Reigns vs McIntyre: A Battle between two Vince McMahon Pet Projects?

Roman Reigns is undoubtedly one of the most polarising figures in the WWE, only behind John Cena. The former Georgia Tech defensive tackle turned wrestler has been on the receiving end of some of the vilest jibes from the WWE Universe.

Ever since he made his debut along with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose as part of The Shield at Survivor Series 2012, Reigns was earmarked for greatness inside the squared circle.

WWE's constant positioning of Reigns as the top guy despite the constant fan backlash against it led to fans souring on the Big Dog. Despite winning the company's top prize on multiple occasions, Reigns never had a lengthy title reign as the company realized that the fan backlash was too much to take. The company tried re-packaging Reigns time and time again but to no avail.

But, the crowd has now warmed up to the Big Dog's character following his battle with leukemia. As the Big Dog gets set to battle against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 35 in two week's time, one can't help but notice the similarities between the two behemoths of the WWE.

Despite all his accomplishments, Roman Reigns will always carry with him the stigma of being 'Vince McMahon's pet project'. The Chairman of WWE has been a big proponent of the Florida-native ever since he debuted in the company.

Much like Reigns, McIntyre was also introduced as 'The Chosen One' and got an endorsement from none other than Vince McMahon, when he debuted in the company, way back in 2009. But, unlike Reigns, the company would lose interest in McIntyre and the Scotsman would slowly slide down the totem pole.

After being released by the company in 2014, McIntyre would re-invent himself on the independent circuit, winning multiple championships and establishing himself as one of the hottest independent stars. McIntyre's success outside WWE eventually led to the company re-signing him in 2017 and the rest, as they say, is history.

After a successful stint in NXT which included an NXT Championship reigns, McIntyre would re-debuted on the main roster, aligning himself with Dolph Ziggler. A Tag Team Championship run would follow soon before McIntyre turned on Ziggler last December.

McIntyre has been the top heel on the red brand for past one year and has defeated the likes of Dolph Ziggler, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Kurt Angle. It was only time before the Scottish Psychopath crossed paths with a top babyface like Reigns.

Despite having a hushed-up build, McIntyre Vs Reigns is excepted to be a hard-hitting affair with both Superstars looking to make a statement on The Grandest Stage. It is also a battle between two of the biggest Vince McMahon pet projects in the last decade. It will be quite interesting to see who comes out on the top on April 7th.