, or anything else fans can think of, let’s remember there are plenty of substances that can cause a positive test that are not illegal. I’m not here to lecture anyone on this or to defend Reigns for his actions—he’s taken responsibility for it as seen on his Twitter account. My reaction is one of hope; that this latest roadblock in his rise to super stardom will help save his career, not hinder it.

Reigns is not Randy Orton and does not have the stroke of the 12-time world champion. Orton, who has been in the same predicament before, has risen above it and remained a main event performer. So have other stars in the past. Reigns has the look of a champion, but does not have consistent mic skills or a gimmick fans fall in love with. He is not as charismatic as Ambrose or Rollins. What you see is what you get. Now, with a month off, writers can take time to begin a rebirth and revival of sorts. Reigns was sinking faster than the Titanic in the eyes of the fans. Too much Reigns was a bad thing and pairing him in matches with Rollins, Ambrose, and Bray Wyatt only made matters worse.

If there is such a thing as wrestling quicksand, he was up to his neck in it. Time off allows him to pull himself up, dust himself off, and potentially come back stronger, more intense, and the heel we all want to see. For those reasons alone, I feel the need to cheer for him.

Reigns had fallen into a category with the likes of Tommy Rich, Ron Garvin, and others who held a world title but were ill-equipped to handle the importance of such an honor. In this case, it’s partially the McMahons to blame, while some of it falls on fans who wanted someone else to carry the banner. All things being equal, change will do him good. Maybe there is a manager in his future. Maybe the company changes his look. Maybe they pair him with Rollins as a kickass heel tag team. Whatever happens, this is the best thing for him so there is no longer struggle.

How Reigns deals with his comeback will now become a hot topic in the business. Can he leapfrog fresh talent? Can he prove once and for all he is the company’s future? All of these things present options for WWE. In the end, it potentially saves a career that was going nowhere fast.