Seth Rollins criticizes Roman Reigns' reduced WWE schedule: 2 reasons he is right & 2 why he's wrong

Roman Reigns has been WWE Universal Champion for over 1060 days. After nearly a decade of struggling to win the fans over, The Tribal Chief emerged, establishing himself as arguably the greatest world champion of the modern era. With that, he earned much praise and criticism, primarily due to his reduced schedule since May 2022.

The Tribal Chief's timetable has been bashed by a section of the WWE Universe and fellow Superstars, most prominently Seth "Freakin" Rollins. The World Heavyweight Champion has not been shy in proclaiming himself the "fighting champion" and the antithesis of his former stablemate. Is the Visionary right? Should The Tribal Chief be defending his title every week?

Here are two reasons why Seth Rollins is right about Roman Reigns' WWE schedule and two why he's wrong

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#2: Seth Rollins is right: The absence of a world champion makes the show feel incomplete

The Tribal Chief's absence is hard to ignore because so much of the main event is built around him

WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns is the centerpiece of SmackDown and the entire company in general. When the Tribal Chief is absent, the blue brand and the promotion feel incomplete. It's thus easy to see why Seth Rollins and a section of the fans think that Reigns should appear every week and defend the title more frequently.

The Head of the Table, as the face of WWE, is an entity almost as big as his world title. Therefore, his absence deprives the company of two of its most valuable entities. Given that John Cena, The Rock, and the babyface version of Reigns were full-time fighting champions during their time at the top, the backlash around The Tribal Chief's schedule is understandable.

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#2: Seth Rollins is wrong: Roman Reigns' lighter schedule has helped elevate multiple stars

While Roman Reigns' absence leaves a noticeable void, it also provides an incredible opportunity for the rest of the roster to step up. Unlike part-time champions of the past, The Tribal Chief has established a long-term storyline that keeps his aura present in his absence. Thus, he can help elevate his teammates and rivals in absentia while giving them more screen time.

The likes of Solo Sikoa, Jimmy and Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens have all become bigger stars due to their association with Reigns and The Bloodline. Thus, the void left by The Tribal Chief has not been all bad for WWE. It has even helped Seth Rollins to position himself as the opposite of The Head of the Table by being the fighting champion on RAW!

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#1: The World Heavyweight Champion is right: Roman Reigns' schedule causes frustration among the fans and talent

Let's address the biggest elephant in the room regarding Roman Reigns' light schedule: the perceived denial of opportunity to other top stars. In the 581 days from The Tribal Chief capturing the Universal Title to becoming Undisputed Champion, the WWE Championship changed hands eight times, thrice on RAW. It was also defended regularly on weekly television and Premium Live Events.

In the 419 days from WrestleMania 38 to introducing the World Heavyweight Title, Reigns defended the title seven times. In the first month of his reign, Seth Rollins defended the new world title six times, giving the likes of Damian Priest their first opportunity at a world championship competition.

While The Tribal Chief's defenses feel more special because they are rare, The Visionary's "fighting champion" approach allows more upcoming stars to prove they can cut it in the main event scene.

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#1: Seth Rollins is wrong: Business has been picking up since Roman Reigns took up a lighter schedule

Reigns' exclusivity has arguably helped the company get viewership numbers it hasn't seen in years.

Since Roman Reigns picked up a lighter working schedule, the aura around him has grown incredibly. He's an attraction whenever he appears, and there's a distinct big-fight feel whenever he competes. It's hard to argue that he hasn't made the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship feel like the most prestigious prize in the business.

As a result, SmackDown's viewership has increased considerably, recently drawing three million viewers for a quarter-hour of Tribal Court with Jey Uso. Ticket sales are booming, and the company business is arguably the best in years. While Triple H, Seth Rollins, and Cody Rhodes have played a part in that, Reigns has arguably been the biggest factor.

A big part of his success is a lighter schedule, which allows him to rest enough to perform at peak condition when he does appear, with the added advantage of protecting him from overexposure amidst his iconic 1060+ day reign.